Great UK city breaks for half term with the kids – that are cheaper and easier than London

TAKE the kids to research a metropolis for an October half-term treat. You don’t person to spell to London for a prime of fantastic attractions and experiences.

You’ll find it cheaper to enactment and wage for household amusive astatine different favourite cities crossed the UK. Trisha Harbord brings you a enactment of the champion things to spot and bash successful these walkable cities.

Edinburgh

THE cobbled Royal Mile is 1 of the UK’s astir celebrated streets. Visit the castle connected the elevation past commencement your locomotion to the Scottish Parliament.

You’ll walk St Giles’ Cathedral, Parliament Square, cashmere shops, the celebrated World’s End pub, one-time jailhouse Canongate Tolbooth and the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

FREE: The Museum of Childhood with toys and games from crossed generations. Harry Potter fans tin articulation a escaped circuit astir the municipality with stops including the inspiration down Diagon Alley and Voldemort’s grave, spot pottertrail.com.

THRILL: Re-live Edinburgh’s darkest history successful the Dungeon, with peculiar effects, scary actors and a driblet ride.

If you person a car, thrust the waves astatine the caller Lost Shore surf centre, 25 minutes from the city.

GO: Two nights’ B&B for 2 adults and 2 children astatine Arrandale Guest House is from £430. See visitscotland.com for details.

Cardiff

WALK the walls of the castle. Once a Roman fort, it’s a premix of buildings from each eras and present a Gothic extravaganza.

Visit Victorian and Edwardian buying arcades and halt disconnected astatine Spillers, the oldest grounds store successful the world.

Bute Park is the greenish bosom of the metropolis with earthy play features.

FREE: Try a walking circuit to larn the city’s 2,000-year history, fogosfreetours .com.

Visit the National Museum oregon open-air St Fagans to spot craftsmen showing accepted skills.

THRILL: The Principality Stadium is the location of Welsh rugby. If you fancy, you tin locomotion on the borderline of the 75,000-seat roof, zip ligament crossed the canopy, past abseil down.

GO: A household country astatine the Parkgate Hotel is from £173 a night. See the parkgatehotel.wales and visitwales.com.

Newcastle/Gateshead

ENJOY a circular Quayside locomotion from the tilting Gateshead Millennium Bridge, taking successful stunning views from some the Newcastle and Gateshead sides of the River Tyne.

Check retired euphony astatine Sage Gateshead and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art.

See the Norman castle and the fantastic science attraction Centre for Life.

FREE: Visit the Discovery Museum and the centre for kids’ books, Seven Stories. Stroll done Leazes Park and Victorian Saltwell Park successful Gateshead, with a lake, play areas, an carnal house, maze and cafe.

THRILL: Newcastle Climbing Centre has walls for each abilities.

GO: Family country astatine easyHotel from £55 a night. See easyhotel.com and newcastlegateshead.com.

Birmingham

THIS metropolis has much canals than Venice, truthful weave your mode done Brindleyplace with its cafes and squares.

It is adjacent to the National Sea Life Centre, with the UK’s lone 360-degree water passageway to spot the marine life.

This twelvemonth marks the 200th day of the archetypal Cadbury store successful the city, truthful bash sojourn Cadbury World with its caller Chocolate Quest ride.

FREE: Take a escaped household way astir the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery to spot Egyptian mummies, and the Staffordshire Hoard Gallery has the biggest postulation of Anglo-Saxon golden ever found.

THRILL: Try 11 escapade activities including entity diving implicit astatine The Bear Grylls Adventure astatine the NEC.

GO: Family country astatine the Ibis Styles from £94 a night. See all.accor.com and visitbirmingham.com

York

THIS historical hub boasts much attractions per quadrate mile than immoderate different UK city. Step backmost successful clip to observe the 10th period astatine the Jorvik Viking Centre.

Tour the astonishing York Minster cathedral, spot artefacts astatine Dig, a hands-on escapade based connected real-life digs.

York’s Chocolate Story has interactive exhibits, tastings and marque your ain lolly.

FREE: Stroll on York’s historical walls that person protected the metropolis for 2,000 years. Visit the National Railway Museum, afloat of iconic engines.

THRILL: Visit shade tours, flight rooms, wizard walks, a dungeon and handling eagles astatine the Bird of Prey Centre.

GO: Family country astatine Travelodge York Hull Road is from £148 a night. See travelodge.co.uk and sojourn york.org.

Manchester

HALF-TERM falls implicit Halloween and Manchester Monsters are retired successful force, with escaped events from October 25, and a spectacular procession.

See the world’s largest football postulation astatine the National Football Museum, sojourn Legoland Discovery Centre and ticker 2,000 creatures astatine Sea Life’s underwater world.

FREE: Enjoy the city’s museums, including Manchester Museum, which houses 4.5million objects from archaeology to zoology. Young gamers volition emotion the 150 consoles playing from Mario to Minecraft astatine the Science and Industry Museum.

THRILL: There’s indoor skydiving astatine iFLY arsenic good arsenic carts connected virtual tracks astatine Chaos Karts.

GO: A household country astatine the metropolis centre Premier Inn, is from £87 a night. See premier inn.com and visitmanch ester.com

Brighton

RENOWNED arsenic the finest ever, Brighton’s 1,722ft pier has attractions for everyone from fairground favourites to thrill coasters.

Tuck into food and chips, pizza oregon crystal pick portion enjoying oversea views.

A must-visit is the magnificent 18th period Brighton Pavilion, the palace of King George IV.

The Toy and Model Museum is an astonishing Aladdin’s cave of trains, boats, dolls and puppets.

FREE: See the taxidermy postulation and a slayer whale skeleton astatine the Booth Museum of Natural History.

THRILL: Glide 450ft into the aerial for 360-degree views connected British Airways i360.

GO: Family rooms astatine the beach-front Best Western Princes Marine Hotel, from £99 a night. See booking.com and sojourn brighton.com

Bristol

WITH much than 400 parks and greenish spaces, nary wonderment Bristol has European Green Capital status.

The streets are adorned with creation including the elusive Banksy, who was calved here.

Explore the world’s archetypal water liner astatine Brunel’s SS Great Britain and question done abstraction successful the 3D planetarium astatine We The Curious.

FREE: Bristol’s iconic Clifton Suspension span implicit the River Avon. Walk crossed to the visitant centre to larn astir 1 of technologist Brunel’s masterpieces.

THRILL: Wake The Tiger, an immersive high-tech acquisition wherever you locomotion done a labyrinth of 40 spaces of creation and kaleidoscope colours.

GO: Family country astatine Moxy from £123 a night. See marriott.com and visitbristol.co.uk.