Touring on a budget

Lee Davey accepts our challenge to spend less than £100 on a weekend family break

Pitched up on site

The rules of the challenge were simple: two adults, one child, one car, one caravan, and a £100 budget to cover everything during a late-autumn weekend break – from a pitch and activities to fuel and food. Although at first glance it seemed impossible, we headed an hour south from our home to Crossways Club Campsite near Dorchester in Dorset, to see just what £100 can get you...

Friday evening

Friday was a typical working day, but once school bags were dumped in the hallway, we hooked up the caravan and headed for Crossways. Keeping the tow short helped the fuel bill and meant travel time didn’t eat too much into our weekend away. I was keen to save more money by booking a non-electric economy pitch – a decent leisure battery will easily cope with a weekend away, even more so if you are staying at a facility-rich site like Crossways. Booking the economy pitch saved us £12, and we also took advantage of the Club’s ‘Kids Stay for £1’ offer.

With the steadies down and the kettle on, the first evening was kept deliberately low-key. Having explored the woodland paths and listened for owls (both zero-cost entertainment), we set to work on our one-pot pasta supper.

Saturday

Saturday began the way most caravan days do: slowly. Scrambled eggs and toast are cheap staples that work well in the caravan, and set us up nicely until lunchtime. For our main event, we drove towards Abbotsbury, near Weymouth. You could take the train from nearby Moreton station if you fancied a car-free day but we had already factored diesel costs into our budget.

We consulted the Club’s Great Savings Guide for museums and other activities in the area. We found many two-for-one offers, but unfortunately our remaining budget of £14.15 wouldn’t quite stretch far enough. Digging deeper, I spotted a 20% discount at Abbotsbury Swannery, a sanctuary for up to 600 mute swans, but sadly it was closed. Then we discovered that admission to Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens was just £6.95 for an adult ticket at this time of year and included a free hot drink. Best of all, children went free. (Please check abbotsburygardens.co.uk for seasonal prices and camc.com/greatsavingsguide to find out how you can benefit from a 20% discount.) After exploring its 30 acres, which are home to 6,000 species of plant, we enjoyed a late picnic lunch on a quiet Chesil Beach. A spread of wraps, ham, cheese, salad, crisps and fruit ensured we stayed within budget. The weather was nice too!

Back at Crossways, we spent the late afternoon cycling in the surrounding area. Dinner was an epic butter bean and chorizo stew prepared in the caravan – a cosy end to a busy day.

Sunday

An easy Sunday morning suited our sleep schedule and budget. Breakfast, a well-earned full English, was courtesy of a supermarket discount and allowed us to lazily prepare for a noon departure.

With the car and caravan packed, we set out through the woods and fields around the site to uncover traces of RAF Warmwell, the once-bustling airfield that played a key role during the Battle of Britain. One of the most striking sights is the old control tower that once directed Spitfires and Hurricanes overhead, now converted into a private house. Old taxiways survive as village roads, and nearby you can spot dispersal areas that were used to park and shelter aircraft, although these concrete pans are fading back into the earth and overgrown. You may also glimpse vestiges of other wartime infrastructure, reminders of the airfield’s former life that reward curious eyes along a peaceful rural route.

Gallery

Chesil Beach

Deer can often be seen at Crossways

A bug hotel

Lee Davey setting off

Mission accomplished

So did we succeed? The simple answer is ‘yes’! Our total outlay was £99.75, broken down as follows:

▪️ Accommodation: £46.10. Two nights on a non-electric economy pitch last autumn, using the ‘Kids Stay for £1’ offer.

▪️ Fuel: £16.25. Crossways (plus the drive to Abbotsbury) was a 60-mile round trip at 24mpg when towing.

▪️ Food: £23.50. Cheesy broccoli pasta bake with crusty bread, £6; butter bean and chorizo stew, £7.50; breakfast and picnic ingredients, £10.

▪️ Sightseeing: £13.90. At Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens we took advantage of off-season adult tickets and free entry for children (plus free hot drinks!). Everything else we did was free.

To stay within our £100 budget, we didn’t eat out and we chose a single paid attraction rather than bouncing from one ticket office to another. Plus, we leaned heavily on the things caravanners have always excelled at: cooking in the caravan, enjoying interesting walks and healthy cycle rides, and making use of membership discounts.

Budget constraints can be all too real for families. Digging into member offers is a great way to save money and can make a short break more viable than you might imagine. Taking advantage of a few deals, £100 still bought us a couple of nights under the trees, a taste of Dorset’s coast, a slice of Second World War history, and the sort of unhurried family time that’s hard to put a price on.

Budget beaters

Cycling near Crossways

Here are just a few hints that could save you a few quid on your travels…

Woodland walks or cycle rides are obvious money-saving choices, so get the map out and see what you can find in the vicinity of the campsite. Crossways has mile after mile of tracks on the doorstep and many other campsites offer access to similar walks and nature trails. It’s easy to enjoy a few hours outside without touching the car keys.

Consider a budget-friendly beach day. Pack a flask, sandwiches and a windbreak, aim for a coastal car park with sensible charges and you can spend all day walking, paddling or rockpooling for very little outlay.

‘Parkrun’ is a great option for touring joggers. Free, timed 5km events take place across the country on Saturday mornings, often in parks or at seafront locations that are worth a visit in their own right. Junior events give younger family members a goal, too.

Finally, always check the Great Savings Guide (camc.com/greatsavingsguide) for offers near your chosen campsite. Savings of up to 50% can be found by searching for location or site, and are available on hundreds of attractions across the country.