Top Deals From the Weekly Email
Days Out Deals
Read the email this appeared inThis is a daily updated list of vouchers, 2for1 deals, and offers on days out. All have been checked out with the companies involved to ensure they’re legit. Thanks to all MoneySavers who spotted and suggested them (suggest other cheap days out deals).
Includes....
2for1 Cinema Tickets
Free TV Audience Tickets
2for1 at Alton Towers on bottles of Fanta
Free TV Audience Tickets
Free when you register on the websites - Sign up and get free tickets
There are many websites out there especially designed to get your bums on seats to watch the recording of TV shows, sitcoms, comedies and chat shows. Just sign up online and apply for the tickets for free. Some shows do offer travel and some even offer a cuppa and a biscuit when you arrive. Here is a list of some of the bigger ticket companies and examples of the shows you can see for free:
- The X Factor, Britians Got Talent, The Sunday Night Project & others. For big shows like this, register your details with Applausestore.com. The very big shows such as X Factor and Britians Got Talent operate a reserve list system where you register your interest in the show and if you are successfully chosen one of the site's researchers will be in touch with show dates.
- 8 out of 10 cats and Not Going Out. Visit TV Recordings . The shows on this site are predominately filmed in the London area.
- The IT Crowd, Family Fortunes & The Alan Titchmarch Show. If comedy and game shows are more your thing register with SRO Audiences. The shows on this site are also filmed in London and the south east, but it does also offer tickets for Countdown which is filmed in Leeds.
- The Weakest Link. The BBC website has tickets for Ready Steady Cook and for radio recordings for shows such as Brain of Britain for Radio 4.
- The Paul O' Grady Show, For One Night Only and Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. If you'd like tickets for these shows, register your details with Lost in TV. The shows on this site are also mostly filmed in studios around the south east of England.
- University Challenge & Countdown, Manchester & Leeds. Many of the above recordings are based in or around London and the south east, however ITV.com/tickets have tickets available for shows in their studios based up north like University Challenge and Soapstar Superstar in Manchester and Countdown and Through the Keyhole in Leeds.
A lot of these shows tend to overbook, so make sure you arrive at least one hour before the shows due to start to ensure you get a seat. Often, if you do get refused entry due to over booking, the organisers will try and arrange for you to get priority seating at the next week's showing. Some of the bigger shows have a bit of a waiting list so you therefore might have to wait for a cancellation to get a seat at a very popular show.
Always make sure you check out the lists for these free ticket shows so you never end up paying money for them on ebay or other ticket sites. Depending on availability you should always be able to get them for free.
Cinema
- 2for1 Cinema entry with McDonalds - Get a code sticker with every large meal or premium salad
Until 25 Nov, anyone aged over 16, buying a large meal (c. £3.40) or premium salad (c. £4) from McDonalds is entitled to a voucher for 2for1 voucher to most Cineworld, Showcase, Vue and some independent cinemas.
The voucher can be used at any time, importantly including weekend evenings and you get get up to eight vouchers per household. As cinema tickets usually cost much more than the meal, it's a good deal even if you don't want the food!
To get it 1. Visit the McDonalds website before 30 Nov 08 and enter the code found under the sticker you get with your meal 2. Choose your nearest cinema & print out your voucher 3. Attach the sticker with the code on to the right hand corner (or it won’t be accepted by the cinema). The voucher is then valid until 30 June 2009. See terms and conditions of this promotion.
- Orange Wednesdays - 2for1 on cinema tickets - Text Orange to receive a 2for1 code
It's worth noting you can get 2for1 tickets at cinemas nationwide through Orange Wednesdays. Just text FILM to 241 from your Orange phone and Orange'll send you a code which you show to the cinema staff. If you use a different mobile network, why not sneakily buy an Orange SIM card, which cost just £1 to qualify (read the article '2for1 Films for Non-Orange Customers' for a full how to).
Theme Parks - Alton Towers, Chessington & more
There’s no excuse to pay full price at for any of the Merlin Group attractions, which are Alton Towers, Chessington, Warwick Castle, Legoland, The Dungeons, Madame Tussauds and Sea Life Centres. There are plenty of ways to get 2for1 entry. Tickets can cost up to £34, so it's a substantial saving. Do watch out for the exclusion dates on these vouchers.
- 2for1 entry at Alton Towers, Chessington, Thorpe Park and more - On 2litre bottles of Fanta, Sprite and Dr. Pepper - Peel off your voucher and save
On special 2litre bottles of Fanta, Sprite and Dr. Pepper you'll find two 2for1 vouchers for entry into the top Merlin group theme parks and attractions. Just peel off the label on promotional bottles and you'll find your vouchers on the back. Two people can get in for the price of one full paying adult per voucher, not bad for a £1.50 bottle of pop.
The attractions include Alton Towers, Chessington World of Adventures, Thorpe Park, Legoland Windsor, Madame Tussauds, Sea Life Centres/Sanctuaries, Warwick Castle and the Dungeons.
