If you had £600 to spend on a UK break, where would you go?

[PinkPurpleParade]

DP and I have a week off in 2 weeks time. Looking at booking a last minute trip. We never have any spare money as we put everything into our savings, but I get a £600 bonus tomorrow which I totally forgot about!

I did plan to just put it in the house/baby/new car fund but actually after no holiday for 3 years, a difficult time with DD, this pregnancy being a nightmare, illness, both of us working full time in social care through the pandemic... I really bloody need a break.

We live in the north west. Our last trip away was a v cheap weekend in Llandudno.

Could do city break, or spa break somewhere? Something for a couple days totally extravagant? Something cheap for a longer trip? Or a cheapish weekend break and save half? We could either take DD (3) or leave her at home with grandparents, she will be happy either way. Hit me with ideas!

Also please don't tell me I'm being frivolous and should just save the money, I've had an incredibly difficult 3 years and am ready to treat us! And I'll be 20 weeks pregnant so as much as I'd love a theme park trip that's a no go

Scottish coastal drive stopping at various hotels along the way.

I recently had a very please trip to Grafham Water in Cambridgeshire, lots there on Airbnb. Lovely area.

North york moors with a day trip into york city

Or Glencoe, its amazing up there

Do you like fossils? The jurassic coast is beautiful

Unless money is very very tight, it's fine to spend money on a holiday, are you trying to save too much?

Nice that a PP mentioned a Scottish coastal drive. We've just had an August overseas city break cancelled and I'm looking at staying in the Peebles Hydro instead and driving/wandering around the Scottish borders, before spending some time in their spa.

I think I’d go to the Scottish Highlands and Islands (I’ve never been).

ballintaggart.com/
I would go here. A lovely pub like hotel in a perfect position for explorin* Perthshire or even further North in Scotland .

Not to Ballintaggart farm - to Grandtully hotel

I love the idea of Scotland. DP seems to think people within Greater Manchester currently aren't allowed to visit though? Unfortunately that would be us even though we test 3x a week for work and are vaccinated off to Google if he's right...

Northumberland definitely. Accommodation is cheaper up north too.

Edinburgh: make the most of it not being crammed full of visitors for the various summer festivals.

Countryside/coast would be be nice but bear in mind they'll be busier than normal because so many people are holidaying in the UK instead of going abroad.

DP seems to think people within Greater Manchester currently aren't allowed to visit though?

I think that has been lifted now.

I think he might be right.

Ok, from Manchester, I’d go to Pembrokeshire.

All those ideas sound great, but out of curiosity… how would you manage more than 3 days on that budget for two people? Wouldn’t transport and accommodation eat most of that budget?

Honest question, that’s about what I can spare for a family holiday myself.

@GrandmasCat shopping around and getting good deals mostly! Have a look on both booking.com and Airbnb as well as checking out Travelodge and Premier Inn.

I've found decent deals on in cities at the moment. For example I've just been looking at Bristol - central Travelodge only £45 a night so we could do 5 nights for £250. We tend to get a McDonald's breakfast or pastries from Sainsbury's and then potter about museums, galleries, shops, landmarks etc. Cheap lunch e.g. meal deal, then enjoy ourselves and have a meal out on an evening.
We drive so petrol there and back about £50. Not sure on parking costs there. Not sure what there is to do in Bristol but it looks nice and I have friends there who love it, so we're considering it.

I have just looked at Northumberland and there's literally no hotels or Airbnbs free those dates that aren't extortionate though I have left it late to book things. You have to really shop around and be flexible on accommodation, dates etc which luckily we usually are. Also use Top Cashback - currently 7% cashback at Booking.com!

Looks like the Scottish travel ban from GM has been lifted so I'm going to look into Scotland now!

@GrandmasCat

All those ideas sound great, but out of curiosity… how would you manage more than 3 days on that budget for two people? Wouldn’t transport and accommodation eat most of that budget?

Honest question, that’s about what I can spare for a family holiday myself.

If they travel by train a Two Together Railcard (£30) would reduce both fares by a third. Probably cheaper to drive but they'd need parking.

Hotels (in Edinburgh at least) could well be cheaper than a usual summer (they were last year). I stayed in central Edinburgh for well under £100 a night - unheard of when the festivals are on. Check out budget chains like Ibis/Ibis Styles/Premier Inn.

Eating: stay somewhere with great breakfasts (eg Ibis/Premier Inn) and eat enough so you're barely hungry at lunchtime. Supermarkets for lunches or picnics. Chain restaurants in the evenings (eg Wagamama, Cote) - £20 per person? Fish & chips? Or if budget is very tight, a couple of evenings of supermarket foods. City breaks offer a lot more choice for cheap eating than country/coast.

Does the £600 need to cover all meals, transport, accommodation and misc or just accommodation?

I wouldn't bother with the cheap week, I would go just you and DH for a lovely couple of nights away in lovely city and spoil yourselves. Keep a bit back for a day out with your daughter when you are home. It sounds like you deserve a break! (Deffo living through you here, no one to take my DS overnight and it's my idea of absolute heaven! I do love him though 😂)

I was going to say much the same as @Ohshittt. Do you want a week on a budget or a lovely couple of days spoiling yourselves. Then back home to laze about and not have to go to work

We're in North Yorkshire on holiday at the moment, a Haven site, we got a new Prestige lodge/caravan for £300 for 7 days (although it was booked a while ago).

We've been to the beach, they're stunning in the area and free except ice creams, a farm park (£30), sealife centre (free as paid with tesco clubcard vouchers), country Park, soft play (free onsite), crazy golf, pedal boats etc.

Biggest cost has been food, we got tesco delivered to the accomdoation and we've mostly packed picnics for the daytime, but have done the odd takeaway for dinners.

Such a lovely but cheap break!

@cluecu would be ideal but not essential, we can afford a few meals out etc on top. Ideally the £600 would cover hotel which also serves breakfast, petrol and parking costs, and have a bit left over. We tend to eat cheaply - fill up on hotel breakfast, £3 meal deal for lunch then eat in Chinatown, cheap pubs, markets or chain restaurants for meals out, or even cook if it's an Airbnb.

Thanks @ohshittt and @runnerdown I think those are my thoughts too. 2 nights 3 days of luxury sounds nicer than a week in a travel lodge etc and we'd certainly feel a lot more refreshed I think! I'm very lucky and grateful that my mum adores DD and hasn't seen her as much as she'd like during the pandemic and recently we have all been ill, so she's more than happy to have her for us.

If you have tesco clubcard points you can treble them at hotels.com.

I've always fancied Dunblane. I am a Murray fan and would love afternoon tea at Andy Murray's hotel and a trip to the cathedral, memorial gardens and a train trip to both Glasgow and Edinburgh.

@Invisimamma that sounds absolutely lovely, hope you're having a great holiday!