If you’re fed up of shelling out for over-priced holiday fun, or worried about burning a hole in your wallet for the sake of a much-needed break?
BlaBlacar.com are here to save the day with their very own handy savers’ guide to the upcoming bank holiday weekend, which will help you beat the crowds, meet some great new people and make the most of the British summer (what’s left of it!) all without breaking the bank.
From free events and low-cost activities, all the way down to how you can travel around the country for less, here’s the top five ideas on making this bank holiday a real adventure.
1. Find inexpensive accommodation
If you’re longing for a city break this bank holiday, don’t feel confined to a stuffy hotel room; with sites like Airbnb, a website offering special places to stay from local hosts, you can find a great spot in the heart of a city for a fraction of what you’d spend elsewhere. If it’s a countryside getaway you fancy, why not let your inner adventurer out and book a spot at a camp site? There are thousands to choose from in the UK, and you’ll be guaranteed to find something that matches your budget.
2. Enjoy free events
From free outdoor music festivals to carnivals and city beaches, most councils up and down the country put on free activities for everyone to enjoy without shelling out a fortune. The free fun of London’s Notting Hill Carnival is well-renowned, and this year’s Edinburgh festival promises hundreds of free music, theatre, comedy and cabaret shows to enjoy, with its organisers offering up their own free guide to going to the pricier shows on a shoestring budget. For culture vultures, Bournemouth’s
OnStage at Pier Approach promises free live music and cinema screenings for the whole month, and Liverpool’s annual Summer Jam event draws big bands and even bigger crowds.
3. Save on travel and make friends on the way
If the cost of transport makes you sweat just as much as being crammed into a train on a hot summer’s day, we’ve got the solution. Ride sharing is fast becoming the best way to travel less, with sites like BlaBlaCar offering shared car journeys to destinations all over the country. Whether you’re a driver or a passenger, it’s a brilliant chance to meet new people, and you’ll save a small fortune in travel costs.
4. Get outdoors
If you’re not one for hustle and bustle, or are just looking for something new with friends, why not escape the crowds, leave your troubles at home and head for the hills? With some of the most beautiful hiking spots around, a British walking holiday
can be a great way to get away from it all and embrace the great outdoors. If hiking’s not quite your idea of fun, you can still see the sights and enjoy the summer sun with a cheap, easy (and delicious) summer picnic. The National Trust has a great guide to some of the best picnic destinations in Britain – just pack up the car, get some friends together and off you go.
5. Sample some beer festival delights
For the party lovers among you, going for a big night out on the bank holiday can be a pricey affair – not to mention how overcrowded the pubs and clubs get when everyone around has the same idea. Beer and cider festivals are growing ever more popular, popping up all over the country, and usually serve weird and wonderful beers and ciders at great value. Birmingham’s Two Towers Brewery celebrates its fourth anniversary with a beer festival this bank holiday, while the Alcester Ale & Cider Trail in Warwickshire promises free entry, entertainment, 8 pubs and 60 ales and ciders.
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