A UK Staycation Does Not Have to Cost a Fortune
The average British family spends over £2,000 on a summer holiday abroad. Flights, hotels, transfers, eating out twice a day – it adds up fast. But here is the thing most people overlook: some of the best holidays in the UK cost a fraction of that, and you do not even need to set foot in an airport.
A well-planned staycation can feel just as refreshing as a week in Spain, especially when you are not spending half your budget on flights alone. This guide covers exactly how to plan a cheap UK break that feels like a proper holiday – from finding affordable places to stay to free activities that are genuinely worth doing.
1. Pick the Right Type of Accommodation
Where you stay is the single biggest cost of any break, so getting this right is crucial. Here are your cheapest options, ranked:
- Camping and caravanning – From £10-25 per night for a pitch. You do not need to own a tent – Decathlon sells perfectly good 2-person tents for under £30. Sites on the NCCL (National Camping and Caravanning Club) network are well-maintained and affordable.
- Hostels – Not just for backpackers. YHA (Youth Hostels Association) has private family rooms in stunning locations – castles, manor houses, coastal spots – from £25-40 per night. Many have kitchens so you can self-cater.
- Budget hotel chains – Premier Inn, Travelodge and easyHotel regularly have rooms from £29-39 a night if you book early. Use their apps for flash sales and sign up for member prices.
- Self-catering cottages and apartments – Sykes Holiday Cottages and Airbnbs can work out very cheap per night when split between 4-6 people. A £400 cottage for a week sleeps 6 works out at under £10 per person per night.
The trick is to book as early as possible. Prices for coastal and popular countryside spots start climbing from March. By June, the same cottage can cost double what it did in January.
2. Choose a Destination That Gives You the Holiday Feel
The whole point of a staycation is that it should feel different from being at home. Pick somewhere with a clear change of scenery:
Coastal Staycations Under £200
The British coast is spectacular if you know where to look. Skip Newquay and St Ives in August when prices go through the roof and try these instead:
- Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire – Victorian pier, sandy beach, and fish and chips that cost half what they do in Cornwall. YHA Saltburn has beds from £20 a night.
- Tenby, Pembrokeshire – Pastel houses, three Blue Flag beaches, and a walled old town that looks like it belongs in the Mediterranean. Campsites from £15 a night.
- Whitby, North Yorkshire – Gothic abbey, the best fish and chips in England, and Dracula history. Budget hotels from £35 a night in early summer.
- Cromer, Norfolk – Classic British seaside with a pier, crabbing on the prom, and coastal walks that rival anything in Devon. Caravan parks from £20 a night.
Countryside Staycations Under £200
If you prefer rolling hills over sea views, the UK has some genuinely stunning countryside that costs very little to enjoy:
- The Peak District – England’s most accessible national park. Stay in a YHA hostel in the heart of it from £22 a night, with walking routes right from the front door.
- Snowdonia, Wales – Mountains, lakes, and villages that feel like a different country (because they partly are). Campsites from £12 a night.
- The Lake District – Yes, it can be expensive in Ambleside and Windermere, but stay in Keswick or the western fells and you can find bargain self-catering from £65 a night for the whole place.
- The North York Moors – Wild, beautiful, and remarkably cheap. Pick a village like Goathland (famous as the setting for Heartbeat) and rent a cottage for under £80 a night.
3. Eat Well Without the Holiday Price Tag
Eating out is where staycation budgets tend to fall apart. The average family of four spends £60-80 a day on food when they are away. Here is how to slash that:
- Self-cater for breakfast and lunch – A weekly shop at Aldi or Lidl for basics costs £30-40 and covers breakfasts, packed lunches, and snacks. That alone saves £100-150 over a week compared with eating out for every meal.
- Find local specials – Every British seaside town has a cheap eat that the locals know about. Ask at your accommodation or search “cheap eats” plus the town name on TikTok or Reddit.
- Use supermarket meal deals – M&S, Tesco and Sainsbury’s all do £3-5 meal deals. Grab one for lunch and you have spent less than a single course at a restaurant.
- Pack a picnic – A supermarket picnic eaten on a beach or a hilltop costs £10-15 for a family of four and is usually more enjoyable than sitting in a crowded restaurant.
As a rule, aim to eat out once a day maximum. Make it dinner, and make it somewhere that is genuinely local and recommended rather than the first place you walk past near the tourist information centre.
