Stuck for ideas for Christmas, then consider an annual pass, membership or regional card  that keeps on giving all year long.  These passes & cards can offer substantial savings on entry with many offering additional benefits such as free parking or discounts on secondary spending.

Family mini breaks away on a budget

Stay, Play, Explore Family Short Break

Here’s a way to treat the whole family with a voucher for a short break away in Leicestershire with a Stay, Play, Explore Family Fun package deal.  For £109 a family of four can take advantage of an overnight stay in a 3 or 4 star hotel, (breakfast included), plus entry to any 3 of the following 5 visitor attractions;

• Twycross Zoo
• Conkers
• National Space Centre
• Snibston
• Bosworth Battlefield

The hotels offer a range of leisure facilities too including swimming pools, health clubs & even a junior chef school!  All in for £109…bargain!  More details available at Stay, Play, Explore Gift Vouchers.

National Trust membership deals

National Trust Membership for Christmas

National Trust membership offers free entry plus free parking to over 300 settings. You can secure a discount on the  first year’s National Trust membership if you buy online and pay by direct debit. This deal will in effect give you 3 months National Trust Memership for Free.  For double deals, head over to Quidco that will give you the 3 months free membership plus 30% cash back on your membership too.  More details available at National Trust Cash Back Offer.

Merlin Pass for Christmas

With attractions ranging from Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Legoland & London Eye, there’s plenty of choice with this pass.  Whilst the standard Merlin Pass no longer includes free parking & there are some restrictions on use, this can still offer value for money. If you are looking for a deal, you can pick up a Merlin Pass for just £42.50 in Tesco clubcard vouchers.

Merlin Pass Half Price Deal

Alternatively, Merlin Passes are going to be  available at half price from Boxing Day.  More details available at Merlin Pass Half Price Sale

English Heritage Annual Pass for Christmas

This pass offer fantastic value for money as each adult annual pass membership gives you free entry for up to six  accompanying children (under 19) within your family group!

Membership is priced at £46 an adult or joint adult for £80 & for a double deal, pay by direct debit to receive 15 months membership for the price of 12 months. Alternatively pay using tesco clubcard vouchers for this and receive £30 off an English Heritage Annual Pass for every £10 in clubcard vouchers.

Christmas deals for all the family

Nickelodeon Pass from Blackpool Pleasure Beach

Blackpool Pleasure Beach is now offering a Nickelodeon Pass that could be of interest to young families. This season pass offers unlimited use of the 12 new Nickelodeon rides specifically designed for younger children and is currently available at a reduced price of £75 per person until 24 December 2011, (standard price £99).  More details available at Nickelodeon Pass from Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

Forestry Commission; Discovery Pass

A Discovery Pass gives you free parking to the forest of your choice for a full year plus local deals often linked to food & drink or cycle hire reductions.  However it’s the national Go Ape 20% discount that may also prove invaluable, (Monday – Friday, term time only) for avid tree climbers!  Passes range from just £20-£40 with more details available at Discovery Pass Offers.

For more deals & discounts, why not Subscribe to Topdogdays & sign up for our email newsletter.

Liz

Simply purchase a copy of the Radio Times, (priced at £1.20), and use your free family voucher for a day out at hundreds of National Trust settings  around the UK on either 1 or 2 October 2011. The National Trust voucher can be used for up to 2 adults & 2 children, (aged 5-16years) or 1 adult & 3 children.

So for the cost of the Radio Times, priced at £1.20, you can enjoy a day out with the family at a National Trust setting for FREE!  With the good weather set to continue, this could be the deal for the weekend!  More details available at National Trust Radio Times Deal.

The National Trust are opening up hundreds of their settings to join the Heritage Open Weekend that is running from 8 to 11 September 2011.  National Trust settings include free entry to;

• Wordsworth House & Gardens
• Ashridge Estate
• Petworth House
• Winkworth Arboretum
• Cliveden
• Calke Abbey
• Sudbury Hall
• Corfe Castle
• Kingston Lacy House….and many more

Not all the participating National Trust settings are open both days, so it is worth checking before you visit to avoid disappointment.  A great way to enjoy a day out for FREE!  For a full list of participating National Trust properties, go to National Trust & Heritage Open Days.

Looking for more days out on a budget, subscribe to Topdogdays & sign up to our email newsletter.

Liz

The National Trust are running a great deal this summer offering free entrance for up to 2 children when accompanied by a full paying adult during August 2011.

National Trust Deals

Simply download a Kids Go Free voucher and take with you to the participating attraction of your choice within the month of August.

Whilst most National Trust attractions are par-taking in this kids go free deal, there are a few exceptions and worth double checking before you set out.  For more details, go to National Trust Kids Go Free Voucher.

For more budget days out, why not subscribe to Topdogdays & sign up for our email newsletter.

Liz

Cheap Tickets to the National Trust

National Trust are offering discounted entry to 50 of it’s settings around the country for those who arrive without the car.  For further details of settings taking part in this offer, go to Cheap Tickets for the National Trust.

Cheap tickets at the Eden Project if you reduce your carbon footprint

If you walk, cycle or take public transport to the Eden Project you can take advantage of reduced entrance fee charges.

