The UK is often overlooked as a holiday destination, especially by us Brits. The truth is that the country is full of gorgeous landscapes and vibrant cities, beautiful coastlines and national parks, a cuisine made of locally sourced, fresh, seasonal produce cooked by skilled chefs. And so my question is: how well do you know the UK?
Yorkshire Dales, England
If you live in the UK, it’s worthwhile asking yourself how well you know it. In recent decades, many of us have chosen to jet off to foreign countries as soon as we had some time off work. With Europe on our doorstep and so many more destinations to discover around the world, it’s understandable we want to travel far and further. I certainly do. Nonetheless, it’s always worth remembering that the UK is a wonderful country in its own right! There’s a reason why so many foreign tourists decide to come here from other countries for their holidays.
In this blog post, we’re going to look at some ways you can enjoy the UK from a leisure perspective. It won’t be long before you realise just how brilliant our country can be.
Local Exploring
One of the fun things about the UK is that there are plenty of little gems to discover on weekend getaways, no matter where you live. There could be something worth exploring within a thirty-minute drive or so, and you wouldn’t know it if you didn’t seek it out. A good way to get a little dose of adventure into your life is to take a look at a map of your local area. Is there anything on there that you’ve never visited before? Then you’ll have your plan for next Saturday. From there, you can look at places that are a little further afield – there are plenty of off the beaten path destinations that can help to scratch your travel itch without boarding a plane.
Bath, England
Into Nature
We tend to think of the UK as a pretty urban area. But actually, only 10% of the country is “built up”; that means that 90% is just nature! Unfortunately, a lot of that land is in the hands of private landowners, so you can’t visit, but there’s still plenty of areas that you can explore. If you’re not spending as much time in nature as you should, then look at taking a trip. You could invest in a caravan from Park Holidays and have a base that allows you to live a calm and refreshing domestic holiday. Alternatively, you could invest in camping gear and go on trips around the country during Spring and Summer.
Big City Trips
The UK has so much to offer. If you’re looking for a break from nature, then you’ll have some of Europe’s best cities just waiting for you. London is a world-class city, of course, offering the best of the best when it comes to the arts, restaurants, shopping, and so forth. Smaller but equally visit-worthy cities include Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester, York, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Brighton. If you’ve never been to these places, then you might just be surprised at how much they have to offer.
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Regular Staycations
Many people have been discovering the joys of a vacation in the UK recently and this looks set to spark a new trend. Staycations can be much easier to plan and more affordable than an international holiday, plus the UK is incredibly beautiful and diverse which means that it should not be too hard to have a memorable time away, whether it is a city break, a beach holiday, or exploring the countryside.
Luxury staycation in London
Ultimately, it’s all about showing some commitment to your home country. While we may not have the weather of Spain or Italy, we most definitely have some of the most charming destinations in Europe. Who knows, once you’ve seen all that it has to offer, you might just decide that your days of jumping on a plane and heading overseas are over.
Disclaimer: this is a collaborative post.
