YOU might think a holiday city break with the entire family would be an expensive staycation – but I’ve found a cheap way to do it.
My family of five stays in a different UK city or town every February half-term for less than £50, thanks to a cheap-as-chips offer from the Youth Hostel Association.
What we especially love about our little break away is that we can get a room in a beautiful building in a luxury location for very little money.
Family rooms and cabins are already pretty affordable at this time of year anyway and the annual YHA January Sale discount code takes an extra 20 per cent off, which makes it incredible value for money.
The deal is still running and covers February half-term and the Easter holidays, so you can take a trip to city, countryside or coastal hostels during the school holidays for next to nothing.
We love a city break at this time of year as it’s the perfect way to while away the grey days. Generally there are very few tourists about and we can normally find lots of free stuff to do indoors at museums and the like.
My favourite was when we stayed at YHA Chester Trafford Hall a couple of years ago, as that was the perfect blend of city and countryside.
It was glorious to be greeted by a carpet of snowdrops as we arrived at the hostel, an old Georgian mansion set in lovely grounds.
You can hop on the bus nearby to get into the city centre in less than half an hour and go for a wander through the historic streets, taking in Roman ruins and the Rows, covered wooden walkways that allow access to shops at first-floor and street level, a famous feature of the city since medieval times.
Our family room only cost £29.25 (£5.85pppn) and another great element of a hostel stay is that there’s generally a self-catering kitchen, a restaurant where kids eat for £1 and a games room.
We can choose whether to cook for ourselves or order from the restaurant menu and the boys have somewhere to entertain themselves while waiting for food.
It’s lovely staying somewhere that’s got a bit of character and seeing a historic building given a new lease of life for the 21st century.
And it’s great to chat to other guests using the communal areas and pick up tips for where to visit next.
This February, we’re heading for Canterbury to stay in a cosy log cabin for just £34 a night for the five of us – which works out at £6.80 each.
We can’t wait to check out the sights, including the historic cathedral, and hopefully head to the Kent coast if the weather is okay.
It was a bit of a toss up between Canterbury and staying at the iconic Albert Docks in Liverpool for just £28 for a room for four people.
I’ve been visiting this northern powerhouse since I was a child and I love the warm Scouse welcome we always get when we go back.
So if you want to follow in the footsteps of the Beatles or take a ferry across the Mersey, this could be the perfect base for you.
YHA Manchester also has £40 rooms for a family of five and its canalside location is just a 15-minute walk from the city centre.
One year, we took a trip to YHA Bath, another gorgeous Georgian villa a walk or bus ride away from the city centre.
Bath can get pretty crowded once the weather warms up so going in February is perfect if you don’t want too much hustle and bustle. A stay in a family room there is £72 during half-term.
Using a youth hostel as a base can also be a really affordable way to visit the capital over in the holidays. We stayed in a log cabin at YHA Lee Valley one February, which is next to Cheshunt railway station, where trains stop en route to Liverpool Street.
It was slightly surreal waking up in a nature reserve surrounded by birdsong and then being in the heart of the city within half an hour. The best London deal I’ve spotted for this half-term is at YHA Earls Court, where a six-bed family room costs just £48.
If you’re not a fan of city breaks, the January sale discount code also works for lots of the Lake District hostels and other countryside locations, which often have outdoor cabins and glamping options as well as family rooms.
We visit YHA Stratford-upon-Avon most years to stay in the deluxe camping pods behind the main building.
They’ve got a little kitchenette and a built-in shower room with toilet, so the pods are a lovely place to get a bit of peace and quiet, before heading into town to enjoy some of the tourist hotspots before they get busy later in the year.
We’ve stayed for less than £20 a night for all of us before, but this half-term, the pods cost £48 using the sale code.
You really can’t beat a YHA stay if you want to bag a bargain and take the family away for a night in half-term for next to nothing.
For more budget stays here are the UK’s best 100 cheap stays – our pick of the top hotels, holiday parks, B&Bs and pubs from just £22 a night.
And if you’re heading abroad – here are the most popular hotels in the loveholidays sale with rooftop pools and beautiful beaches… and holidays from £149.