With the Winter months hopefully coming to an end soon you might be starting to think about holidays. 2020 was definitely not the year for travelling but hopefully, 2021 will give us some more freedom when the warmer weather rolls around. Understandably, travelling abroad may not be top of your agenda for 2021 but that doesn’t mean that you can’t have a holiday. The UK has a whole host of beautiful staycation destinations that are waiting to be explored so here are some of my top picks of places to visit!
UK Staycation Destination 1: Lymington
Lymington is where myself and my boyfriend visited the February before lockdown began and we loved it. It was such a gorgeous little town that was lovely to explore. The main street has a whole host of independent shops and cafes along with a few more familiar chains. It is also right by the sea and even though it was February it was such a lovely view. There was a cute café very near to the waterfront where we sat and had a hot chocolate to warm ourselves up too. We didn’t have a car with us and we were able to access everything on foot which is always handy. There’s also a train from Lymington Pier to Lymington Town which is useful if you’re staying slightly further out. Instead of walking for 30 to the centre, you can take the train which will get you there in under 2 mins.
UK Staycation Destination 2: Lincoln
Lincoln is somewhere that I loved visiting. It has so much to explore and is such a beautiful historic city. If you’re looking for recommendations for things to visit in Lincoln then I wrote a travel guide after visiting in the summer. The town has so many avenues and streets to explore and the castle and cathedral are beautiful. One of my personal favourite things was exploring steep hill, which is incredibly steep so be warned. It gives you a lovely view from the top as you can look back down on all the shops and cafes down below.
UK Staycation Destination 3: Warwickshire
Warwickshire as a destination is quite broad but it has so much to offer! Within a relatively small area, you can easily get a whole range of destinations with a car. For example, you could visit the birthplace of Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon and explore some of the undiscovered gems there. If you like history, then a trip to Warwick and its castle are definitely worth seeing. If the weather is nice you can even hire a boat and take a trip down the river. You could even visit Leamington Spa, Henley-in-Arden, or Alcester as there are so many market towns to explore.
UK Staycation Destination 4: Cambridge
In my opinion, Cambridge makes it the perfect staycation destination. Cambridge has so much to offer and the streets are gorgeous to walk around and explore too. Myself and my boyfriend visited Cambridge over the summer and really enjoyed our time there. You can visit many of the colleges and explore the green space around them, visit the Botanical Gardens or the Fitzwilliam Museum. There’s plenty to see and do if you do decide to visit Cambridge for a staycation!
UK Staycation Destination 5: Portsmouth
If you’re after the more traditional sun and sea than Portsmouth might be what you’re looking for. Portsmouth has a pebble beach and plenty of seaside attractions so if you visit on a sunny day then it will feel like you’re abroad anyway! If you’re interested in nautical history then Portsmouth has a historic dockyard and the Mary Rose Museum to explore. Gunwharf Quays is a designer shopping outlet with restaurants too and you can also take a trip up the Spinnaker Tower to admire the views.
I hope this post has given you some inspiration for some UK staycation destinations and you’ve found somewhere that you might like to visit. Like I said earlier, the UK does have some beautiful places to explore so it’s well worth having a look around at some UK destinations. Fingers crossed that travel becomes easier in the next few months and we can all look forward to jetting off soon!
Have you visited any of these destinations before? Where would you go for a UK staycation?
There are so many interesting places to explore in the UK! Because I’m NI based all of these places require me to get a boat or a plane so that makes them even more exotic! I used to go to Bradford all the time for work and even that felt like a holiday! My family and I went to The Wirral last summer and it’s a great location too!
Oooh I shall be adding The Wirral to my list of places to visit!
These all sound like great locations! I only visited Cambridge and really loved visiting the campus and strolling around the town. The architecture and charm of the town itself were amazing! Can’t wait to visit some more, Lymington and lincoln are going straight on my list x
Oh yes I agree, Cambridge is so gorgeous! I really recommend Lymington and Lincoln so I hope you get to visit!
Great post! Of these I’ve only been to Portsmouth so I have four other great places to discover. Thank you!
Hope you manage to visit the other places!
These are some really lovely places! I’ve always wanted to visit Cambridge and go punting on the river, great post xx
Thank you for reading!
UK has so many beautiful places to enjoy a staycation. Reading your post makes me wish I’m in UK now. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for reading!
I went to Uni in Southampton and had a few days trips to Lymington! It’s such a cute place! And Cambridge is another gem!
Katie | katieemmabeauty.com
Snap! I’m also at Soton Uni and went for a weekend to Lymington, haha!
I hope we all take the opportunity to visit more places of the UK when lockdown is all over! I would love to go to Lymington, it sounds lovely! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
Lymington is such a gorgeous town – I hope you get to visit!
I can also highly recommend Cirencester, we stayed there a few years ago and it’s so well placed for lots of beautiful places around the Cotswolds.
Oooh yes, I’ve visited Cirencester a couple of times and the Cotswolds aren’t too far from me and it’s such a gorgeous place! Broadway is lovely too!
I’ve only been to Portsmouth and that was just to catch a ferry to France! One day I definitely want to go to Cambridge because it looks so stunning.
I hope you get to visit Cambridge soon!
