Budget
Being on a budget doesn’t mean you have to scrimp and save on fun. We’ve plenty of ideas for cheap weekend breaks to take the pressure off your purse. With such rich landscapes you won’t need to spend much at all, just grab your bike or pull on your hiking boots and explore the countryside before tucking into a picnic hamper in front of a panoramic view that inspired Brontë or Turner. Next, soak up the works of those creative masterminds in any number of free museums and art galleries on cheap holidays in UK cities too. And nothing helps you get under the skin of a place like a free guided tour from a local Greeter.
September events: Be blown away at St Annes International Kite Festival
St Annes hosts the spectacular annual Kite Festival, featuring magnificent kites from all over the world.
Location: St Annes on Sea, Lancashire
July events: Sunderland International Airshow
Pack a picnic, head to the beach and lie back for dazzling aerial acrobatics, classic aircraft, live music, fireworks and traditional seaside fun.
Location: Sunderland, Tyne and Wear
November events: Watch an illuminated parade at Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival
Experience the West Country tradition of ‘squibbing’ at the UK’s largest winter carnival.
Location: Bridgwater, Somerset
July Events: South Tyneside Festival
This fabulous summer festival brings three months of free entertainment to the vibrant seaside resort of South Shields.
Location: South Shields, Tyne and Wear
July events: Alice's Day
Rediscover the charm of Wonderland with a fun-packed day of events on Oxford’s unique Alice’s Day.
Location: Oxford, Oxfordshire
August events: Ooh and aah at the British Firework Championships
This summer, enjoy the British Firework Championships whilst surrounded by wonderful panoramic views of Plymouth Hoe.
Location: Plymouth, Devon
Brighten up your autumn with Sunderland Illuminations
Don't mourn the arrival of longer, darker nights; let the North East coastal city of Sunderland fill your autumn with light and magic.
Location: Sunderland, Tyne and Wear
Pay homage to the written word in South Shields
Step inside The Word, National Centre for the Written Word, a state-of-the-art venue in South Shields.
Location: South Shields, South Tyneside