The Sun '£9.50' holidays

It's for holidays up to December 2026. They start from £9.50 per person, but you need to watch for extra charges – this guide explains how to sidestep those to save £100s on a family getaway.

Are The Sun holidays really £9.50?

The Sun's headline of 'holidays from £9.50' looks stunning, and with park holidays costing in the £100s, the savings can be huge. While undeniably good value, truthfully, they're never actually £9.50 all-in. Here's why... 

• The basic price is from £9.50, but you need to add on the cost of the papers (from £6 total) or the price of The Sun Club membership (£1.99 for one-month), and you'll need to pay for at least four people. Though the basic cost indeed starts from £9.50 per person for three or four nights, when you factor in extras, it mounts up.
  
  For example, you always have to pay for a minimum of four people, even if only two of you are going. This means you'll pay at least £38 for accommodation. Online bookings then add a £3.20 fee, or if you're booking by post, you'll need to factor in 87p for a second-class stamp to send in your form.
  
  - Assuming you aren't already a member of The Sun Club, the cheapest option is £43.19 (£38 for accommodation, £3.20 booking fee, and £1.99 for one-month Sun Club membership – remember to cancel if you don't want to keep it after the first month).
  
  - If you prefer to buy the newspapers instead (from £1.20 each), and send off your form via post, this is marginally more expensive at £44.87 (£38 for accommodation, £6 for the five newspapers, and 87p for a second-class stamp).
  
  Whichever option you choose, the cost of your holiday will start from £44ish, though as you'll see below, it can easily end up being more.

• Not all parks have a basic rate of £9.50 per person. These range in price from £9.50 to £49.50 per person, depending on which park you want to go to, the accommodation type and the dates you choose. The parks have two price bands – Band A (the cheaper one) and Band B. You'll be able to see the price of your chosen park when browsing the different parks online.

• Bed linen can cost extra. Bed linen and blankets are not included at all the holiday parks – over 80 of them do. You should take your own if you can, otherwise most parks offer bed linen and blankets for hire.
  

  The cost of bed linen varies across the parks. The Sun wasn't able to confirm to us how much these cost, so you'll need to check with your park operator if you don't want to bring your own. MSE Forumites say they've paid £10 to £17 for single-bed linen or £15 to £24 for double, to give an idea of cost.
  

  It's also worth knowing cots, cot sides and high chairs may also require a supplement.

• Entertainment costs on average £6 to £7 per person. Parks offering entertainment programmes may charge for optional entertainment passes. Though, over 200 parks offer free entertainment passes on selected dates.

• And meals can push up the cost. No meals are included in the price, so save by self-catering. If you fancy eating out, many parks have restaurants and takeaways on site or nearby.

• Travel isn't included, so you'll need to buy your own train/coach tickets to get there, or pay for fuel to drive there. Remember this is accommodation-only, so also consider the cost of getting there (read the Cheap Motoring, Cheap Trains and Cheap Flights guides).

How to book your Sun '£9.50' holiday

1. Buy the paper, collect your tokens & form, OR sign up to Sun Club for a month

   Option 1. Collect five codewords, from five different days' papers, printed every day until Thursday 29 January in The Sun (£1.20 on weekdays, £1.60 on Saturdays) and The Sun on Sunday (£1.90). Therefore, the last day you can start collecting is Sunday 25 January.

   You can book online (£3.20 booking fee) using the codewords on your tokens, or by printing a booking form and filling in the information described below. These holidays are always popular, so have everything ready to roll as soon as you get the fifth token. General booking opens on Wednesday 14 January.

   Option 2. If you're a member of The Sun Club (its £1.99 a month digital membership), you don't need to collect any tokens, and therefore don't need to buy any papers.

   To book your holiday this way, head to 'Offers hub' within The Sun Club and look for the 'Hols from £9.50' page. Sun Club members can book a day early, from Tuesday 13 January. You'll just need to select the book button and follow the process online. The £3.20 online booking fee still applies.

   Neither option guarantees you'll get your choice of holiday – see the next point below for how it works.

   MSE Forumites have a thread on The Sun £9.50 hols which has handy tips and tricks for booking your trip – it could be worth having a look here beforehand too.

2. Choose your preferred dates & parks, though you may not get to decide exactly when/where you go

   When booking, you'll be asked to specify FOUR dates and FOUR parks/areas you'd like to visit.

   If booking online, you'll know instantly if your park/date choices are available and if none of your choices are, you're able to just search again. You can check all options and book a specific location and date.

