Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
Plan ahead and save on your next staycation with Double Stamp
Moneymagpie Team
18th May 2020
We’re all a bit frustrated with staying in and many of us have had our summer holiday plans cancelled altogether. Planning a staycation later this summer could mean you save lots of cash AND get a holiday! We’ve got news about a new scheme – Double Stamp – and ways to save on your upcoming holidays.
Here’s how to manage your plans – even in a topsy-turvy, nobody-knows-what’s-happening kind of world.
- Introducing Double Stamp
- Book online for more discounts
- Our favourite locations for a summer staycation
- More tips for a cheap summer holiday
Introducing Double Stamp
Leading holiday website, Hotels.com, realises we’re all anxious about booking ahead for holidays right now. However, their new Double Stamp scheme – running until 24th May 2020 – means you could save cash even on refundable bookings!
When you sign up to Hotels.com, you’ll earn a stamp for every night you book at eligible properties. Collect 10 stamps and earn a free reward night!
However, the new Double Stamp scheme means you only need to book FIVE nights to earn your free reward night. You don’t even need to book all five in the same block – so plan a couple of long weekends away and you’ve earned your free night already.
How to claim your free reward nights:
Use the coupon code RWD2X2020 when you go to pay for your booking. Your reward night(s) will instantly be added to your account 72 hours after you’ve completed your stay.
Don’t worry: you’ve got until 31st August 2021 to take your trip. Make future plans now to have something to look forward to!
Booking online means staycation discounts
Hotels.com isn’t just offering these free reward nights. It’s also a great place to find discounted hotel rates – so you’re saving even more cash than booking direct with a venue.
Booking online also gives you more options. You can, for example, choose to pay for a refundable booking. This means that, should your plans change, you can reclaim the costs without penalty. It’s an ideal option for the sea of unknown stretching before us all right now!
Our favourite staycation locations
Not sure where to go this summer on your staycation? The Magpie team love these places!
York
Full of history and beautiful scenery, there’s always something to do in York. Taking a stroll through the city costs nothing – and is even better when you go on the FREE two-and-a-half-hour walking tour! Meet at the Art Gallery every day at 10.15am or 1.15pm (and in peak summer time, 6.15pm).
Or, opt for a Ghost Tour in the evening for a fun and spooky experience that taps into the city’s haunted history!
A City Sightseeing tour bus is a great way to view the city and plan the rest of your trip. York is easy to walk around as it’s a small city – and the hop on/hop off bus means you can check out the sights in more detail as you wish.
Bath
Another city steeped in history, Bath has so much to do in a small space. Roman settings, the Abbey, and of course, the Roman Baths, make it a beautiful and interesting place to visit.
In fact, the entire city is a World Heritage site – because there’s so much historical importance all across the area!
You can also visit the Jane Austen Centre if you’ve got a literary lean, covering her time spent living in the city between 1801 and 1806 – with much influence on her characters and stories, too.
The more active among us can take the six-mile Bath Skyline Walk. Go through ancient woodlands, cross valleys and meadows, and adore the city’s vistas and panoramic views. It’s free, too!
Belfast
With a Titanic history (sorry, we couldn’t resist) and a bustling city centre, Belfast is where it’s at. Visit the docks and Titanic Quarter to explore the maritime history of the area, or take a tour to view the brightly coloured murals across the city that explore the Troubles.
If you want to go on local adventures outside the city, try the UNESCO site the Giant’s Causeway, and carry on along the Causeway Coastal Route for stunning views. Feeling fit an adventurous?
Take the Clifftop Experience, a four-hour walking tour that gives you a birds-eye view of the causeway.
Hop over to Derry-Londonderry too, for a different city experience. The 400-year-old city walls give you a stunning view of the city, and there’s plenty to do with gorgeous food, fun music venues, and culture everywhere you go. The nearby Sperrins Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty offers great trails for outdoors-types.
Book your staycation with Double Stamp
Remember, the Double Stamp rewards scheme is only available if you book your staycation with Hotels.com before 24th May – so get cracking!
More reading
Want to know how to save more on your holidays? What about saving on summer day trips with the family? Check out these articles for inspiration!
- Family fun on a budget
- Cheap family entertainment tips
- How to find cheap theatre tickets
- Have the best BBQ on the cheap!
Can’t wait to go on holiday again!!!