It’s that time of year again – time to start looking at where you might like to take a break this year. As the popularity of staycations continue to rise – out of convenience and often affordability – it’s time to make a decision about whether to spend your holiday budget on a holiday overseas or to explore the UK to enjoy your time off. To help you decide we’ve put together some points for consideration when choosing whether to holiday at home or away.
Pets
Going on holiday is all about making memories and having fun with your family, but there may be one or two members of your group who simply can’t make the trip. Going abroad does of course mean leaving behind your beloved cats, dogs, fish, mice, and all other furry (or not so furry) friends, which can be costly and complicated. If you don’t want to inconvenience a friend or family member you may have to look into temporary care for your pets whilst you’re away, which is inevitably expensive. The benefit of a staycation is that plenty of places welcome pets, and you can include them in your activities and allow them to enjoy your holiday with you.
Money
Holidays are full of fun, laughter, and unavoidably expense. Travelling abroad means flights, transfers, accommodation, activities, food, and souvenirs galore, and once you start adding up all the costs you could find yourself a little out of pocket. In theory, a staycation eliminates a lot of the costs associated with holidaying, however recent surveys have shown that less than a quarter of holidaymakers spent less on a staycation than they did going abroad. If you’re looking to holiday on a budget, do your research – a budget holiday is not always a bargain. Maybe consider the quality of experience you are going to get with your budget.
Weather
It’s the most obvious reason for holidaying abroad – the weather is far more predictable than here in Blighty. Whether you are looking for a sun-drenched break, or snow peaked mountains for a specific holiday activity, you have more change of predictable weather elsewhere. If you’re considering travelling overseas then investigate the weather patterns of each location to see if the seasons fit with the activities you want to take part in for the time of year you want to go away. If you find that it will be monsoon season when you want to go on a mountain trek for example, you might want to stay in the UK this year.
Activities
Whether you have a weekend off, a week, ten days, or a fortnight… you’ll want to fill it doing the things you enjoy best. When you’re choosing whether to vacation or staycation, think about the sort of activities that interest you and your family. Going abroad can mean blue seas and water sports, steep snowy slopes for adrenaline junkies, or seeing the sights in historic towns overseas for those who like their feet firmly on safe ground. Museums and galleries are also great fun and usually free, at home and also abroad. Staying at home, however, can offer more than you might think. Depending on the time of year you can expect ice rinks, outdoor pools, circuses, fairs, extreme sports and much more.
Transport
There is no denying that it is the actual travelling part that is often the most stressful part of going on holiday, so what transport you have, and are happy to take, can be a deciding factor on whether to stay in the UK or go abroad. A long haul flight might seem like quite a mission for some, but enduring the UK motorways might seem an even more challenging task, especially without the reward of guaranteed good weather at the end of it! Maybe the only thing that has stopped you from exploring the UK is the condition of your vehicle – in which case a hire car could be the perfect option, and with car hire excess insurance available for UK car hire as well as car hire abroad, you don’t have to worry about any extra charges should the unexpected happen.
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The choice between vacation and staycation is never going to be an easy one – you might feel that staying at home simply doesn’t have the excitement factor that going abroad provides, or maybe you’ve never considered the remarkable landscapes and tourist attractions there are in the UK. Wherever you decide to go this year, be sure to relax, have fun, and stay safe. Happy holidays!