Fish and chips and walking the pier – why Brits have fallen back in love with staycations

We are living in a land of British smiles as more and more families make the most of the joys of taking holidays on home soil.

As many as 72% of Britons have taken holidays – or will take holidays – here this year, a survey found.

Exploring more of our country is the most popular reason for getting out and about in the Great British Isles, with 61% giving this as the reason. Other things which make holidaying in Britain great include pub beer gardens (49%), eating fish and chips out of the paper on the beach (48%), renting a picturesque cottage by the sea (38%), visiting castles (36%). Cornwall (54%), the Lake District (47%), Scotland^[1] (42%) and Devon (39%) were the most popular places on the list of ideal UK holiday destinations.

One in six (16%) of the 2,000 people polled by webuyanycar love shouting “I can see the sea” before anyone else on a road trip, while 14% love devouring a 99 with a flake.

Richard Evans, head of technical services at webuyanycar, said: “It’s great to see lots of Brits hitting the road this summer for the ultimate UK holiday, despite the option to holiday abroad.”

“Although we can’t make the road trip any quicker, webuyanycar can provide a fast way to sell your old car so you can upgrade to one that makes the journey a little more comfortable and reduce the chances of breaking down during the road trip.”

Driving to the airport (61%), on the side of the motorway (60%), anywhere in the dark (42%) and on a country lane in the middle of nowhere (40%) are thought of as the worst places to break down.

Nine out of the ten polled (91%) believe that holidaying in the UK can be just as good as going abroad, with Cornwall (54%), Lake District (47%), Scotland (42%) and Devon (39%) topping the list of ideal UK holiday destinations.

A third (33%) munch on boiled sweets as soon as they sit down in the car, while a similar number (32%) always make a playlist of summer songs before setting off. Sarnies for a motorway picnic (29%), a flask of coffee (28%) and eye-spy (21%) are also considered essentials for a UK road trip.

THE 10 GREATEST THINGS ABOUT HOLIDAYING IN THE UK

1: Country pubs with a beer garden – 49%

2: Fish and chips out of the paper on the beach – 48%

3: Renting a cottage by the sea – 38%

4: Visiting castles – 36%

5: Not having a luggage limit – 34%

6: Not having to get on a flight – 34%

7: Exploring a National Trust home and garden – 34%

8: Walking along the pier – 33%

9: The smell of country air – 33%

10: Watching the scenery change on the way there – 31%

References

1. ^{^} Scotland (www.mirror.co.uk)
2. ^{^} Brits vote for their favourite 20 staycation hotspots for perfect family holiday (www.mirror.co.uk)
3. ^{^} Holly Willoughby's best high street outfits including Marks & Spencer sale dress (www.mirror.co.uk)