Go do your thing for less with Northern
A great day out doesn't have to cost you an arm and a leg! Northern has also teamed up with a whole host of great attractions across the North to offer you discounted tickets – ranging from the SEA LIFE in Manchester, Madame Tussauds in Blackpool and Beatles Walking Tour in Liverpool, through to the York Dungeon and even True Crime Tours in Newcastle – perfect for cheap days out in the North of England!
And, to help you go do your thing for less, we’ve done the hard work for you, pulling together our recommendations for some of the best places across the north for you to visit for free or for a cheap day out. Check out our guides below.
But don’t forget to plan ahead – you can save up to 60% by booking advance purchase train tickets with Northern - which are available up to 12 weeks before travelling, with last minute bargains available up to 15 minutes before travel!
Visit National Rail to find out the list of dates currently available for booking our Advance tickets.
Train tickets are cheaper than you think!
Train tickets are more affordable than many realise. A recent survey revealed that 80% of people overestimated the cost of a train ticket. For example, respondents guessed that an off-peak return ticket from Bradford to Manchester would be £25, when in fact, it's only £12.60*.
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Find out more*Research based on a survey of over 480 respondents, undertaken in April 2025 within the Northern Trains catchment area.
In this research, we asked respondents how they perceive the value and appropriateness of ticket prices for different journey scenarios, and asked them to estimate the cost of a two-way journey across a variety of scenarios. The prices stated were based on those available in February 2025. Where questions related to purchasing in advance, typical prices available when booking 1 week in advance were assumed.
Detail of respondents per pricing scenario provided in the table below.
| Scenario | Journey | Actual Price (As of Feb 2025) | Median price estimated | % value respondents overestimated price | Respondents (Sample Size) | Respondents who estimated price above actual | % of respondents who estimated price above actual |
| Leisure, 60min, off-peak, return, 1 wk advance | Bradford - Manchester | £12.60 | £25 | 98% | 874 | 702 | 80% |
| Family (2x adults, 2x children), off-peak, return, 1 wk advance | Bradford - Manchester | £37.80 | £50 | 32% | 489 | 325 | 66% |
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Streamline your journey and get tickets straight to your phone. Making your journey contact-free.