Cheap holiday suggestions?

[Famousthehero]

Hello! I’m just wondering if anybody could suggest a UK summer holiday which is around £400ish for 4 nights (ish) for us (2 adults and a 3yo and 6yo)?

the last 2 years we have gone to Lyme Regis fossil hunting, and stayed in a static caravan in a holiday park. It has been great but the price/availability is not so good this year and I feel like we should mix it up a bit anyway.

does anybody have any recommendations? We were just looking at Butlins Minehead, but all the reviews of dirty rooms, no Wi-Fi, and having to queue for hours for the pool have put us off.

we live in Birmingham and husband doesn’t like long drives, so Scotland/Cornwall places are probably out.

I was thinking somewhere near a beach, not camping as we don’t have a suitable tent. Fossil hunting is nice as it gives us something to do. I don’t think air bnb is suitable as our 3yo is very destructive, so maybe caravan or cheap hotel/hostel?

Sure I’m asking for the moon on a stick, but just thought if anybody knew of any cheap breaks it would be great to manage one :-)

Try the YHA. Many of them have family rooms and kids menus.

Have a look on Hoseasons website. Look at the whole country for your dates and party size then sort low to high on price. Starting at the cheapest see what meets yours needs. I normally find something that way rather than chasing something specific on a recommendation. Prices vary due to many factors so a friends bargain may be expensive for your dates.

Morecambe!

Ocean edge caravan park is good too. Or a hotel in the front.

Things to do

Beaches
Viking Graves at Heysham
Happy Mount Park and splash park
Lancaster Castle
Williamson Park
Arcades
Bowling
Jump rush
Cinema

Check out what's on at the platform and Lancaster grand and if you choose your timing you could come on a festival weekend which is always fun.

Ah thanks so much! Wouldn’t have thought of looking there. Have seen some cool looking ones. The kids eat free thing seems good too, although got to weigh up the price of not having fridge/kitchen so buying all the meals 🤔

might try and talk DH into a weekend stay in a New Forest land pod…

YHA Hunstanton would work for fossil hunting. It has a kitchen as well as selling meals.

Thank you! Funnily enough that was who we booked with the last couple of years and they were really good.

They have some nice looking places available, just I’m not well travelled so find it hard to piece together the locations and what might be nearby to amuse the kids. Will have to apply myself :-)

We used to go to Shell Island in Wales when little. Lovely memories. They have some chalets

www.shellisland.co.uk/

Brill thanks, would never have thought of Morecambe!
just wrestling the ocean edge site for availability; looks like it’s popular already :-)

This sounds great thanks, sadly no availability in August so I guess everyone else is already on it :-)
will defs look into it in future though, love the sound of Seal Island :-)

This looks so cute! Maybe in a future year when we get a tent, as the chalets are a bit out of our price range.
Getting a family tent is definitely on our to do list (quite a long list 🙃), especially as we’re leaving the baby stage now x

"Brill thanks, would never have thought of Morecambe!
just wrestling the ocean edge site for availability; looks like it’s popular already :-)"

Regent Bay is an alternative but ocean edge is the better of the two IMO. They have a bus into Morecambe too and Lancaster if you didn't fancy driving.

Don't miss happy mount park with kids that age. It's brilliant. Think the splash park needs booking in advance but it's only minimal cost £1.50 or something.

Lots of the hotels on the prom aren't on the big sites. Just Google and go to their site individually same for b&b.

Bring scooters. The promenade is long! I missed the stone jetty off my original list and the playgrounds all along the promenade. Some are really good.

Camping will open up lots of different holidays for you, especially over where you are some great cheap campsites around in some beautiful places xx

Butlins isn't like that at all.
The rooms are perfectly fine and there are no queues for the pool.
Wifi is fine around the complex but not treat in the rooms but who needs it.
Butlins is like 100 times better than a haven type place. I do both and if it wasn't for Minehead veing a 3 hour drive I'd do there every time

I don't know if it's too far for you to travel but Whitley Bay parkdean site (I think you can also book there through Hoseasons so check prices) is from £489 Mon-Fri in the last week of August. It's nothing fancy but there's a beach at the end of the road, a pool, the bar food was surprisingly nice, there's a bus stop outside if you fancy a day trip into Newcastle and you're within easy reach of attractions in Northumberland.

Actually, if you go on parkdean website you can search on all their sites and by month to see the cheapest deals on a map.

Should be able to find something in North Wales?
We have stayed in two nice caravan found via this web site
www.ukcaravans4hire.com
Some good North West UK ideas here
www.donthibernate.co.uk

I’ve been looking at some beautiful cottages in Ripon within your budget. Ripon is beautiful and there’s plenty to do nearby, Lightwater Valley, Fountains Abby, Newby hall, workhouse museum and loads more.