You know how they say ‘when you love someone, set them free?’ Well, one of the best things about living in an amazing city like London is the ability to sneak away on staycations throughout the United Kingdom. Scratch that, even little overnights in different parts of London itself.
I love going abroad we’re luckily that it’s so easy to do, but I also love sneaking off to somewhere close by and delectable. And an afternoon often isn’t quite enough.
A beautiful room, a bubbling hot tub, something interesting to do and no airport queues. Pick up an out-of-season deal, book way ahead or splash the cash you’d usually spend on flights to stay somewhere luxurious in your own home town. Staycations are awesome.
Enjoying an overnight canter to Richmond Park
This isle has wizards, giants, knights, princes, castles, ancient Raven warders and stories that never cease to amaze.
Decide what’s important to you.
Of late life has been crazily busy – working, planning, scheming et al – and so when I found myself recently on a rainy day in London, clutching shopping bags in the dour rain with a supperclub in the evening, I simply decided a treat was in order.
That treat was a staycation at the luxurious 4 star Montcalm Royal London House Hotel in Moorgate. We took in some R&R, enjoyed a cocktail or two and got a lot more shopping done.
Investigate the local restaurants and book into somewhere amazing.
You’d do it whilst on holiday abroad, so why not do it on a staycation. And if you wanted to weave a break around your knife and fork, there’ll be no judgment here.
The Vicarage is a refurbished 17th Century Grade II listed country pub, restaurant and hotel in the heart of Cheshire. My expat heart beat like a drum. Identifying itself as ‘a restaurant with rooms’ we couldn’t resist testing out their foodie credentials, for the last night of our Chester staycation we hopped back into the train and shot out into the countryside.
Pray to the weather gods (or just buy a load of your favourite beverage.)
This isn’t something limited to a break in Great Britain – it could just as easily go wrong overseas. I’ve driven through Monsoon storm rains in America, we’ve braved snow storms in New Zealand, laughed through Cornwall hail storms and risked sunstroke in the Dubai sands.
Treat your local destination the same way you would a trip further afield
Research, quiz locals and suss out the local historic houses. Who knows what you could uncover…
Don’t panic if you don’t pack enough of anything
The shops are all the same. Instead of having to investigate how to say ‘please may I buy antihistamines’ in Hungarian (true story) you can pop into a local supermarket. They might even just have your favourite biscuits as a tea time treat. See, the stress just melts away.
Relax.
If the destination recommends half a day, take a day and a half and schedule in some pool time, spa time, book a massage in and download that books you’re been meaning to read forever.
Throw out all of the above and book last minute.
Wake up one morning and the forecast is for amazing sunshine and an afternoon of blue skies? You could sleep in, haunt the house in PJs, watch back to back episodes of Millionaire Matchmaker and inhale a bathtub of popcorn. Or, how about dusting off that cobwebbed ‘one day’ list of places you’ve always meant to visit (see clause number 3.)
What do you like to do on staycations?
