‘Cheap meals and dangerously affordable cocktails’: readers’ budget holiday tips

Eco camping in Suffolk

In July we took our trusty supermarket-bargain tent to Ling’s Meadow, a small eco-campsite near the Norfolk-Suffolk border, for a short but fabulous break. Each spacious pitch has its own picnic bench and fire pit. Eco-conscious facilities include composting toilets and solar-powered lighting and shower. Waking up to the call of a yellowhammer and turning in to the screech of a barn owl was my idea of bliss. It’s a great base for exploring, including Knettishall Heath, the Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s largest reserve, just five miles away. We plan to return to Ling’s Meadow next summer.
Pitch for two £28, lingsmeadow.co.uk
Sharon Pinner

Cycle-camping across Scottish lochs

Where is the furthest you can cycle? After a short train ride to Loch Lomond, I cycle-camped 100 miles across three lochs (Venachar, Earn and then Tay) in Scotland ending up in picturesque Pitlochry. Though I had issues with my bike, I paid nothing as bike repair stations were dotted along the route. Wild camping is legal across Scotland, so we paid nothing for that either. The biggest expense became some celebratory drinks in Pitlochry’s Old Mill Inn followed by the train journey home. A word of warning: try to reserve a place for your bike on trains in northern Scotland. The cheapest holidays involve not paying for hotels, but the freest involve no car travel!
Tim Moss

Polish classic – Wrocław

A long weekend in Wrocław has been my cheeriest holiday to date – how could exploring a city full of tiny gnomes not be? We had to squeeze three days’ worth of clothes into a small bag, and our room rattled with the morning trams, but no matter! Street art, beautiful architecture and green spaces made wandering the city a (free) joy. Excellent, cheap food was easy to find, from freshly baked pastries to Polish classics. A trip to the flea market sorted souvenirs, and we finished our evenings with (dangerously) affordable cocktails and local beer.
Siobhan Maher

Leisurely pedalling, Cotswolds

A cheap and cheerful Cotswolds holiday by bicycle was brilliant for my family last summer, especially as the weather was so dry and warm. The distances between villages are just enough for a leisurely pedal, and the youth hostels are a great option at about £25 a night for a dorm bed or a simple family room. No need to check news about petrol costs,…