Embracing the Adventure: Exploring Great Britain with My Family on a Budget

What are your future travel plans?

Exploring Great Britain with My Family on a Budget

For many, the allure of international travel holds a special kind of magic. The thought of discovering exotic destinations, experiencing different cultures, and tasting new cuisines can be incredibly exciting. However, as much as I dream about jetting off to far-flung corners of the globe, mostly in favour of reliable sunshine and warmth, my travel plans are now firmly set on exploring destinations closer to home, right here in Great Britain. With my small family in tow and a need to travel on a budget, my focus is on making the most of our beautiful homeland, and my boys childhoods, one adventure at a time.

Home Sweet Home

I have no itinerary or set plans on where and when we plan to travel, I’m sure for the most part our travels will be very much spontaneous. However, the first place on our list of explorations that I want to talk about today is my home county, Shropshire. Not home by birth, but home in the sense that this is where we live now, and it’s certainly the longest place my boys have ever lived at! Nestled in the heart of England, Shropshire is a treasure trove of natural beauty, historical sites, and quaint market towns.

Our plans for exploring more this summer start this school holiday, after some time I invested into finding 13 Free Outdoor Adventures you can do with the Kids in Shropshire this Summer. At each of these sites there should be much to do, from walks to picnics, but if you are looking for something else, why not consider:

• Geocaching: We recently start geocaching again. A fun activity where you find ‘caches’ hidden around the country, using an app to guide you to each location. You can log caches on the app, and inside could be a little surprise! Find out more in my Geocaching blog post here.
• Trig Bagging: This is something I have only recently discovered, having seen many Trigs in the distance, and not known what they were for! There are thousands of these, from the ‘traditional’ pillars you might have seen in photos, to markings on a local building! I’m still very much at the ‘discovery’ stage of Trig Bagging, but once I do start exploring and logging, you can be sure I will share our stories here!

The Wild Beauty of Wales

Next on our list is the wild and wonderful Wales. Just a short drive from our home, Wales offers a dramatic change of scenery and an abundance of adventures, yet we have rarely ventured West to explore exactly what’s there.

• Exploring Snowdonia: We can’t wait to conquer the peaks of Snowdonia National Park. My husband and I have talked about doing this even before we had children, and one hundred excuses later, it’s still sat on our list of places to go! While climbing Mount Snowdon might be a bit ambitious for the little ones, there are plenty of gentler trails and scenic spots to explore – and we can always get the train back down – in fact, our little train mad family will be sure to get the train one way or another!
• Enjoying the Beaches: The Welsh coastline is stunning, with places like Pembrokeshire offering some of the most beautiful beaches in the UK. The nearest beach for us is over 2.5 hours from our house, and beach days have been something we’ve avoided – mainly due to the weather not playing ball on our days off, and having to get up early enough to enable us to spend a whole day there and make the trip worthwhile. However, with our new zest for adventure, whatever the weather, we’re looking forward to family-friendly beach days, building sandcastles, and even throwing in some coastal walks now the children are older.

Where are your favourite places to visit in Wales?

Scotland’s Majestic Landscapes

Finally, our travel plans wouldn’t be complete without venturing north to Scotland. With its rugged landscapes, rich history, and unique culture, Scotland is a dream destination for family adventures. We are lucky to have family in Scotland, and have been able to use their property as a base to head out on adventures throughout the country. We’ve roadtripped along the East Coast, the West Coast and up to Orkney – twice! But we are also dying to throw in more Islands and more of the Higland mainland.

• Touring the Highlands: The Scottish Highlands are a playground for nature lovers. We plan to drive through the scenic routes, walk the wild beauty spots, and photograph it all.
• Visiting the Islands: Scotland is filled with beautiful islands, and our wonderful trips to Orkney and Hoy have left us filled with the desire to visit even more of the islands around the Scottish coast.
• Loch Ness and Beyond: No trip to Scotland is complete without a visit to Loch Ness. We visited briefly once before on a trip back from Orkney, but we all want to visit again, along with the many other stunning Lochs Scotland has to offer!

Do you have a favourite place to visit in Scotland?

Our Trusty Campervan Companion

To make our travels even more flexible and budget-friendly, we’re planning to get a little campervan, which will be funded by me selling my car. This will allow us to enjoy overnight stops in some of the most scenic locations without the need for expensive hotels. The campervan will be our home on wheels, providing us with the freedom to explore at our own pace and the convenience of having everything we need on the road. Its perfect when travelling with children, because they can tire at the drop of a hat, and it will make adventures far less stressful when you know they can just relax right there.

I’m already imagining waking up to the sound of waves crashing on a Welsh beach, or opening the door to a breathtaking sunrise over the Scottish Highlands – A campervan will make these dreams a reality, creating unforgettable memories for our family.

Embracing Local Adventures

While I still love the idea of travelling abroad, chasing that sunshine and warmth, there’s something incredibly special about exploring Great Britain with my family. From the rolling hills of Shropshire to the rugged beauty of Wales and Scotland, there’s so much to see and experience right here at home.

Travelling on a budget doesn’t mean sacrificing experiences; it means finding creative ways to explore and enjoy. And facing the fact that some days, you’re gonna get wet! So, here’s to embracing local adventures, making memories with loved ones, and discovering the hidden gems that make Great Britain truly great.