Get the most from a city staycation in UK hotspots
With an enormous shift from foreign holidays to staycations this summer, many people in the UK are choosing to holiday in cities, to explore and enjoy the vast and differing range of attractions that each has to offer.
Many British cities have sites of historical interest to discover, along with multiple dining options to suit all ages and tastes, and plenty of places to stay.
Then there are attractions such as parks, zoos, museums and galleries. Many have beautiful countryside or coastlines too, to add to the sights and experiences to be found within the city centres.
In The Guide to a Very British Staycation, compiled by Ageas, Brighton’s many plus points saw it placed first of the city stay list with a tally of almost 700 attractions.
These range from a wander along The Lanes to a stroll down the famous pier and through the Royal Pavilion Gardens.
The city also has many parking spaces, a plethora of restaurants and an excellent range of hotel rooms lining the seafront.
But it is quite pricey for accommodation, with an average stay costing each visitor around £148.
York, a university city steeped in history, with a river running through it, was runner-up in the all attractions stakes, and had most eating out options with 23.5 restaurants per 1000 visitors, ahead of Gloucester and Taunton, both of which scored highly in that same category.
Historic Durham did well too, in the North, with 16.6 restaurants per 1000 visitors. Known for its stunning cathedral and castle, you can find all kinds of accommodation from the quirky to the stately.
Best scoring cities for all facilities also included Cheltenham with its famous racecourse and Regency buildings, and the port city of Aberdeen, often described as the Flower of Scotland because of its many parks and gardens, along with long
sandy beaches and a buzzing night life.
Added to the list are the ‘spa town’ of Tunbridge Wells with its famous pedestrianised street, The Pantiles, and the university city of Cambridge with its stunning architecture and punting on the River Cam.
Penzance makes the top ten, as a prime Cornish market town with an eclectic mix of buildings from shops to restaurants and hotels, some of which date back hundreds of years.
The lowest average cost of accommodation among the top ten scoring cities were Tunbridge Wells, at £72, then Cambridge at £78 and Cheltenham at £80.
Aberdeen was found to have the most parking options by far, with 17,222 spaces. Cheltenham fared well with parking too, with 13,514 places for visitors to leave their vehicles.
Along with all these towns and cities and their many draws, are a whole host of others that each have their individual plus points.
City breaks can be fastpaced, focused, adventurous, relaxed, romantic or funfilled - the choice is endless.
Even the town or city close to your home will have venues and areas of interest you have never had the time to visit or explore.
Many cities offer accompanied walks and tours, and guides such as the one mentioned here help you to make the most of your hours away.
The Guide to a Very British Staycation aims to provide inspiration for those planning current and future staycations, as lockdown restrictions are lifted further.
It recommends the following of national and local government advice when booking any staycation, as this is subject to change.