Booking a staycation in UK

[cocowhite]

I know we can't book anything right now, we usually have a holiday abroad with the kids in Spain or Portugal, we actually have our summer holiday booked for the end of April to Spain (was booked for May last year but obviously cancelled so we postponed to this year)

Doesn't look likely at all that it will go ahead. We all desperately need a holiday - as I'm sure everyone does! I'm starting to think once restrictions are lifted it will be much easier to go on holiday in this country.

So I'm not really asking AIBU (or maybe you think I am for thinking about booking at all?!) and more that I need some recommendations on where we can go? We've never had a holiday in this country to be honest so I'm clueless!

We want something that allows pets and a hot tub would be ideal! I'm thinking a lodge or cottage or maybe even glamping?!

Any suggestions of where is nice and child/pet friendly?

Avoid the southern part of Scotland though if you happen to be English, you won't be very welcome

Don't be so ridiculous!! What a stupid comment

If you’ve never been there, do not underestimate just how not-warm Scotland is in August. Feel free to pack shorts, sundresses, sandals and T shirts in case of a miraculous hot spell, but resign yourself to the likelihood of wearing jeans, trainers and a jacket all week

I sometimes think I live in a different Scotland to the one referred to on MN. I rarely wear a jacket & certainly last summer spent most of my time in dresses or shorts. You'd think it was never cold south of the border

@janed9388

Good to see all of the suggestions for North Wales given that I booked a week there yesterday :-) I just hope the kids are too short for ZipWorld !

The zipworld with the trampoline park is good for all ages, we managed to spend a day there last year and my two loved it. Hopefully will get back there this year.

I've so far booked four uk holidays/long weekends, with my eye out for a few more. Hopefully at least a couple will happen. Nothing fancy, just caravan parks with good facilities/ locations, we just love exploring and the chance to get away to somewhere new.

Elphame & NewYorkIvy, I've had a look at ZipWorld now and luckily (for me) they are too young for the really scary looking ones - I'm sure they'll be very disappointed to hear !. the ones that they are OK for look pretty good so I'll probably book closer to the time.

We booked Devon the other week, reasonably priced, decent looking caravan park, indoor and outdoor pool, near the beach. Booked Devon rather than Cornwall in the hope it's a little less manic. And mid July rather than August, first week in school holidays rather than the main weeks.

I definitely think everything will get ore expensive and book up quickly, especially once they announce we can actually book a holiday!

@billybagpuss

We’ve got 2 Airbnb booked back to back in august the second got cancelled, obviously it could be for any reason but I fear they may have realised demand will be huge and they’d undercharged. I booked elsewhere haven’t checked if the other is available again.

Oh that's interesting. I've booked two cottages back to back with free cancellation to keep our options open, I wanted to get a good price locked down because I knew there would be high demand. I hadn't thought of them cancelling though.

So I've done some researching and found a glamping site in Cumbria with Alpacas kids would love it and it has a hot tub! Also looked at Wales too.

Going to investigate Scotland later. Is there any recommended websites to book on that offer some sort of protection if it's cancelled or impacted by covid?

Our plan is to go at short notice abroad, pretty sure like last year it will be possible, anywhere warm is fine!

sykes holidaycottages are good the one we had last year was fabulous this year we are going with holidaycottagesuk

@TakeTheCuntOutOfScunthorpe how rude, I’m from there and my DP is English, he is very welcome here and had no issues with being English! Maybe it’s your shitty attitude that’s not welcome?

@SpiderinaWingMirror you will be very welcome here

There is availability for holidays in Cornwall - we love Falmouth because it has great access to the south and north coast.

Look at CornishHolidayCottages.net - I looked earlier and they had a few places launched this year that have availability at reasonable prices.

I stupidly delayed booking a lodge (sleeps 3/4) for mid August. I have just gone back and the two weeks left ( one at the beginning of Aug and one at the end) have both gone up by £500 PW from £1200 to £1700.
The place is NOT worth £240 p/n to me!
Hopefully prices in the U.K. will come down next year when everyone else flies off around the world!

Come to Wales! Obviously I am biased being Welsh, but its so beautiful! I explored it last year more than ever and count it as the only good thing to come out of the pandemic. Our cottage break in North Wales was wonderful, remote enough to be peaceful but close to some stunning areas to visit. Another break we took in November, before restrictions set in, was in West Wales and we were right by the sea, near Cardigan. Just beautiful scenery and laid back way of life. We have another break booked in North Wales for Easter but it's the week before Easter weekend so not sure if that will go ahead at this rate.

The beach at Dornoch is perfect for kids and dogs.

You can go dolphin spotting and watch salmon jumping up waterfalls.

Not crowded and welcoming to English people.

Chateau like castle to visit.

And you can take the kids to the safari park at Blair Drummond on the road home.

Also landmark is worth a trip on your way there.

Language evolves. A staycation also means a holiday in your home country if you look it up in a modern dictionary.

We were wary of booking to go to Wales (despite having had lovely holidays there in the past And it not being too far away) as they have their own rules/laws and if they have a ban on English coming over the border, we would be scuppered. Same for Scotland, although we’ve never been there.

We’ve booked Dorset in the school holidays. We were looking at the beginning of January and even then you could see availability was coming down rapidly, so whatever you are doing, I’d look to book ASAP but check that they have some kind of COVID cancellation clause just in case.

I was really annoyed with the media jumping on matt Hancock (I am not a fan generally, but could see this was unfair) For having A holiday in Cornwall booked. Surely anyone with any sense would book to ensure they have something to look forward to?

We've booked a beautiful airbnb by the sea. Really hope it can go ahead. It's fully cancellable/refunded upto 48 hours.

On the back of this thread just booked a holiday cottage outside Whitby for the last week of August.
950 for 2 beds 7 days
Self catering
Purpose built (so not depriving a local of a home)
Near a pub with a pub garden

Something to look forward to. I'll ponder Scotland another year!

This one is lovely, just outside Cardigan. Hot tub. Stayed here twice.

www.sykescottages.co.uk/cottage/South-Wales-Pembrokeshire-Canllefaes/Ty-Coed-1021588.html?_hsearch=2102136027a69be6579&_price=571&_display=1

Staycation=stay in your home and explore nearby places
Holiday = booked a hotel/cottage/caravan etc in UK
Real Holiday =using passport 😆😆😆

I have booked
Isle of Wight with hot tub in holiday park in June
Norfolk farm stay with a pool in July
Caravan in Cornwall in August with a group
Wales in October same group, reckon this might not go ahead because its all in one house.

Last year we went to the new forest in October for 4 days and had a wonderful time. It was a novelty to get meals out. We stayed in a b&b that was like an apartment with its own lounge and they brought breakfast to us.

I didn't enjoy Cornwall weather wise but we are going because the kids love seeing their friends and we had some good times with bbq and weight boarding. I expect its going to be busier than last year.

We've booked a lodge with a hot tub at a holiday park in Devon for the first week of June. We get our money back if Covid prevents it happening. It's got tacky kids entertainment for my 3 and 5 year old and lots to do locally. I'm really, really looking forward to it 🤞🤞