If you’re thinking of what you can do with your little ‘uns that won’t break the bank, here are some ways to spend less on days out and activities
Days out aren’t cheap, so here we’ll share special offers where you can bring down the price of tickets, as well as any special free events and activities. We’ve also had a look at schemes such as Kids Pass and Little Bird and shared whether we think they’re any good.
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Gardens
BBC Gardener’s World magazine: 2-4-1 entry card (ended)
This annual offer is always worth a look. If you buy the May 2024
edition of Gardener’s World magazine (out 11 April) you’ll get a card that’ll get you 2-4-1 entry to 407 gardens in the UK and Northern Ireland.
This includes:
- Leeds Castle
- Warwick Castle
- 67 National Trust gardens
- 27 National Trust of Scotland gardens
- 12 English Heritage gardens
The magazine costs £9.50 and you can buy it in shops or online (you can get it for £9.99 including postage).
The pass is valid until April 2025 and can be used as many times as you like.
Day out ticket discounts
Amex: 10% off days out
If you have an American Express credit card you can activate an offer to save 10% on days out when you spend with your card.
It’s valid at 25 locations including London Eye, Eden Project, Alton Towers, Titanic Belfast and more.
You can use it multiple times but must book by 17 November 2024.
Tower of London and London palaces: 2-4-1 entry
Buy one and get one free ticket to Tower of London, Kensington Palace and Hampton Court Palace when you travel with your Oyster card on TFL.
To qualify for free tickets, one person from each party will need to show proof of travel via the TfL Oyster and Contactless app on arrival.
The offer runs until 23 December.
Some exclusions apply, check the terms and conditions.
National Rail: 2-4-1 days out
If you’re travelling by train to an attraction, you might be able to use it for a discount on your entry. Details here.
Free ticket offers
MoneySuperMarket: SuperSaveClub hack
If you take out insurance via MoneySuperMarket you can get free membership to the SuperSaveClub, which offers free tickets every week and month to big name attractions like London Zoo.
But there’s a way to get access without buying insurance that won’t cost you anything – simply sign up for the free Credit Monitor service. You can also do this for every adult in your home, increasing how many free tickets you get.
We’ve written up how to get free membership in detail.
Winter Wonderland: free off-peak tickets
You can get off-peak tickets to Winter Wonderland this Christmas. Tickets are usually between £5 and £7.50 but at the moment there are free tickets in November, early December and early January.
The free tickets are for entry in the morning, but you can stay as long as you like so it wouldn’t stop you from staying til the end of the day if you wanted to.
We expect the free tickets will go quite quickly, so grab them while you can.
National Lottery: Open Week (ended)
The National Lottery runs a regular promotion where you can get free or low-cost days out, including Eden Project, National Trust, the Tower of London and English Heritage properties.
The National Lottery Open Week runs between 9 March and 17 March 2024 — booking is open now.
To get access, you need to have a National Lottery ticket or scratchcard, which you can use to visit a National Trust or National Trust for Scotland properties for free or at a discount. The date of the lottery ticket isn’t relevant, but maybe hang on to it until you know if you’ve won.
You can see a full list of the attractions and the discounts available, searchable by postcode or your current location. The full T&Cs are here too.
“Open House” events
In September each year many buildings open their doors for free across the UK. Here are some of the main organisations, but do check locally to see if there are other places offering something similar.
Open House London – September 2024
From 14 to 22 September 2024 you can get free or discounted access to hundreds of buildings and gardens in London, many of which are normally closed to the public. Bookings open 21 August 2024. Details here.
Heritage Open Days (Scotland) – September 2024
In September 2024 there’s a similar open day festival in Scotland giving you access to buildings and events across the country. Bookings are now open. Details here.
Doors Open Days (England) – September 2024
On weekends from 6 to 15 September 2024 Heritage Open Days will provide free access to events celebrating England’s history and culture. Bookings for some events are now open. Details here.
Open Doors (Wales) – September 2024
Throughout September 2024 you can get free entry and guided tours to more than 200 historic sites in Wales. Loads of events don’t require booking and those that do may let you book now. Details here.
National Trust & English Heritage offers
National Trust: free family day pass
Grab a free family day pass this autumn to one of 200 National Trust sites in England, including castles, gardens and manor houses.
The pass offers free access to families – two adults and up to three children, or one adult and up to four children – but up to two adults can also use it.
You’ll need to sign up for the pass and it’ll then be emailed to you. It’s valid until 18 October 2024.
English Heritage: 50% off tickets via Asda
If you sign up for the free Asda Rewards scheme you can save 50% on tickets to English Heritage attractions. You’ll need to use the code ASDAREWARDS5024.
