Planning a trip can be overwhelming – we’ve tested countless services, products and experiences over the years and through trial and error, we’ve selected below the ones we genuinely trust and use ourselves.
ACCOMMODATION
→ Booking.com ←
Booking – our go-to site for finding the best deals, and free-cancellation options for that added peace of mind (honestly – last minute cancellations have saved us headaches and money!). We’ve relied upon Booking for pretty much most of our bookings over the last decade, with no issues whatsoever, whether at home in the West Midlands or abroad.
Vrbo – perfect for holiday rentals, we’ve discovered charming cottages here that fit my ‘no-generic-hotels’ rule, ideal for family groups wanting homely spaces.
For taking your stay to the next level, check out Sykes Cottages and Glamping Hideaways. These great platform are packed with all sorts of stays including eco-friendly star-gazing pods, country cottages with stoves, cosy log cabins and more.
In fact, our memorable glamping experiences prompted me to write this article here all about the best log cabins with hot tubs in Staffordshire.
TOURS & ACTIVITIES
→ Viator ←
→ GetYourGuide ←
Both Viator and GetYourGuide (GYG) are excellent sites to book tours and activities. They are both platforms that provide highly-rated local tours and activities all in one place, making it super easy to book and organise.
We’ve used them both over the years and they each offer the same great deals. Recently, we’ve used Viator more, as it offers slightly more options, with more detailed info, and we just like the overall layout of it.
As well as group and private guided tours, you can choose from full day, half day, and even multiple day tour options.
Discounted Tours / Special Offers
Tours and activities can add up in costs and we love to find discounted offers that save us a ton of money. That’s why we’ve scoured the internet and found that some of the hottest attractions in the West Midlands can be booked at half the price (or even more!) – just check out these absolute gems:
Our Favourite Discounted Activities:
Warwick Castle Entry Tickets – from £39 down to £22 (save £17)
Alton Towers 1-Day Entry – save over 50% on entry to the UK’s #1 theme park – £68 down to £29 (save £39!)
Cadbury World Entry Tickets – book from £22.50 per person
LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Tickets – one of the best day trips for families, from £26 per person (under 2s go free)
SEA LIFE Birmingham Entry Tickets – from £22 per person
Billy and I with our little one at SEA LIFE Birmingham
TRANSPORTATION
→ Omio ←
→ DiscoverCars ←
Omio is a really clever comparison tool that finds you the cheapest trains, buses, and even flights, all on one platform, which you can then book a suitable date and time for your trips. We previously used Trainline years back but found that Omio offers better rates and has a streamlined, user-friendly interface that we love.
DiscoverCars – is our go-to for car rentals. Here in the West Midlands we drive our own car obviously, but when we travel abroad we always use DiscoverCars to rent a car and book an airport transfer. Their all-inclusive pricing and real customer reviews has helped me avoid sketchy agencies more than once.
TRAVEL & VISITOR DISCOUNT PASSES
The Merlin Annual Pass
If you’re a frequent visitor , a Merlin pass is perfect for you, giving you free access to over 300+ of the most popular tours in the West Midlands and the UK, potentially saving you hundreds of pounds over a year.
Even better – you can get a whopping 20% discount via this link when you book the hottest attractions in the West Midlands with your Merlin Pass!
National Railcard
Many people in the UK can get themselves a Railcard that gives them 1/3 or more off the cost of a journey. There are several different types of railcards, see if you can apply for one of the below:
16-25 Railcard (for young adults aged 16-25 years)
Senior Railcard (for those aged 60 and over)
Two Together Railcard (For 2 named people travelling together, get an average annual saving of £104* plus special partner discounts!)
Disabled Persons Railcard (anyone with a disability or medical condition may be able to qualify – this is the one we have)
26-30 Railcard (valid for those aged 26-30 years)
Family and Friends Railcard (Children aged 5 to 15 get 60% discount on kids fares! Up to 4 adults and 4 children can travel on 1 card.)
16-17 Saver (For those aged 16 or 17. Enjoy 50% off standard Anytime, Off-Peak, Advance and Season tickets, for just £35 a year)
Having hearing loss ourselves means we’re eligible for the Disabled Persons Railcard, and we’ve used our passes many times for train trips, saving us money every time.
→ My Travel Planning Services: Since helping dozens of people including friends and family navigate hidden gems around the West Midlands, I now offer stress-free itineraries tailored to your interests – drop us a message via our email here for a personalised West Midlands adventure!
English Heritage Membership Pass
One of the best investments for history lovers is the English Heritage Pass – that gives an adult and up to 6 children per adult – unlimited access to 400+ castles, abbeys, and stately homes, saving you hundreds of pounds annually.
The West Midlands is packed with several of these absolute gems that make for excellent family days out. Our trips to Ironbridge Gorge museums and Witley Manor quickly paid for itself, and the free parking alone saved us a fortune!
