It’s becoming extremely chic for British travelers to abandon international flights and changing time-zones, in favor of exploring our own glorious – albeit sometimes wet – British Isles.
Anyone combining the words ‘touring’ and ‘UK’ is likely to have a good, old-fashioned caravan holiday in mind. However, basing your summer holiday on the home ground doesn’t necessarily equate to chemical toilets, Formica counters, and dining room tables that convert into snug little beds!
Take a look at this guide to finding alternative accommodation throughout Britain that will save you money on expensive hotels and overpriced holiday lets. If you’re an international traveler visiting the UK, these options are a great way of exploring the country and will leave you with extra spending money to enjoy yourself.
Housesitting
‘Homely country cottage, with outstanding views, friendly locals and free Wi-Fi – available for two weeks, mid-August’. Sounds pricey, right? Wrong.
If you’re prepared to consider house and pet sitting, the price of your next holiday in Britain could be limited to the fuel it takes to get you there. House sitting is perfect for travelers in search of tranquillity and solitude in a homely environment – providing you’re happy to share your holiday with the pets you’ve been drafted in to look after.
If housesitting sounds like your kind of thing, check out trusthousesitters.com to create a profile offering your house sitting services and browse house sitting opportunities throughout the country.
Couchsurfing
We’ve all spent the odd few nights sleeping on a friend’s couch (usually a bit worse for wear from the night before). But did you know that snoozing on sofas could be an alternative way of traveling around the country?
‘Couchsurfing’ is the laid back way of finding accommodation on a budget. At its most basic, you could be sleeping on someone’s couch (as the name suggests). Other times, you could be luckier and land your room.
The obvious benefit is the price. Couchsurfing will just cost you a fraction of the price that a hotel in the same city center location would set you back (people usually give back something in exchange for free accommodation). It’s also a great way of learning about a new area quickly, as hosts are often eager to share local knowledge and introduce travelers to local culture. Take a look at couchsurfing.org for more information on this type of accommodation.
Glamping
Get your glad rags on, because we’re going glam camping – aka glamping! If you’ve not heard of this global phenomenon, then you’re behind the times, my friend.
Gone are the days when camping involved sleeping on the floor in something with less headroom than your standard coffin. Camping accommodation has experienced a significant transformation, with the introduction of things like classic bell tents, (available to buy from big, specialist online shops like Boutique Camping).
These bad boys are like having your own ‘Big Top’ to sleep in, and the designs are very ‘oldy-worldy’ – there’s no other way of describing them. You can create an oasis of luxury that will rival something out of an Arabian night in the desert – even if it is on a campsite in Wales.
That said, they’re not the sort of tent that you can throw in your rucksack and take on a hiking trip. But they are perfect if you’re touring Britain by car. Having your luxury tent, an airbed, and some duvets and pillows mean that you can pitch up your little spot of opulence wherever you like, for a fraction of the price of a hotel room.
Bell Tent with Zipped in Ground Sheet, in Sky Blue, from £439, at Boutique Camping
Working holidays
‘Working’ and ‘holiday’ in the same sentence sounding slightly oxymoronic? Let’s make sure we’re on the same wavelength here.
A working holiday doesn’t necessarily mean taking your laptop with you to catch up on spreadsheets and figures. Think more along the lines of conservation and restoration work for a group like the National Trust. You could be doing anything from maintaining the countries landscape to packing up one of Britain’s stately homes at the end of the tourist season.
You could spend your next holiday helping to maintain one of Britain’s magnificent stately homes, like Belton House in Lincolnshire, which is owned by the National Trust.
Great for single travelers, a working holiday is a fantastic way of meeting new people, while you’re giving something back to the country.
Hopefully, this guide has outlined some British holiday options that you hadn’t previously considered. These options are a unique and alternative way of exploring the country, as well as being easy on your bank balance.