Our writer, Tom, offers a few tips and tricks for a cheap UK holiday this summer...

Staycations have been all the rage over the last two years, and it’s easy to see why: with international travel halted by you-know-what, people up and down the country have been spending their summers slightly nearer home!

And with the climate crisis picking up its pace over recent years, flying has become less attractive to those seeking an eco-friendly getaway.

Holidaying in the UK used to be the budget option - but the tables have now turned.

According to research by On The Beach, holidays in Europe are now 66% cheaper on average than staycations. A holiday in Brighton would set the average family back £2,558.96 compared to £1,021 for the same type of trip in Turkey. Shocking, right?

Brighton's a lovely place to visit, but it might set you back a few bob if you're not careful!

Click here to view our Brighton tea towel

Post-pandemic holiday-fever has driven prices through the roof. And now, with the cost of living crisis, a staycation this summer might seem almost impossible.

But it doesn’t have to be!

That’s why I've put together a few tips for affordable UK holidays this summer - so you can enjoy a week away without breaking the bank.

Fancy a trip to the Cotswolds? It doesn't have to burn a hole in your pocket!

Click here to view our Cotswolds tea towel

The most expensive thing about holidaying in the UK is accommodation: AirBnBs and hotels can cost a pretty penny, especially if you’re booking multiple rooms.

In a place like the Cotswolds, accommodation comes with a hefty price-tag: an average hotel room in the Cotswolds will set you back at least £100 per night, if not more.

But free accommodation is surprisingly easy to come by, no matter where you are in the country!

You could try Home Swapping, where you stay in someone else’s home while they stay in yours. It can be tough to find the exact right place, but you could save hundreds of pounds in the process.

Or you could check out House Sitting websites like Trusted House-Sitters if you’re up for looking after someone’s home while they’re away.

It may sound like a bit of a hassle, but normally all you have to do is water their plants and feed their cats – other than that, you can chill out and enjoy your free holiday!

There are tonnes of House Sitting opportunities in and around Canterbury - why not check them out?

Click here to view our Canterbury tea towel

Of course, if you’re looking for something more outdoorsy, camping is another affordable holiday option. A good campsite doesn’t usually cost more than £10 or £12 per person per night – all you need to bring is your camping gear.

For my birthday this year, I drove up to the Peak District with some friends for a lovely weekend of walking. We stayed at Newfold Campsite in Edale, with Kinder Scout rising to the north and Mam Tor to the south.

We had some stunning weather, and didn’t have to drive much at all: the Pennine Way sets out from Edale and scarpers up Jacob’s Ladder to the Kinder Scout Plateau.

We only had to walk out of our campsite and we were already on the path up the hill!

I can’t think of many better ways to spend an afternoon than walking over the wind-swept moorland, the River Kinder bathed in glorious sunshine.

If you don’t have a car, not to worry: Edale Station is only a five- or ten-minute walk from multiple different campsites.

As long as you don’t mind lugging your gear down the road, you can quite literally hop off your train and walk to your camping pitch. 

And Edale isn’t unusual in that respect: there are actually loads of campsites around the UK that are accessible without a car, from Kildale in the North York Moors to Nethy Bridge in the Cairngorms.

It takes forward planning, true, but it’s definitely possible!

If you're looking for an idyllic campsite surrounded by footpaths and rolling hills, the Peak District is definitely worth checking out

Click here to view our Kinder Scout tea towel

But campsites aren’t for everyone, especially if you’re hoping for some real peace and quiet.

For those who are looking for a more secluded camping experience, wild camping might be right up your street!

As part of Scotland’s access legislation, you’re allowed to camp on most unenclosed land in Scotland - as long as you’re responsible and leave no trace. 

Sadly, in the rest of the UK, wild camping is illegal without the landowner’s permission. 

Rules are rules, of course. But there are always exceptions!

Dartmoor National Park allows wild camping in specific places, and the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority provides a list of local farms which welcome wild campers. 

In the Lake District – which has a long tradition of wild camping – the National Trust allow wild camping on their land, so long as certain guidelines are observed: you have to camp above the highest fell wall, which is approximately 400 metres.

Camping out on the hills may seem like quite a fearful prospect, but it's not so bad if you can find a sheltered spot.

Otherwise, it might be a tough night's sleep...

Thanks to Scotland's progressive access laws, wild camping is legal across almost all of the country

Click here to view our Glen Coe tea towel

But if you don’t like the idea of being completely at the mercy of the elements – the rain can be merciless in Cumbria – then you could always try and find a bothy to stay in.

Bothies are small cottages or huts found in remote mountainous parts of the UK, particularly in Scotland.

Most of them are completely open to the public and free to use, as long as you leave them clean and tidy.

Many bothies are maintained by the Mountain Bothies Association, which looks after 97 bothies in Scotland, Northern England and Wales – you can check out their interactive map here.

So there you have it!

There may not be a hot tub and chocolates on your pillow, but it’s more than possible to organise an affordable staycation – whether you fancy hiking in the mountains or strolling the streets of one of countless wonderful towns and cities.

Need some ideas of places to go? Why not poke around on our website and see if any of our designs pique your interest!

To travel, said Hans Christian Andersen, is to live. And what's life for if not for living? 

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