Birmingham has been unveiled as the best value UK city break by train right now.
New research by travel fare aggregator website Skyscanner revealed the West Midlands city was the cheapest staycation at the moment.
The global travel marketplace looked at train fares, hotel prices and dining costs.
Birmingham is the second most popular city in the UK after London. Activities to do include visiting the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, a trip to Cadbury World and admiring the city’s network of canals, now lined with bars and cafes.
Travelling by train to Birmingham means you can benefit from two for one entry to attractions.
These include Birmingham Botanical Gardens and National SEALIFE Centre Birmingham.
The second cheapest UK city break destination was revealed to be Liverpool.
The city in northwest England was voted European Capital of Culture in 2008.
Liverpool’s two for one offers include Liverpool Cathedral, Liverpool Football Club Stadium Tour and Museum and Sightseeing Liverpool Hop-Off Open Top Tour Bus.
In third place for the UK’s cheapest city break was Glasgow in Scotland.
In fourth and fifth position were Manchester and Oxford respectively, according to the research.
Lisa Tyndall, Skyscanner Senior Growth Manager said: “Travelling by train is not only exciting for children but it can also offer great value for parents.
“With half term nearly upon us, we decided to dive into our data to uncover which city offered the best value when travelling by train.
“Parents on the lookout for ways to entertain their children may find a train trip a great way to keep the kids amused and the costs down.
“Children aged five and under can go free on all trains in the UK, provided they’re with a fare-paying passenger, and children aged 5-15 can benefit from great savings, for example, a child fare on a return from Brighton to London is only £24.
“It is also worth parents checking out railcards to secure even more money off.
“Plus travelling by train also opens parents up to some great 2 for 1 attractions at their destinations.”
Sky scanner also has numerous tip to help you save money when travelling by train.
If you take off-peak trains more than a couple of times a year, a railcard could save you a third off ticket prices. There are several different types of railcards to choose from so look into which is best for you.
Skyscanner adds: “You might not realise it, but sometimes it’s cheaper to buy two single tickets than a return. Do a train search on the Skyscanner app and it’ll show you where this applies.
“Bear in mind that single fares tend to apply only on a specific date and time, so an open-return ticket might work better if you want a bit of flexibility on your return journey.”
Train tickets for Christmas and New Year should be booked now to get the cheapest fares, Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis, 46, revealed on ITV’s show Good Morning Britain last week.
Skyscanner’s Best Value UK City Break by Train
1. Birmingham
2. Liverpool
3. Glasgow
4. Manchester
5. Oxford
