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10 ways to save money on Isle of Wight holidays
Planning a holiday on a budget?
Are you the kind of person who re-uses a teabag? Do you get a thrill from buying cheap bin bags at a car boot sale at 7am on a Sunday? Do you turn up at the supermarket with a wallet full of vouchers for products that you don't need?
If so, you're a fellow bargain hunter, my friend - and you can't give up your bargain hunting ways whilst you are on holiday.
Here is our guide to 10 of the best ways to save money on an Isle of Wight holiday.
If so, you're a fellow bargain hunter, my friend - and you can't give up your bargain hunting ways whilst you are on holiday.
Here is our guide to 10 of the best ways to save money on an Isle of Wight holiday.
1. Book your ferry early and search for vouchers
Wightlink and Red Funnel operate car ferries
If you are bringing a car, it is worth booking your ferry as early as you can. The ferry companies operate a similar policy to cheap airlines – the prices go up as the ferry fills up (see this blog for a summary of how it works)
You can get 10% with Red Funnel if you book via the widget on our ferries guide, and there are other deals, such as Wightlink's Tesco Clubcard deal. See our guide to 25 ways to save money on Isle of Wight ferry travel.
The same flexible pricing doesn’t really apply to foot passengers, so you can leave it late if you aren’t bringing a car.
You can get 10% with Red Funnel if you book via the widget on our ferries guide, and there are other deals, such as Wightlink's Tesco Clubcard deal. See our guide to 25 ways to save money on Isle of Wight ferry travel.
The same flexible pricing doesn’t really apply to foot passengers, so you can leave it late if you aren’t bringing a car.
2. Plan your days out in advance
Dinosaur Isle is cheap via Tesco Clubcard
Some attractions are cheaper if you book them at the same time as the ferry. Tesco do some good Clubcard deals for cheap entry to attractions like Dinosaur Isle and the Needles Pleasure Park.
I would advise against overbuying attraction tickets in advance – we made that mistake once and had a pile of unused tickets in the glovebox when we got home. If the weather is sunny all week you might decide you just want to go to the beach every day. Similarly, if it is wet all week you’ll be looking for rainy day activities.
See our guide to discounts to Isle of Wight attractions.
I would advise against overbuying attraction tickets in advance – we made that mistake once and had a pile of unused tickets in the glovebox when we got home. If the weather is sunny all week you might decide you just want to go to the beach every day. Similarly, if it is wet all week you’ll be looking for rainy day activities.
See our guide to discounts to Isle of Wight attractions.
3. Take advantage of the Isle of Wight's free days out
Bembridge lifeboat station is a free day out
There are lots of decent days out that don’t cost anything on the Isle of Wight – we’ve got 40 of them in our guide to free days out. There’s a donkey sanctuary, a Benedictine monastery, a lifeboat station, a 700 year old lighthouse and 36 other free days out to consider.
Oh yes, and there are dozens of beaches too.
Oh yes, and there are dozens of beaches too.
4. Buy memberships in advance
It is worth considering getting some memberships in advance if you are visiting the Isle of Wight. Obviously it will only be worthwhile if it will save you more money than you would have spent anyway.
- English Heritage membership is very good value if you had planned to visit Osborne House and Carisbrooke Castle (two of the biggest historic attractions on the Isle of Wight). At today's prices (July 2015), annual membership is £50 for adults, with up to six kids going free. One adult and two child tickets for both would cost you about £50, so you've then got membership for the rest of the year for free, sort of.
- National Trust Membership covers their five main properties on the Isle of Wight, plus a number of beauty spots (the car parks are usually free to National Trust Members). The main sites are The Needles Old Battery and New Battery, Mottistone Manor Garden, Bembridge Windmill, Newtown Old Hall and Bembridge Fort. Membership starts from £30 (July 2015 prices).
5. Travel in a group
It’s obviously difficult to decide the size of the group that you want to travel in, but if you’ve got a couple of odd relatives twiddling their thumbs then it is worth dragging them along.
The buses are much better value if 5 people travel together. It works out as about £1.50 per person per day for unlimited travel, whereas one return journey could easily cost you about £8 (see our guide to public transport)
The ferry is also much better value with a car full, as they charge you per vehicle rather than per person.
