Best budget-friendly family hotspots

Top UK destinations for families on a budget

With many people looking to maximise value from their holiday, we're here to help you plan yours without compromising on quality.

We’ve created a unique index revealing the top destinations for family holidays this spring and summer. Focusing on value for money, we’ve analysed factors such as the number of free or budget-friendly attractions and the average cost of three meals, giving you an idea of how much spending money you might need.

Whether you’re dreaming of beach days, countryside escapes or exploring charming towns, this guide to the best staycation UK destinations is designed to make your summer plans stress-free and affordable. We’ve even asked a family finance expert to share some top tips, which will make sure that your cheap holiday feels like anything but budget!

The top three UK staycation spots for a family holiday on a budget

Ready to find out which three destinations in the UK came out on top for cheap family holidays? Let’s dive in!

1. Isle of Wight

Taking the top spot, the Isle of Wight offers a brilliant blend of seaside charm and family-friendly fun, making it a great choice for cheap family holidays. With its award-winning beaches, and gentle coastal walks, there’s something to delight every age group. Enjoy lovely spots like the Isle of Wight Donkey sanctuary where you can see the donkeys and make the most of the beautiful picnic spots, all for free. 

The island is also compact and easy to get around, meaning you can fit in multiple days out without spending too much on travel. This contributes to making it the perfect UK staycation that’s relaxed, varied, and packed with value. 

The average price of three budget-friendly meals comes to just £42 and a one-way public transport ticket costs just £2.40 on average. The island also has 134.6 free or budget-friendly attractions and 87.6 child-friendly attractions per 100,000 of the local population.

2. Dorset

Dorset is perfect for families who love to mix adventure with natural beauty. Home to the iconic Jurassic Coast, it offers plenty of free or low-cost activities, from fossil hunting and rock pooling to exploring Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove.

Whether you’re enjoying the countryside or the coast, Dorset makes for memorable and cheap holidays that children and parents alike will treasure. Three meals cost an average of £44.25 and a one-way public transport ticket should only set you back £2 on average. There are also 143.6 free or budget-friendly attractions and 84.8 child-friendly attractions per 100,000 residents, so it’s ideal for family holidays.

3. Devon

Thanks to its wide beaches, rolling moorlands and welcoming towns, Devon is a classic choice for a UK staycation. Families can enjoy everything from paddling in rock pools to cream teas in pretty villages, as well as days out at attractions like Babbacombe Model Village or The House of Marbles, both free to enter. 

With two stunning coastlines and plenty of green spaces, there are endless opportunities to enjoy the outdoors without spending a fortune. In fact, three meals will cost an average of £45 and a one-way public transport ticket is an average of £2. There are also 127.3 free or budget-friendly attractions and 75.4 child-friendly attractions per 100,000 residents, so there’s lots to see and do.

Honourable mentions 

Do you fancy somewhere else for your next break? That’s not a problem, as there are many other fantastic destinations for cheap family holidays. The Scottish Highlands, Essex, East Sussex, Kent, Cumbria, Norfolk and Gloucestershire all made our top 10 list of UK staycation spots for family holidays on a budget and are definitely worth a visit! 

"It’s a good idea to start saving about 6 to 12 months before your holiday. This gives you plenty of time to build up your holiday fund and avoid any last-minute stress. Setting up a dedicated savings account can make it easier to track your progress and stay motivated. 

One of the biggest mistakes people make is not factoring in all the extra costs that come with a holiday. You’ll need to budget for food and drink – this can easily cost £20-£30 per person per day, depending on where you’re eating and how often. If you’re staying somewhere with a kitchen, self-catering can help keep these costs down. 

And don’t forget about activities and excursions, either. These can add up quickly, especially if you’re visiting popular tourist attractions, so it’s a good idea to look into these costs beforehand and factor them into your budget. 

