Well, with the red, amber and green travel list still in full force, it’s looking like travel abroad is going to be a bit trickier than we had all hoped this summer, and even if we’re given the go ahead, I can see an awful lot of people opting to staycation instead of taking to the skies.
With that in mind, I thought now would be the time to pop together a few of my top tips for getting the best out of your Staycation. We love a good staycation and I think you can have an amazing time, save yourself some money AND cut down massively on your travel time.
What kind of staycation do you want?
We use the term staycation do describe any kind of holiday in the Uk but a staycation can be as varied as a holiday. When we book holidays we have categories, are you looking for a beach holiday, a city break, something cultural or an active experience. Just because we’re in the UK doesn’t mean we don’t have all those wonderful things. What about a beach holiday in Cornwall? An active holiday climbing or hiking in the Peak District? Maybe you fancy the culture of somewhere with olde world streets like Bath or a city break in London? Think about what kind of staycation you want and go from there. With the UK being so small you could easily split the staycation into a couple of these things!
In addition to that, think about who is going along and what they might like. We love places like Center Parcs where everything is on site, we never leave the site for anything and we have shops, restaurants, pools and more all at our finger tips. If you’re looking for something where you can get out and explore a bit, ditch the expense of a site like Center Parcs and think about a holiday cottage to rent or even a place like Haven where there are fewer amenities BUT you can easily drive off and do your own thing throughout the day! Hotels/B&Bs are brilliant for city breaks as you’re right in the heart of everything.
Check out your area before you go
This is possibly one of my fave things to do before any trip. I’m a planner at heart and I really enjoy planning day trips, selecting places I would like to visit or things I would like to see. I always find googling the area I’m staying and looking at parenting websites to see what is recommended, asking on social media in facebook groups or via instagram stories, check out location tags and ask the place you’re staying fro some advice.
Motorhome holidays are also a popular staycation choice here in the UK. If you are travelling by motorhome, you should research your route beforehand to make sure any country lanes are wide enough for the vehicle. Take out motorhome insurance prior to travel to make sure you and the vehicle are protected ahead of travel.
Plan for the weather
The UK is an unpredictable minx, I remember travelling to Devon once and the forecast was deliciously bright, hot weather all week… it was freezing and it piddled it down. We ended up having to go and grab cardigans and jumpers from the local tesco!! Even if it looks like it’s going to be a scorcher, always pack yourself cardigans/jumpers and a coat!
Budget :: Take it or spend it?
There are bonuses to being in the UK for travelling, and one of those is that you have multiple options when it comes to how you budget for food, drink and activities. With food and drink, you can choose to take it all with you or self cater, or choose to eat out and splurge a bit. The option is yours. I usually do a mixture, I take pre-made meals like lasagne or pizza, reheat/cook them in the lodge or wherever we are staying and save myself a fortune. It gets trickier with hotels and B&B style holidays, though you can still apply the “meal out” vs “supermarket/cafe snack” idea.
For more staycationing tips, you can grab my book Mummin’ It, which has a complete travel section!
