Staycation anyone?

Have just spent a week in the New Forest. We had wall to wall sunshine. We have visited this area (Lymington, Beaulieu, Christchurch) many times and I can count on my fingers the number of rainy days we have had. Early to mid July seems to work for us.

We were sitting outside at 10.00 pm watching an open air show and it was about 20 degrees.

We are off to West Wales in three weeks time. We don't usually go away in the school holidays because of the cost and the crowds, but it is a special family holiday this year. We booked the property we're staying in a year in advance to be sure of getting the dates we wanted. We haven't been abroad for some years; DH hates airports. He likes to be able to throw everything in the car and take off. I'm happy to holiday in this country and the weather doesn't usually phase us.

Purchasing tickets from France, the key nuber is 90 = tickets become available 90 days in advance. Just like low cost airlines, tickets are very cheap then and increase steadily as time gets closer.

We pay around 100Euros return - and no hassle to get to airport, bus to the station, and no extortionate car parking during our stay.

DD2 always goes by Eurostar. She books really, really early and gets amazing deals. Norwich to London, overnight stay plus a visit to a museum or two then on to Paris.

Flying from Norfolk is great if you're independent. Norwich - Schiphol - The World. But package deals all go from the major airports which is a big turn off for us as it's so difficult to get to them.

We had a family gathering at Sandy Balls variously in tent, pods and caravan May Bank holiday last year. It took nearly ten hours to get from north Norfolk to Hampshire! School holidays are the biggest disadvantage to staycations.

Oh EllenT- what a shame. We often do the Switzerland to Midlands train journey and we just love it. Soooo relaxing and not tiring at all- much much nicer than plane. Freiburg is a small town and really not a big security risk as the larger towns- and with lovely countryside.

Hope you do go and enjoy it

Gagagran- the train would be a great alternative for you. Eurostar to Paris, Lille and then TGV to a great location in France or Switzerland. It's so relaxing and easy off peak.

Thinking about it a bit more, the best thing about a staycation is taking my dog with me!

Thinking of abandoning our booked and paid for 10 days in August in Freiburg, Germany because of the length of the train journey from Scotland (we hate flying), concerns over security related delays, and security itself in Paris (overnight stay) and Germany. It seemed a good idea at the time, as the 'interesting' holiday contrast to a low key couple of weeks in the Yorkshire Dales, where we are just now. Trouble is ithat it's very relaxing here and the motivation and energy required for the German adventure is rather lacking. Anyone undertaken a long continental train journey recently?

Isle of Wight for me this year and I'm really looking forward to it

7hrs London to Cornwall that's no fun. We've done Kent to Cornwall in 5 ish.
Don't know what's worse, that, or the 13 hr delay my friend had at an airport last month.

Hmmm, not sure. We spent 7 hot hours in the car yesterday getting from London to Cornwall. Our holiday next month to the South of France will be 3 hours door to door by plane.
Our Cornwall cottage is slighty more expensive than the cost of the appartment near Nice, our eating out will probably be about the same.
Security could be an issue for some but we use the tube everyday so I guess for us airports are no problem.

We've just come back from Madeira. DH, who loves his foreign holidays usually, says he's never going abroad again. He said he's sick of airports, queues, security (a necessary evil I know), waiting for transfers, lying around on beaches and eating and drinking too much and there was a slightly troublesome passenger on the flight back which gave everyone the heebie-jeebies! Suits me. I love the UK.

My wanderlust has gradually wandered off for longer and longer periods and it is now a long time since it re-appeared.I have decided that I like my own bed and my own home and have no urge to visit anywhere given all the scary things going on in the world.

I hate the cattle market treatment at airports and all the security restrictions imposed. I am not keen on traffic-jammed motorways and the trains in our area are now officially the worst in the country (Southern Railways). So, as we live in a beautiful coastal region with the South Downs just to our north, there is no reason to subject myself to the trauma of travel. I am very happy to have a staycation!

We last went abroad about in January 2014 but that was a coach tour to Switzerland.
We went to Germany when D was married to a squaddie and living there but we don't fly of to the sun. We are quiet happy to have 2-3 long weekends in UK. I'm not sure which works out cheaper.

I hosted my reading group this week and it was interesting that of the nine of us, eight have booked their main holidays in the UK this year. Dorset, Wales, Cornwall, Devon, Derbyshire. I'm doing the Inca Trail But we'll have had a few UK short breaks before the year is out.

Yes, I always holiday here, because I'm confined to the school holidays.

I like quiet places like North Wales. I don't mind cold/wet; I'm used to it, being Welsh.

I don't like sitting around in the sun any more.