One Day Holiday to Scarborough with Ocean Finance

Did you know one of the top reasons people take out personal finance is to pay for family trip and holidays? Going on holiday is expensive, even more so if you have a family.

Ocean Finance recently contacted me and asked me to take part in the One Day Holiday campaign which is to show people that you don’t need to spend a fortune to have a fantastic time with your friends and family. I was given a budget of £100 and challenged to plan a family day out for the three of us which included lots of fun!

After much deliberation we settled on one of our favourite places to visit in the Summer, Scarborough.

On the coast in North Yorkshire, Scarborough is a awash with lights and music from the Amusement arcades, greedy seagulls and a packed beach at the first sign of sun. I have so many memories of Scarborough from my own childhood and I hope the little man will when he’s older too.

We packed the car up one sunny morning with buckets and spades and a change of clothes and drove down to Scarborough. The drive from Durham takes just over an hour and a half which is short enough to keep the little man entertained and prevent World War 3 breaking out.

When we arrived we parked up at South Bay and paid the £7.50 car parking fee for a full day and headed off along the front to see the sights.

Our first stop was the rides at Luna Park. The small fairground has a Ferris wheel, Dodgems and other smaller rides, we didn’t go on any of the rides as the queues were quiet big but the little man enjoyed watching the wheel go round while my stomach churned at the thought of riding it.

After a quick wander round the fairground we crossed the road so the little man could ride the small rides in the amusements. There are so many different amusements, you’ll be spoilt for choice. He loved riding the horses and hitting the meerkats back into their holes and pushing 2p coins into the sliding machines.

After an hour or so wandering along the front, taking in the flashing lights, sickly smell of doughnuts and looking round the Festival of Fun Joke shop, the little man was ready for lunch. We did consider something a little healthier for dinner (but that would have meant heading up into Scarborough town) so we settled on the perfect seaside lunch – fish and chips.

Despite the fact it was really busy we managed to find a table in Bamfords restaurant, and wolfed down hot and tasty fish and chips with lashings of vinegar.

Then we popped along to the Harbour Bar for a delicious ice cream and sat watching the fishing boats coming in while we ate it. The most perfect two course meal, if there ever was one. 

After lunch we headed off to the beach at South Bay to relax and make the most of the Northern sunshine. We hired a windbreaker for £3 to stop the sand blowing in the breeze and relaxed on the sand. We were super luck with the weather and for once the British sun held out all day.

Whats a visit to the beach without a ride on the donkeys?

And a dip in the sea! The little man thoroughly enjoyed running in and out of the water and giggling at the waves and riding his new friend, Spike.

After dusting the sand off we headed along to the other end of Scarborough, North Bay. North Bay is slightly quieter than South Bay with no amusements. It’s a great place to head if you have a worn out toddler and want to chill out a little.

First stop, North Bay Railway. The little railway line is great for children and a huge hit with the little man who is train obsessed. A return journey to Scalby Mill and back costs £3.50 for an adult with under three’s ride for free.

The short journey is enough for little people and at the other end you can visit the Sealife Centre or play crazy golf. This time we just opt for a walk along the edge of the beach checking out the pretty beach huts while the little man chased sea gulls.

After a walk along the front we finish off our day (and the last of the little mans energy) with a walk round Peasholm Park. The Oriental theme park is one of my favourite places to visit in Scarborough and is a world away from the hustle and bustle of the seafront. It’s great for walks, getting up close to squirrels and picnics.

It was the perfect place to finish off our visit to Scarborough and didn’t cost us a penny.

We thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the One Day Holiday campaign and found we came in under budget for our fun day out in Scarborough. You can see what we spent below.

Petrol – £30

Parking – £7.50

Fish and Chips – £18

North Bay railway – £7

Windbreaker hire – £3

Rides and arcades – £7

Donkey ride – £2

Ice creams – £5.60

James train from North Bay Railway shop – £14

Total spend for the day £94.10

There’s loads of things you can do and places you can visit that don’t cost the earth. To save money I usually check out websites for discount codes and 2 for 1 offers and search Groupon for money saving days out. Remember kids don’t always need an action packed day out to have fun, playing on the beach or at the park is free and little ones love it.

*We were given £100 to pay for our day out from Ocean Finance.