Cheap fun family days out, N Ireland?

kbl

Hello, am from Donegal, live about an hour from Derry, and like a lot of people these days, can't afford to go away, so am planning on taking the family on fun days out instead, except they HAVE to be affordable!!! any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

We are a family of five, (three kids, age 11, 14 & 15). We live beside the beach, so that type of day is already covered (surfing, horse riding, bbq, etc). Have a pretty !!!! car, so don't want to travel too long in it (driving tour is pretty much out). Have already planned Giant's Causeway & Belfast zoo, but was wondering if Omagh folk park is expensive? Also I'm hoping, from own experience of where I live, there's bound to be other less well known things we can do.
Hoping someone can help, we didn't go away last year either, planned on doing things together as a family but didn't quite work out, hoping to be better prepared this time round!!

Wee_Bargain_Hunter

I found an on-line discount voucher site a few years ago & posted it here. Just checked and it's back this year so here are the 2 pages for NI:
http://www.cultureheritageireland.com/index.php?cat=17
http://www.cultureheritageireland.com/index.php?cat=17&paged=2
Just had a quick look and there's a free Riverwatch Centre quite near you. In previous years other posters have reported that the vouchers work ok even though you print them yourself. I've just clicked on 3, one is free entry anyway, one is 10% off and one is bogof.

Also for a rainy day there is a reading scheme at local libraries this summer - you don't have to be a member as you can just download the booklets for each age group: Quest Seekers Challenge.

Sounds like a lovely summer plan - always remember my folks taking us on lots of days out and the fun of picnics etc

kbl

Wee_Bargain_Hunter wrote: »

I found an on-line discount voucher site a few years ago & posted it here. Just checked and it's back this year so here are the 2 pages for NI:
http://www.cultureheritageireland.com/index.php?cat=17
http://www.cultureheritageireland.com/index.php?cat=17&paged=2
Just had a quick look and there's a free Riverwatch Centre quite near you. In previous years other posters have reported that the vouchers work ok even though you print them yourself. I've just clicked on 3, one is free entry anyway, one is 10% off and one is bogof.

Also for a rainy day there is a reading scheme at local libraries this summer - you don't have to be a member as you can just download the booklets for each age group: Quest Seekers Challenge.

Sounds like a lovely summer plan - always remember my folks taking us on lots of days out and the fun of picnics etc

Thanks a mill, when I have more time tonight will go through the links properly, tried trawling through internet before now but got really discouraged, really want to try to make most of next few summers as they won't want to go anywhere with the 'ould pair' for much longer!!

KiWi13

hi my hubby has four younger brothers and sisters (oldest would be classed as an adult) and we had wanted to take them out for days here and tehre over the summer. as a result it was going to cost us a fortune and i found a ROAR card. you pay £15 and then with every paying adult you get a child into certain places for free. (if you google it you should find it)

This includes the zoo i believe and the museums both armagh and cultra so maybe check it out before you go might save you some.

downside is its £15 per child and you can only use it once at each venue but if you have a look it might be worth it and at least you will have already shelled out and not have to do it each time you go out and it expires december 2010 so you have a while to use it if you dont fit it all in this time.

hope that helps.

we also did a run to the likes of dundrum castle (near newcastle) and then did seaforde butterfly farm. the butterfly farm cost nearly £30 and dundrum castle free when asked what the best bit of the day was (expecting to hear butterflies etc) i got told the castle and the picnic i had brought to have outside it.

apparently you dont always have to spend the money hehehe

good luck

kidshorsesdogs

Have you thought about The Tall Ships arriving in Belfast on 13th Aug http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/tallships/ it's a great day out, lots to see and do.

Also Belfast Castle is free, lovely grounds and close to the Zoo if you decide to go there http://www.belfastcastle.co.uk/index.asp

avoniel

Why not join http://www.walkers-crisps.co.uk/garysgreattrips/

For eating crisps you can get some free enteries to National Trust properties which can be a good day and you can take a picnic.

kbl

Thanks everyone!
Got some good ideas here, didn't realise Belfast Castle was free, is it far from the zoo? Also didn't know anything about Gary's great trips site, if I had found it online by accident I would have probably not have looked further cos most of those websites have UK resident as one of their terms and conditions. Regarding the tall ships day, do you know if there are a lot of stalls/amusements around that event? If so, might be as well to give it a miss, my lot could spend money like water at those types of stalls!!!
Thanks again everybody

belfastgirl23

Most of those places you can also bring a picnic rather than having to buy food etc there. Certainly the case for Omagh ulster american folk park.

Belfast castle is free to get into but to be honest there isn't a lot there, it's mostly a conferencing and wedding venue. There is a little room at the top where you can see views from a camera on the roof which is fun. And there are nice walks up over cave hill if the kids are reasonably fit (it's pretty steep but the views are great). The zoo is reasonably close by and both are easily accessible off the M2 without going into the city centre which is good for you I'd guess.

the other thing there is in Belfast is the folk and transport museum at cultra. Not necessarily cheap but you might be able to get a deal for it http://www.uftm.org.uk/

You can also do walking tours around Belfast or do a bus tour of belfast if you fancy it. bus tour is £25 for a family and most of the places they tour will not have anything worth buying with the euro the way it is that might not work out too expensive. See here

http://www.belfastcitysightseeing.com/

Hope you have a nice time.

lazer

Anyone know if there anyway of getting discounted entry to Belfast Zoo - just adults and we're going tomorrow - maybe

starnight_2

kbl wrote: »

Thanks everyone!
Got some good ideas here, didn't realise Belfast Castle was free, is it far from the zoo? Also didn't know anything about Gary's great trips site, if I had found it online by accident I would have probably not have looked further cos most of those websites have UK resident as one of their terms and conditions. Regarding the tall ships day, do you know if there are a lot of stalls/amusements around that event? If so, might be as well to give it a miss, my lot could spend money like water at those types of stalls!!!
Thanks again everybody

With the Tall Ships there is a small cultural market along with it, it's mostly food, so you probably won't spend too much money. Though there are some sweet stalls. The Tall Ships come in beside the odyssey and if you don't mind queuing for 10 mins or so you get on deck for free, so definitely worth doing.

Depending how long you were staying there you could always walk over to the Victoria Centre and to to the top of the glass dome, which is free also.

angela90

Wee Bargain Hunter saved me £12 in the Exploris Aquarium in Portaferry today. We had 1 senior, 2 adults, 2 paying kids and 1 baby and got everyone in for £16.

Great Day out by the way. I would recommend going early and bringing a picnic for lunch as there's a play park. Don't miss the hands on demonstration just as you go in - think it is on 3 times a day. You get to hold starfish, scallops, sea urchins and pet stingray and dogfish - fantastic. It's worth doing twice. The looking at fish bit would take up the morning and then they have good colouring and science activities down the back and a brilliant bit upstairs.