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Research has shown that the trend of UK holiday makers opting to remain in the country for their holiday, continues to rise this year. Here we look at why you should book your summer holiday in the UK, and some important things to consider to ensure your staycation is brilliant.
So why should you book a staycation in the UK?
Avoid the hoards of tourists
White sandy beaches... exotic food... and thousands of other tourists! When you go abroad on holiday it can sometimes feel like the rest of the UK (and half of Europe) have come with you. Yes, you can go to somewhere more remote, but when you don’t speak the language or know how to get around that’s not always feasible.
In the UK you can experience somewhere new, without the maddening crowds. The usual suspects of Cornwall, the Lake District and Scotland are still the most popular destinations, but even there you can escape away to one of the many quiet corners and soak in the gorgeous scenery.
Interestingly though, the Midlands and north east of England, traditionally less popular than the above as holiday destinations, are seeing the biggest increase in tourism. Why not come and visit us in the East Midlands, and find out why for yourself?
Money
Without exchange rates to think about, or receiving extortionate charges for using your credit card, you know where you are with your money in the UK. You can set a spending budget, and stick to it!
You also know an estimate of what you would expect to pay for things, such as taxis, so it reduces the chance of you being ripped off or unnecessarily paying above the odds.
Travel time
Unfortunately if you want to go away, you will have to travel. There’s no getting around that. But, holidaying in the country where you live does mean that you can avoid those horrendous queues you seem to spend most of your time in at the airport.
While the thought of travelling for 9 hours in the car on a UK motorway may be equally as unappealing as the airport queues, when you holiday here you have the option of choosing how far you want to go. There will be plenty of places to discover within an hour’s drive of where you live if you just want a sort journey -or you could get the train if you wanted to go further or don’t have a car.
Of course, our serviced properties are all located in the middle of England, with great transport links to the rest of the UK, so are easy to travel to and from. Just saying!
Environmentally friendly
As more and more people are trying to reduce their carbon footprint, one of the things they are beginning to think about is how they travel. Flying by plane is one of the worst ways to travel from an environmental viewpoint, so you may consider how often you are prepared to do it – if at all.
As with any holiday, there are a things you can do to ensure you make the most of where you go. Here are our top tips.
The weather may be a gamble
We all know what the weather can be like here. Just look at the last month as an example. Blazing sunshine, followed by torrential rain. But, don’t let that put a dampener on your holiday!
It’s worth doing some research before you go into what there is to do in the local area and see what options you have for rainy weather. Then, depending on what you are planning on doing while away, it might be worth throwing in some waterproofs when you pack. Or, a warmer jumper.
Making sure you have room to dry your things where you are staying, or giving yourself the option to stay in if you don’t fancy heading out can make your holiday so much better if it turns into a rainy one. This is often what ruins a camping trip.
All of our accommodation is completely self-contained with plenty of room to spread out, and they all have WiFi and Netflix so you can lounge about to your heart’s content.
Ask the locals
One of the best things about holidaying in a country where everyone speaks the same language as you is you can ask the locals for their recommendations of places to eat and things to see. They will know all of the best places – even if you have to go off the beaten track a bit to find them.
Don’t forget once you’ve asked them where to go, you can always look it up and find your way there using your phone. There won’t be any roaming charges after all!
Try the food
If, like us, one of your favourite things about going on holiday is trying all the new food and drink you may be feeling a bit sceptical right now. Yes, you will likely see many items you would see on the menus of the eating establishments near where you live, but make sure you keep an eye out for regional foods. You might end up being surprised by what you find.
Visit Britain have put together this great guide to regional food in Britain, but it isn’t an exhaustive list by any means. Be brave and experiment!
Wherever you end up on your jollies, we hope you have a fantastic time.