You will need to buy your tickets on the door to receive this discount and show a valid public transport ticket to gain your discount.  Valid bus tickets from St Austell, Par, Luxulyan to Eden or Bugle for train tickets on the day of your visit to the Eden Project.

Public Transport and Visitor Attraction Deals

There are plenty of attractions that you can pick up a 2 for 1 voucher for if you can travel by train.  If you can combine off peak travel with a railcard or other special off peak deals, then this can be a cost effective method to have a day out on a budget.  2 for 1 deals include;

• 2 for 1 at London Zoo
• 2 for 1 at Alton Towers
• 2 for 1 at Madame Tussauds
• 2 for 1 at the Thinktank Science Museum
• 2 for at Longleat Safari Park..plus many more

More details available at 2 for 1 deals on public transport.

More more deals on days out, why not subscribe to Topdogdays & sign up to our email newsletter.

Liz

Father’s Day Knight School at Bolsover Castle

Join a hands-on workshop specifically designed for children and dads to find out how to become a  knight at Bolsover Castle this Father’s Day.

Watch the sword combat display, pick up a few hints and tips and then compete in the hobby-horse joust!

Bushcraft Activities

Join Dad’s Army at National Trust Site at Wallington

Join in the ‘Dad’s Army’ sessions at the National Trust site at Wallington, Northumberland and acquire some new skills in bushcraft activities, woodland crafts or even a few gardening hints and tips!

Theme Park Deals for Father’s Day

For adrenalin junkie Dad’s, check out all our theme park deals; Alton Towers Deals, Thorpe Park Deals, Drayton Manor Deals, Chessington World of Adventure Deals, Blackpool Pleasure Beach Deals.

The Big One at BPB

Father’s Day Outdoor Survival Skills, Suffolk

The Forestry Commission at Rendlesham Forest are running an Outdoor Survival Skills Course for Dads & kids that includes ‘wild cookery’!  Priced at £12 per person with children required to be 7 or over.  More details available at Unusual Days Out for Father’s Day.

Zorbing Ride for Two, Dorset

Zorbing is the ‘recreation’ of rolling downhill within a gigantic inflatable ball.  Here’s a deal from lastminute that offers 2 rides for the price of 1 zorbing down the Dorset Dales.  More details available at Zorbing on Father’s Day Deals.

For more deals for days out, why not subscribe to topdogdays & sign up to our newsletter email.

Liz

Pick up a copy of the Daily Mail today, (10 June 2011) and within you’ll find a voucher for free entry to over 150 National Trust houses & gardens!

This National Trust voucher is for a maximum of two adults and must be used today.  Simply cut out the voucher and take with you to the National Trust setting of your choice, (exclusions apply so worth checking out on the voucher which National Trust settings are available with this deal).

If you can’t make use of this today, then take note that the Daily Mail will be running this National Trust voucher deal every Friday in June!

Looking for National Trust deals, then check out  Eden Project & National Trust Deal.

For English Heritage deals go to Deals & Discounts for English Heritage Sites.

For more deals and discounts for top visitor attractions, why not subscribe to topdogdays or sign up to our email newsletter on the right hand side of the screen.

Most recently, we’ve seen the most bizarre attempt from Drayton Manor attempting to secure the most morphsuits in one place.  Whilst fun was had by all, this world record fell by the wayside hampered, I would have thought, by the rain.

Then there was the World Record Attempt to create the largest foosball game at Gulliver’s Kingdom this weekend.  Now we see National Trust are following suit with a skinny dipping World Record Attempt off the Welsh coast  on 16 June with funds raised going towards cancer research & National Trust.  This requires participants to immerse themselves for a full 10 minutes in our anything-but-warm-waters at the unearthly time of 7 in the morning!

Whilst these world record attempts can raise money for good causes and offer a novel way for attractions to gain publicity, (and how beautiful are those pictures of Rhossili Bay in Wales), can we not find a World Record attempt that has less  in common with Challenge Anneka/I’m a Celebrity.. than family fun!

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for a World Record Attempt that comes with a deal, (free entry at Drayton Manor for those in a Morphsuit) but please…something a little more appealing!

Liz

Looking for some inspiration for a day out, then check out our list of current deals for top visitor attractions around the UK.

Free Entry to National Trust Settings within the Midlands

Here’s a chance to gain free entry to 40 National Trust settings within the Midlands this weekend, (19 & 20 March 2011).  Simply download a voucher and take it with you to a participating National Trust setting to gain your free entry.  More details can be found at free entry to National Trust settings in the Midlands.

Drayton Manor 2 for 1 Vouchers

Drayton Manor Theme Park opens for the season tomorrow.  If you are looking for a 2 for 1 voucher for this popular theme park, then check out Drayton Manor 2 for 1 vouchers.

20% off Aerial Extreme High Rope Courses

Aerial Extreme are offering a 20% discount during the month of March for their high rope assault courses.  If this is one for you, use the code FBMAR20, when you book online to receive your discounted tickets.

40% off Odeon Tickets

Here’s a chance to bag a bargain with this 40% off voucher that is valid Sundays to Thursdays until 31 March 2011.  More details available at 40 off Odeon Tickets.

Why not keep up to date with all  the latest deals and discounts and subscribe to topdogdays or sign up to our email newsletter on the right hand side of the screen.

Liz