Staycation Ideas for when you can’t travel far

As international travel continues to look bleak for many travellers, it’s time to start focusing more on staycations and I thought I share staycation ideas for when you can’t travel far. As a travel addict, this past year has been tough, I can not remember the last time I went without travelling for longer than a month, it’s been many months since I last boarded a plane and I am getting itchy feet. In my family, I am called itchy feet because every few days I am announcing to our family WhatsApp that I am travelling to so and so soon.

One of my favourite quotes reads, ‘we don’t travel to escape life but for life not to escape us’, and I personally think this quote is so true. I am a traveller who loves exploring new places, trying new cuisines and immersing myself in new cultures. I know for most of the popular destinations, they rely so much on tourism and this past year they took a massive hit. But the travel news isn’t all that bad, most of us can still travel within our own countries and explore more places than before. except for the UK.

Staycation Ideas for when you can’t Travel Far

I am often found complaining discussing why the UK staycations are so expensive and whilst 99% is true, there are still some affordable places on this cold island. This past year, we managed only two staycations to Swansea Bay and Kent, we had the best time ever but I was sad that we couldn’t do our annual spa visit for my mum’s birthday. This year, our aim is to do as many staycations as possible as international travel takes a moment to recover.

When I was thinking about the staycations ideas for when you can’t travel, I had to think of places that I would love to travel to. Its been a while since I last sat down and planned a staycation within the UK. I got quite excited thinking about all the places I can visit and are at my very door step within the UK and can not wait to explore them in the next few months (provided its safe to do so and we are allowed).

Staycation #1 National Parks

There is nothing like being in nature and breathing in the fresh air, in the UK we are fortunate to have many wonderful national parks that everyone can visit. Snowdonia and the Peak District are some of our most popular national parks and having visited both, I highly recommend then to those looking for staying ideas in the new year.

Staycation #2 Estates

In the UK, we are fortunate enough to have a number of national properties that for a small fee you can visit any time of the year. We have a wide selection of estates that you can visit and in some cases, you can even stay at these properties. I have a membership with the National Trusts and English Heritage and through my membership, I have access to a counterless number of properties across the UK that I can explore at any time.

Staycation #3 Lakes, Seaside + Beaches

If you are fortunate enough to live close to the lakes then there another option for a nice staycation. As a family, we have always enjoyed a trip to the Lake District and hopefully this year we can add the Lochness in Scotland. In the UK we have a number of truly impressive lakes that should be on everyone’s staycation list. When it comes to beaches/seaside, there is plenty, I just wish I lived close enough to even one.

Staycation #4 Countryside + City Breaks

Living in the countryside already, I find myself most fortunate especially since my countryside is covered by the beautiful Cotswold Villages. The allure of the countryside resides in its beautifulness and slow-paced life that we often enjoy compared to bustling cities like London.

I am a sucker for a good city break and majority of my escapes to the European continent are covered in city break adventures. There are so many incredible cities one can explore within the UK or wherever you are based and can make for an incredible staycation trip.

Staycation #5 Explore the Forests

One of my most memorable trips with an ex was to the forests near us and since then I have loved the idea of exploring the forest and getting lost in the trees. I am excited to explore the Royal Forest of Dean here in Gloucestershire as well as New Forest in Hampshire. One thing I love about forest trips is you can make it into an adventure or a teaching moment for those with children.

Staycation #6 Camping/Glamping/Caravan

For those fortunate enough to own their own caravan, you can go on an adventure every weekend or longer. For the rest of us, there are plenty of camping sites within Great Britain although I am not big on camping I am more a glamping kind of girl. Speaking of glamping, I can not wait to discover more glamping sites near me, the last glamping trip was absolutely incredible.

I love glamping more than camping because I don’t often have to pack a lot of items from home. Our last clamping trip to the Lake District with the family, we only packed towels and bought food to cook onsite. For most places I would recommend taking your own beddings as well as you are often not sure when the provided beddings were last washed etc.

So, these are some of the staycation ideas for when you can’t travel far, for those in the look I recommend looking for any of the aforementioned places close to you. The beach this time of year might not be your first option but actually, you can still visit the beach for long walks. But city breaks, once hotels and various accommodation locales are allowed to open, then I would make great use of visiting other cities that I have not yet managed to venture to.