   With postal applications, one of your choices will be allocated to you, if available. The Sun says it will try to get you a holiday of your choice, but if they aren't available, you won't have the option to select other choices. If your postal application is unsuccessful, you'll be notified within three weeks, or before the first holiday date on your application form, and have your payment returned. If you meet the conditions, fill the application in correctly and book as early as you can, you have a greater chance of getting your chosen break.

   Choosing a park

   The accommodation includes caravans, chalets, apartments, lodges, bungalows, or cottages at over 300 parks in the UK and Europe (search the full park listings at The Sun's website). You'll need to pick a shortlist of FOUR preferred parks, but ultimately you won't be able to pick the exact park (unless you book online), and quality does vary, so do check reviews on sites such as Tripadvisor first.

   Pets are not included in the basic price, so if you want to take a dog, it'll cost you extra, and you'll have to check dogs are welcome at your chosen location. You can add dogs and pay the extra when booking online, but not usually via postal applications. Some parks do allow you to add dogs after you've made a booking, so it's a good idea to check directly with the park.

   It's also worth noting the parks will not accept bookings from parties where everyone's under 21, and it's always down to each park's discretion whether to accept all-adult parties at all.

   Choosing your dates

   The holidays can be taken on selected dates until December 2026. Weekend breaks are three nights and weekday holidays are four nights. Prices vary between £9.50 and £49.50 per person (for Band A), depending on which dates and parks you pick. See below for the full list of dates you can choose from:

   Friday to Monday (three-night break) start dates

   2026
   January	From £9.50	30
   February	From £14.50	6, 20, 27
   February	From £19.50	13
   March	From £14.50	6, 13, 20
   March	From £29.50	27
   April	From £19.50	17, 24
   April	From £29.50	10
   April	From £39.50	3
   May	From £19.50	8, 15
   May	From £29.50	1, 29
   May	From £39.50	22
   June	From £19.50	5, 12, 19, 26
   July	From £29.50	3, 10
   July	From £49.50	17, 24, 31
   August	From £29.50	28
   August	From £49.50	7, 14, 21
   September	From £19.50	4, 11, 18, 25
   October	From £9.50	2, 9
   October	From £14.50	16
   October	From £19.50	30
   October	From £29.50	23
   November	From £9.50	6, 13, 20, 27
   December	From £9.50	4, 11
   December	From £19.50	18

   Prices listed above are for Band A

   Monday to Friday (four-night break) start dates

   2026
   January	From £9.50	26
   February	From £9.50	2, 23
   February	From £14.50	9
   February	From £19.50	16
   March	From £9.50	2, 9, 16, 23
   March	From £39.50	30
   April	From £9.50	20, 27
   April	From £19.50	13
   April	From £39.50	6
   May	From £9.50	4, 11, 18
   May	From £49.50	25
   June	From £19.50	1, 8, 15, 22, 29
   July	From £29.50	6
   July	From £39.50	13
   July	From £49.50	20, 27
   August	From £19.50	31
   August	From £49.50	3, 10, 17, 24
   September	From £9.50	14, 21, 28
   September	From £19.50	7
   October	From £9.50	5, 12
   October	From £14.50	19
   October	From £39.50	26
   November	From £9.50	2, 9, 16, 23, 30
   December	From £9.50	7, 14
   December	From £19.50	21

   Prices listed above are for Band A

   If you've used The Sun holidays before, please add your feedback to The Sun forum thread, so others can benefit.

3. Book online or send off the form

   As soon as you have all the required tokens or codewords, book online at The Sun, by entering your five codes and paying via credit/debit card. There's a £3.20 charge per booking online (this applies to members of The Sun Club, too).
   
   The advantage of booking online is that you're told within minutes whether you've been successful, and you can play around with your booking until you get what you want. By post, you get what you're given and you can't change it.

   You can post the form and tokens, if you prefer this way, to: UK Holidays in The Sun, PO Box 1811, Colchester, CO2 8LF. If you book by post, you must pay by cheque or postal order and remember to include the basic charge of your chosen park per person.
   
   The application closing date for both booking methods is Sunday 15 February.
   
   For postal applications, parks will send holiday confirmation directly by post or email within 21 days. If you're unsuccessful, your payment will be returned. If you haven't heard anything by then, call 0344 543 9743 (costs the same as a landline). Make sure you keep a record of your selected parks and dates.

   Warning. You're unable to make amendments or cancellations after you've sent off the form. See The Sun for full details. Only book if you're sure about the four dates and parks, and make sure you read the terms and conditions that IPSO (Independent Press Standards Organisation) enforces.