With the delays of Europe’s new EES scheme and the ever-rising cost of living, it’s understandable if you haven’t yet booked a summer holiday. Many other couples and families have held off too: recent research by loveholidays.com found that next-day bookings have jumped 26 percent year-on-year.
If you’d like a break but are tempted to stay in the UK, there are options for last-minute bookers – even if you hope to pack a case and set off by the end of next week. We’ve found the six best choices to do just that, whether you fancy a romantic getaway a deux, a family break or a trip with friends. All had availability for trips starting between the 7th and 10th of August at the time of writing.
A cosy escape fit for a period drama at Bottle Lodge in Staffordshire
There’s definitely only room for two at this teeny Grade II-listed, 19th-century lodge, which once marked the entrance to the now-demolished Tixall Hall – and that’s part of its charm for couples who are still in the honeymoon phase. A cute octagonal hideaway, it comes with a bijou kitchen and living area downstairs and a beamed bedroom under its domed roof (with little shower in the corner). Outside, however, there’s plenty of sunbathing space in a private garden that stretches to over one-third of an acre, as well as the chance to stroll the nearby canal paths to trail through the forest at Cannock Chase.
The details: sleeps two, from £1,375 per week (coolstays.com).
A stylish stay in Cornwall at Bamboo House
If this three-bedroom, wood-clad property looks like it has jumped straight from the pages of an interiors mag, there’s a reason: its breezy, raffia-accented rooms have featured in not one, but two of them. A stay here is like drifting into an Instagram account, where Oz and Bali-inspired rooms look out onto the surrounding greenery. We love the roof terrace, cosetting bath and sauna of the main bedroom (each of the three bedrooms has its own bathroom) and its location, ten minutes’ drive from St Ives. Just note that this is strictly for teens and above, due to high drops in the garden.
The details: sleeps six, from £5,730 per week (kiphideaways.com).
The chance to get away from it all at Tincture in Wales
Keen to put as much distance as possible between you and the daily grind? This stone cottage, lost in the ancient woodland of the Cambrian Mountains, is the place to do it. Off-grid, with solar power and spring water providing home comforts, it’s straight from a fairytale, with whimsical furniture adding to its dreamy other-worldliness (the dining table, for example, is made from a stable door). Outside, trails fan out into the empty countryside and there’s a natural pond for wild dips too.
© Tincture/Unique HomestaysThe details: sleeps four, from £3,495 (unique-homestays.com).
A family break close to home at The Coach House in Surrey
If you live in the commuter belt and can’t be bothered to go far (or don’t and are keen to discover the unsung joys of the protected Surrey Hills National Landscape, where kites soar and rabbits skitter), this clapboard beauty should do the trick nicely. It may be the prettiest home in Britain: fairy lights are strung up above the terrace, watercolours dot the walls and each bedroom comes with cosily considered rugs and cushions. Outside, things are just as gorgeous: the village of Shere, which is home to the property, provided the photogenic setting for the Cameron Diaz and Jude Law film, The Holiday.
The details: sleeps six, from £4,065.30 (boutique-retreats.co.uk).
A Scottish Highland reunion at Hilltop Lodge
Set in five and a half private acres a stroll from the lovely little town of Aberfeldy, this is the perfect property for a gathering of friends and family. Tastefully done up in white, with whispers of soft greys and pinks, it has Highland views from its floor-to-ceiling windows and a wood burner for when the unpredictable weather turns. Cosy up in four ensuite bedrooms, let children run wild on the lawn, and take sundowners on the sprawling wooden deck (complete with hanging chair) overlooking rust and amber countryside. With the River Tay and Loch Tay nearby, there’s the chance to try canoeing, hill walking and paddle boarding too.
© Fran MartThe details: sleeps eight, from £13,545 (oliverstravels.com)
An old-fashioned seaside holiday at Peep-O-Sea in Northumberland
Trimmed in a white wisp of sand which often comes dotted with the blue boats of local fishermen, the coastal village of Boulmer sits sleepily beneath wide open skies. This little stone cottage overlooks it all from its vantage point just behind the beach. It’s a cheery place with sunny yellow accents inside and a large garden out, perfect for bracing walks along the English Coast Park or gentle mooches into Alnwick, 15 minutes’ drive away. Much-loved local The Fishing Boat Inn is worth a visit too, for its seafood platters and sandwiches made with just-caught crab.
© TRACEY BLOXHAMThe details: sleeps four, from £1,430 (crabtreeandcrabtree.com).