The vouchers are even valid on special Halloween themed events happening in October, including 'Scarefest' at Alton Towers, 'Halloween Hocus Pocus' at Chessington and 'Fright Night' at Thorpe Park.
The vouchers are valid till 2 Nov 08 at Alton Towers, 9 Nov 08 at Thorpe Park, 8 Nov 08 at Legoland, 3 Nov 08 at Chessington, and 31 March 09 at Madame Tussauds, Warwick Castle, the Dungeons and Sea Life Centres/Sanctuaries.
The exclusion dates for these vouchers are:
Thorpe Park: 30 Oct 08 - 2 Nov 08
Chessington: All Zoo Days
Warwick Castle: 25 Dec 08
The Dungeons: 25 Dec 08
Sea Life Centres/Sanctuaries: 25 Dec 08
Madame Tussauds: 25 Dec 08 and after 5pm
The voucher does not entitle entry into Warwick Castle Ghosts alive, Scream at Madame Tussauds, Fast track at the Dungeons, or the Hotels Waterpark, Spa or Golf attraction at the Alton Towers Resort.
- 2for1 at Merlin attractions - for Sky customers (for free!) - Click 'n' print online voucher
Sky is offering its customers '2for1 entry' vouchers to some Merlin group attractions. To grab a voucher giving you '2for1 entry with every full price adult', simply visit the Sky Perks website, and enter your viewing card number (which can be found by following the instructions at the bottom of the Sky Perks page) in the box provided, and print off your voucher.
The vouchers are valid for Legoland Windsor, Thorpe Park, Chessington World of Adventures, London Aquarium, Warwick Castle, Sea Life Centres/Sanctuaries, Madame Tussauds and the Dungeons throughout October and early November.
- 2for1 tickets - with Walkers crisps (c. 50p) - Buy a special bag of crisps for a cut out discount voucher
Currently special packets of Walkers crisps come with a voucher to get free adult or child entry at all Merlin attractions, with every full-paying adult. Individual packs come with one voucher, multi-packs come with two (so another person can go free).
Do note that this isn't the same deal as the Brittips offer described below; you need to grab a pack which says “2FOR1 ENTRY TO TOP ATTRACTIONS ” on the front. Vouchers are valid until 31 Oct 08. Certain dates are excluded; for full terms and conditions, check the Walkers’ website.
Walkers 2for1 deals: Exclusion and expiry dates for Merlin attractions
Alton Towers, Thorpe Park, Legoland and Chessington vouchers all valid until 31/10/08
Madame Tussauds, Warwick Castle, the Dungeons and Sealife Centers all valid until 31/12/08
Vouchers are not valid on:
30/10/08 - 02/11/08 at Thorpe Park
01/08/08 - 31/08/08 and all park closed dates at Legoland Windsor
24/08/08 - 25/08/08 and 25/12/08 at Warwick Castle
25/12/08 at the Dungeons and Sealife Centers
25/12/08 and after 5pm at Madame Tussauds
All Zoo days at Chessington.
Comedy
- Jongleurs Comedy Club - tickets for just £5 - Use this code online or on phone bookings to get a discount
Get up to 70% off ticket prices at Jongleurs, reducing the usually £17 ticket to just £5. Book tickets either by phone at the box office on 0844 844 0044 or online quoting the code MONEY5. There are 16 venues nationwide to choose from and this offer is open until the 25th of November 2008. Booking fee applies check out the Jongleurs website for terms and conditions and full show listings.
Other offers
- 2for1 tickets - with Tetley Tea (cheapest £1.50) - Collect Tetley points for discount vouchers
Collect Tetley Tea bag tokens on special packs and you can get 2for1 vouchers which can be used for local attractions all over the country. Activities include 2for1 on paint balling, 2for1 on Zoo entry, and 2for1 on horse riding lessons. Check out the Tetley Tea website for full details of the local activities.
- Half price 'Brit trips' - with Walkers Crisps - Collect Brit trip points for discount vouchers
Walkers has bags of offers on days out, including half price City Sightseeing tickets, free National Trust entry, 2for1 pub lunches and many more. To grab the discounts, you need to collect points from special promotional packs of crisps and register them on the Walkers Brit trips website before 31 December 08. Read a full guide to how to collect posts in a special Forum note about this offer.
Regional Days Out
- London 2for1 days out
There's a sneaky loophole to get 2for1 tickets for a massive range of London attractions (e.g. the Zoo & London Dungeon) through National Rail's Days Out Guide scheme. The catch is you need that day's valid train ticket, yet as the saving can be up to £25, even if you're not using the train you can get a cheap single for £2ish and still qualify to save up to £25.
For example a one way ticket from a Central London station (e.g. Marylebone for Tussauds/London Zoo) is £1.90, but entry to Madame Tussaud's is £23 – a £21 saving. You can print as many vouchers as you like and currently offers are valid ‘til 31 May 2009. Check the individual offer pages for full T&Cs.
