Renew your vows on Oblivion this February & help Alton Towers set a world record for the most couples renewing vows on a theme park ride.

Alton Towers needs 25 couples willing to renew their vows 60 meters high up on Oblivion to break the world record.  Simply express your interest online  and keep the 9th of February free.

Renew Your Vows at Alton Towers

Warwick Castle offer Leap Year Proposal Package

With the 29th February almost upon us, here’s a chance for the ladies to go down on one knee this leap year.  Warwick Castle are running a Leap Year Proposal Package that includes a choice of romantic spots to drop the question, (the Mound, the Waterwheel or the Dragon Tower for an extra tenner), 2 glasses of champagne & two entrance tickets to Warwick Castle…all for a mere £29.02 per person!

Propose at Anne Hathaway’s Cottage with a Sonnet Recital

For Shakespeare fans, check out this proposal offer from Anne Hathaway’s Cottage in Warwickshire.  Propose in the new heart-shaped Lavender maze, share a glass of bubbly, take in a sonnet recital & receive a commemorative photograph all for just £5!

Liz

Apply before 27 May 2011 for a FREE two month Family & Friends Railcard.  This free railcard is valid until 31 July 2011 and there’s even a half price offer on renewing this railcard when it expires!

Simply register online at Free Family & Friends Railcard.

3 Month National Art Pass for Free

Here’s a chance to pick up a free three month National Art Pass that gains you free entry to 200 historic houses and art galleries throughout the UK.  Free entry to visitor attractions includes Wedgwood Visitors Centre, Kensington Palace &
Kedleston Hall.

Simply apply online by 31 May for your free entry pass to 200 museums, art galleries & historic houses at Free National Art Pass.

Free Entry to 260 Gardens with Gardeners’ World Magazine

Last chance to pick up May’s edition of Gardeners’ World Magazine.  Within you’ll find a fantastic 2 for 1 discount card on 260 gardens around the UK during 2011/12!

This discount card includes the Eden Project, Tatton Park, National Botanical Gardens in Wales & Hever Castle plus many more.  Worth the purchase price of £3.70!

Aerial Extreme Ticket Giveaway

Finishing at 3pm on 27 May, these are your last few days to enter our free ticket giveaway for Aerial Extreme.  We’ve 6 family tickets to GIVEAWAY for Aerial Extreme – all you need to do is sign up for our email newsletter on the right hand side of the screen and we’ll be in touch.

Liz

Here’s a chance to pick up a free three month National Art Pass that gains you free entry to 200 historic houses and art galleries throughout the UK.

Free entry to visitor attractions includes;

• Kensington Palace
• Tate St Ives
• Nottingham Castle
• Kedleston Hall
• Wedgwood Museum
• Bronte Parsonage Museum
• Courtauld Gallery

To pick up your free entry pass to 200 museums, art galleries & historic houses, simply apply online by 31 May 2011.  Your pass will then be valid for 90 days from the date of issue.  More details available at Free Entrance National Art Pass.

Liz

Make use of this 2 for 1 voucher from Visit Stoke that is valid from 31 March-22 July 2011, (excluding bank holidays).  If you are clever with your dates, you can even combine it with a 2 for 1 voucher for on all have a go activities in the craft skills demonstration area over the Easter period, (valid 16 April – 2 May 2011)

This offer is valid until 30 June 2011  by simply downloading a 2 for 1 voucher and presenting it, with a valid train ticket, on the day of your visit.

Each voucher is valid for two people, both of whom must have a valid train ticket.  More details can be found at  2 for 1 voucher for Wedgwood Visitor Centre.

There are plenty of 2 for 1 offers for top visitor attractions when you travel by train, so worth keeping your eye out for these.

Liz

Tips for a budget day out

Should I use my Tesco Clubcard Vouchers in store?

If you spend clubcard vouchers in store, you only manage to save the value of the voucher.  Even when Tesco run their clubcard voucher exchange, (allowing you to double the value of your clubcard vouchers), it’s still financially beneficial to exchange for partner benefits, (where you receive up to three or four times their value) rather than in store.

How Can I Find the Most Cost Effective Tesco Clubcard Deal?

Whilst reward vouchers can be redeemed for either three or four  times their value, some deals effectively offer you less than this.

Annual memberships from Tesco Clubcard deals can potentially offer the best value for money in days out.  Not only do annual memberships give you access to your favourite top attractions throughout the year, they often come with plenty of additional benefits to maximize your savings.

Alton Towers Deals

Retrieve lost or forgotten tesco clubcard vouchers

Here’s a great tip  to retrieve old tesco clubcard vouchers you’d forgotten all about. This relatively new service from Tesco allows you to  check out your current voucher balance and highlights any issued clubcard vouchers that have yet to be redeemed.

Simply click on ‘Your Vouchers’ on the clubcard site to see a table listing your unspent clubcard vouchers.  You can then redeem any remaining vouchers instantly using the online code given..I’ve done this and gained £40 in vouchers in the past!

Annual Memberships from Tesco Clubcard deals can potentially offer the best value for money in days out.

