THE Sun's Hols from £9.50 are back.
We reveal how you can have fun for under a fiver, enjoy great food and treat everyone to bargain beach days.
North West
FUN FOR UNDER A FIVER
Head over to Happy Mount Park with the kids in Morecambe for a host of great, wallet-friendly family activities.
Originally created in the 1920s, this traditional park with its well-tended gardens also features play areas, a miniature railway, crazy golf and a splash park, plus trampolines and carousels.
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Bring a picnic or grab a snack at the on-site cafe.
CHEAP EATS AND DRINKS
Budget-friendly Blackpool took the top spot in the UK for cheap eats in 2022.
And Peggy’s Snack Bar on the promenade near Coral Island has great deals for families.
Under-tens eat free, with one free child meal for every adult option bought, and the Family Meal Deal is a further bargain — £10.98 for two adults and two kids.
For sunny days when a pub garden is an essential, check out the Royal at Heysham.
This 16th- century inn at the heart of a small fishing village on the edge of Morecambe Bay has a lovely garden, complete with a pizza oven in summer for value eats.
BARGAIN BEACH DAYS
South Morecambe beach is the place for the bucket-and-spade brigade to check out, with soft sand to dig about in.
But for a traditional seaside day out for all the family, it has to be Lytham St Annes beach.
With donkey rides and children’s playgrounds, to the Victorian pier and beautiful landscaped gardens, there’s something for all ages.
Just check the tides to make sure the walk to the water’s edge doesn’t take too long.
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AFFORDABLE ATTRACTIONS
Enjoy a little animal magic at the Bowland Wild Boar Park at Chipping, Preston.
The kids will adore meeting the park’s residents, from wild boars and llamas to emus and alpacas.
There’s the chance to get up close and personal with hundreds of farm favourites at cuddle sessions and feeding times.
Dad and the older kids will love the tank rides and all the family can enjoy tractor trails around the park as well as play areas, a cafe and an ice-cream parlour.
Entry is from £9, or £30 for a family of four. See wildboarpark.co.uk.
In Blackpool, find out all about the party town’s star-studded past at Showtown, a new museum opening up in the new Sands Venue Resort Hotel and Spa — the first 5H hotel on the city’s famous seafront. See showtownblackpool.co.uk.
FREE FOR ALL
Blackpool’s Stanley Park promises 390 acres of fun without the hefty price tag.
One of England’s largest and most historic green spaces, it has ornamental gardens, woodland walks and lakes as well as some architectural treasures including the art deco cafe and bandstand.
There’s also a host of sports facilities including putting green, tennis courts and running track.
North East
FUN FOR UNDER A FIVER
On your marks, get set — and solve. The Scarborough Spy Mission Treasure Trail costs just £9.99 but will keep a family of five or six happy cracking clues as they discover the delights of this seaside town.
Clues will be dotted around at intriguing sights such as statues, in secret nooks and even in castle walls. The trails take around two hours to complete and give you the chance to explore the old town and admire the fantastic coastline.
The website also has trails in hundreds of other towns, cities and attractions across the UK. See treasuretrails.co.uk.
CHEAP EATS AND DRINKS
When you’re this close to the North East’s fantastic coastline, it would be criminal not to enjoy some fish and chips. Fisherman’s Bay at Whitley Bay has been nominated in the top ten National Fish and Chip Awards for 2023 and has cod and chips for £6.80, battered sausage for £2.80 and kids’ meals for £5.
In Bridlington, check out Tea @ 33, for full-English breakfasts with generous portions, and great-value lunches from £4.95.
BARGAIN BEACH DAYS
Pack a picnic and treat the kids to a bracing day exploring Bamburgh Beach and Castle. The 11th-century fortress, home to King Henry VI, sits high on a grassy hill overlooking the vast expanse of sandy shoreline. Nearby St Aiden Beach also has a fabulous view of the castle, and lovely soft sand perfect for bucket-and- spade play.
AFFORDABLE ATTRACTIONS
You could spend days at Beamish, the Living Museum of the North, and still not take in all the incredible attractions. This faithful recreation of life in the North of England, from the 1820s to 1950s, with everything from town life in the 1820s and 1900s to a 1900s pit village and colliery, and two farms recreated as they would have been in the 1940s and 50s.
There’s also an Edwardian railway station and tramway. A huge expansion project continues this year, with 25 new exhibits and attractions. Tickets for a family of four start from £54 and are valid for a whole year. See beamish.org.uk.
FREE FOR ALL
Search for sea glass at Seaham, on the Sunderland coastline. The frosted pieces of glass, worn smooth over many years by the movement of the sea, are real-life treasure for kids to find on the beaches around this lively harbour town.
The area’s Victoria glass factories would throw their spoil into the sea and now you can still spot tiny treasures of white, green and brown glass hidden in the sands — and if you’re lucky, the rarer blue and red sea glass.
Lincolnshire
LINCOLNSHIRE – the birthplace of Sir Isaac Newton who discovered gravity – is brimming with fascinating historic sites. And best of all, they are all super-cheap to visit.
Start at Lincoln Castle, where entry for a family of five costs £7.66pp.
It has remained remarkably intact despite being built almost 1,000 years ago by William the Conquerer and surviving through several battles and wars.
Make sure you take the medieval wall walk while you’re here, strolling the circumference of the fortress on the Great Stone Curtain Wall, which offers fantastic views of the mighty cathedral in the distance.
If you do want to visit the cathedral afterwards, entry is just over £4pp for a family of five.
While you’re in the city, also swing by the Cheese Society cafe (thecheesesociety.co.uk), where a cheeseboard served with traditional local cheeses, pickles, chutneys, crackers and baguettes will set you back £12.
They also do tartiflette, gooey macaroni cheese and a melted raclette served over potatoes.
Travelling with kids? Then you’ll want to visit the new adventure play area being built at the historic Burghley House (burghley.co.uk) near Stamford.
Due to open in spring, the outdoor playground will face the sculpture garden and feature a multi-level tower with three spires, as well as a maze of walkways, bridges, crawl tunnels, slides and balancing trails.
The Lincolnshire Wolds are celebrating 50 years of being an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
So it’s worth looking up the best walking routes ahead of your visit, at visitlincolnshire.com.
Anyone visiting between May 20 and June 11 can get fully stuck into the scenery at the Wolds Outdoor Festival, where you’ll be able to enjoy cycling, fishing, golf, watersports, high-rope courses, dancing, crafting, gliding and loads more.
Make your way down to Skegness for your seaside fix.
As well as a wide sandy beach, there are donkey rides and plenty of safe spots for little ones to paddle at, including Fairy Dell pool. It’s worth checking out the pier, too, while you’re here (skegnesspier.co.uk).
It has way more than just classic amusement games – there are also escape rooms, climbing walls, Laser Quest and bowling.
