Many parents dream of whisking their kids away on exciting holidays, but baulk at the thought of spending thousands on flights, hotels and activities. But one savvy dad of three has explained how by using careful planning, he was able to take his son to Legoland Denmark for just £100 each.
“I love to travel, something I now enjoy sharing with my kids,” says Al Reid, 36. “The last few years, between Covid and health situations, I realised we can’t take anything for granted, so we should do things while we can. Of course we love Lego too. It was my favourite toy as a child and this trip was for my boy’s 10th birthday.”
Al, who works at an optician and also shares his travels on Instagram at @treks.where.next, was determined not to spend a fortune on the trip abroad. In the end, Al’s trip to Legoland Denmark worked out even cheaper than visiting Legoland in the UK. “I’m always on the lookout for bargains,” he explains.
“When I spotted these flight from our local airport direct to Billund for only £30, the timing just made sense for my son’s birthday. In the planning stage I doubted whether it was possible to do it affordably as the town is built around Lego tourism, the on-site accommodation and nearby hotels weren’t as cost effective.
“However I soon found a direct bus from the airport to a nearby town of Vejle, which had more options. The bus cost 64dkk, which is about £7 and kids travelled free with an adult. We settled for an Airbnb at £38 for the night. The key ingredient was park entry. You can save by booking this online in advance.
“For longer stays there are various deals to be had but I found a website, ‘Tiqets’, saving between 25 and 30%. Entry for one adult and one child was around £70. I’ve since found out there was a 2-for-1 entry circulating. So always keep your eyes peeled for offers!
“Factoring in travel, accommodation and the extras, our whole trip was somewhere around £100 per person.”
Al says that making good savings can be beneficial in other ways, as he and his son got to see more of the local area by staying a bit further away. Staying further afield was the biggest saving,” he explains.
“The main Lego hotel can be as much as £500 for a night. We had a bit of a walk from the bus station to our accommodation. We didn’t mind as we got to see a picturesque Danish town and somewhere new. This was also beneficial the morning after, as while heading for the bus to Legoland we were able to stop by a local bakery for hot drinks and the famous pastries for breakfast.
“Grabbing a good price for travel and discounted park tickets meant this was actually better value than visiting Legoland in England! We obviously had a blast at Legoland which lives up to being a big ticket attraction.
“The rides were great fun and the Lego models very impressive. I was pleasantly surprised by the town we stayed in, Vejle. We saw ‘Bolgen’ an architectural, award-winning, wave shaped building, the colourful Latin quarter and even spotted a 007 James Bond car.
“The real highlight was spending some quality dad and lad time! It was brilliant seeing his wee face. The busy few days was so worth it.”
Al has lots of tips for those who might want to follow in his footsteps and bag a fantastic deal on family travel. “Be flexible!” Al advises. “Travel and accommodation are the biggest expenses so find out what deals fit your dates and be flexible in terms of location and where you stay.
“Do your research and make sure you are in walking distance or on a good transport route. Requiring taxi fares or staying too far away can make what seems like a ‘good deal’ more pricey. Check more than one airport. I’m fortunate in central Scotland we have some good variety of routes but I’ve even travelled to Leeds in the past for the best deals.
“Check single flights. You can sometimes hop countries or fly back to a different airport for the best savings. Be prepared to go out your comfort zone a little, maybe try a destination you’d never considered before or a different type of accommodation. Sometimes you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Other times you might need to rough it a little or compromise, and that’s ok!
“Just try and put it down to part of the adventure. By researching in advance, luckily I’ve never had any really horrible experiences. Also, check Facebook groups. Most popular tourist destinations and theme parks will have active communities on social media.
“Often these can be the best places for live, real-time information or current deals.”