Staycations are back!

There's a pattern by now. Something happens in the world — a conflict, a pandemic, fuel prices that make a long-haul flights feel like a luxury — and we all quietly start googling UK breaks instead. It happened in 2020 and it's happening again.

And honestly? Britain keeps delivering. These are the places that feel like you've gone somewhere properly and prove that sometimes you don't need a passport.

Edinburgh instead of Barcelona

The architecture alone does it. The Old Town's medieval closes and the castle looming over the skyline give Edinburgh a drama that most European cities would envy. Add the food scene — proper restaurants, a craft gin obsession, markets that actually deliver — and you've got something that rivals a city break anywhere on the continent. The hills help too. Arthur's Seat sits right in the middle of the city like Edinburgh couldn't quite decide whether it wanted to be urban or wild, and just went with both.

• My favourite hotel: The Courtyard by Marriott. Close enough to the outskirts that it's easy to drive in and park. Right next to the theatre and shopping centre and a 10 minute walk to the Old Town. 

• My favourite things to do: Obsessed with Victoria Street & Monkey Barrell Comedy was a must do for the evening.

Chase the surf in Newquay

Cornwall's surf capital doesn't need to apologise to anyone. The Atlantic swells are the real thing, the beach culture has been here for decades, and on a good day Fistral looks as good as anywhere you'd fly to. Beginners and experienced surfers both find what they're after, and the town has grown up around them — decent food, a proper nightlife if you want it, and the kind of salt-in-your-hair feeling that's hard to manufacture.

• My favourite hotel: Watergate Bay Hotel - it's beach front. They have yoga on the beach, a spa....what more do you need? Highly recommend the oceanview sauna!

• My favourite thing to do: morning paddleboarding lesson on day 1 - then spend the rest of the week in the sea.

Scottish Highlands instead of Scandinavia

The comparison makes itself. Big empty skies, single-track roads that go on forever, lochs that sit so still in the morning they look like someone forgot to switch them on. And The Highlands have the scale that most people don't expect until they're in it — you can drive for an hour and see almost nobody. In winter it tips into something genuinely dramatic. In summer the light stays until nearly midnight and the midges remind you it's still Scotland.

• My favourite hotel: Loch Fyne Hotel & Spa - is luxuriously cosy with incredible views over the loch.

• My favourite thing to do: Glenfinnan Viaduct if you are a fan of Sri Lanka's Nine Arch Bridge then you must check out this one.

The Isles of Scilly instead of the Mediterranean

Yes - this is in the UK! Twenty-eight miles off the tip of Cornwall, and on a clear day in July it's genuinely hard to argue you're not somewhere else entirely. White sand, water that goes turquoise in the shallows, boats bobbing in the harbour. The islands are small enough that you get around by bike or on foot, and quiet enough that the pace drops within about an hour of arriving. The ferry crossing is part of the experience — two and a half hours from Penzance, watching the mainland disappear. TOP TIP - Book now for next year! This place is still a true hidden gem with accommodation limited.

• My favourite hotel: Karma St Martin's - this place gives true Maldives vibes.

• My favourite thing to do: this is the ultimate chill place - beach walks and snorkelling.

London instead of New York

It's an obvious one, but worth saying plainly: London does everything New York promises and then some. World-class museums, free. Food from every country on earth within a few tube stops. Theatre that's genuinely the best in the world. The sheer scale of it means most people who live there haven't come close to seeing it properly — which means visitors rarely do either. Treat it like a foreign city and it behaves like one.

• My favourite hotel: we love staying at Canopy by Hilton at Tower Hill. It's a great tube location and easy access to so many key sites.

• My favourite thing to do: It has the be the theatre - I have seen way too many at the West End by now to choose a favouite!

The best holidays aren't always the ones that take the most planning or cost the most to reach. Sometimes Britain just gets out of the way and lets a place be brilliant on its own terms. These five do exactly that.