The Best Summer Staycation Options
With school children now back in the classrooms, the slow unwind of lockdown has started to take place. But for those trying to plan a summer holiday, there is much more that needs to happen before everything is possible.
Of course, the UK has good reasons for optimism. After all, the vaccine roll-out is turning out to be world beating in the same way test and trace was not. The important numbers are all heading in the right direction. The prospect of everything being opened up as early as Midsummer’s Day is a tantalising thought, but also realistic.
However, overseas holidays may be a less likely prospect. Although Cyprus has signalled it will allow vaccinated Britons to visit from May 1st – which is actually before anyone will be allowed to leave the UK for a holiday – the fact is EU countries may not be in the best position to receive visitors.
The reason is that while UK vaccine supplies are abundant and most Britons are willingly getting jabbed, the first of those issues is proving a major problem across the EU and the second is particularly acute in some countries. France is especially prone to vaccine scepticism, with uptake as low as 40 per cent even among health workers.
All this could mean the virus is still circulating too much for some countries to open up, even if any freshly-jabbed Britons should be safe enough to visit.
With so much uncertainty, there could be no better time to plan a staycation. If you and some friends want a getaway, it may be best to put that trip to the Med or Paris on hold for a year and try somewhere in Britain.
If you live in the area, check out our luxury minibus hire in Manchester and think about where you might head.
Should the warmest possible locations in Britain interest you, Which? Has listed the hottest places in the English summer as London, Cambridge, Stratford-on-Avon and, should you fancy a trip to the coast, Eastbourne.
So, if you like the idea of a first trip to the big smoke in quite a while, a stroll around the historic varsity city, a Shakespearean trip (what better for theatre lovers as they open up again?) or a seaside jaunt that takes you to the English Channel if not across it, then you can head south.
Of course, you don’t have to look for the warmest sun. Manchester is ideally situated for trips to some of the UK’S finest countryside, tantalisingly out of reach for months.
Whether it is the rugged mountains and fine coastal scenery of north Wales, the fascinating geology of the Yorkshire Dales or the beauty of the Lake District, there is lots to enjoy. Those planning a trip to these places should be warned though; your tour party may need to act fast to book up accommodation, especially holiday cottages.
