At this time of year, when bank accounts are emptied thanks to the joys of Christmas, holidays are probably the last thing on many people’s minds. It does not help that the weather is usually abysmal – some people may think that they would rather be away somewhere sunny, but others simply forget what it is like to see the sun past four o’clock in the evening and accept the long wait until summer.

However, there is an alternative option. It is unlikely to involve sun, but a daycation could provide the break you and your family need to escape the daily routine for a short while. Whether it is to a theme park or a place of natural beauty, it could provide a bonding opportunity as well as the fun you need.

With apps dedicated to planning trips, you could work out whether the train, bus or car provides the quickest and cheapest option for reaching the destination, and you only need to pack the essentials for the day such as snacks and maybe a spare set of clothes if you are heading somewhere that has a tendency to become muddy. With no costs for overnight stays involved, you can enjoy the day on a limited budget with no worries.

If you enjoy going on camping holidays then you may consider buying a caravan. Hiring a caravan can work out quite a large expense if you do it a few times a year. If you have a little bit of available money then you may be able to buy one and save money on your holiday trips, only having to pay for pitch hire. Caravans range drastically in cost, from as little as £1000 upward towards the £30,000 mark and everything in between. You can often pick up a 2 berth caravan that is about 20 year sold for just over a thousand pounds. This may be perfect for you and your partner and if you also don’t mind doing a bit of refurbishments in it, you can often make it look very modern inside just by changing the cupboard doors ( or painting them) and reupholstering the seats.

If you have family members that may also want to use the caravan for their holiday trips, then you could even ask if they would like to contribute some towards the cost of buying one to allow you all to buy something that is a little bigger or newer.

Us Brits have been going to the seaside for as long as we can remember. As soon as the sun comes out when pack the towels, a picnic and the suncream and head of to the nearest seaside resort.  Resorts such as Blackpool, Bournemouth, Barmouth, Margate and Tenby are typical seaside towns that continue to draw thousands of tourists year upon year. As long as there is sand and sea, the tourists will come.

If you are looking for a family holiday for a weekend or week away then you may want to explore one of the companies that specialise in these sorts of UK holidays. Butlins and Pontins are two of the largest family holiday resorts and they are situated all over the UK. They have resorts in beach locations as well as in shore and there’s a wealth of activities for all the family. Minehead Butlins offers a wide range of activities for children and adults of all ages and has a golden sandy beach literally a stone’s throw away from the resort entrance.

You may pay a little more than a standard campsite to stay at one of these resorts but once you are there, you do not have to spend much on entertainment as it is all provided on site. With kids clubs, evening entertainment and soft play / outdoor play areas, there is something for everyone.

You can often chose the standard of your accommodation, meaning if you want a little more luxury you can pay to upgrade to a larger apartment or one with a sea view.

It may be that you want to get away somewhere with your friends but are unsure of where to go. Often groups of friends go away to celebrate a hen or stag party, baby shower or special birthdays. It can be hard knowing where to go and what to do if you are inviting a number of friends as they may all have different interests and hobbies.

You firstly need to consider what your options are. If you and your friends don’t mind getting dirty then paintballing weekends away can be great fun, but if you would rather go somewhere you can relax then a spa weekend could be just for you. Often groups of friends will go to another city for a few days, this can allow you to spend some of the time doing one activity and then move on to something else. It can also mean that the group could split up and do different things if they wanted to.

Trips away can be expensive and some may struggle to be able to pay for a holiday with little notice, for this reason it is advisable to book a holiday or at least plan it well in advance to allow everyone the time they need.

Holidays are great for relaxing and rejuvenating so why not go the whole hog and book in for a spa break away. Many discount deal websites offer money off spa packages all over the UK and occasionally abroad too.

With so much choice it can be hard to make a decision but there are some key things to look out for.

Many spas will offer a ‘spa day’ that only includes use of the facilities, these can be quite costly for what you get and its worth remembering that the price could go up very dramatically if you then want to book in to have some spa treatments done. Sometimes it’s cheaper to just book a treatment at the spa as most places will let any customers use all the facilities after your treatment anyway, it’s not a given but defiantly worth checking out.

As with any holiday it’s always worth checking the reviews of the accommodation and of the spa to ensure that you know what you will be getting included in your offer.

Before you attend your trip it may be worth giving the spa a call to check the timings for things such as your treatments and ask questions such as what you’ll need to bring with you on the day. This way you can relax and enjoy your stress-free spa break.