Our mission and who runs it

Our mission is to build the UK's most trusted, checked guide to autism friendly days out, breaks and travel. We're based in the North East, so that's where we started and where our coverage is deepest. We're adding new areas one at a time, and we only list what we can check. Every listing shows where the information came from and when we last checked it.

Autism Friendly UK is an independent guide, not an accreditation scheme. We don't award "autism friendly" status; we report what each place offers so you can decide what suits you.

Why we started

Autism Friendly UK was started by Tom, a parent from the North East. Being a parent, and having family who have worked closely with autistic children, we know that every child is unique, with their own needs. Those needs are hard to search for. Is there a quiet room? When is it calmer? Can you see photos before you go? Is there a carer ticket, a relaxed session, help at the airport? Working out how much of a challenge a day out might be can take hours, and that research is a task in itself when you're already short of time.

We believe days out shouldn't feel like a challenge, and our goal is to make them as stress-free as possible. If you have the right information, you can prepare in a way that suits your child and your family. That's what this guide is for: days out, relaxed events, breaks and holidays, and travel, all checked and set out in the same way, so you can compare places quickly and know before you go. We also hope it gives you ideas and a bit of encouragement to get out there, because planning a trip can feel daunting.

How we check

Every one of the 125 places in the guide has been checked by hand against the venue's own website. Each listing shows where the details came from and the date we checked them. If something isn't confirmed, we say so rather than guess. Read how we check places.

Built with you

This is a journey, and the guide will keep changing with the people who use it in mind. That's at the heart of everything we do. Your feedback is what will make it useful for other families, so please tell us what works, what's missing and what's wrong. Use the contact form. Every message is read.

We'd especially love to hear from autistic adults, parents and carers, and anyone who works with autistic people, who would be happy to share their experience of a place or help us review the guide. Get in touch through the same form.

The guide is free to use, and free for places to be listed. Some links to holidays and travel extras may earn us a small commission at no extra cost to you. That never changes what a listing says. See privacy.