To ask if it’s worth having a holiday in the UK?

[TigerLils]

Right, I’ve coped pretty well so far, the past 16 months has been pretty difficult for many and I feel pretty bad about this but I need a holiday. A change of scenery! Some nice weather chilling food and drinks. Obviously it’s limited where you can go at the moment and we are looking at a staycation perhaps (it’s just me and DP) but everything is booked up or seriously overpriced in the UK.

Not sure if it’s worth it but I’m pretty desperate here… ( I need this for my mental health)

Can any of you recommend places to go for a couples getaway in the UK?

North wales is beautiful if you want to travel, snowdonia has some amazing scenery. Not been to Cornwall but I've always wanted to go there.

London is incredibly quiet at the moment. I was there at half term and again yesterday. It’s so pleasant. Have a long weekend in London?

I don’t holiday in the holiday in the UK, too expensive

There was a piece on Radio 4 earlier this week discussing the less popular places in the UK, which are very nice, but bypassed for the usual popular destinations. Maybe the piece is still on their website. The program discussed how some people paid £8k for a family holiday in Cornwall! I couldn’t justify spending that much on a holiday here, unless good weather was guaranteed. I’ve spent a week in the most beautiful of places in the UK, but the weather has been wet and miserable, and I’m afraid the weather dictates the success of a holiday I think.

Have you really never had a break in the UK if you live here (lockdown not withstanding!).

There are loads of beautiful places to visit for scenery, lots of museums are free particularly in cities.

What do you like to do? If it's just relaxing by a pool and nice food and drink what about one of those adult only hotels in country mansions. I here them advertised on the radio and always fantasise about going when I kids with me any more!

No. We have booked a trip to an amber country rather than be forced to holiday in the UK. The infrastructure isn’t there for the numbers that will be holidaying in the UK this year and supply/demand will dictate premiums for even the grotty places.
Aside from anything else, everything is booked up even the aforementioned shitholes.

I am genuinely amazed at those who have the means to travel and yet haven't explored much of the UK. There is so much to see and do!

For us it has always been cheaper than going abroad and we have had some amazing holidays. If we had more money we would up the level of hotel/food but otherwise it would be the same!

Depends on your idea of a holiday really.
I love UK holidays, but I like going on walking holidays, staying in a remote cottage amongst farm animals and beautiful scenery, eating local cheese and beer and cider, fresh eggs from the chickens on a morning, type of thing.

I love to go abroad too but not for a sit by the beach /pool holiday. I think it would be hard to recreate that in the UK.

Just had a fab week on the Gower peninsula in Wales. Weather was fab. Beaches were gorgeous. Lovely meals out. Breakfast outside every day. Really lifted my spirits and just the change of scene. No it wasn't the Med but just as relaxed coming home so worth it to me. I couldn't just wait till next year.

We love UK holidays.

I love going abroad (in theory) but making sure the bags aren't overweight, waiting around airports, security, trying to do self catering buying the basics when you're hot, tired and don't speak (much) of the country's language is hard work (I remember a celeb on a programme saying they bought a tin of cat food by mistake thinking it was a tin of tuna for lunch in one country as they went by the fish on the tin!)

Just dumping everything in the car, running back inside to grab a last toy for DS when he was younger and bunging it on the luggage without having to try to cram it into a suitcase is bliss! Being able to walk into any supermarket, know what I'm looking for for a picnic lunch or breakfast and be able to read road signs etc just used to take all the work away for us.

I've been sunburnt on Loch Ness, travelled home from Cornwall in 30 degree heat (uggghh) and, yes, got soggy in the Lake District. But you know, that's what rain gear is for and we got caught in a monsoon like rain storm in Florida a few years back. If you're dressed for it (or have put some wet weather gear in the back of the car) you're all set. Easy.

Pop lots of stops off on the way so you can see some other areas. We did Bosworth Field on the way back from the Lakes one year - never have done that otherwise and it was fantastic. We did Morecambe on the way up. Just for a few hours, but it's given us ideas for other areas to explore.

So, places we've enjoyed.

Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Hampshire (New Forest/Winchester), Wiltshire (Salisbury and Stonehenge area), Scotland (Edinburgh, Glasgow, Highlands, Aviemore and the Cairngorms - if you go, go and see the Reindeer wild on the mountains...marvellous), Oxford, York, Northumberland (Holy Island is lovely and, if you like that sort of thing, Vindolanda and the other Roman Forts along Hadrian's Wall are interesting), Warwick, Leeds (Kent) and Alnwick Castles are interesting, Blenheim Palace and Stratford Upon Avon. Loads of lovely villages around East and West Sussex and Kent and lovely sea side towns to explore.

We've had some lovely foreign holidays - been lucky enough to travel as far afield as Australia amongst others but they can be hard work to start with.

We've ever had a bad UK holiday. We've had some wet ones but usually only a day or two so we use those times to do the stately homes/castles etc.

Q: "UK holidays are a rip off..overpriced to begin with, you'll get fleeced while there, shit weather, dog shit on the beaches, no parking anywhere.... I refuse to support British tourism"...

In response to bluesheep- that poster isn't 100% off the mark!

It will be expensive; a salad in a cafe will cost you £12, whereas a whole meal with wine on a 'menu of the day' in a Spanish cafe will cost you 8 euros. The weather may well be rubbish; you can get a week of solid rain; whereas in Valencia, the sun will shine all day, punctuated, maybe, with a huge, dramatic thunderstorm now and then; you don't get dog shit on Spanish holiday beaches (though you do on the streets of the 'old town' 😁); parking is often really difficult in the UK and often extortionate; it's usually free in Spain.

