Budget-Friendly Staycations for Couples

A budget-friendly staycation for two doesn't have to mean compromising on scenery or character — it usually just means choosing somewhere slightly off the well-trodden path, travelling outside peak weeks, and picking self-catering over half-board. The towns below tend to have lower accommodation costs than their more famous neighbours, walkable centres that don't require a hire car, and plenty to fill a couple of days without needing to spend much at all.

Smaller seaside towns that don't charge resort prices

Whitstable on the north Kent coast is well known for its oyster beds and working harbour, but it's easy to enjoy on a tight budget: the shingle beach, the Old Neptune pub on the sand, and the beach huts along Tankerton slopes cost nothing to look at, and the town is compact enough to explore entirely on foot. Staying a night or two midweek, rather than at a summer weekend, tends to bring accommodation rates down noticeably.

Ilfracombe in North Devon has a dramatic harbour setting, a tidal swimming pool cut into the rocks at Tunnels Beaches, and coastal walking on the South West Coast Path that costs nothing beyond a pair of decent shoes. It's cheaper on the whole than resorts further along the Devon coast, and self-catering cottages here are plentiful for couples wanting to cook their own meals rather than eat out every night.

Aberystwyth on the Cardigan Bay coast combines a long Victorian promenade, a ruined castle on the headland, and a cliff railway up Constitution Hill, all easily covered in an afternoon's walk. As a university town outside term time it has a good spread of affordable places to stay, and being on the west Wales coast rather than the more visited south, prices generally stay reasonable even in summer.

Saundersfoot, a short way along the Pembrokeshire coast, has a sandy beach and harbour that's popular with families in the school holidays but noticeably quieter — and better value — in spring or early autumn. Couples who travel outside the main season can expect a wider choice of self-catering cottages and a beach that's easy to have largely to yourselves.

Inland options for a quieter, cheaper break

Bakewell in the Peak District makes a good low-cost base for walking couples: the town itself is small, the River Wye runs through the middle of it, and the surrounding dales and gritstone edges are free to explore once you've arrived. Accommodation here is generally cheaper than in more heavily marketed Peak District villages, and the Monday market keeps the town affordable for food shopping too.

Rye in East Sussex rewards a couple willing to wander rather than spend: cobbled Mermaid Street, the Ypres Tower, and the walk out to Camber Sands are all free, and the town's small scale means you can see most of it in a day without needing transport. Visiting midweek or outside the summer holidays tends to bring both accommodation and parking costs down.

Making it work on a budget

• Travel outside school holidays and weekends where possible — the same cottage or B&B room is usually cheaper midweek.
• Choose self-catering over half-board so you can shop at local markets and cook rather than eat out for every meal.
• Favour towns with a walkable centre and free coastal or countryside access, so a day out doesn't depend on paid attractions.
• Book well ahead for the shoulder seasons (spring and early autumn) when smaller seaside towns often have their best rates alongside decent weather.

None of the destinations above depend on spending heavily to enjoy them — a walk along a harbour wall, a wander through a market town, or an afternoon on a quiet beach costs nothing, and picking somewhere smaller and less heavily marketed is usually the simplest way to keep a couple's staycation affordable.