With all the rules and regulations surrounding international travel fluctuating, a summer staycation in the UK looks like an attractive option for a stress-free holiday. Whether you’re a seasoned flyer or just starting to dip your toes into the waters of international travel, we’ve all found ourselves getting busted at the airport for trying to smuggle a litre bottle of contact lens solution unconsciously.
Unlike packing for a holiday abroad, you can take whatever you want on a staycation since you haven’t got the hassle of all the travel requirements when flying. And with the inquiries about breaks in Britain increasing by 74%, more and more UK families are opting for a staycation instead of the stress of international travel.
Although staycations offer more flexibility, the amount you pack depends on how much you’re willing to carry and what will make you comfortable during your trip. From comfy clothes, books, games, reliable footwear, and cooking equipment like an outdoor pizza oven, to make this process easier, we’ve compiled a list of must-have essentials for your next staycation – keep reading to find out more.
Cooking Equipment
Whether we go abroad or have a long weekend in another UK city, what we eat remains one of our most significant memories long after our trip has ended. Sure, hiking along a nature trail or snorkelling for fish in the sea is memorable, but it will never compare to that one plate of food you ordered in that one restaurant and still talk about to this day, will it?
As a nation of food lovers, UK holidaymakers will go above and beyond to ensure their staycation is filled with fun activities and good food. Families staying in a self-catering facility will typically bring a selection of cooking equipment from portable barbeques and gas or electric-powered camping stoves, which are perfect for feeding your loved ones on the go.
Yet, suppose you and your family are bored of traditional staycation food, like burgers, hot dogs, tinned food etc. In that case, you could consider elevating your staycation experience by investing in an outdoor pizza oven like the ones available from Ooni.
As well as enabling you and your family to create fresh, homemade stone-baked pizzas, their outdoor pizza ovens provide a fun activity far more enjoyable than waiting for a burger to cook. For further information, recipes, and their complete range of outdoor pizza ovens, head to their website or contact them directly for specific inquiries.
A Streaming Device
When you’ve spent the day exploring all your staycation location offers, the best way to relax is by climbing into bed and settling in front of the T.V. with a hot drink. Yet if you don’t have the luxury of a hotel and are staying at a campsite, you may want to consider bringing a streaming device with you so that you can access video streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, BBC iPlayer etc.
On the other hand, if you are fortunate enough to stay in a hotel with amenities like a T.V., you could consider bringing your Amazon Fire Stick to turn it into a smart T.V. so that you can catch up on all your favourite Netflix shows even when on holiday.
Reading Material
Especially if you intend to have your staycation from the comfort of a campervan while the designated driver travels from place to place, you will need something to entertain yourself with. Since we often don’t have the time to read while juggling our personal and professional lives, why not consider taking some reading material (or a couple!) on your staycation with you?
That way, while in-between travelling back and forth, or while you have downtime in-between completing all the activities on your itinerary, you can curl up with a good book and get lost in the pages for a couple of minutes. Before you leave the house, take the time to select a couple of books or magazines from your ever-growing reading pile (we’re all guilty of this!), as you’re bound to get through a least one of them while on your travels.
Comfy Clothes
One in ten UK citizens changes into their comfiest clothes as soon as they get home from work since changing into something cosy puts us in the mind of relaxation. While on your staycation, relaxation should be one of your top priorities, so ensure that when packing for the trip, you take comfortable yet sensible clothing.
It’s impossible to relax when you’re wearing jeans that start cutting into your waist as soon as you’ve eaten breakfast; they’ll make you more disgruntled than before you left for your holiday. Work around this by packing a mixture of comfy and smart clothing so that you’ve got options for when you go out to a fancy restaurant and options for when you’re relaxing around the campsite, hotel etc.