Holiday parks can be expensive, especially during school breaks, but The Sun Holidays deals make it a lot more affordable. The Sun Holidays 2024 promise 180 destinations across the UK and Europe for a cheap and cheerful way to enjoy some time off.
Start collecting Sun Holiday codes from 6th July to 25th July and you’ll be able to apply to stay at multiple destinations across the UK and Europe for low prices. While advertised as ‘£9.50 holidays’, in reality, prices start from £38, which is still an incredible deal.
To get the best deals at top destinations, speed and flexibility are key. Our guide will delve into all the tips and tricks to help you secure the park holiday you want without breaking the bank. We even feature staff testimonials (good and bad!) from those who have tried it out over the years.
What are The Sun Holidays?
The Sun Holidays have been around for about 30 years, offering readers an easy way to get discount trips.
Sun Holiday competitions run several times a year, and July offers are often popular for securing cheap school holiday bookings.
By buying copies of The Sun newspaper, you’ll be able to find code words hidden within the paper. These code words are tokens that you need to apply for an exclusive rate at holiday parks in the UK and Europe.
Sun Holiday codes for July 2024 are available to collect from Saturday 6th July to Thursday 25th July. Bookings are for either three nights Friday to Monday or four nights Monday to Friday at various times of the year.
There are 180 destinations in this July’s offer, some of the top destinations in the UK include:
St Ives Bay, Cornwall
Torquay, Devon
Sandford, Dorset
Nodes Point, Isle of Wight
Romney Sands, Kent
Broadland Sands, Suffolk
Withernsea Sands, Yorkshire
Moreton Farm, Wales
Hunters Quay, Scotland
There are also locations in other European countries including:
Chateau de Galaure, France
Kalliste, Corsica
Almafra, Spain
Cisano San Vito, Italy
Marvilla Parks Friese Meren, Netherlands
Kinzigtal, Germany
Bella Austria, Austria
Laterna, Croatia
How to apply for Sun Holidays
First, you’ll need to buy five copies of The Sun between 6th July and 25th July when the codes are live. At £1 each, this adds a total of £5 to the overall cost of the holiday.
Alternatively, subscribe to The Sun Digital Newspaper for £6.99 a month and you'll get automatic access to Sun Holidays.
Sometimes you can find the code words in online forums if you want to avoid paying for the newspapers. It’s not a guarantee, but we found many examples of people using this successfully!
Once you’ve got all five code words, you’ll need to have your four favourite parks and four favourite dates ready to apply. Ideally, you should have these preferences ready to go – speed is key.
An example of a Sun Holidays code word (not current)
You can apply in one of two ways:
Online
Via post
The dates for booking the July Sun Holidays are for three-night weekend breaks and four-night weekday breaks. Peak season prices run higher, so if school holidays aren’t an issue, aim for term-time dates if possible.
Check out the dates for booking and their price brands:
Applying online means you’ll see which dates or parks are unavailable so you can adjust until you’ve got dates you like that you can choose. Another advantage is that once you’ve applied, you’ll be instantly approved or denied.
Applying by post adds the cost of a stamp and removes many of these benefits, although one of your preferences will usually be allocated to you. It may take up to three weeks to hear if your application is unsuccessful.
TopCashback member Alison is an ardent fan of Sun Holidays, and loves the ease of applying online:
“Back in the day, I had to cut the passwords out of the paper and send them by post, hoping to get one of the places requested. But these days doing everything online is so much better. You can check out the parks, their facilities and what’s on offer. You also get instant confirmation.”
Whichever way you apply, you’ll need to cover the cost of £9.50 per person for a minimum of four people (even if there aren’t four of you). You can add extras in your application like a Comfort Plus size upgrade or bringing a dog for a fee.
If you win your chosen destination and date and it’s more expensive, you’ll need to pay the difference once you’ve received confirmation.
Is it really £9.50? Extras to consider
Although touted as ‘Sun £9.50 Holidays’, this is something of a misnomer. The £9.50 is the price per person, and each booking requires paying for a minimum of four people, even if you’re only booking for two people.