- 2for1s and discounts on days out up North - Click 'n' print online vouchers
Coca Cola are offering 2for1's, kids go free and money off on days out up North by simply clicking and printing off vouchers on the Coke Summer Time website. The vouchers include 2for1 on entry to the Camelot Theme Park in Lancashire valid until 2 November 08, saving you £19.00 on a full paying adult ticket. One child goes free with a full paying adult at Knowsley Safari Park in Merseyside, saving £9, valid until 30 December 08 and £10 off a family ticket at Flamingo Land in North Yorkshire, reducing the family ticket down to £72.00 until 31 October 08.
Just visit the website, click on your desired location, and print off your voucher. Some of the vouchers not valid on Bank Holidays, so make sure you read the terms and conditions on your vouchers.
- 2for1s on days out in and around the West Midlands - Click 'n' print online vouchers
Visit the tourist website visittheheart.co.uk and you'll find loads of 2for1s and discount vouchers to be used on days out all over the West Midlands area. Just visit the website, click on your desired location and print your vouchers straight off. Offers include kids go free at Alton Towers saving you up to £26.00, 2for1 at Blenheim Palace Park and Gardens saving you up to £16.50, 2for1 at Hampton Court Gardens saving you £5 and kids go free on children's Go-kart or 4x4 at the Heritage Motor Centre saving you £4.
Just visit the website, choose where you'd like to go and print off your discount voucher.
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If you know of a deal we've missed, then please post it in the discussion and we'll add it to the list above.
As well as the deals above, there are tons of permanent ways to cut the cost of family fun.
Save 75% with Tesco Clubcard
One of the cheapest ways to entertain kids is to spend your Tesco Clubcard vouchers on days out. This way, you effectively get them for a quarter of the normal price. This is because 100 Clubcard points are only worth £1 if you use them in-store.
Yet spend the points on goodies from its Deals Brochure and you get four times the vouchers' face value, eg, £16.75 worth of Clubcard vouchers gets you an annual Legoland pass worth £67.
There are nearly 200 days out on offer, including Alton Towers, Thorpe Park and National Trust Scotland. For a full list of ways to maximise Clubcard points, check out the Loyalty Schemes guide.
2for1 days out in London and the South
There's a trick to get 2for1 activities to hundreds of theatres, museums and theme parks throughout the South, with National Rail's Days Out Guide scheme. To take advantage, you need a train ticket valid on the day you want to visit. Yet with savings of up to £25, buy the cheapest £2ish ticket and you’ll still be quids in.
As an example, London Zoo costs £17 for adults and £13.50 for kids, so entry for a family of four is normally a jumbo £61. But buy a £1.90 single to and from any station, present it with the voucher, and you’ll slash the cost to £30.50, saving £28.60.
You can print as many vouchers as you like and the cheapest person gets in free. Attractions include everything from Madame Tussauds to Les Misérables the musical.
Take a stroll
There’s an innovative free exercise system which involves advancing the feet alternately in bipedal locomotion: walking. Great British country walks are among the best bargain days out, as well as being a great excuse for refuelling with a pub lunch or an afternoon tea. There’re loads of free walking ideas and trail maps on the sites nationaltrail.co.uk, ramblers.org.uk and walkingbritain.com.
Free high-tech treasure hunts
Just go to the website, type in your postcode and a map pops up with all the geocaches near you. Then enter the coordinates of the geocache you want to find on your GPS, and off you go. The treasures are hidden at spots like waterfalls and parks.
Reely cheap cinema tickets
Taking the family to the flicks can burn a huge hole in your pocket, but every Wednesday, Orange customers can go to almost any cinema nationwide and get 2for1 entry. Even if you’re not on Orange, sign up for a £1 pay-as-you-go Orange sim card and you'll be able to bag half price cinema tickets too. Get the full lowdown in the Orange 2for1 guide.
Watch unlimited Cineworld films
Regular moviegoers who live near a Cineworld should check out its Unlimited Card. For £12 a month (£15 including London West End) you can see as many films as you want. Regular ticket prices vary, so compare at your local cinema for savings; as a rule of thumb, the cards are worth it if you see more than one film a month.
Plus we’ve confirmed with the Cineworld press office that the card works with Orange Wednesday codes, so passholders can take mates for free. Do remember that Cineworld makes its money back on expensive popcorn and drinks, so take along your own cheap snacks, provided the cinema's cool with it.
Family flicks from £1.75
Many cinemas run cheap family screenings on the weekends. Some films may have been out a few months, but they're just as much fun for little'uns. Vue's Kids AM' club costs £1.75 per child and one adult goes free with each child (extra adults pay £1.75).
The Odeon Kids' club works in a similar way and costs £2.50 per child, with one adult free per kid and extra adults £2.50.
Halve the cost of London Vue tickets
Lastminute.com sells ‘stand-by’ tickets for selected London Vue cinemas at £5, roughly half-price. To grab one, simply buy and print a voucher before 4pm on the day you want to go.
Then take the confirmation e-mail to the cinema any time from 12pm to book your film; tickets to your choice of movie are subject to availability, so arrive early. The vouchers are valid on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays.
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