I absolutely love going on holiday! It doesn’t have to be a big fancy trip on an 8 hour flight to get me excited either, oh no, I’m more than happy loading the car up and driving to a beautiful part of the UK too.
Of course, there are lots of amazing things to do and see when you go abroad but if you are wanting to holiday on a smaller budget, then why not save some money and explore the wonderful things that the UK has to offer?
The UK is currently made up of 4 countries, they are England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, and each country has something different to offer any holiday maker. So, to decide where you fancy going on holiday, I suppose that the first question that needs answering is what type of holiday do you feel will be both amazing and cheap? Here are some of my favourite cheap holiday ideas for the UK.
Camping
Camping holidays are one of the cheapest forms of holidaying that you can do once you have set yourself up with the equipment* that you will need.
It’s true that the camping gear itself could cost you an arm and a leg if you’re not careful, but if you are wanting to get yourself kitted out on the cheap, then it could be useful to pay a visit to your local camping shop first to check out all of the tents that they have on display. I like to think of this as kind of like viewing houses, you get to have a look around each tent and see if they work for you. You will need to check to see if they have enough bedrooms, if there is enough head space and does it look easy to put up?
If you do decide on either a particular size or brand of tent, then you could save yourself a bit of money by checking out websites such as eBay* or Gumtree for a second hand or similar (but cheaper) version that fits the bill. People sometimes like the idea of camping, they go out and buy everything that they need, and then realise after just one trip that it’s not for them. This means that a lot of people will sell their camping gear online or at car boot sales, so don’t forget to keep a look out for some real bargains!
What attracts people the most about camping is that once you have all of the stuff that you need, you then have a huge amount of freedom to pick and choose where you want to go. Campsites can vary quite a bit in price, so deciding how important good facilities and location are to you will help determine how cheap your holiday will be.
On a positive note, if you turn up at a campsite that just doesn’t work for you, all you need to do is pack up and drive to another one. Simple.
B&B’s
As a mum of two young boys, I don’t think that staying in a B&B wouldn’t really work for us as a family holiday. However, if you’re planning a couple of nights away without the kids or if you’re going away for the weekend with some friends, then staying in a B&B could be perfect.
Like with most things, the price of a B&B will differ depending on location, facilities, decor, views and services. For instance, if you are going away for a city break with a group of friends, then a basic B&B wouldn’t stop you or your friends from having a good time and saving money by staying in a basic B&B would actually give you a bit more cash to spend on other things, such as a meal in a posh restaurant or a few more cocktails. 
If you are planning a romantic weekend away in the countryside or by a beach, however, then a basic B&B may possibly put a bit of a dampner on the weekend. So, maybe spending a little bit more on a B&B that has a nice setting with beautiful views and a luxury feel could be worth the extra money in this case.
I think that B&B’s can be a great way to enjoy a weekend away as most of them offer food along with the price of the room. Also, the people that run the B&B’s know a lot about the area, so you can ask them to recommend places to go and things to do. Or, if you feel like you want to explore more of the UK on your holiday, then staying in B&B’s whilst you travel from one county to another or even one country to another could be a great way to enjoy some freedom.
My favourite sites for finding great value UK B&B deals are Trivago* and Groupon*.
Holiday Homes
Personally, I absolutely love holidaying in cottages or farmhouses. For families I think that this type of holiday ticks all of the boxes. It’s so useful being able to check out all of the facilities online to see which cottage is right for you. For me, my two most important necessities on the facilities list is a dishwasher and a real open fire or woodburner! What country holiday would be complete without those two things?
However, one thing that I don’t really like about booking cottages is that nervous feeling I always get when I’m going somewhere new to stay and I panic that I’m not going to like it. To be honest, I think that that has only ever happened once, about 10 years ago, and in all fairness the cottage itself was lovely, it was just the local town that spoilt it for me. On the plus side, when you do find a great cottage in a wonderful location then it can be somewhere that you can look forward to going to again and again without any worries or concerns.
To save money on holidaying in a cottage, it can work out well to rent a cottage with some friends so that you can split the cost. This way you’re not only saving money on the cost of the cottage but you’re also having a great time with friends too.
There are loads of holiday sites around where you can book a cottage stay in the UK but where possible I prefer to stick to the more established and well known sites like HomeAway*, Booking.com*, Hoseasons* and Sykes Cottages*.
Another way to save money when booking a holiday home is to again check out eBay*, as you can sometimes find great last minute deals on holiday homes that could save you quite a bit of money.
So there we go, three cheap ways to holiday in the UK. Each option can cost as much or as little as you want it to and can be tailored to fit your needs and what you want out of your holiday.
Do you have any tips for holidaying on the cheap in the UK?
The post Cheap Holidays Ideas for the UK appeared first on Bunny on a Budget.