The buses are much better value if 5 people travel together. It works out as about £1.50 per person per day for unlimited travel, whereas one return journey could easily cost you about £8 (see our guide to public transport)
The ferry is also much better value with a car full, as they charge you per vehicle rather than per person.
6. Try camping
Tempted?
Ok, not an appealing option for everyone but it came top in our guide to the cheapest places to stay on the Isle of Wight (well, apart from a house swap). We've got a guide comparing 20 Isle of Wight campsites.
There are some other options which are more suitable for those of us who prefer our accommodation to have solid walls. For example, Park Resorts have four caravan sites on the Isle of Wight (Nodes Point, Thorness Bay, Landguard and Lower Hyde), or you can compare deals through someone like Hoseasons for self catering, or Expedia for hotels and guest houses.
There are some other options which are more suitable for those of us who prefer our accommodation to have solid walls. For example, Park Resorts have four caravan sites on the Isle of Wight (Nodes Point, Thorness Bay, Landguard and Lower Hyde), or you can compare deals through someone like Hoseasons for self catering, or Expedia for hotels and guest houses.
7. Travel at the best time of year
You might be tied to school holidays, but if you have any flexibility have a read of our guide to the best time of year to visit the Isle of Wight.
Unsurprisingly, off-season accommodation is much cheaper and the ferries are cheaper. A few attractions also charge less off season and tend to do more offers in the quieter periods.
Our little one isn't at school yet so we like to travel just outside the school summer holidays - so any time from early June until mid July, or early September.
Unsurprisingly, off-season accommodation is much cheaper and the ferries are cheaper. A few attractions also charge less off season and tend to do more offers in the quieter periods.
Our little one isn't at school yet so we like to travel just outside the school summer holidays - so any time from early June until mid July, or early September.
8. Eat out on the cheap
There's nothing quite like a McDonalds. Except Burger King.
Self catering all week is cheap (see our guide to Isle of Wight supermarkets), but chances are you will want to eat out at some point, particularly if you attempting to cater for a family of 14 with a disposable barbecue.
Many of the attractions have their own cafes but there are also lots of cheap pubs, restaurants, fast food outlets and cafes – take a look at our guide to eating out on a budget for some ideas.
Many of the attractions have their own cafes but there are also lots of cheap pubs, restaurants, fast food outlets and cafes – take a look at our guide to eating out on a budget for some ideas.
9. Don't buy the Isle of Wight Council's tourist's parking permit
Parking has got a bit more expensive on the Isle of Wight recently. Lots of the previously free Isle of Wight Council car parks (like the big car park at Appley) are now chargeable. For a bargain hunter like me, this is a catastrophe. I'd rather walk a mile than hand over 50p, but unfortunately I've had to give in to this since having a child.
Visitors can buy a week long permit, but it is (in my view) very poor value. As of July 2015, seven days will cost you £39.25 or £5.60 a day. All day parking is generally £6.60, meaning you'd have to park your car all day for 6 days before it works out any cheaper. Bear in mind that some car parks are owned by the National Trust, some are privately owned, some are excluded from the permit, and you can sometimes just leave your car by the side of the road for free (what a shocking thought!).
So, I would suggest you bring a pocket full of change (the Council machines don't give change...) and also bring your National Trust Membership if you have it. Car Parks like the one at Hanover Point (Compton Bay) are free for members.
Visitors can buy a week long permit, but it is (in my view) very poor value. As of July 2015, seven days will cost you £39.25 or £5.60 a day. All day parking is generally £6.60, meaning you'd have to park your car all day for 6 days before it works out any cheaper. Bear in mind that some car parks are owned by the National Trust, some are privately owned, some are excluded from the permit, and you can sometimes just leave your car by the side of the road for free (what a shocking thought!).
So, I would suggest you bring a pocket full of change (the Council machines don't give change...) and also bring your National Trust Membership if you have it. Car Parks like the one at Hanover Point (Compton Bay) are free for members.
10. Buy a multipack of ice creams
Always a disaster
Finally, one for the very frugal which usually goes like this:
- I see the price of one ice cream by the seaside and calculate that I could buy a multipack of six for the same price
- My wife rolls her eyes at my suggestion
- I insist we go via a supermarket on the way home
- I buy six ice creams
- I eat five ice creams and feel sick
- My daughter drops her ice cream on the car seat and cries