There are plenty of great activities that don’t cost a thing. Walks, spending time at local parks or visiting the beach are all good days out. And many museums and attractions offer free entry or reduced prices on certain days, so it’s worth checking local listings. 

Getting around the UK doesn’t have to break the bank. Coaches and trains are usually the more affordable options, especially if you book in advance. 

Finally, think about self-catering or booking campsites. These can be much cheaper options for families than a full hotel package. If you’re staying somewhere within easy reach of local attractions, you’ll save on meals and sometimes on transport, too."

“Family holidays present some of the best opportunities to spend quality time with the people you love and make memories that can last a lifetime, so they really should be accessible for everyone. It’s important to remember that you don’t need to splash out in order to have a great holiday, even just a simple change of scenery can bring chances to relax and experience something new together.

Staycations are a brilliant option for this. There’s no long journey, so you can maximise your time as a family, and the familiarity of holidaying in the UK means there’s no need to adjust or acclimatise. You can load up the car with all the essentials and head off without the stress and the best part is, many of the most memorable moments don’t cost a thing. Skimming stones, crabbing, exploring rock pools, it’s all right here, simple and free.

Working within a budget doesn’t mean your children won’t appreciate the break. Plan around what they love, enjoy watching them soak it all in, and when they’ve worn themselves out, you’ll get that well-earned moment to unwind. Don’t forget that you’re on holiday too!”

Book a family staycation with Hoseasons 

Ready to get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life? 

Discover affordable UK getaways with Hoseasons and enjoy unforgettable cheap holidays without the hassle. And if you’re looking for something extra special that’s still budget-friendly, check out our UK staycation properties with hot tubs.

Methodology 

This dataset ranks 22 locations, based on how good they are for a budget-friendly family holiday. To do this, 8 different factors were used. Once the data for the factors was collected, the factors were then normalised, to provide each factor with a score between 0 and 1. If data was not available, a score of 0 was given. 

The normalised values were then summed and multiplied, to give each location a total score out of 100. The locations were then ranked from highest to lowest, based on their total scores.   

The factors used were as follows: 

• Average holiday park cost: the average holiday park price for a 7-night stay in each location, with the average calculated using up to the 15 highest-rated listings on hoseasons.co.uk. 

• Budget-friendly meal cost for a family of three: the average price of 3 budget-friendly meals at a restaurant in each location, according to Numbeo. [City Level]. 

• Free/budget-friendly attractions per 100k: the total number of attractions listed on TripAdvisor in each location that have either the 'free entry or 'budget-friendly' tag per 100,000 population. 

• Child-friendly attractions per 100k: the total number of attractions listed on TripAdvisor in each location that have the 'good for kids' tag per 100,000 population. 

• Average temperature: the average temperature in each location between Jul-Aug, according to en.climate-data. [City Level]. 

• Average rainfall: the average amount of rainfall in each location between Jul-Aug, according to en.climate-data. [City Level]. 

• One-way public transport ticket: the average price of a one-way public transport ticket in each location, according to Numbeo. [City Level]. 

• Green space: the amount of green space provision per person in each location in square metres. If data for the location wasn't available, then data from the most populated city in the area was used instead. 

The factors were then indexed as follows: 

Average holiday park cost - lower is better. 

Budget-friendly meal cost – lower is better. 

Free/budget-friendly attractions – higher is better. 

Child-friendly attractions – higher is better. 

Average temperature – higher is better. 

Average rainfall – lower is better. 

One-way public transport ticket – lower is better. 

Green space – higher is better. 

All data is correct as of 15/05/25. The ranking data shown is a compilation of multiple data sources and may not be representative of real life. All data is accurate with regard to the sources provided. 

Factors with City Level means the data was gathered for the most populated city in the location, i.e., Exeter was used for Devon.

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Image Credits: Donkey in a grassy area by Louis Tripp; view over Lulworth Cove by Kori Yuan; green plant in glass by Micheile Henderson; the brass rubbing trail at The House of Marbles.