"Unlock Your Dream Getaway: Agony Aunt Reveals Top Tips for Scoring the Best Sun Holiday Deals Starting at Just £9.50!"

QUEEN of the £9.50 holiday, Tracy Kennedy knows everything there is to know about how to book the perfect Sun holiday.

Tracy leads the Facebook group “ £9.50 SUN HOLIDAYS “, which now boasts an enormous 288,000+ members.

Queen of the £9.50 hol Tracy Kennedy shares her top tips on how to book your breakCredit: Paul Tonge

Having taken trips with The Sun for 29 years, she is full of advice on how to get the best of our cheap breaks, which is why we’ve made her our new £9.50 Agony Aunt.

Here, Tracy whittles down her best pieces of advice for booking your £9.50 holiday to these 17 tips.

If you fancy asking Tracy something else about the Sun’s Hols from £9.50, she’ll be answering your questions in her new agony aunt column in Sun Club.

One top question each week will be rewarded with a £100 Amazon voucher – use the form further down to send her your question.

1. Always have a list of the kids’ school holidays to hand

Before booking your break, make sure to read up on the kids’ schedule.

You don’t want to book only to find out later that you have a clash.

2. Make a list of holiday parks you want to go to

Come up with a list of your top four parks from the list of those available.

But you should also add a few extras you wouldn’t mind going to, just in case you don’t get your top picks.

It’s always good to be flexible – you can always try a new place.

3. Have a list of your preferred dates ready

Don’t go into with no idea when you want go.

It’s best to know ahead of time which dates you can make – and, if possible alternative dates.

It can be disappointing if you can’t get the dates you want.

4. Know how far away you’re willing to travel, and if you’re taking public transport or the car.

It’s a good idea to plan ahead how you’re going to get to the .

For example, you might see a good deal in , but you’d have to take five or six trains to get there.

Then there’s also the possibility of train strikes, so you should have a back up.

I think it’s a good idea to have in mind three other routes to get there, it’s something my dad used to do.

Seal Bay ranked as the most popular resort from our 2025 £9.50 HolidaysCredit: Cove UK

5. Make sure it’s a dog-friendly booking if you’re bringing the family pet with you

There are sites that are , but you often have to look out for a green figure.

If you don’t book a dog friendly place you can risk being charged full price for a .

I see it in the group all the time.

6. When it comes to booking, clear the cookies in your browser

In the last few years, some people have experienced problems when booking.

Sometimes when getting to the page, an ‘invalid session…’ message comes up and stops you booking.

We’re not sure why this is, but it’s something to look out for and some people have said that clearing their cookies have helped.

Make sure to check if your holiday is dog-friendly before bookingCredit: Getty The Lakes Rookley is a scenic holiday option in the Isle of WightCredit: Visit Isle of Wight

7. Look up the entertainment programmes beforehand – especially if you’re taking kids

If you’re interested in going along to the entertainment, it’s worth checking the website to see what will be on.

Especially if you’re bringing , it’s a good idea to know the kind of things there will be.

Then you can plan your dates around what’s on if you want to.

8. Book popular parks before they go

Popular sites like and Unity Beach tend to go really fast.

I often see people in the group who have left it too late and missed out on booking the one they wanted.

So if you’re set on which park you want, book it as soon as possible.

9. Set an alarm to book

To be in with the best chance of getting the one you want, you should set an alarm.

I book through which opens earlier – at midnight, so I make sure to stay up.

It’s really exciting. It feels like !

I definitely recommend joining Sun Club to get first dibs.

10. Do your research before booking day

Every year, I see people online asking questions about after booking has already opened.

If you haven’t done your research first, the you want could get snapped up.

Take a look at all the ahead of time to see which ones you like, so you don’t waste time faffing around when the website opens.

11. How to plan if you’re booking a family holiday

If you’re booking a , read up on the parks to see if they have activities you like.

Seal Bay, for example, has loads of .

It’s practically – there’s even picnic benches on the beach that are part of the park.

It’s really good for . Kids definitely won’t get bored.

12. How to plan if you’re booking a couple’s break

If you’re booking as a , it can be a good idea to go out of season before the kids break up.

When the kids are , the parks are a lot quieter and more adult-oriented.

A lot of them still run games like , and there are bars to have a drink.

Some couples like a , but if you don’t mind the kids running around for a bit of a more lively atmosphere, then go during half term.

Competition is open to UK residents (excluding Northern Ireland), aged 18+ only. Competition ends at 23:59pm on Saturday, January 31 2026. See for the full Terms & Conditions.

Tracy recommends picking up an entertainment pass when you book if you’re bringing kidsCredit: Getty

13. How to plan if you’re going as a group of friends

There’s lots to do -wise if you’re going with your friends.

Most parks have that go on until midnight.

The is always really funny too – some of the comedians really push the limits.

I recommend looking up the entertainment programmes ahead of time to get an idea of what you want to see and do.

14. How to plan for an outdoors-y holiday

The is great for getting out and seeing the outdoors. There’s not one bit of the island you won’t like.

There’s so much there, it’s only about 27 miles to walk around the whole island and that site is close to so many things to do.

Nodes Point has direct access to the . You can watch the ships going out from there, it’s amazing.

In the town, there’s even markers on the ground pointing you to the beach, so you’ll never get lost. There’s a lift down to the beach, too.

is also great for the outdoors – the nearby is worth a visit, for the stunning views and fort.

There’s seven £9.50 holiday resorts to pick from in the Isle of WightCredit: Getty

15. Try a comfort upgrade if you’ve got spare cash

Sometimes you’ll get lucky and get a random .

But if you’ve got the spare cash, it can be worth booking an upgrade.

I know families of four who have booked a place with an extra room just to store the suitcases.

And if you want the extra space, it’s not a bad idea.

We got randomly once at The Lakes at Rookley.

The room was like a house. We even had our own back garden and washing line.

16. Look out for extra dates added later in the season

is the best time to book to get the holiday you want, but you should definitely keep checking to see if any extra dates get added.

I’ve seen it before where new dates have been added months later, and people rush to book them.

So it’s worth hopping back on to see, even if you’re not planning on booking.

17. Get the entertainment passes if you have kids and you’re going in term time

If you have children and you’re going in term time, I’d say definitely book the entertainment and club room passes.

These will give you access to things like and bingo.

And even if you haven’t got kids but you want to see the , you should book them anyway.

Especially if you’re going in a quiet season and want something to do.

I’ve gone to see the entertainment with friends and had a great time.