Blackpool on a budget

Free, and actually good

• The beach — seven miles of it, best at low tide.
• The Comedy Carpet — free, huge, and endlessly readable.
• North Pier — free to walk on, the best sunset in town.
• Stanley Park — boating lake, gardens and an art deco cafe, a mile inland and a world away from the Prom.
• The Illuminations — six miles of free light show, September to January.

Cheap by design

• A tram day ticket beats three single fares and doubles as a tour.
• Attraction combination tickets bought online are far cheaper than gate prices at each.
• Matinees cost less than evening performances at both main theatres.

Eat well for less

Chippy lunch, big hotel breakfast, and a supermarket picnic on the sand. The Prom benches are the best free seats in Lancashire.

Stay for less

Midweek beats weekends, and the shoulder months either side of the Illuminations are the cheapest time to be here with everything still open. Book direct with the hotel and there is no booking fee on top.