The £200 EPIC family bank holiday weekend!

Beach huts on Bournemouth beach

Getting settled in the country means wanting to see more of it, travel a bit and explore, especially if you have an adventurous spirit like we do.

But money is always the big hurdle, travelling is expensive and it can cripple your plans to get out and have a blast.  So how did we manage to enjoy a 3 day bank holiday weekend on just £200?  I’ll share a few of our tips, if you share your stories with us!

Firstly, not included in this sum of money is accommodation and a National Trust family membership.  For accommodation, we booked early, and by that I mean we booked in the dead of winter when not a soul is even dreaming of sunny weekend breaks.  I start searching for self-catering accommodation in November and eventually settle on a privately rented mobile home in a resort park.  I negotiated with the owner to pay our booking off over a few months and managed to secure the brilliant rate of just £80 a night for a 6 sleeper.  I can also suggest asking on your local community pages or groups, you will be astounded how many people in your area may have a second home or a similar mobile home that they would rent out.

Having done that, the next item not included in our weekend budget is a family membership to National Trust. I’m a huge fan of this and for every single person in the country, whether you have kids or not, I highly recommend getting the annual membership.  One fee includes unlimited free visits and parking to over 1,000 properties around the country.  You will literally always have something to do, somewhere to explore and a place to enjoy a picnic or a long walk when you need to clear your head.  Within 3 or 4 visits, the membership will have paid for itself but you have a whole year to make use of it.

So…what did we spend our £200 on?

1. Fuel – our destination wasn’t terribly far but far enough to be a holiday.  We budgeted £40 in fuel for the weekend
2. Dinners – we love the Gousto box service, a meal service which includes fresh ingredients carefully measured out and recipe cards, meaning you don’t have to even think about what to take along, never mind lugging hoards of bottles and jars only to forget one crucial item.  Three dinners and a picnic lunch cost us £40.  Toss in a few bits from your grocery cupboard for breakfast and you’re all set
3.  Kids spending money – the kids got £10 each for the weekend to completely eliminate the nagging for ice cream and treats.  Yes, it does work!

So we had £110 left for our weekend entertainment and here’s how we did:

Day 1: Beach day in Bournemouth

Bournemouth pier from the Land Train

We had decided ahead of time that we would hit the beach on the first sunny day, regardless of the forecast for the rest of the weekend.  We weren’t taking chances of missing the opportunity because of unforeseen rain, and we also didn’t want to land up on a crammed beach because the whole of South West England had the same plan as us.  So our first day we started out super early, as Saffas do on a beach day, and went hunting for free parking.  We were really lucky and got a spot on the cliff walk of one of the beaches, with no time limit and no fee to pay.  I had already checked this out online so we had an idea of where to look, but failing that we knew how much a day’s worth of parking would cost us.

With our car parked, everyone grabbed their back pack (because everyone carries their own stuff and we all travel light) and we headed to the shore.  After some paddling and relaxing in the delicious sunshine, we headed to one of the stops of the popular land train, which links the various beaches and the city centre.  A family ticket gets you unlimited hop on hop off rides and we headed off on a full loop to see some of the scenery.  Once we’d been on the full tour, we stayed on the train to head into the city centre in search of lunch. 

The beauty of this decision is that Bournemouth has a weekend market, crammed full of artisan food vendors.  Each of us could choose what we wanted and we all ended up with something different, all of it delicious and freshly made. 

Heading back to the beach using the train which ambled through the lovely gardens, we returned to the sand for the rest of the day, eventually heading back to the car and then back to the resort….we were tired, sunburnt and so very happy after a brilliant day.

Cost:

Family train ticket: £18

Lunch and drinks: £22

Total: £40

Day 2: Jurassic coast

Country view from the heights of Corfe Castle

The next day we had decided to explore the area more and this is where National Trust provided the day’s entertainment.  We started with Corfe Castle, an ancient castle dating back 1,000 years and advertised as one of the Top 10 magical places to see in the UK.  And it really is magical.  One thing about National Trust properties, is that you will never be bored visiting them.  Even dull castles and stately homes are worth a visit because there is likely to be some kind of organised activity and on this weekend, we walked into a live Saxon village.  It was like stepping back in time and really so special to experience.

Glorious sea view from Old Harry Rocks

After exploring the ancient ruins, we had a quick picnic lunch in the car park and headed on to the next stop, Old Harry Rocks.  In my opinion, these white cliffs are way more beautiful than the more famous White Cliffs of Dover, and the whole area was busy with people heading to the beach, to the cliffs, to the water for kayaking…everyone had something to do there.  After a hot but easy hike to the cliffs, we rested a bit, enjoying the vast view and taking Insta worthy photos before moving on again to the next stop. 

Our third and final stop was Spyways and we were there in search of their dinosaur fossilised foot prints.  We didn’t find it because of a bit of a misunderstanding on the map which got us a bit lost but we did find what we really felt was the end of the world.  The most breathtaking view over the rolling Jurrasic Coast, unspoiled, untouched and almost devoid of people.  It was a fitting end to the day and we headed back once again, tired, sunburnt and ridiculously happy with the day’s activities.

Total cost: £0 (not even parking which is free for National Trust members at their sites)

The view of the end of the world at Spyways

Day 3: City explore in Southampton

Taking in the sight of Southampton

Our final day and also check out day.  We packed up and tidied up in the morning, loaded the car and headed to Southampton for the city part of our itinerary.  Southampton itself may not be the prettiest city but it’s really rich in history and there’s loads to do, even free stuff.  We found parking in the city centre and our first activity was exploring the ancient walls of the city, parts of which still exist.  It’s a fascinating insight into the history of the town and the area, and you even have a glimpse into the past while standing on the High Street and look down at the exact spot where the Titanic would have sailed from.  

On that subject, we walked into the city, stopping for lunch in the West Quay Shopping Centre and then strolling uptown to the Sea and City Museum to explore the Titanic display.  Its well worth a visit, the display is sobering and absolutely brilliant, giving a different view on this well-told story.  There’s a floor map of the city in one of the rooms, showing red dots where crew members lived, that were lost at sea in the tragedy.  Not a single street was untouched by the loss and it really brings home how much this disaster would affected a tiny sea town like this.  There are various interactive displays and so much to see that you need around 2-3 hours to take it all in.  This was our final activity and we started heading back down town to find the car and head home after a very busy and jam-packed weekend.

Cost:

Parking: £4 for 5 hours

Lunch: £26

Sea and City Museum family entry: £28

Total cost: £58

The last little bit of change we had was spent on ice-creams for the trip home.

It was one phenomenal weekend, carefully planned and we made the most of every second.  If you are planning something similar, I suggest that you start google free activities in the area which will usually present a whole host of interesting ideas.  Also look for the official tourism website for where you are going, they will have sample itineraries and even more ideas of what to do.  

A weekend away does not need to break the bank, so get out there and explore your new country!