I’ve wanted to visit Lincoln for a while- it looks very pictuesque. I studied in York for the past three years, and you can’t go wrong with York if you’re looking for a cute getaway spot 🙂 thank you for sharing x
Yes, York is such a gorgeous city. I’d love to visit again!
How fortunate that you’re in such a lovely area and can have stay cations there! I can’t wait for travel to open again so I can visit the UK! Thanks so much for sharing these charming hamlets!
–Sue
https://susanberkkoch.com/blog
No problem, thank you for reading!
These all sound like fab destinations and are ones i wouldn’t have thought of, great post!
Thank you for reading!
I love Lincoln, we spent a day there last year and I am keen to get back. I live in Warwickshire so I will vouch for it’s beauty!
We are so so lucky in this country to be surrounded by so many wonderful places to visit. I can’t wait to get out and about freely!
Great suggestions, thanks for sharing x
Oh I am also a fellow Warwickshire dweller! Thank you for reading x
Oh I love this kind of posts! I have never been to any of these places but I have heard a lot and seen great pictures of Lincoln and Cambridge! I would absolutely love to visit those two places!
Hope you manage to visit one day!
Wow this post has made me feel so hopeful about summer. I’d love to do more staycations. Cambridge is at the top of my list
Rosie
Cambridge is so lovely, I hope you get to visit!
I can’t wait to properly visit and explore Lincoln when I can. My boyfriend’s parents live in Lincolnshire, so its the perfect chance! I love a staycation – can’t wait to go on them again!
It’s such a lovely city – hope you get to visit soon!
Of these, I’ve only visited Portsmouth! But they all sound incredible and Lymington looks stunning and picturesque. I really hope to visit there someday, thanks for sharing! x
Definitely agree with Lymington and Lincoln and would love to visit the others. Cambridge is pretty high up on my list at the moment 🙂
I stayed in Cambridge for my 22nd Birthday and it was such a lovely city to visit. We went on those boat rides as well and it was so so lovely. Warwickshire is practically up the road for me and it’s also such a lovely place to visit.
Isobel x
http://www.fashionistachic.co.uk
If I lived in the UK, I would love to visit these places! I’ve only been to London, Oxford, Birmingham, and Bristol before. These places are definitely on my list now. 🙂
These all sound great. I would love to visit the UK someday, thanks for the tips!
I would love to go on a Staycation this year and travel to any of these places, I’ve always wanted to visit Cambridge, although they are a bit far out for me. However, I’m hoping maybe a few good days out instead and perhaps near Christmas being able to have a staycation in Edinburgh or somewhere again.
I can’t wait to be able to go on a staycation. There are a few places I would like to visit; Newton Abbot where I used to live, Brighton, Liverpool, Oxford and some places in Scotland. You have suggested some lovely places. I have been to lymington before briefly. Thank you for sharing.
I want to go to all of these please!
I love Northumberland for a staycation, but particularly Warkworth. It’s a gorgeous medieval village with the kindest people, a fantastic castle, excellent pubs, a cracking beach, and even otters and seals in the tidal river. It’s like a bit of heaven.
Cora | https://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk/
There are so many wonderful places to explore in the UK. Let’s hope more people can discover it this year.
I love the sound of all of these! My favorite places to visit so far has been York and Durham further north, but I would love to see all of these too x
Oh some great ideas here, I doubt many people will be holiday abroad this year so these are some great places to consider
Great post as these look like some great destinations to go to. This is one place I would like to go to so it is good to know what places are best.
Lincoln & Lymington are definitely places I want to visit. They are on my list. Oh and Cambridge too. They are on top of my list in UK. 😀 I can’t wait for this lockdown to be over so I can travel or at least have a good time with my friends.
I doubt I’ll be going on abroad on holiday this year so I would love to go somewhere in the uk but I never know where to go, these are some great options. I like the sound of Portsmouth, I’ve been there before as a child and loved it! X
This is a cool list and almost essential for this summer! I hadn’t considered a lot of your recommendations before (I’ve been to Cambridge before so had my eyes elsewhere), but they’ll be interesting to look into – especially Lymington, I’d never heard of it, but the New Forest is great!
I’m really looking forward to being able to travel again! Being from France I haven’t been to many parts of the UK yet so I’d love to explore more once this whole situation is over! I’d love to go to Cornwall and the Peak District personally! Lincoln and Warwickshire sound lovely x
Em – earthlyem.co.uk
I definitely want to go on a few staycations this year if I can! I’ve never been to any of the places you suggested but Cambridge sounds lovely. I’d love to visit Brighton and Edinburgh x
https://www.femaleoriginal.com
Great post! I’ve only really been to Lincoln, and that was for a night out so I didn’t really get to see much of it. This is a great list of places, so thanks for sharing!
Em
Such fab suggestions, I’ve only ever been to Warwickshire which was lovely! I’m so desperate to travel this year, the peak District and Cotswolds are top of my list but honestly anywhere outside of my postcode would do! Milli X – http://millidavison.co.uk/
Haha, I feel the same. The Cotswolds are lovely!
This is a great post. I have not been to any of these places but I would like to go to Cambridge. It sounds amazing. I cannot wait to be able to travel around more again. Thank you for recommendations.
Thank you for reading!