With the school summer holiday looming, now is the perfect time to start looking for money-saving ways to keep the kids entertained.
A day out at a theme park may be filled with trills of delight from the little ones, but the potential expense of purchasing tickets, travelling and eating out on the day is often enough to make cash-conscious parents wince.
Savvy shoppers know that there are ways to help make entry costs a little bit cheaper, as well as discounts to be had on public transport and even hotel stays, and we've rounded up some of the best money-saving tricks available to help families enjoy more time together for less.
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From saving up loyalty card points to booking in advance, these simple suggestions could help you and yours to save money on days out this summer.
Use your Tesco Clubcard vouchers
Tesco Clubcard members are able to exchange their Clubcard vouchers for a Tesco Clubcard Reward Partner Code giving reduced or even free entry to a range of theme parks and wildlife parks throughout the UK.
Tesco announced this year that Clubcard points would reduce in value, but continuing to collect points with your regular Tesco shop could still help to save you money in the long run.
From June 14, members will receive two times the value of their accumulated club card vouchers, instead of the original three times, to put towards goodies including tickets for theme parks, wildlife parks and more.
Clubcard members who are able to book before June, 13 will still reap the benefits of three times the value of their vouchers.
Shoppers can use as many vouchers as they wish, and add an alternative form of payment to make up the shortfall, meaning that even if you only have a few pounds saved on vouchers, you can still save on the price of the ticket.
Tesco Clubcard vouchers can be used when purchasing tickets for Chessington World of Adventure, Oakwood Theme Park, Pleasurewood Hills, Alton Towers, Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Drayton Manor, LEGOLAND Windsor, Thorpe Park and Wicksteed Park.
Book your Clubcard Rewards day out here
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Travel with National Rail
Pre-booking your train tickets can help to save money with the National Rail 2for1 Days Out promotion.
Funseekers simply need to register with Days Out Guide and buy a National Rail ticket to get 2for1 entry to more than 80 UK attractions, including Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures, Alton Towers and LEGOLAND Windsor.
Entry tickets must be booked in advance and you'll need to present your tickets on arrival along with a valid train ticket.
The full list of eligible attractions can be found here.
Invest in a Merlin Pass
Regular visitors to theme parks including LEGOLAND Windsor Resort, LEGOLAND Discovery Centres, Madame Tussauds Blackpool, The Dungeons, Blackpool Tower, Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures with its new World of Jumanji Land and Alton Towers could save big by investing in a Merlin Annual Pass.
Covering entry to 29 UK destinations, the Merlin Pass offers free or heavily discounted entry for a selected number of visits. All but the most expensive Platinum Pass have some restrictions on the dates they can be used and each pass is priced per person.
Discovery Pass £99 - provides 200 days of off-peak entry making it a good choice for families with children under school age
Silver Pass £169 annually or £10.99 per month (plus £39.99 joining fee) - Includes over 300 days of entry as well as selected additional benefits including 10% off food and drink and discounted friends and family tickets.
Gold Pass £239 annually or £15.99 per month (plus £49.99 joining fee) - Giving over 340 days of entry, this pass includes free parking, £5 off Fasttrack vouchers and 20% off selected retail, food and beverage. It also comes with fewer exclusion dates.
Platinum Pass £299 annually or £20.99 per month (plus £59.99 joining fee) - This range-topping pass comes with 364 entry days and also includes free parking, £5 off Fasttrack Vouchers, and discounts and money-off promotions.
With entry tickets costing for most UK attractions costing between £25 and £38 per person, the Discover Pass would pay for itself if you made three or four visits a year. In contrast, the Platinum Pass requires a little more dedication to the cause and as many as ten visits to cover the initial cost.
Find out more about the Merlin Annual Pass, here.
Book before you arrive
Most of the UK's biggest attractions will let you book your tickets online ahead of your visit.
Alton Towers offers £36 half-price day passes for visitors who buy in advance as well as £17.50 Waterpark Passes, and pocket friendly £6 tickets for 18 holes of golf.
Legoland is offering 50% off a two-day visit when you turn your trip into an overnight stay. With prices starting from £59.99 per person, you can book a second day free from June 3 until September 3. Hurry though, as this deal expires on June, 12.
Check the website of your chosen attraction in advance to see what's on offer.
Sign up for savings
Many attractions will regularly offer promotions throughout the year. To be sure that you never miss out, sign up for email newsletters from your family favourites to take advantage of flash deals, seasonal deals and special offers.
You can sign up for some of the UK's most popular attractions, below:
- Chessington World of Adventures
- Alton Towers
- Thorpe Park
- LEGOLAND Windsor
- Drayton Manor
- Paultons Park
- Fantasy Island Theme Park
Wowcher
Deal site Wowcher offers reduced prices on a selection of days out and attractions across the UK.
At the time of writing, up to four bargain hunters can stay and play at Gullivers Valley theme park in South Yorkshire for £149.
The price includes overnight accommodation for two adults and two children and theme park entry. Dates are available from June until September, but the price could rise depending on the day of travel.
Other low-cost days out available through Wowcher include Harry Potter Walking Tour, Howletts Wild Animal Park, Banham Zoo and Africa Alive.
Stay and play for longer
Turn a day out into a mini-break by booking a hotel close to your favourite attraction. Some theme parks have hotels included onsite, but rooms can be pricey.
Deals are out there though, like an overnight stay at Alton Towers from £62 per person available for getaways booked between June, 4 and July, 20. The offer includes a second day free at the park which evens out the additional cost of a night in the hotel.
Alternatively, sites like booking.com offer hotels and self-catering accommodation close to the UK's favourite theme parks, with options available to suit all budgets.
