Keeping the Isle of Wight cheap

[Idontmeanto]

Have booked a short bucket-and-spade break but I’m frustrated to find that I can’t use Tesco club card vouchers for any of the attractions on the island. Does anyone have any tips for keeping the cost down please? Black gang Chine is supposed to be a quaint curiosity but it’s the same price as Alton Towers once you pick up the ubiquitous 2 for 1 vouchers!

So many beaches and beauty spots, and little villages (like shanklin for example) that you don't need to spend you're entire time at attractions. Blackgang chine is good, but a bit dated and not sure if parts are still up for repair because some fell away off the cliff - so if money was tight I wouldn't worry too much about missing it.

Also it depends, do you have children and how old are they?

3 kids, 16, 14 and 5, so quite a spread.

We used club card vouchers to buy English heritage membership. This allows you entry to EH sites with up to 6 children. There may be a small additional charge if there is a big event on, such as jousting at Carisbrooke castle membership is for a year, and you can use it once you get home too. Osbourne House has a Victorian seaside thingy going on.

Other than that, beaches are free! Compton and Brook are great for relaxing, or looking for dinosaur bones. Plenty of bodyboarding too.

If you do decide to go to Blackgang Chine the ticket lasts all week, so go at the beginning then you can go back later on the week, depending on how far away you are staying. It might be a bit young for your older two DCs though, mine have largely lost interest at 12 and 14. Also last time we planned to go the roller coaster was closed (there are only a couple of rides) - there was a board up outside, but it was a wasted journey.

A fossil hunt is a good value outing, but you need to book.

www.island-gems.co.uk/fossil_man.html

I can't imagine your older two children getting too much enjoyment at Blackgang Chine - yes, t is very much unchanged (so nice to revisit if you went there as a child) but very much geared to younger children. You could spend the money on a day at Robin Hill but again, there are lots of other lovely places to go.
Great beaches as mentioned above - or rent a beach hut for the day at Sandown beach for a more 'typically tourist' day. Go to The Needles and walk along to the old battery after you've been on the rides and filled something up with coloured sand. Have afternoon tea in Godshill or have something at Chocolate Island and then go to the miniature village where you will all have fun spotting tuff amongst the displays.
If you do want to splash out, go to Tapnell Farm as your little one will probably love it and your big ones can play with them on the giant pillow and do the hard work on the go karts. The big ones might enjoy proper go-karting in Ryde.
Go bowling in Ryde before eleven to get a cheap game and use the Ryde cinema for a film to travel back several decades too!
Firestone Copse in Wootton, Parkhurst Forest, Boulder Forest all good to wander round and build dens.
Great towns and villages to meander through... have a lovely time!

Most attractions offer weekly tickets so lok at the cost per visit - We've got tickets to Blackgang when staying nearby then gone for 30 mins on the way home every day. But it's a bit tame for older teenagers.

Thanks so much for all the really useful suggestions😀
Eldest big one has vague memories of going as a child so she’ll be up for some nostalgia.

I swear you can use Tesco vouchers at The Needles? I know I did but it was about 18 months ago.

We're off to IoW too and the donkey sanctuary was recommended to us as it's free.