PLANNING days out in winter when the expense of heating bills and Christmas presents loom can be hard…
But there are some amazing things you can do for free across the country.
From outdoor walks to free museums, the UK is home to hundreds of attractions where you don’t have to spend a penny.
So here are our favourite attractions for winter days out that won’t cost you a thing:
National Railway Museum, York
The vast sheds just a short walk from York station house the world’s largest collection of railway objects – and it’s totally FREE for all to enjoy.
Wander right up to record-breaking steam engines like the Mallard, peer inside the opulent royal carriages used by Queen Victoria or marvel at the sleek nose of a Japanese Bullet Train.
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Children will be itching to explore Wonderlab: The Bramall Gallery to discover the science of motion and there’s an indoor playground that keeps everyone dry on rainy days.
Between now and January 3 there are a host of extra special Christmas events.
Kids can pen and post letters to Father Christmas, design their own 2027 calendars and get stuck into experiments in the museum’s STEM Shed.
For an extra £15 per child, they can visit Santa in his grotto inside a historic carriage and get a wrapped gift and a voucher for a mini loaded hot chocolate from the museum’s cafe. Lisa Minot, Head of Travel
House of Marbles, Devon
Housed in a former pottery factory, the House of Marbles in Teign, Devon, features a load of different attractions to explore.
You can head to the Teign Valley Glass Studio and watch live glassblowing sessions.
There is also a number of museums including the Glass and Marble Museum that documents the past 4,000 years of marbles and glass.
Or visit the Games Museum with vintage board games and even a 19th century skittle machine.
As a child, one of my favourite things to do was watch the giant marble runs that travel around the building.
Make sure to explore the shop as well – it sells so many gems such as vintage games and multi-coloured marbles. Cyann Fielding, Travel Reporter
St Albans Cathedral
You may be wondering what’s so interesting about a cathedral, bar the architecture.
But the one in St.lbans has so much more to it than ornate towers and stained glass windows (although those are pretty spectacular, too).
While donations are welcome, tours are completely free and you can take in one of the oldest sites of Christian worship in the country, learning about Roman history and its claim to fame for being the birthplace of the hot cross bun.
Soon it will be receiving a festive makeover and there are several free events throughout the winter.
A special pet blessing service took place last month and the place was littered with cute pooches. Sophie Swietochowski, Assistant Travel Editor
National History Museum
There’s a reason as to why the Natural History Museum is the UK’s most-visited attraction – because it’s brilliant, and it’s free.
While other London attractions are impressive, they don’t have the skeleton of an 82-foot Blue Whale in the entryway.
There’s something for everyone here, whether you’re interested in fossils, reptiles and birds.
Personally, my favourite part is The Vault where there are some of the most valuable treasures like diamonds, amethyst and gold crystals.
A new Human Nature pop-up display opened in September inside a gallery that has been closed for 80 years.
Here, visitors can discover stories about human history and the natural world, with a number of specimens and historical objects on display that haven’t been seen before.
And at Christmas, the T-rex even gets dressed all festive! Alice Penwill, Travel Reporter
Victoria & Albert Museum, London
In my opinion, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London is the best free attraction in the capital.
Inside there are 145 galleries to explore with artifacts spanning across 5,000 years.
The best thing about the museum is that you could visit again and again and get a different experience each time.
Visitors can also head around the museum on a free guided tour.
Make sure to also visit the cafe, which was designed by James Gamble, William Morris and Edward Poynter, with decorations showcasing the style of the Victorian era.
Look up at the ceiling and look at the stained glass windows with grand arches above them. Cyann Fielding, Travel Reporter
Mutton Cove, Cornwall
For those who find themselves on the windswept shores of Cornwall this winter, I implore you to visit the rugged cliffs above Mutton Cove on the north coast.
Aside from being a wondrous place for a wintry ramble, it’s a prime location for seal spotting – and getting to see them in the wild is a real ‘pinch me’ moment.
At this time of year, and until January, the shores are littered with the blubbery creatures and their pups, rolling in the sand, snoozing on the rocks and splashing in and out of the ocean.
The colony of wild Atlantic grey seals permanently reside here, so it’s pretty much a guaranteed sighting – just make sure to visit at low tide. I’d recommend bringing a pair of binoculars, too, if you have them. Sophie Swietochowski, Assistant Travel Editor
Sandringham, Norfolk
I truly believe there’s few places more magical than Sandringham in winter, especially if you visit around Christmas time.
Yes, you can tour the royal Sandringham House, visit the annual Christmas Craft Fair, or stroll the Luminate Christmas lights trail (which are all well worth it, by the way) however these are ticketed events costing upwards of £15 each.
But in my opinion, the best way to experience the royal estate is by taking on its totally free forest trails.
Mighty wooden animal sculptures mark the entrance to the trails, including a friendly squirrel and a standing bear holding a spear.
This is where you’ll also find the free adventure playground, where a winding red slide snakes out of the window of an impressive wooden fort, and a low ropes course waits for budding little adventurers.
Then you can choose whether to tackle the yellow or blue trail (the latter is shorter and more accessible).
The yellow route leads you out to a fantastic viewing platform, which offers sweeping sights over the woods of Wolferton, Dersingham Bog heathland, with the sea of Hunstanton on the horizon – all in one pretty snapshot.
Even if you’re not planning on spending anything, dip into the little gift and plant shop by the cafe. It gets fully decked out in December in time for Christmas, with intricate baubles, homemade cakes and biscuits, as well as traditional teddy bears in colourful outfits fit for a King. Jenna Stevens, Travel Reporter
Brighton, Sussex
Nature puts on some of its most stunning displays in winter – and all for free.
Starling murmurations – where thousands of the birds swoop overhead in perfect formation – are at their most frequent in the winter months as our native birds are joined by those migrating from colder parts of Europe.
No one is entirely sure why the birds put on such stunning displays but studies suggest they deter possible predators.
Dawn and dusk are the best times to catch the birds in flight and one of the most popular places to guarantee a sighting is Brighton’s West Pier.
The birds are known to gather around the derelict structure with up to 40,000 arriving from as far away as Scandinavia to join their cousins on the pier. Lisa Minot, Head of Travel
The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge
If you’re in the beautiful city of Cambridge (and a bit of a history buff too) then a trip to the Fitzwilliam Museum is the perfect day out.
First of all, the building will absolutely blow you away with its enormous columns that make it look like an ancient temple – there’s even four stone lions at the entrance.
You’ll need a whole day to explore inside, and even that might not be enough as there’s over half a million pieces of artwork and antiquities – the oldest being over 14,000 years old.
After all the wandering around, head three-minutes down the road for a sticky cinnamon bun at Fitzbillies bakery – a perfect day out in my eyes. Alice Penwill, Travel Reporter