→ I wrote a detailed article about the West Midlands top 10 English Heritage Sites here, that includes pricing breakdown and all the benefits you get from it.
The National Trust Pass
As with the EH Pass above, being a National Trust Member is excellent value for money and you also help to conserve hundreds of places, from houses and gardens to coastlines and countryside. As a member you can enjoy:
- Free entry to more than 500 places
- Free parking at National Trust car parks
- National Trust Handbook, full of information about the places
- National Trust Magazine three times a year, packed with inspiration, interviews and news – also available digitally
- Access to an online Members’ area, full of first look previews and behind-the-scenes features
What’s more when you pay for your membership online you get a £10 National Trust gift card to spend in National Trust shops and cafés.
National Trust vs English Heritage: Which one is Better?
Should you choose one over the other? Or should you go for both? Our detailed guide breaks down the pros and cons of both National Trust and English Heritage memberships. You can read our article here:
OUR FAVOURITE TRAVEL GEAR
Below is a roundup of a handful of our absolute favourite travel gear that we can highly-recommend:
The Lifestraw Filter Water Bottle is our trusty travel item – whether we go trekking or walking around a royal market town, we always carry one with us – you can fill it with any (yes – any) water and the filter makes it 100% clean and taste pure. And re-using it means we save money avoiding expensive bottled-water while protecting the environment.
When it comes to coats, we like a versatile, all-weather windbreaker jacket that doesn’t feel too hot in the summer sun, and only requires an extra layer or two underneath during the winter. Enter the Womens Patgonia Jacket and the Mens Patagonia Jacket. We absolutely love this brand for its stylish design, comfort and high-quality material that lasts years.
Again with footwear, we like a pair that’s durable for trekking up the Wrekin and the Peak District, but is comfortable, not bulky, and can be worn for general city walking. That’s why we love Salomon boots (womens / mens) for their durability and superb quality.
Hiking & Camping Gear
In our 10 years of hiking and camping both at home or abroad, we find the Osprey 65L backpack has been the most reliable and the best of them all (trust us – we’ve tried the cheaper ones on Amazon – while they are ok for cabin luggage, we advise investing in a high-quality Osprey rucksack for the outdoors and they will last you decades).
Camping is an amazing experience for couples and families but many people find it a bit tricky to plan, or don’t know where to start. From our experiences, we’ve made it easy for you with these three basic essentials:
1.) a decent camping tent (from as little as £99 for a 4-man tent)
2.) a sleeping bag
3.) a headlamp or torch (from £4)
From there you can add on extras – an outdoor stove is an absolute-must for hot drinks and cooking, as are camping chairs, then you’ll need cutlery and some more equipment you can check out here.
Watersports & SUP (Stand Up Paddleboarding)
We are huge fans of paddleboarding, the world’s fastest-growing watersports activity that’s suitable for people of all ages from 4 years upwards. While you can rent out paddleboards at sailing and clubs and watersports centres, getting yourself a decent Paddleboard kit will save you money in the long term if you’re a frequent paddleboarder.
You can also read our article on the best Paddleboarding Spots in the West Midlands here.
VISITING FROM ABROAD?
Landing at Birmingham International for your West Midlands vacation? Or going on holiday from BHX and want to leave your car at the airport? Either way, we recommend pre-booking your parking in advance at Birmingham Airport for peace of mind.
We’ve weighed up our options many times: do we park at the airport, or do we get a taxi from our house to the airport? Sometimes it works out better to park at the airport, as airport taxi fares can be costly – especially if you live over an hour away from the airport!
You can book a flexible parking space and save up to 70%.
Book an eSim – avoid plastic sim cards and save time!
When you buy an Airalo eSim online you get a digital eSim instead of a physical, plastic one – so no more fussing about with your device AND no more wasting time finding a Sim card vendor!
Packages include 3GB up to 20GB of data and from anywhere between 1-30 days of usage. The best offer is the 20GB data eSim that lasts 30 days, for £27.50 – working out less than a pound per day.
MORE OF OUR FAVE TOOLS
Ordnance Survey – The gold standard for UK hiking maps – their detailed trails helped me discover secret Staffordshire footpaths and hidden gems even locals didn’t know.
Radical Storage – this is a lifesaver when your hotel check-out is early and you want to explore town, for instance. You don’t want to be dragging your luggage around Warwick Castle when you can store it on-site for £4/day, plus their app shows locker photos so you know exactly what to expect.
Wingly – Book spare seats on private flights for scenic trips, you can even buy a flight experience for a loved one as a truly special gift! We once paid just £35 per person for a breathtaking sunset flight over the Cotswolds with a pilot who pointed out hidden landmarks.
HELPFUL TRAVEL GUIDES
→ Need help planning your West Midlands trip? Let’s chat! I’ll design a West Midlands route based on your interests (like my chocolate-box villages itinerary for a honeymooning couple last spring). Email us at contact@exploretheheartofengland.co.uk