Holiday Cottages & Lettings in the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom, also known as Great Britain or ‘Blighty’ is famed for its green-and-pleasant countryside, its fascinating historic cities and its stunning natural parks. For these reasons, many Brits had planned a holiday on home-shores this year. 

If you were looking forward to a ‘Staycation’ that has been put on hold for now, then fear not! HomeToGo has created a virtual guide of the best that Britain has to offer, so you can explore this great Isle from the comfort of your own sofa.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 

A flick through Jane Austen’s classic, is the perfect way to remind yourself of the very British ‘stiff upper lip’ and quick humour.

Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson

This is a personal recount of a trip that Bill Bryson took around Britain. His tour of our green and kindly island, it is somewhat of a love letter to the UK with all its quirks. 

Very British Problems, Twitter Feed

This feed is an excellent snapshot into the bizarre social codes, manners and hidden lives of our fellow countrymen and women.

For the first leg of your imaginary UK mini-break, imagine that you have arrived and are just settling into your holiday-home for the weekend. Set the mood by tuning into a playlist of British classics. The Beatles, Oasis, Amy Winehouse and David Bowie are but a small selection of the musical exports hailing from Britainia and will remind you of the incredible talent our country has to offer. 

If that imaginary journey up the M1 has made you feel peckish, then it’s time to prepare a traditional British meal. Cook up a comforting plate of ‘Bangers and Mash’ and indulge in buttery mashed potatoes, topped with sausages and onion gravy. If you still have space after that stodge, finish off with a sticky-toffee pudding - best served piping-hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

After a morning of virtual gallery hopping, it’s time to stop into a ‘virtual pub’ for a bite to eat. Checking out the ‘local’ in a new town, is one of the best parts of a holiday on home-soil. However since pubs are closed for the time-being, you can instead tune into a ‘virtual pub experience’, - some are even offering an online version of their weekly pub quiz. Order yourself a pork pie (or cook up your very own version here) and wash it down in traditional style with a pint of warm ale. 

After your pub pit-stop, it’s time to leave the city and head to the great outdoors. The Lake District has been set up with webcams at some of it’s most beautiful spots, so you can transport yourself to rolling hills, breathtaking lakes and craggy landscapes. If you prefer a more manicured nature, many gardens in the UK also have virtual experiences on offer including Hidcote Manor Gardens and the incredible decorated grounds of Sissinghurst Castle. 

At 4.00pm on the dot, all activities can pause for tea time. Brew a strong cup of English breakfast, and serve with a freshly baked scone topped with jam and clotted cream. After this day of eating, you may need to rest for an hour or two before the evening. 

Although the virtual holiday is coming to an end, there is still time to curl up with a final cup of tea and a plate of toast with marmite (love it or hate it, this distinctly British spread is a Staycation staple!). 

For any last tours or sights, check out this guide of the famous halls of the Houses of Parliament, have a peek inside Brighton’s grand Royal Pavilion, be awe-struck by the interiors of Canterbury Cathedral and lastly experience some spiritual druid magic at this webcam streaming at Stone Henge. 

We hope you have enjoyed experiencing the UK through our virtual #StayHometoGo Staycation experience - Toodle pip for now!

Roshni is a traveller and photographer based in London. We asked her how she's scratching her itch for travel while in isolation:

“Whilst in isolation, the best way I’ve found to satisfy my wanderlust is by designing and creating travel photo books online to be printed for my bookshelf. Over the last few weeks, I’ve managed to create more than 50 mini photo books. It’s been a great way to relive my travel memories.”

First post-pandemic trip? "The Cotswolds. I’ll be travelling with my parents and sister, and enjoying a few days of family time, whilst getting back to my routine."

–– Roshni, The Wanderlust Within