4. Fill Your Days With Free Activities
The UK has an absurd number of free things to do if you know where to look. Here are the best ones that are actually worth your time:
Museums and Galleries
Most major UK museums are completely free. The Natural History Museum, the V&A, the Science Museum, the Tate Modern, the National Gallery – all free. Outside London, the same applies in most cities. Manchester has the Science and Industry Museum. Birmingham has the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Edinburgh has the National Museum of Scotland. All free.
National Trust and English Heritage
If you are going to visit more than two National Trust properties or English Heritage sites in a year, buy membership. National Trust membership costs around £84 a year for an individual and gives you access to over 500 places. A single visit to a major NT property costs £15-25 for a family. Do the maths and it pays for itself fast.
Not a member? Many NT and EH sites have free grounds to walk around even if you do not go inside the house. Check the National Trust deals page for current offers and discounted membership.
Heritage Open Days
Every September, Heritage Open Days gives free access to thousands of buildings and sites that are normally closed to the public or charge admission. This includes historic houses, castles, gardens, and even private homes. It is the biggest heritage festival in the country and it is all free. Check the Heritage Open Days website for what is available near your staycation spot.
Coastal and Countryside Walks
The UK has over 140,000 miles of public footpaths, and walking all of them is free. The South West Coast Path, the Pennine Way, Offa’s Dyke Path, and the Cleveland Way are all stunning multi-day routes. You do not have to do the whole thing – pick a 5-mile section and make a day of it.
5. Travel Cheaply to Your Destination
Getting to your staycation does not have to cost a fortune either:
- Book train tickets 12 weeks ahead – Advance tickets can be 50-70% cheaper than buying on the day. Use the National Rail website or Trainline to set up alerts. Split-ticketing (buying two tickets for different legs of the same journey) can save another 20-30%. Sites like SplitMyFare do this automatically.
- Get a railcard – A Two Together Railcard costs £30 and gives you a third off all train travel for a year. A single trip from London to Cornwall can cost £80+ without one, or around £53 with it. It pays for itself in one journey.
- Drive off-peak – Fuel costs are lower if you travel outside rush hours, and you avoid the stress of traffic jams. Use petrolprices.com to find the cheapest fuel on your route.
- Take the coach – National Express and Megabus routes to popular staycation destinations often cost £10-20 per person. It takes longer but the savings are significant, especially for a family of four.
6. Make It Feel Like a Real Holiday
The biggest criticism of staycations is that they do not feel like a “proper holiday”. Here is how to fix that:
- Leave your normal routine behind – No working, no chores, no popping to the shops for milk. Treat it exactly as you would a trip abroad.
- Unplug from home – Put an out-of-office on. Delete the apps that tie you to your normal life for the week. You would not check work emails on a beach in Portugal, so do not do it in Cornwall either.
- Try something new – Book a surf lesson, go coasteering, try paddleboarding, or rent a bike and explore. New experiences are what make holidays memorable. Many coastal towns offer taster sessions for £20-30.
- Eat something different – Seek out local specialities. Whitby scampi, Cornish pasties in Cornwall, Arbroath smokies in Scotland. Part of the holiday feel comes from eating things you do not normally eat at home.
- Stay somewhere that feels different – A bothy in the Highlands, a yurt in Devon, or a converted railway carriage in Yorkshire will give you a much stronger holiday feeling than a Premier Inn next to a roundabout.
7. Sample Budget Breakdown – 4 Nights in Saltburn
Here is a real example of what a cheap staycation looks like for a couple in late June:
- Accommodation – YHA private room, 4 nights at £25/night = £100
- Travel – Advance train tickets, return = £35
- Food – Self-catered breakfasts and lunches from Aldi (£25), one pub dinner out per night at local prices (£25 x 4 = £100), ice cream and snacks = £15. Total food = £140
- Activities – Beach walk (free), Saltburn pier (free), coastal walk to Skinningrove (free), one surf taster session (£25), Heritage Centre (£5) = £30
- Total for 4 nights for 2 people: £305
That is under £40 per person per day, including accommodation, food, and activities. The equivalent trip to a Spanish costal would easily cost double once you factor in flights, transfers, and higher food prices.
The Bottom Line
A UK staycation is not just a cheap alternative to going abroad – it can be a genuinely brilliant holiday in its own right. The key is choosing the right destination, being smart about where you stay, and filling your days with free activities that are actually worth doing. Skip the overpriced tourist traps, eat like a local, and get outside. Do those three things and you will have a break that feels like it cost three times what you actually paid.
For more ways to save on days out and family activities, check out the National Trust deals and Booking.com deals on our freebies blog.