Here are some other extra costs that can apply to your booking:
You have to buy five copies of The Sun to collect the codes (£5 total)
Postage costs if applying by post (£1.35 for 1st class, 85p for 2nd class)
£3 online booking fee per application
Prices start at £9.50, but many parks will cost more depending on location and time
Travel to and from the accommodation – especially if you’re going overseas
Food: if you want half board, this is additional
Many parks charge for linens and cleaning costs
If you’re travelling with children, you might want to buy an entertainment pass
If you’re travelling with dogs, you’ll have to add this when you apply
Ways to save money
Despite the ‘holidays for £9.50’ slogan being quite a bit unrealistic, there are still plenty of ways to get the best deal from this offer. Staff member Andrew said it’s the cheapest holiday he’s ever been on…
“We went to Hendra Holiday Park in Newquay from 29th April to 3rd May 2024 using Sun tokens my friend found in a forum.
The booking process was easy through the Sun Holidays website and we were able to upgrade our caravan by calling the park directly. I paid £250 total for 4 nights in a premium caravan for three people.
We had a very slight hiccup checking in as their systems went down but it only delayed us by about half an hour. The rest of the holiday site was great with good facilities and was very well kept and clean.
The caravan itself was lovely as it was newly refurbished. We didn't spend much time on site during the day as we went out on day trips around Cornwall. But there are plenty of things to do on site; a great indoor waterpark, arcade, minigolf and club house with evening entertainment, so it's ideal for families with children.
Overall, we had an amazing time and is probably the best value holiday I've ever been on given how little we had to spend on accommodation through Sun Holidays!"
Here are the best ways to make the most of The Sun Holidays.
Go off-peak for cheaper prices – this won’t be as feasible if you have school-aged children with you, so childfree travellers should take advantage of quiet term time bookings
Extras can add up, so consider skipping an entertainment pass, especially if you choose a location with plenty of natural surroundings that you can explore instead
Factor in travel costs – petrol and train prices can increase your total spend, so to get the best deal, stay within a reasonable distance from home, or do your research on travel costs first
Choose self-catering and save on half-board costs. If you’re travelling by car, you could bring a few days’ worth of food with you from your nearest budget supermarket
Are they worth it?
With everything considered, the big question is: are Sun Holidays worth it? We asked around a few of our staff members who have experience to give you an idea of what to expect.
TopCashback member Alison has been collecting Sun Holiday codes for years:
“I have been doing these holidays for many years now. Booking a Sun 950 holiday is so simple and easy. Once you've collected the passwords you can do everything online.
The dates over school half terms and the school summer holidays are more expensive but as we don't need to stick to those I've had some great long weekends in the UK.
My personal favourite was Brean Sands near Weston Super Mare. Lovely caravan, great entertainment and right by the beach.”
Rachael from TopCashback has had ups and downs with Sun Holidays, let’s start with the good points:
“My husband and I booked a number of Sun Holidays using the vouchers and enjoyed nice stays in Torquay, Weymouth, and Poole. I can remember a great holiday in Poole which we booked out of season. We had a lovely caravan that felt almost as if it was in the forest, with squirrels visiting us on the decking – my daughter loved watching them.”
…then the cons:
“On at least one occasion, we were allocated some grotty accommodation, the worst was on the Isle of Wight in 2018. The accommodation looked like a 1960s toilet block and was mouldy, smelt of soggy doggy, had stains on the furniture and carpet, had food and rubbish on the counters, and a dirty bathroom floor.
On speaking to reception they informed us they would send someone in to clean the property – we returned a couple of hours later to find nothing had changed but a bottle of cleaning spray had been left for us.
We had to spend one night in the property before moving for an additional fee to a clean caravan. We all slept in one bedroom and every time we got up in the night we had to put shoes on – the floor was disgusting.
We were compensated for the additional moving expense, but I think sometimes these holidays are to fill up old accommodation and out-of-season breaks to keep the sites running.”
Her overall thoughts:
“Out of five Sun Holidays, only the Isle of Wight was the one that conjures up the worst memories for accommodation.”
Summing up the Sun Holidays experience
The Sun Holiday codes 2024 go live from Saturday 6th July, so if you’re considering taking part, we hope this guide has been useful. Here’s a summary of the main points so you can get the best deal on a cheap park holiday.
Pro: much cheaper than paying full price, even in school holidays
Con: you might not get your top preferences as popular destinations go quickly
Pro: great for a staycation within the UK
Con: there are hidden costs that mean it’s not £9.50
Pro: if you’re quick, you can get really popular destinations
Con: it’s trickier and more expensive if you can only go during school holidays
Pro: there are parks in Europe if you want to go overseas
Con: there’s no guarantee of the quality of caravan you’ll get
Pro: applying online is quick and easy
Con: it’s non-refundable if you change your mind after applying
Have you ever booked a Sun Holiday? What was your experience and would you go again? Let us know in the comments.