What was that? I definitely heard two noises. Two different noises. One was a long, squeaky sound that grew shrillier and rougher, like the air escaping from a badly knotted party balloon. The other was a really loud “ping”, as if something had reached its ultimate point of elasticity, pulled past it, and finally snapped.
Ah yes, you heard that right. The first sound was the burgeoning national feeling of anti-climax in the “green list” of overseas travel options for this summer – which as a list is less like a giant list of items for a Christmas party than more and more quickly to load up in the rain Corner to get an emergency roll of aluminum foil. The second was that much of the country was running out of patience with all that agonized talk about traffic lights, amber travel destinations, quarantine times, and PCR testing, wondering if it wouldn’t be easier to be on the home coast in the coming weeks stay .
It could be. While it’s too early to give up the idea of a vacation abroad in July or August – a lot can happen before temperatures drop across Europe – there’s no doubt that opting for a UK vacation will avoid a fuss about getting on now built an airplane. The problem is, even the most seasoned explorers are just starting to get this thought. Is there still room in the British inn at this stage of the year – after weeks of gloomy headlines about travel and the imminent end of the school calendar?
Fortunately, the answer is “yes”. Although availability can be tight in some locations and prices are high in the particularly popular hotspots – Cornwall, Devon et al – which are in high demand even under “normal” circumstances, there are still plenty of options for those who want to travel during their stay at home. In this role, 25 of them will be selected in a variety of styles and budgets – from bike rides through the Cairngorms and Wanderodyssees to the rooftops of the Lake District, to luxurious stays in Somerset Castles and multigenerational get-togethers at Herefordshire Cottages. Summer is not over yet. It’s just getting started – and it could still include Spanish beaches and Tuscan hills. But if you prefer to take the shorter, easier route to vacation relaxation for the time being, you still have time.
Chris Leadbeater
ACTIVE ESCAPE FOR EVERYONE ARRIVING
Go with giants
Antrim County
Any indication that Britain does not have the spectacular geography that American road trips make is quite punctured by the sharpness of the terrain where County Antrim meets the Irish Sea. This is, of course, the realm of the Giant’s Causeway, whose 40,000 interlocking basalt columns jut out into the waves – but also of Rathlin Island, the R-shaped shard of low ground where kittiwakes and guillemots soar.
Macs Adventure (0141 319 4601; macsadventure.com) offers an eight-day, self-guided tour of the Causeway Coast and Antrim Glens that explores the area in great detail. From £ 675pp