Yes, this really is Britain!

Seeking the staycation alternative to a summer of travel chaos? There are plenty of options to rival the best of Europe right on your doorstep, says Chris Leadbeater

It was meant to be so different. After two tough summers when the once-simple concept of an overseas holiday was stymied by Covid, PCR tests, border restrictions, lockdowns of various severities, “red lists” and quarantine hotels, 2022 came over the horizon hailed as the year that would mark a return to normality. Travel would slip back into the relatively soft currents it had sailed in 2019, the many obstacles of the pandemic would be cleared away and beaches across Europe would beckon. Everyone back to the airport.

It hasn’t quite worked out that way. While it would be grossly inaccurate to declare that the sunspots of France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy,

Croatia and Turkey will be inaccessible in the fastapproaching high-season months of July and August, you may already be wondering whether you have the patience and fortitude required to reach them.

You will have read the headlines. Major airlines cancelling flights at short notice. Biblical-length queues for security – lengthy enough, in some cases, for planes to be missed. Mountains of undelivered bags piled outside terminals. Industrial action making even the first part of the journey a hurdle to be leapt.

Some of these problems are the inevitable consequence of a planet – and a travel industry –

Who needs the Mediterranean when you can have the Hayle Estuary in west Cornwall?

struggling to regain momentum after so long in a holding pattern. But while the situation is likely to improve as the clock ticks onwards and staffing numbers recover at check-in desks, security scanners and baggage-handling facilities, it may be tempting to look at all the commotion and consider what our home shores offer instead.

There is no sense of defeatism in this. One of the lessons learnt during the pandemic is that the UK can be as wondrous a destination as anywhere else – and if you are thinking of keeping it British in the coming weeks, you will find plentiful options to ease your wanderlust. In fact, you don’t even have to abandon the continental holiday you were dreaming of in January. Sort of. With a little lateral thinking, you can still capture the essence of that Greek-island jaunt, that winetasting tour, that mountain escape, without having to go through customs.

Read on for 15 British alternatives to classic European breaks. You will need your sun cream, your camera and your floatiest dress. Just not your passport…