Introducing the Family

Hi!  We’re the Williamsons from East Belfast – mum Grace, dad Neil and boys Mark (12) and Daniel (14). With money tight for everyone at the moment, we’re here to show your family how to have a terrific summer holiday – without breaking the bank and without leaving Northern Ireland!

Instead of taking our traditional holiday abroad, we’ve been challenged by Translink and the Belfast Telegraph to take a ‘staycation’, putting holidaying at home to the test.  Each week during the school holidays, we’ll use public transport to take the family on ‘days out’ across NI to explore what’s on offer on our doorstep.

We’ll report back on our experiences every week in the Belfast Telegraph’s ‘Weekend’ magazine, rating our trips on important ‘family friendly factors’ such as fun and value for money – so you can decide to try them out with your family. 

We’ve planned a total of nines trips and using the Translink and NITB websites (www.translink.co.uk and www.discovernorthernireland.com) gathered information on; the best places to visit, train and bus schedules, and where to get the services - it really couldn’t have been easier!  With two young boys to entertain, the emphasis is on variety, visiting new places and trying different activities. We’re aiming to learn more about NI because, at the moment, like many families, we probably know more about Majorca than the Mournes! 

Saving money is crucial, so we’ll be travelling everywhere by bus and train, using Translink’s Family Day Ticket to travel throughout NI on an unlimited basis for just £18.50. The ticket is valid for 2 adults and up to 4 children so we’ll use it to bring the boys’ friends along on some of the trips, which should keep them very happy!  It’s part of Translink’s Super Summer Savers package, which offers a whole range of value fares and connected destination discounts.  It’s illustrated in a really useful map of NI, which is great for planning – you can get this at any bus or train station or online at www.translink.co.uk.

A terrific bonus of using public transport is that we can get the grandparents involved.  With their Senior SmartPass, they are entitled to travel completely free and with a Translink Senior Moments ‘Discount Directory’, they also get deals on drinks/dining at venues across NI. 
Ultimately, we’re all hoping to have one of the best summers ever, stretching our holiday budget – and holiday fun – to get the most out of the whole summer, instead of relying our usual week abroad...