While you may be dreaming of international travel, there are many benefits associated with planning a family holiday that leaves you a little closer to home. For example, planning a staycation can:
- Help you to save money, particularly when it comes to travel or airline fees.
- Help you make the most of your off time, as you don’t spend an entire day of your trip travelling.
- Help you to discover new towns, villages or cities nearby, uncovering many hidden gems in the process.
- Help you to bond with your children while exploring the world together.
With that in mind, here are some tips and tricks that you can use to plan the holiday of a lifetime.
- Set your budget. The first step toward planning a successful staycation is figuring out how much you’d like to spend. Once you’ve landed on a figure – do your best to stick to it. After all, you should be relaxing on holiday, not worrying about the damage you are doing to your bank account. Remember, there are also plenty of ways to save money when travelling too, such as by using travel price comparison sites to ensure you are getting the best deal.
- Choose a style of holiday. There are many different staycation options for you to consider within the UK. For example, those looking for a bustling city break may want to head over to the capital. However, if you’re looking for something more adventurous and want to get up close and personal with nature, you should look into multi activity holidays. When heading out on a multi-activity holiday, no two days are the same – which means one morning you may find yourself on a picturesque countryside walk, only to be speeding down a zip wire later in the afternoon.
- Put together an itinerary. One of the benefits of going on holiday is that you are not bound to your regular schedule (or morning alarm). However, if you want to make the most of your time when travelling, you should put together some kind of itinerary in order to be able to manage your time appropriately. After all, this will ensure that you get to see everything you want to see, without missing out on an activity or attraction due to poor planning. Curating an itinerary also means you can prebook for certain attractions or hotspots, which is often cheaper than paying at the door.
- Go off the beaten track. Many travel guides state that in order to truly experience what a country, city or town has to offer, you must experience the location like a local. As a result, you should try to avoid tourist traps where possible, as they are often overrated and overpriced. Instead, try to find things to do or places to see that are a little off the beaten track. If you are unsure of where to begin, read some local guides or ask for recommendations. Again, avoiding popular tourist areas can help to keep your costs low.
- Be prepared when travelling. Whether you’re travelling to your staycation by car or train, it’s important that you are prepared for the journey. For example, if you are travelling with younger children, you should expect to hear “are we there yet?” at least 10 times an hour. As such, you should ensure you come prepared and have plenty of entertainment activities on hand to keep them quiet during the journey. This could include books, games or electronic devices. You should also ensure you have plenty of drinks and snacks to hand so that you don’t have to pull over every few minutes.
- Don’t forget travel insurance. Many people make the mistake of believing that travel insurance is only applicable when you are heading overseas, but this is not the case. While it may seem more important during international travel should you need access to medical care, you can use staycation travel insurance to cover the costs of things such as lost/stolen luggage or belongings, or unfair cancellations.
- Stay off your phone. According to a recent study, we spend around 4.8 hours a day on our phones, whether we’re scrolling through social media or answering calls. And while you may need to use your phone here and there when travelling, such as to make restaurant reservations or confirm booking details, you should also use this as an opportunity to unplug. After all, you shouldn’t view your entire staycation through your screen, as this will stop you from living in the moment. Instead of getting content for your Instagram, focus on making memories!
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