Sure, holidays are pretty great, but after the recent global pandemic and the madness we see across today’s travel industries, it has made many of us press pause on making holiday plans like we usually would.
Although there are lots of travel ideas and enjoyable ways around it, if you’re not feeling like heading off on a trip – like I’m not – then don’t put the stress on yourself. Staycations have become the main way to enjoy the UK Summer, and will be taking many people straight through to our Autumn season.
Staycations at home can be just as rewarding, when you plan to do it right. If you think about everything that makes a lovely stay at home, and combine all of your favourite things you possibly can, you can arrange a much less stressful and a much more affordable ‘trip’ — without leaving your home! One of the latest travel trends when it comes to looking at staycations is trying to find the most sustainable option too – causing little or no damage to the environment when you travel. You can find a guide online too which has been published, to help discover 30 ways to enjoy a responsible break in the UK countryside.
So, save your money this Summer. Focus on the little things close to you at home which bring joy to your life. Take a look at your home and garden. Watch the ideas come flooding in for how to have the most enjoyable staycation at home possible!
Create a ticklist
A staycation at home can be a weekend of relaxation, or even just a full 24 hours dedicated to doing what you love. Or, you could plan to have a full two weeks of at-home ‘staycation’ time, filling it sporadically with fun things, and make it more of a project.
If you’re a little stuck for things to do in the home too, it can actually spark some new ideas. For example, ‘hotel fresh sheets’ has reminded me to treat myself to some super luxury new duvet and pillow covers, so I can make going to bed more of a special moment.
Look to travel to UK hotspots
Sure, you may have loved flying to Greece before travel became a little difficult. But have you fully explored the beauty of various holiday spots in the UK? The Lake District is a breath-taking place that feels like you’re in another country, due to it’s miles of rolling hills, the sweet smell of nature, bustling little towns, boat trips, independent shops and restaurants and that luscious green backdrop that is priceless.
You can pack up a tent, stay in a hotel, find a lodge or be a little more spendy and book a spa hotel – either way you’re going to have a marvellous break. If you want to try other beautiful places, check out The Cotswolds, or tour the beaches of Wales.
If you want to get the most out of the UK’s green spaces, you’ll find there are some breathtakingly beautiful national parks across the UK that are worth planning your trip around. Having a national trust passport is really useful if this is something you might start doing, which means you can visit multiple national trust places when you have membership.
Consider a holiday home
If you know you’re not going to be flying away like you used to in recent years, but you very much appreciate getting away and enjoying breaks, a holiday home could be something worth investing in. From caravans that are static at holiday parks, to a physical cottage or bungalow in your favourite seaside town that you can rent out when you’re not using it.
A growing holiday trend is finding a cosy lodge, one which comes with a hot tub perhaps, nestled in one of the UK’s most idyllic countryside spots. These make homes away from home, with a real warming feel to them, and would be in-demand if you needed to rent it out for parts of the year. Take a look at lodges for sale in your chosen holiday areas and see what’s available.
Create a weekend of your favourite cuisine
If you would usually be in Greece this Summer, or sipping Sangrias in Spain, look at bringing the local cuisine to your home for the weekend!
You example, you could kickstart a Saturday morning with a typical Spanish breakfast of omelette with chopped chorizo and cured meats. If the weather is nice, sit outside and play some Spanish style music. For lunch, you could create a tapas style sharing platter and share with the family, or your partner – or whoever you are sharing your home with. Serrano ham croquettes, potatas bravas, garlic prawns, olives… all washed down with a jug of Sangria! For dinner, you could serve up a huge prawn and chicken paella, followed with creme caramel.
If anything, having a totally food indulgent weekend is enough to make everyone smile! If you love cooking, pop on your apron and get busy in the kitchen. But if you’re not a huge fan, give tasks to others to help. Print menus off and make it a real foodie weekend!
Give yourself a pamper day
There are many times we try to dedicate a few hours to giving ourselves a long soak in the bath with a facemask. But how often do we save aside a full day of pampering, allowing us to do facials, body exfoliating, nails, hair masks and tanning? Hardly ever!
If you’re going to stay at home and have staycation in your own town, plan a day aside where you and your best friend can treat the day as a total pamper. Start by doing each others nails, a full tanning session, exfoliating facial and then finish with a sleepover, with overnight hair masks soaking away in your hair. You can decorate your bathroom and bedroom with fluffy towels and robes, relaxing candles and incense, and even enjoy healthy homemade juices drank from cocktail glasses. Even if you decide to go to a town a little further away from home, you can still bring your pampering goodies and treat yourself to a good old mock-up pamper session there too, to save money on booking spas.
You’ll wake up feeling (almost) as relaxed as a trip to a spa!
Reminisce
When staying in the UK on a family trip, one thing we never have time to do in today’s busy world is to sit back and go through past holiday memories. I don’t just mean talking about them, I mean going through old holiday photo albums, dig out old videos, organise your photos from your phone into dedicated holiday albums, and remind each other of the fun times.
It’s such a nice family bonding time, or even just a lovely way to spend an evening with your other half. We go on so many adventures and trips over the years, whether it be UK trips, days out or abroad with loved ones, but it’s rare we’ll ever get time to sift thought the photos and save them in a safe place to keep returning to
Remember that when you hear the word ‘staycation’ it shouldn’t always associated with a negative alternative to jetting off abroad. Home life is previous, and when you plan it properly, you can have so much quality time and fun in your own home. From a cocktail making night, a family feast, pamper time to even having a weekend dedicated to doing up the home, ‘staycations’ are so beneficial – this year more than ever.
If you have any fun tips for staying home this Summer, feel free to share below!
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