Vacation – Staycation? Reasons to Holiday in the UK
Trawling through travel brochures for a holiday abroad always brings a sense of excitement. The pools, the palm trees, the perfect stretch of golden sand, the promise of wall to wall sunshine …
There’s nothing quite like jetting off to a foreign country for an amazing time. Or is there?
What about pushing the boat out and staying put in the UK? There are plenty of reasons to pass on the passport and have a Staycation for your vacation. Here’s just some of them.
- You’ll save money! Always a great place to start. Foreign holidays crank up the cost. The hotel (with view overlooking a building site) might appear cheap. But when you factor in flights, getting to the airport, international holiday insurance, the completely different (and often bizarre) holiday clothes you feel obliged to invest in (Flamingo shorts and Hawaiian shirt anybody?) it all quickly adds up.
- Less stress. Where should we begin … airports, airport queues, airport lounges, airport delays, airport food, plane toilets, plane food, plane passengers, customs officials, luggage allowance, lost luggage, lost tempers … feel anxious already?!
- No language problems. In the UK you order a pizza and a couple of beers and you get a pizza and a couple of beers. In far-flung foreign climes where the guy in the restaurant is looking at you like you’re an idiot, you order a pizza and two beers and get something with two eyes, eight legs and a dicky tummy.
- Britain is great. There are so many stunning places to explore and few of us take the time to discover them. Get on a train or a bus. Take the car. Or just walk and take time out to check out the area you live in.
- The best beaches. One of the main reasons most of us choose to go abroad is to lie on a towel on the sand. The UK is home to some of the most beautiful beaches anywhere. Check out Woolacombe beach in Devon; Weymouth Beach in Dorset; Rhossili Bay in Swansea; Coppey Hall in Pembrokeshire; Porthmeor Beach, in St Ives, Cornwall (Cornwall is awash with gorgeous beaches); Averigg Beach in Cumbria, or even Blackpool Beach in Lancashire (it has a blue flag for cleanliness!).
- History. Sounds boring put like that but the UK has so much great cultural stuff going on and most of it is free. Amazing museums, galleries, castles and stately homes. Check out the National Trust website for a few ideas. But Edinburgh Castle, Stonehenge, Westminster Abbey or the Roman Baths immediately spring to mind.
- Delicious food. Let’s face it, we live in foodie heaven. Fish and chips, Sunday Roast, pub carvery, hearty home-made pies … or plenty of gourmet gaffs if that’s more your meat and two veg.
- And drink! Cold beer or glass of chilled wine in a sunny English pub garden anyone?
- Rover goes too. You can take your dog (or cat) rather than paying for expensive kennels (or catteries). Just check they’re welcome at the place you’re staying. There are thousands of animal friendly venues stretching right across the country.
- A plethora of theme parks. You could be flying high or getting in a spin at Thorpe Park, Surrey; Drayton Manor, Staffordshire; Chessington World of Adventures, Surrey; Alton Towers, Staffordshire; Blackpool Pleasure Beach, Lancashire; Gulliver’s World, Warrington … and so many more!
Wish you were here? Happy hols.
