Already Planning for Your Fabulous 2014 Summer?
It’s important to enjoy yourself during the summer months, but it can be difficult when the budget it tight. Many students don’t realize that there’s a good bit of free things to do that are fun.
There are a several free festivals all across Britain, which are a short distance from many students, and there are several ways to save when traveling to those events.
Sandwich Folk & Ale
Where: Sandwich
When: 11-13 July
Most of the Pubs in Sandwich participate in the Folk & Ale Festival. All the pub shows are free to enter. There is also free music and dancing in the streets.
Upton Blues Festival
Where: Upton upon Severn
When: 18-20 July
The Upton Blues Festival is free to enter. It has 17 main stage bands performing over the 3 days. Weekend camping is available at the site for £30 per person, which is much cheaper than a hotel.
Monmouth Festival/Gŵyl Trefynwy
Where: Monmouth
When: 25 July – 2 August
The Monmouth Festival is a 9-day event that began in 1982 includes musicians from all genres. It also has several tribute bands that perform.
Piping Live!
Where: Glasgow
When: 11-18 August
Piping Live, also known as the Piping Hot Festival, is exactly what it sounds like a bagpiping festival. It’s understandable that most students wouldn’t find 8 days of bagpiping exciting, however stopping in for a day or two can be. It includes free classes, concerts, and ceilidhs (a tradition that includes folk music and dancing).
Worcester Music Festival
Where: Worcester
When: 29-31 August
There’s nothing quite like the Worcester Music Festival. It does have outsides stages but most of the performances take place in the city’s pubs, cafes, and historic buildings. In its first year, the festival provided 300 shows across the city. This is a great festival to find up in coming artists. Traveling to different cities throughout Britain can be costly, so it’s best to calculate the cheapest route. Most of the festivals are accessible by train or bus, but generally speaking most of them would be easier to access by driving. Despite on the means of transportation there are several things that should be checked on before arriving in the city of choice.
Pack Light
In most cases you will only be at the festival for a few days or even just one. This is a must especially when carpooling or camping. Bring only one bag, and try to keep it small.
Carpool
If driving, it will help save a ton. It’s commonsense, but driving with 4 people will cost ½ as much as driving with two.
Check Travel Documents
Print out copies of all the confirmation emails, with confirmation numbers. Find out more information and travel tips from Aviva here, “from your airline tickets to your hotel bookings…, put everything you need in one place.” It’s important to bring those; you never know when you might run into places with internet or computer issues.
Be Aware of the Laws
Make sure to be aware of the laws of each town or country that you’ll be in. The might only vary a little, but it can be costly if you’re unaware. For instance parking laws, it’s always important to check with someone or at an official website for parking rules. Many cities do not hesitate to clamp/boot vehicles that are parked illegally, and those fines can exceed £100. It’s important to have fun during your college years, but it’s also important to mindful of your budget. There’s plenty to do in the UK during the summer that’s cheap or considered “free”. There’s always a cost associated with those events, so just be attentive to those costs and try to minimize them.