Not only do annual memberships give you unlimited access to your favourite top attractions, they often come with plenty of additional benefits to maximize your savings.

Saw, the Ride at Thorpe Park

Merlin Annual Pass & Tesco Clubcard Vouchers: this gains you entry to Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Warwick Castle and plenty more.  In addition you can secure Early Ride Time at Alton Tower, (great for queue busting),  20% off food, drink & souvenirs at many of these settings!  The standard Merlin Pass is priced at £42.50 in clubcard vouchers.  You can also upgrade to a Premium Merlin Pass by paying an additional £30 cash per person to enhance your Merlin benefits.

English Heritage Membership & Tesco Clubcard Vouchers; The advantage with this deal is that adult membership gives you free entry for up to six  accompanying children (under 19) within your family group!  So for every £10 in clubcard vouchers, you will receive £30 towards an English Heritage Annual Pass, (membership priced at £44 an adult or joint adult£77)….bargain!!

Blenheim Palace & Tesco Clubcard Vouchers; As with plenty of other days out deals, every £5 in Tesco clubcard vouchers will gain you £20 towards entrance charges.  The great deal with this one is that if you purchase a day ticket at Blenheim Palace you can then exchange this for a full annual pass for this visitor attraction!

Blenheim Palace & Tesco Clubcard

What about hotel vouchers & Tesco clubcard deals?

Redeeming your tesco vouchers for hotel rewards is another good way of making that mini-break affordable.  Currently every £10 in clubcard vouchers will secure you £30 worth of hotel vouchers.

Any new deals for Tesco clubcard vouchers?

Yes, Disnyeland Paris 2011 is on offer for just £29.50 per person in Tesco vouchers.  This is a pay in full deal and offers 1 child or 1 adult a ticket for Disneyland Paris, offering access to both Disneyland Parks during the one day.  This is particularly good as it’s very difficult to secure Disneyland ticket deals without booking up for a stay at the resort.

Another great option you can now purchase is a Family & Friends Railcard, (also available for the Young Person & Senior Railcards too), with your clubcard vouchers.  For £14 in vouchers you can pick up your discount railcard and take advantage of discounted rail travel all year long.

Additional clubcard points promotions.

Clearly this is what Tesco want you to do, but it is worth keeping an eye out for additional points promotions to build your rewards as long as you are buying necessary household items!

If you want to check it out, please go to  Sentinel Review; How to save money but spend time with the kids.

Any thoughts?

Liz

Vue Cinemas 95p tickets: throughout half term Vue Cinemas offer morning family movies for just 95p per person.  With movies starting around 11am, this is a great way to treat the kids on a budget.  Check your local cinema for listings but on offer this October half term is Toy Story 3, Shrek Forever After, The Last Airbender & The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

A Lego Version of Vue Cinemas

National Express £1 tickets: National Express have released 100,000 coach seats for just £1 each way for journeys up to December 13th.  Check out National Express Sale for more information.  Worth playing around with – we found availability for Brighton to London, Manchester to Liverpool, Nottingham to Leeds & Stoke to Liverpool all for £1 each way over half term!

Tesco Clubcard Days Out Tokens: a good time to redeem your points for days out tokens before the Tesco clubcard changes come into effect.  With hundreds of visitor attractions throughout the UK, there’s something for everyone for a cheap day out.

To keep up to date for deals and discounts for days out why not subscribe to topdogdays and sign up for our email newsletter on the top right hand corner.

Liz

Odeon cinema 40% off voucher: the cinema is always a good option and here’s a deal from moneysupermarket to save you some money too.  More details available at Odeon Cinema 40% off Voucher.  This voucher is valid each day up to 14 October.

Plenty of interactive exhibits indoors!

Free swimming: many local authorities now offer free swimming sessions for under 16’s and over 60’s.  This is a great way to stay active whilst amusing the children on the cheap. To find out your nearest pool that offers free swimming sessions, go to free swim sessions for under 16’s.

Vouchers for Wedgwood, Cadbury World & Think Tank; paint a pot, snack out on chocolate or learn something new. Whatever you fancy, pick up a voucher to bag a bargain!  More details available from visittheheart at vouchers for attractions in the West Midlands.

Vouchers for Magna, Eureka or Jorvik; interact with the elements, role play in your own restaurant or learn more about Vikings.  Pick up a voucher to reduce your family spend with Yorkshire attractions.  More details available from vouchers for Yorkshire attractions.

Plenty more details and discounts with topdogdays!

• Black Country Living Museum; 2 for 1 voucher
• Cadbury World; kids go free voucher
• Ironbridge Museums; one free child passport
  
• Sea Life Centres; 2 for 1 voucher
• Shakespeare’s Birth Palce; 2 for 1 voucher
• Think Tank Science Museum; 25% off admission
• Wedgwood Museum & Visitor Centre; 2 for 1 voucher

Plus plenty more vouchers to check out.  For more information and to download your vouchers, go to Wedgwood, Think Tank, Sea Life, Ironbridge Vouchers.

More vouchers to follow!

Liz