National Trust advice please?

[Newbie1!]

Hello all, just wondered whether anyone had National Trust membership, how much it cost, whether you used it and if it was worthwhile?

I read someone on the NT website that the membership covered two adults and two children - can you vary this at all? As it would be little old me with possibly 4 children?

Thanks muchly xxx

[Penny1959]

If just you and mindees - would a one adult, 2 children be ok for you? Under fives are free.

I have a two adult and 2 children family membership - I take under fives to places on my own (all 4 of them) When with DH and older granchildren we just pay for the extra over 5 (3 of them over five and 3 under 5)


Same applies for English Hertitage.


Penny

[Mummits]

I don't know if you can swap an adult membership for an extra child, but I don't think they generally charge for under 5's anyway, so I think you will be okay if no more than two of your children are 5+.

[Mummits]

Yes, what Penny said!

[loocyloo]

i have english heritage and as a single adult member i can take 6 children in free with me !!!! we go all over the place!

[Newbie1!]

Oo i like the look of the English Heritage one but just not loads of them too near to us. The one thing thats throwing me about National Trust - and I use my local one as an example, at Chatsworth House you can use the under 5s free entry thing, however, if you want to go to the park or farm then children are classed as under 3's so in effect I would sort of be paying for something that I cant utilise as most of mine are between 3 and 5...does that make any sense!!

I could easily get away with one adult and two children membership as I only have one schoolie that I have in the hols so all others would be under 5, but no point paying for that if most of them then say that children are classed as under 3....Arrggghhh....Im confusing myself now!!

[jayjay1963]

I'm very lucky, my DH works for the National Trust so we get free membership through his card and I have my own for use with the mindees

[samb]

I have been looking at doing this too and I emailed them to ask if I could get an education pass as a childminder. The answer was yes - look on the website and look up educational groups for under 50. I was told that would be the best/cheapest option for me. Still deciding...

[tulip0803]

I joined both National Trust and English Heritage when my oldest child was a baby. I use them for both my family and for childminding children. They often have special events in the holidays for children such as treasure hunts and craft activities

[lfishwick]

We have had national trust membership for years and we have 4 children.
I went to a property a few weeks ago with my own daughter and 4 mindees - no problem at all.

I am English Heritage member

[Bluebell]

The educational pass sounds a great bargain as it is cheaper than the adult one - even with the discount you get on your first years membership!

we don't have anywhere suitable for little ones visit anywhere near us but we do have great beaches and areas owned by the national trust so what I normally do is sign one of my 2 children up for the membership as the free parking applies for any person in the car to have a membership. Usually they don't even check so long as they can see the annual sticker in my window and many are voluntary contributions for parking. I would never pay full rate membership just for parking but I save a lot of money and my day to the beach is free rather than the extortionate parking fee!

If you are a group/area of childminders then could you not share the cost of the pass and either use it on trips together or separately? It is up to 50 'pupils' after all.

[Monkey26]

I have been looking at doing this too and I emailed them to ask if I could get an education pass as a childminder. The answer was yes - look on the website and look up educational groups for under 50. I was told that would be the best/cheapest option for me. Still deciding...

I'm interested in the education pass but is it term time only?!

[Christi]

I'm interested in the education pass but is it term time only?!

Reading what is says, I'd say yes only term time.

Interesting what someone else said about child membership and parking. If that works, I think I might be doing that!

[sillysausage]

Here's the link for educational prices and details. It looks good but it's a shame you can't use it in the school hols.

[Bluebell]

I though it was just the home educating families that were restricted to the term time only so that it is not being abused as a family outing pass in the holidays?
Still seems like a good deal as many houses would put on events for educational trips - dressing up in period outfits or school room activities that they wouldn't necessarily do in the holidays. Whether they would be suitable for the under 5's is another matter!