October half-term can bring a whole mix of logistics and planning — and it doesn't always come cheap. But there are plenty of spots offering great discounts and free meals families can enjoy without spending a fortune. Just remember to check booking requirements and participating locations before you go. Here's Metro's round-up of the best half-term family deals you need to know about.
Dining deals for families
Pizza Express's Kids Eat Free deal lets children aged 12 and under enjoy a free three-course Piccolo meal, which includes dough balls, a kids-sized pizza or pasta, a dessert, and a Bambinoccino, whenever an adult purchases any full-priced main course. This offer is strictly for dine-in only and can vary between locations.
From October 10 to 16 in Scotland, and October 24 to 30 across England and Ireland, families can take advantage of the Kids Eat Free promotion at Subway. Under the offer, you can receive one free Little Subs Kids Pack with the purchase of any Footlong Sub at participating restaurants nationwide. Each pack includes a 4-inch mini-Sub, a snack and drink.
Families dining at Bella Italia can take advantage of the Kids Eat Free promotion across the UK, running from October 10 to 25 in Scotland and from October 17 to November 1 for the rest of the country. Under the offer, you will receive one free kids' meal with the purchase of every adult main meal. The promotion excludes Center Parcs sites as well as a number of specific locations, so check online before visiting.
More restaurants join the offers
At Frankie & Benny's, the Kids Eat Free offer is available all day, every day during the half-term dates, from October 10 to 25 in Scotland and from October 17 to November 1 across the rest of the UK. Families receive one complimentary children's meal alongside each purchased adult main meal. All airport locations are excluded from participating.
Banana Tree is joining the half-term lineup across the UK from October 17 to November 1, offering one free kids' meal from their children's menu per full-priced adult main purchased. This deal is valid for tables of up to six guests per visitor. Customers should note that the promotion is not valid at the Banana Tree O2 location on event days.
Las Iguanas is running its Kids Eat Free promotion for children under 12, available from October 10 to 25 in Scotland and from October 17 to November 1 across the rest of the UK. To redeem the offer, you must purchase one adult main per child and use the Las Iguanas app.
More dining and supermarket offers
Zizzi's is offering a kids' eat free promotion available for Zillionaires' Club members from October 18 to November 1 across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, running Sunday to Friday. The offer provides one free three-course Bambini meal for every full-price adult main purchased, up to a maximum of six free kids' meals per table. To redeem the deal, you must present a valid app code to your waiter upon payment. The offer can be used once every 24 hours, on multiple visits during the validity dates.
When dining in at Turtle Bay, you can get one free kids' meal, including a main and a small soft drink, for children under 10 with every adult spending £15 or more on food or drinks. Simply show the app code to staff when asking for the bill.
At Morrisons Café until Sunday, November 1, you can claim a completely free bowl of Kellogg's Cornflakes or Rice Krispies (with a choice of dairy or non-dairy milk) and a piece of fruit. Simply ask for a 'Kellogg's breakfast' at the till.
If you're staying at or visiting a Travelodge for a half-term getaway, you can take advantage of an ongoing deal where up to two children aged under 15 can get breakfast for just £1 each when accompanied by an adult purchasing an Unlimited Cooked Breakfast (starting from £9.99). No code is required as the discount is automatically applied to the bill during breakfast hours every day of the week for both hotel guests and walk-ins (though the offer excludes 'Breakfast To Go' boxes).
Customers dining at The Real Greek on Sundays can get a free meal for children under 12, including a main like a souvlaki wrap or meze, drink, and dessert. Every adult must spend £15 or more across any menu items to qualify, and it can only be used for dining in. The promotion is automatically applied to the bill, so no need to faff with a discount code.
Free activities and museum visits
Families looking to keep kids active can take advantage of free football sessions for children aged five to 11 through McDonald's Fun Football until October 25. This offers one-hour coaching from FA-qualified coaches across more than 400 locations with no purchase or spend required. However, you will need to register to participate. But don't worry if you miss out, as it will relaunch for winter on November 12.
Family savings club, Kids Pass offers discounts and deals such as Kids Go Free, across a wide variety of activities and categories throughout the UK, including Bristol Aquarium, Deep Sea World, Hastings Aquarium, The Beatles Story, Ark Wildlife Park, City Cruises, and Liverpool FC Stadium Tour. Currently, they are offering a £1 trial for 30 days. This introductory offer gives families immediate access to exclusive member perks.
Families in London have fantastic options for a free day out. General admission to the permanent galleries at the Natural History Museum and the Science Museum is entirely free, though visitors are encouraged to pre-book a timed entry slot online, with extra charges applying only to special temporary exhibitions or add-ons like the IMAX and Wonderlab.
Over in South Kensington, permanent access to the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) is completely free with no booking required, though major temporary exhibitions carry a fee, while its sibling site, the Young V&A, offers free general admission without any booking needed. Additionally, entry to the London Museum Docklands is completely free, open to all, and requires no booking.
In Manchester, visitors can enjoy culture and history without spending a penny. The Manchester Art Gallery is completely free to enter for its general gallery spaces with no booking required. Similarly, all general galleries and collections at the Manchester Museum are free to explore, with only temporary exhibitions requiring a pre-booked ticket.
Liverpool also boasts world-class museums that won't cost families anything for general entry. As part of National Museums Liverpool, the Museum of Liverpool offers free general admission with no booking necessary. Likewise, the World Museum provides completely free entry to all of its permanent galleries.
