Summer Weekends Away

July 8, 2012
By: Faye Smith

As a student, you might not have been able to save an awful lot for your summer holidays because of the likes of paying your accommodation fees, buying course books, and going on massive nights out throughout the year.

Now that it is summer, it is a time for relaxation with friends and family. If, like me, you don’t have a job or an internship to keep you busy, the days can blend together. To break up that boredom, grab a few of your friends and plan a weekend away somewhere. It will give you something to look forward to, and afterwards you will have a weekend full of memories to look back on.

There is a long list of the activities/getaways/holidays you can do during the summer (or any time of the year if you fancy getting away); it depends on your budget what is available to you.

Under £50

Camping

Camping is an old time favourite for many people. You may have gone with your family as children, or you may have done the Duke of Edinburgh Award during school. Head to www.perransprings.co.uk  for cheap rates. For the height of the season (until the end of August 2012), it is £3 per night for a grass pitch without electric, £6.50 for a grass pitch with 16 amp electric and £8.00 for a Hardstanding. These are initial prices. It is then £8.50 per adult, £5 per child, and £2 for the car. You can even take a pet for £2.50! I’d say take just a tent to get the cheapest deal and make your own fire. You can spend more on food and drink.

Road Trip

Grab your keys, pick up your friends, fill your tank and go wherever the road takes you. As long as you split the petrol money, you will be fine depending on how far you travel. If you don’t have a place in mind, close your eyes and place your finger on the map. Head there and stay in a B&B for a night. Obviously, if you plan on going for a meal, or a night out during the night you’re there, you will need more pennies! Don’t forget the map!

Under £100

West End

Go to lastminute.com for theatre deals.  They have the best prices. For example, for a trip to Wicked and a night stay in a hotel, the cost starts at £64.77. This is an amazing deal, so I would look to lasminute.com for other theatre deals including The Lion King, Shrek and many more.

Party Time

Website brillianttrips.co.uk has many fabulous trips for girls. One for under £100 is ‘Brilliant for Girls in Leeds’ starting at £99. It includes a one night stay at a B&B, a salsa dancing lesson and a party bus. All that for under £100 sounds like a good weekend of money well spent! Another girly trip courtesy of Brilliant Trips is a one night stay in Manchester with a pole dancing lesson and cabaret. This deal comes in at just over the £100 budget at £110.

Under £200

Weekend in Paris

That is correct, with lasminute.com you can visit Paris for a weekend. Not only that, but at £149 you can stay in a 4* hotel for 2 nights. This comes with flights. If you want to travel by Eurostar, you can again stay in a 4* hotel for 2 nights at £170. So, why not go to the City of Love for the weekend, and browse the designer stores as well as go up to the top of the Eiffel Tower at night time. What is not to love at this price?

Barcelona Trip

Again, lastminute.com is to thank for a trip to Barcelona in a 4* hotel with flights at an amazing £126. Go along Las Ramblas, inside the Sagrada Familia and generally take in the very Spanish essence during one weekend. Also, whilst you’re in Spain, eat tapas, drink sangria and have a fiesta back in your hotel room. Take quite a bit of spending money as there are lots of little stores full of jewellery and accessories.

Camp at a Festival

Usually, you have to book your tickets in advance for all major summer festivals. For example, I had to book my V tickets way back in March and won’t get them until a week before the weekend itself. Go on Ebay for last minute purchases and look out on Twitter and Facebook for friends selling their tickets at mates’ rates. Grab a cheap tent, a couple of friends, and very festival clothing, and you are ready to go and have the weekend of your life surrounded by your favourite kinds of music, mud, and a sea of people.

Under £300

Caravan Break with the Family

Head to Haven for a three or four day weekend with your family at £249 in July, and £269 in August. If you have younger siblings, this will be their kind of heaven so bear with their excitement. There is plenty for them to do with the live entertainment during the evenings whilst you can chill out in the Bingo hall with your parents. It is that time to become that (stereotypical) sixty year old woman who likes to play Bingo. Whilst at a caravan, you can just relax in the open air and not have a care in the world.

Party in Ibiza

First of all, if you haven’t got this month’s issue of Company, go and buy it ASAP. In it you will find details on three different hotels at cheaper rates. There is the Ibiza Rocks Hotel, Sant Antoni de Portmany where prices start from £53 per person, including breakfast. Aparthotel Rosamar, Sant Agusti d’es Vedra includes all your meals in the price at £50 per person, and Hostal Florencio, Sant Antoni de Portmany have prices starting from £21 per person including breakfast. You cannot get a better deal than that from anywhere! These deals do not include flights, so I have looked at easy jet for you lovely lot. If you went on Friday 20^th and came home on Tuesday 24^th, the flights start from £198.98.

These are only ideas for your summer weekends. Don’t forget to look on lastminute.com and brillianttrips.co.uk as well as groupon.com for more deals on weekend trips. You never know what you might find, and you may create memories that will last a lifetime.

 

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