And so on.

You can 'strike lucky' with a British holiday, but you're almost guaranteed in say Spain.

I would recommend Lincolnshire. We stayed in an air bnb part way between Mablethorpe and Lincoln a few years ago. We had such a fantastic time we are already planning to go back!

they have some amazing beaches (outside of the tourist ones), lovely walks and Lincoln is a great city to visit.

Oops, should read *never had a bad UK holiday

Norfolk or Suffolk or Northumbria or Durham
Cheaper than many areas a lot more inland & historic places
Pack a mac & a fleece in case but go to Northumbria or Durham for historic & wild area - its a lovely & underrated part of the country & the coast is lovely

Absolutely worth it but yes, anything in a popular tourist spot is going to be booked up and overpriced by now. Assuming you can go out of the school holidays though, it shouldn't be impossible to find somewhere nice.

Try places that are less obvious than Devon or Cornwall or York or Brighton for city breaks. Maybe do a little road trip around a couple of counties you've never been to before and seek out their prettiest areas, nature reserves and charming small cities. Hire a canal boat for a day, or stay on one. Home in on Areas of Outstanding National Beauty. Foodie hotspots like Ludlow in Shropshire or Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. Lavenham in Suffolk is lovely too but because it's not on the coast it's not overrun. Stamford, Lincoln and the Wolds in Lincolnshire? Derbyshire Dales?

Rye and Pevensey in East Sussex are lovely, Bosham and around Chichester and the harbour and West Wittering beach in West Sussex also lovely. But they can all get very busy.

@Whammyyammy

UK holidays are a rip off..overpriced to begin with, you'll gey fleeced while there, shit weather, dog shit on the beaches, no parking anywhere.... I refuse to support British tourism

I don't know where you've been going but most beaches in the UK are dog-free on the main beach now.

We usually find parking but, of course, it's difficult if you go to one of the small harbour villages that weren't designed for cars. Try using a bus.

Weather. OK it's not tropical but I'm of the opinion there's no such thing as bad weather just the wrong clothes.

Getting fleeced? Or maybe paying a fair price with workers being paid properly for their work unlike some places outside the EU.

You refuse to support British tourism - I am glad to support people's livelihoods in the country I live in.

Northumberland is stunning & near to Newcastle if you wanted some time in a city too. So many beautiful places in the U.K. we love whitby & Dorset too.

There are some lovely holidays to be had in the UK, just not when everyone else is trying to holiday in the UK. Traffic jams, overpriced attractions, booked out pubs and restaurants and no option to just have a day off relaxing in the heat to read and swim, because it’s not hot enough for that option to be enjoyable. UK holidays are doing holidays, not relaxing holidays, so far better when other people are not doing them!!!

I've just had a week in Cornwall and it was a fantastic change of scene and I was lucky with the weather. I realise places like that in the South West are mega booked up but as others have suggested you could try less frequented areas. I got my booking on airbnb.

What about Northumberland? Wales? Sussex?

Absolutely worth it for your mental health, if you can afford it. We've already been away this year due to having our holiday rearranged from last year, but my husband has a bit more time off work so I had a look at booking another mini break. The prices are double what we'd usually pay for that time of year, and that's after I struggled to find anything suitable. I've decided it's not worth the price for us.

@TigerLils Where are you bases roughly and how far would you like to travel?

Definitely worth it just for a change of scenery! We’re off this weekend - only a couple of hours drive from home and have nothing planned except some nice meals/drinks and walks 😊 it’s nice just to be somewhere else and not think about everyday routine tbh! I can’t wait for our weekend!

I've had some decent holidays in Swanage and Cornwall which are beautiful areas but to be honest i don't like UK holidays, i hate having to pack for different weathers, toys etc in case it rains and we get stuck indoors with our 4yr old. Given the costs of UK holidays i'd rather save that money until i can go abroad.
I hate self catering as i don't see that as a break. If i can't get abroad i don't have a holiday, i just do days out instead. But i am fortunate that i can get to the coast and the dales for day trips.
If you do want a break though Swanage in Dorset is a lovely location

Yes, UK holidays can be expensive, especially in view of unreliable weather: like with most things, you have to shop around on the price front. But not worth having? That's nuts! Time away from work is worth its weight in gold, especially if you plan a few specific things you'd really like to do and never have. I'm always shocked by the amount of domestic attractions only experienced by foreigners !

We're off for a week on the Sussex coast. It's not that far from home, so there won't be draconian planning involved and I can get stuff delivered to the rental property if I want, so we can relax from the minute we arrive. Admittedly I've always hated flying and it generally takes me a couple of days to recover from it, so I'm not going to be missing that. Loads of stuff to do, much of which is potentially undercover, so who cares if it rains?

Wonder if boat holidays still have lots of availability? I remember having a boating holiday on the Norfolk Broads many years ago. Loved it! Particularly great for stopping off at different places along the way. And great if you have a dog you want to take with you.

OP with no kids (?) and not tied to school holidays I'd have a city break somewhere just to unwind.

We had a week's holiday by the beach 1.5 hours from home with the toddler. The weather was glorious and that absolutely made it - obviously in the UK that's near-impossible to predict in advance so booking is a minefield. And avoiding airport stress has lots to recommend it. But I agree with others about cost - typically you pay more for every aspect of the holiday in the UK than abroad, ime.