I'VE DISCOVERED a little-known trick that can save families money on their next Haven holiday.
With Christmas just around the corner, it's never been more important to make the most of every penny – especially when you're sneaking in a cheeky autumn break.
That's why my family of five will be taking full advantage of a great
deal on offer at Haven, when we visit the Hopton holiday park near
Great Yarmouth in Norfolk next month.
Holidaymakers who spend more than £45 worth of activities in one go, can get a free space on their cheapest session.
This can equate to a hefty saving, especially if you work out what sessions to book as a block.
Earlier this year, we visited Hopton's neighbouring site, Haven Wild Duck, but didn't manage to take advantage of the £45 deal.
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Instead, we simply booked our activities individually.
But when I added up the cost afterward, I realised that we could have bagged a free session, if we'd been a bit savvier.
On that trip, we booked a family kart for four people for £16 for an hour, and a two-half-hour aquajet session for £12 each.
If we'd booked everything in one transaction, and selected
another activity that cost £5 or more, we'd still only have paid £40.
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This is because that additional session would have taken us over the £45 limit, and it would've been deducted from the total.
Haven has lots of kids' activities in the £8 to £12 price range, like making slime, filling sand bottles, taking on an aerial adventure, hitting the climbing wall, or having a go at archery or target shooting.
So, we could easily have found something for our smallest son, who is too young for the aquajets.
When we head to Hopton, the activities we are eyeing up cost a fair
amount each, so it's worth being a bit more organised and booking everything well in advance.
This Haven site has its own golf course, which costs £10 for 18 holes, or £8 for nine, so just enjoying a round or two will quickly add up.
But while you're working out your cost savings, it's important to remember that it's the cheapest activity that's removed from the total price.
This means you need to book all the expensive activities in one
block, and leave any cheaper ones for a separate booking.
For example, if you book three Segway sessions at £20 each, you could pay just £40 instead of £60 using this deal, so it's worth taking some time to work out how to make the most of it.
My other top tip for bagging a bargain is to remember that not all the activities will be released at the same time, so you'll need to keep checking the Haven website.
For example, one month before our break the golf, segway, and target shooting could already be booked.
Since then, indoor crafts and outdoor nature sessions have also been added to the website, which generally cost a bit less.
But the paid-for pool activities, which usually happen when general swimming has finished for the day, haven't been released yet.
Because of this, I'm waiting to see what's on offer there before I make my final selection of activities.
Free sessions like bug hunting, or pond dipping, generally get booked up very quickly, so you'll want to book those in as soon as possible.
This year's £45 bargain bundle is a great way for families to keep the costs down while they're away.
I'm looking forward to seeing if the same deal comes back next year, or whether Haven has something else in the pipeline to keep kids happy on holiday without breaking the bank.
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And just last month, Sun Online Travel visited the holiday park next to the best beach in the UK and it cost just £25 a night.
We've visited all four Haven parks near Great Yarmouth now and this one is wonderful if you're wild about wildlife and woodland.
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