It excludes the Bank Holiday weekend (24 to 26 August) and excludes Tintagel Castle and memberships.
You’ll also be able to save 10% in English Heritage cafes and shops by presenting your Asda Rewards barcode (via the app).
Ends 30 September 2024.
If you’re new to Asda Rewards, you can read our review.
National Trust: Get a free one-day family pass with InYourArea (expired)
Community platform InYourArea is giving away 50,000 free family day passes to use at participating National Trust sites in England, Wales and Northern Ireland between 15 and 29 July 2024 – while stock lasts.
You need to register here before 29 July and you’ll be emailed a family pass barcode to be used by 1 September. You can redeem it Monday to Sunday, apart from on the bank holiday weekend of 24 to 26 August 2024.
The day pass, which is worth £50, admits two adults and up to three children, or one adult and four children. Single adults and couples can also use it.
Not all sites are included and you’ll need to pay for parking. Make sure to read the terms and conditions before you go and if you don’t receive the pass, check your junk mail.
National Trust: Get a one-day family pass with The Mirror (expired)
The Mirror is also offering 75,000 free family day passes to National Trusts sites.
Just enter your details in its online form by 1 September 2024 – while stock lasts.
Alternatively, if you buy the Daily Mirror between 13 and 21 July you can get a voucher to claim at a National Trust location of your choice.
Both options are offering a one-time ticket for two adults and up to three children or one adult and four children until 1 September 2024, so it’ll be valid during half term but not on the bank holiday weekends.
Check the Ts&Cs before going, as some sites are excluded.
It’s worth keeping an eye out for completely free passes from other papers published by Reach PLC. We’ll share them here when we spot them.
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Free activities
Free tennis sessions
Tennis for Free is offering free tennis sessions at around 40 locations across the UK. Sessions are usually at the weekend and last about an hour. Some are for kids aged 12 and above, while some are for all ages, and they’re more about having fun than professional coaching.
All abilities are welcome and equipment is provided.
Once you’ve found a venue near you, you’ll need to sign up for an account and book a slot online.
Kids & family membership offers
Boundless membership
If you work in the public sector or are a civil servant, a Boundless membership gives you free access to UK attractions, including Kew Gardens, a free Kids Pass and Tastecard.
- Basic Boundless costs £40 a year
- Boundless Plus costs £68 a year
We’ve looked in more detail at who can get it and what you get in our review.
Kids Pass: One year for £28
At full price – £40 a year – it’s possibly a bit pricey. However, there are ways to save which make it worth a go.
Living Social is selling an annual pass for £27, plus a £1 admin fee. This saves you £11.99 on the standard annual price.
Kids Pass: get paid for a 30-day trial
Alternatively, if you go via TopCashback or Quidco you’ll get more than £1 back in exchange for a trial (duration can vary when you click through).
“Days Out” offers
Another scheme is the Days Out website. This works slightly differently as there’s no membership, but you might find discounted tickets.
Theme park deals
Check out our separate guide to paying less for theme park tickets such as Alton Towers and Legoland.
What is Kids Pass?
What does Kids Pass do?
Kids Pass is a membership which gives you discounts on the places and things kids like to do.
Kids Pass promises:
- Up to 57% off at “family days out” such as theme parks, bowling and play centres
- Up to 40% off at cinemas, seven days a week
- Kids eat free or for £1 at hundreds of restaurants
- Savings on places like Butlins and Haven
You only need one card per family, rather than per child.
Is Kids Pass any good?
The discounts can be pretty decent, especially the restaurant and cinema deals.
Restaurant deals
Some restaurant chains include are Giraffe, Garfunkels, Barburrito, Handmade Burger Co, and Bella Italia, each offering free food for kids or £1 meals. There’s also BOGOF at Pizza Hut (delivery) and a second pizza for £1 at Papa John’s. There are hundreds of independent ones, too. You can see those involved without getting a membership.
Cinema deals
The cinema discounts through Kids Pass are available at most major chains and various independent places. You get up to 40% off tickets for kids and adults, making it a good option even if you don’t have kids. A quick look at a few different chains and it generally works out as £8 per adult ticket.
Check if it’s cheaper to buy your tickets with a different deal.
You’ll need to buy your tickets through the website or app – you can’t just show your pass at the box office.
Other deals
The theme park and other family activities look good, though as with most entertainment, it’s worth shopping around for other offers. It does look like it includes all the major theme parks and places like Madame Tussaudss and London Dungeon.
You can also save up to 50% at places like Eurocamp, Haven and Butlins.
