There might be plenty of critics out there arguing to the contrary, but in this year of cutting back and making family life easier that is 2013, the staycation is taking over in a big way. Just a couple of years ago, most looked at the idea of holidaying on national soil as something of a compromise – a decision that was made not by choice, but out of necessity. From limited cash to limited time to health complaints and so on and so forth, it was largely not the ‘done thing’ to holiday at home if you had the option of straying further afield.

Today however things are different and the people of the UK have at long last started to celebrate all the amazing things that are right on their doorsteps and put their exotic dreams on hold for a while at least. And when you look at what’s to be gained from holidaying at home when considering young kids as part of the group, it’s pretty hard to dispute the way in which UK holidays are more than a little appealing.

Families

Money Matters

Just to get the most obvious of the three out of the way from the start, a UK holiday if booked sensibly and with care will almost always be exponentially cheaper than a foreign holiday. And what’s more, the fact that Brits already know how much things cost at home means that they can budget more accurately and realistically than hazarding a guess at how much it might cost to get by in some far, dark corner of the word.

Lamentable Logistics

And then comes the subject of logistics – as in getting the family including the kids and all the necessary luggage where it all needs to be in the first place. A UK holiday usually means a single trip in one vehicle, while a trip abroad means commuting, flights, transfers and Lord only knows what else that might be necessary. The more complex the logistics, the greater the chance of something going wrong, the longer the journey time and usually the greater the cost…so why bother?

Change of Plans

In addition to the above, booking a package holiday is all well and good if things go to plan in the meantime, but try and make even the slightest alteration to a pre-booked deal and chances are you’ll be looking at practically no recompense. By contrast, make a booking with an accommodation provider in the UK having arranged your own transport and there’s usually a great deal more flexibility to speak of. Not that all follow suit, but you’ve got certainly a better chance if plans change slightly.

Worst Case Scenario

Rounding things off, while it’s something most wouldn’t want to spend too much time thinking about, one of the biggest grey clouds that hangs over the head of parents on holiday with their kids is the ‘what if’ cloud – as in what if something goes wrong and we have to return home in a hurry? It’s simple common sense – the further afield you travel, the great the trouble in getting home in a hurry such circumstances dictate and thus less peace of mind for the trip as a whole.

By Lisa Morton

Lisa Morton’s preferred holiday involves the very best Holiday Cottages Cornwall has to offer with her friends and family by her side.