Max Cards and tickets
Essex Short Breaks offer days out at national attractions through a Max card and to local attractions through our Tickets.
Max Cards
The Max Card is the UK’s leading discount card for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. Families can use their Max Card at venues across the UK to get free or discounted admission to over 1.100 attractions.
Every child or young person registered with Essex Short Breaks is able to access a Max Card through their Short Breaks account and the card can be used until the young person is 25 years old.
The card is the property of the registered child or young person. To use the discount, the child must be present.
You will need your cards at the venue to use the discount. Venues have the right to ask for your proof of identity when you use the card.
Tickets
You can enjoy free days out at some of the most popular attractions in Essex with our short break tickets.
A short breaks ticket admits one child or young person with a disability (0–25-year-olds), plus an accompanying adult free of charge to one of the attractions below. Extra family members not covered by the tickets will have to buy regular tickets from the attraction.
You can use tickets anytime during the year except some special events be sure to check the information on the letter/email you get with your ticket.
Tickets for Colchester Zoological Society will be posted with a letter that you’ll need to take with you. The letter confirms all the details you will need to know ahead of your visit.
Tickets for Barleylands Farm Park, Wyvernwood and Hertfordshire Zoo will be sent by email. The email will contain all the details you need to get your ticket.
Hertfordshire Zoo have introduced a £1 booking fee that families must pay when they claim their short breaks ticket. This is to cover their website improvement, their website maintenance fee and their merchant bank fee.
You have to be registered with short breaks to apply for tickets, and will be able to apply for tickets through your Short Breaks Digital Account.
Remember to check the attraction’s website for details on accessibility and any special events.
Each child/young person can receive one ticket per year, subject to availability.