Greetings, everyone! I’m back with another set of top travelling tips for you, only this time they hit a bit closer to home – literally.

Whilst it would be great if we could just pack our bags and fly away at a moment’s notice, this might not always be possible. You may have trouble getting time off work, or you may have other responsibilities that prevent you from being able to leave. And let’s be totally honest – flying to a different country can be expensive (though fortunately, you’re always going to get a great deal when you’re using Travel House UK!).

That’s why today’s post is all about how to have a holiday right here in your own country! I’ve had this conversation with my friends countless times, and, unsurprisingly, many of them have never really thought about it – let alone considered it a proper holiday. But here’s where I step in to gently tell them they’ve got it all wrong!

So, without further ado, let me guide you on how to enjoy a holiday right here (or there!) in your own country!

Disconnect

Let’s address the elephant in the room – social media. Look, I love endlessly scrolling to my heart’s content as much as the next person, but it’s never going to feel like a proper holiday if you’re still spending too much time looking at other people having fun on their social media pages. Whilst this may seem like an inconsequential step, it is important to let go of social media (just for a little while!) whilst you embark on your own domestic travels to tell your mind that you are doing something different for a change.

Explore

When you’re preparing to go to a different country, you’ve probably looked at a list of different restaurants and venues for your chosen destination. Maybe you’ve scoured the internet for information on museums, famous landmarks, and other must-see locations.

But have you ever done this for your city?

I’m in my mid-twenties and I’ll be honest – I had not even thought about doing this until a couple of years ago, and when I finally did, my mind was blown.

I was amazed to see such an array of dineries, hiking and running routes, and some notso-secret clothing stores that I had never come across before. I also came across food vendors that were all the rage online, yet I’d never visited, even though they were just a stone’s throw away. Not only that, but when I started being a bit more attentive to my surroundings, I noticed a myriad of locations that don’t have a strong online presence, such as independent cafes and antique shops.

Staycations

Possibly my favourite tip on this list – the staycation. Back in the day, if you were travelling somewhere, you either had to have a friend you could stay with or you’d have to book a hotel. Sure, either option would get the job done, but let’s be real, neither one is a particularly exciting option.

These days, you’re no longer confined to a dull selection of indistinguishable hotel rooms, and you don’t need to worry about offending your friend by politely telling them the bedroom they gave you smells like mould. Or worse (I’ve been there, trust me!).

If you’re diligent, you’ll be able to find some magical places on websites such as Airbnb, and when I say magical, I really mean it. With a range of filters at your disposal, the possibilities are endless. If you’re yearning for a whimsical, cosy log cabin hidden amidst verdant foliage, you’ll find it with ease. Perhaps a charming cottage with sweeping views of the mountains? Or even a quaint farmhouse, where the symphony of clucking chickens greets you with the dawn?

My friends and I recently decided to spend a weekend in one such cosy log cabin, carefully choosing one that was off the beaten track. This meant that when we weren’t outside basking in the beauty of the picturesque green fields, we had no choice but to entertain ourselves with tales from books and stories shared between us. All of this combined to make us feel as though we’d been whisked away from the pressures of everyday life, despite being only an hour’s drive from home.

Trains

Who likes driving? Not me!  

If you live in a country with good rail transport, you really have no excuse not to go travelling (well, except the train fares, but that’s a topic for another day).

In today’s world, it’s easy to feel as though social media, and big corporations are trying to steal your attention. On top of that, these companies have figured out that everyone likes videogames (okay, not everyone – my best friend thinks they’re a waste of time, but whatever), and so now they’re starting to tactically employ game-like techniques and systems to boost user engagement. Would you believe that I earned a Reddit achievement for logging in five days in a row? Yes, you read that right.

I began to wonder: what if we started using these tactics to our own advantage? It recently struck me that there are countless towns and cities within my own country that I’ve yet to explore, so I decided to do something about it.

Thanks to the rail service, I have now visited over 10 cities that I otherwise would not have within the last 4 months, and with the help of my top tips that I’ve shared above, each trip has ended up feeling like a mini holiday! And each time I visit a new place, I make a note of it on a spreadsheet, along with the date visited and a quick one-liner on how it went (for example, my entry on Lichfield reads: Bad weather, ate two sandwiches and stepped in poop). I sometimes feel as though I’m a character in a videogame, on the prowl for more opportunities to level up!

And that’s all there is to it  – consider this a friendly push from one friend to another, gently urging you to get out there and explore. If you thought this would be an overly complicated process, hopefully this guide has put those thoughts to bed. So get on out there, because your next trip might be closer than you think!