Holidaymakers on day trips
For walks, beaches, attractions and journeys, a bottle you can carry gives you access to water away from your accommodation. Think about how long you will be out and where you can refill.
Who is choosing the water?
Families packing drinks for children
Plain water keeps the ingredient choice straightforward. Pack bottles that children can take on outings and make sure drinks remain accessible through the day.
People who prefer flavoured drinks
A flavoured water drink may suit your taste, but its sugar wording does not tell you everything in it. Compare the exact pack’s ingredients if sweeteners, acids or flavourings affect your choice.
What should you check before buying?
Start with the sugar requirement, then decide whether you want fizz or flavour and which bottle size suits your plans.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar wording | Check for a no-added-sugar claim or inspect the ingredients for added sweetening ingredients. Read the sugars figure per 100ml on the exact pack; a sugar-free claim alone does not answer whether sugar was added. | I want a drink that meets my no-added-sugar requirement, not one chosen solely because its front label says sugar free. |
| Flavour and fizz | Distinguish plain still water, plain sparkling water and flavoured water drinks. For a flavoured drink, read the ingredients for sweeteners, acids and flavourings. | Plain water suits me if I want a short ingredient list; otherwise, I can choose fizz or a flavour after checking the particular drink. |
| Pack size | Compare bottle volume and pack count. Consider whether individual bottles can go with you or whether larger bottles will stay at your accommodation. | For a day out, I need a bottle I can carry. At a holiday base, a larger format may be more practical for refilling. |
| Access to drinks | Plan when you can carry, buy or refill water during a long outing, particularly in hot conditions. The NHS advises drinking enough during the day for urine to be a clear pale yellow. | On a long or hot day, I do not want my only drinks left back at the accommodation. |
What is easy to overlook?
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Treating sugar free and no added sugar as the same claim
They answer different questions. The no-added-sugars claim condition published on legislation.gov.uk concerns added mono- or disaccharides and other foods used for sweetening; a sugars figure alone does not show whether an ingredient was added.
If no added sugar is your requirement, look for that wording and check the ingredients on the exact drink.
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Assuming flavoured water has only water in it
Volvic lists acesulfame K and sucralose in its Touch of Strawberry Sugar Free drink, while Sainsbury’s describes its no-added-sugar Lemon & Lime sparkling drink as containing a sweetener.
Choose plain water if you want to avoid added flavourings and sweeteners; otherwise, compare the flavoured drink’s ingredient list with your preferences.
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Buying a large pack without planning for outings
A large bottle or dispensing pack can stay at your accommodation, but it does not give you a convenient bottle to carry on a walk or attraction visit.
Plan a portable bottle for each day out as well as any larger water supply kept at your base.
Brand and retailer ranges to compare
Highland Spring
Offers plain spring water alongside flavoured still-water products that Highland Spring describes as sugar free.
- A Joybuy Highland Spring still-water listing names natural spring water as its ingredient.
- For a flavoured variant, check the particular pack’s ingredients and sugar wording rather than assuming it is the same as plain water.
Volvic
Has plain mineral water and a separate Touch of Fruit Sugar Free flavoured-water line.
- Volvic declares 0g sugars per 250ml serving for its Touch of Strawberry Sugar Free 1.5L drink.
- That strawberry drink lists acesulfame K and sucralose; check the ingredients if you do not want sweeteners.
Buxton
A plain still- and sparkling-water range for shoppers choosing between water without fizz and water with fizz.
- Buxton describes its sparkling natural mineral water as having no calories.
- Buxton says its natural mineral water comes only in plain still and sparkling options, not a flavoured option.
Evian
A plain still mineral-water option listed by Tesco in different pack formats.
- Tesco lists Evian still water in a 1L bottle and a 6 × 1.5L multipack, which suit different carrying and accommodation plans.
- Choose by the exact pack label if you need a particular ingredient or nutrition detail.
Tesco
An own-label option that includes plain water and a no-added-sugar flavoured still-water drink.
- Tesco describes its Strawberry Still Flavoured Water 4 × 500ml as no added sugar.
- The strawberry drink contains a sweetener, so compare its ingredients with plain water if that matters to you.
Sainsbury’s
An own-label flavoured sparkling-water option with no-added-sugar wording.
- Sainsbury’s lists a Lemon & Lime Sparkling Spring Water drink in a 4 × 500ml pack.
- Its product description says the drink contains a sweetener; it is not plain sparkling water.
Joybuy bottled-water options
These plain still- and sparkling-water packs offer different bottle sizes for carrying on outings or keeping at a holiday base. If you want flavour, check a flavoured drink’s own label and ingredients rather than treating these plain-water options as equivalents.
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Buxton Sparkling Water 8 × 500ml
For outings where you prefer fizz, this pack provides individual 500ml bottles. Choose a still-water option instead if you do not want carbonation.
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FIJI Water Natural Artesian Still Water 330ml, Pack of 24
The individual 330ml still-water bottles can be taken on day trips; consider where you will keep the full 24-bottle pack.
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Highland Spring Still Water 6 × 1.5L
This six-bottle still-water pack suits keeping water at an accommodation base. A 1.5L bottle may be less convenient to carry on a day trip than a smaller one.
Common questions
Does no added sugar mean no sweeteners?
No. The no-added-sugars claim condition published on legislation.gov.uk concerns added sugars and other foods used for sweetening; it does not mean a drink has no sweeteners. For example, Sainsbury’s no-added-sugar Lemon & Lime sparkling drink contains a sweetener, so read the ingredients if you want to avoid them.
Which water should I pack for children on holiday?
Plain water is the straightforward choice if you want a drink without added flavourings or sweeteners. Pick bottles that are practical to carry and keep drinks accessible during outings; the NHS identifies children as being at greater risk of dehydration.
How should I plan water for a hot day out?
Take water you can carry and consider when you will be able to refill or get another drink. The NHS advises drinking enough during the day for urine to be a clear pale yellow; do not rely on a large pack left at your accommodation for an outing.