I took my family-of-four on an overnight city break in February half term for under £50 – here’s how to do it too

FEBRUARY half term is upon us – and I’ve managed to find an overnight city break with my family for under £50.

This time last year I took my boys to Chester for a night for only £30.

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We stayed in a room at the YHA and used the park and ride bus to get around.

But if you think that visiting a youth hostel is all about scrubbing down run-down buildings and doing the dishes at the same time, think again.

Trafford Hall YHA, just outside Chester, is a beautiful Grade II listed Georgian mansion surrounded by a blanket of snowdrops at this time of year.

Only in 2021, after years as a training and conference center, did it become a youth hostel.

The main house, which still features a ballroom, has been adapted to accommodate the hostel’s common areas such as a self-catering kitchen and dining room.

The terraced eco-friendly chalets, set around a walled garden, provide accommodation for visitors, with covered walkways between each room.

The chalets are fairly basic and you must bring your own towels, but bed linen is included.

An ensuite room for a family of five, including a double bed and bunk beds, costs £46.55 per night in February, while a family of four in bunk beds would pay £37.05.

Hostels are great for budget getaways, as they have a kitchen to cook and store your own food, a restaurant that serves cheap but filling meals (and wine for weary mums!), and often a playroom with Foosball, billiards and board games to keep kids entertained.

They have a relaxed vibe and you can meet lots of interesting people or just relax in your own space if you prefer.

Long gone are the days when you had to bring your own linens and meddle with chores.

It’s worth a look if you fancy getting away on a tight budget.

If you’re traveling with children, you’ll receive a five percent discount by booking directly on the YHA website, while you’ll save 10 percent per booking by purchasing an annual membership.

Children under 10 can enjoy a free kid’s meal in some hostels when you buy unlimited breakfast or main meal for £6 or more.

Trafford Hall is in the countryside five miles outside of Chester, so we headed to the Park and Ride at Chester Zoo, a 10-minute drive away, to get into the city.

Day tickets for the park and ride bus cost £2 and up to three children under 16 can travel free with an adult. The ride is free on Wednesdays from 2:00 p.m.

The city center has plenty to see and do to keep both adults and children entertained.

There are tons of Roman ruins to explore for free and we had a great time while spending next to nothing.

We also visited the excellent Grosvenor Museum which has exhibitions on different eras of the city.

Our favorite was the room full of Roman tombstones that were reused to build the walls around the city.

This semester, the museum is hosting an exhibition about the city’s famous 700-year-old covered walkways, known as Rows.

Visitors can pick up a family trail sheet at the museum reception to explore the Rows.

We also enjoyed a visit to Sick to Death, a gruesome museum dedicated to sickness and disease through the ages, housed in an atmospheric converted church.

Billed as the bloody history of medicine through time, this location will appeal to any Horrible Histories fan like my boys and was suitably stomach-wrenching at points.

Tickets cost £6 for adults and £3.50 for children aged 5-15.

So if you’re heading towards halftime and feel like taking a break without taking the break

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