As we begin to say goodbye to Summer and hello to the first whisper of Autumn, you may think that the perfect time to set off on a UK adventure is fading into the distance, only to emerge again with the arrival of Spring next year. However, Autumn comes hand in hand with some of the best times to pack your bag and explore the coast and countryside. Keep this quiet, but some might say it’s a better time to explore than the summer! We’ve picked five reasons to enjoy a staycation in Autumn, whether you’re venturing to the far reaches of Cornwall, through Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Sussex or the Isle of Wight.
Dog friendly beaches
With most beaches open again to dogs, now’s the best time to make the most of them. It’s gloriously quiet which means it’s a wonderful time to enjoy the empty stretches of sand on offer, where your dog (and you!) can take a dip in the sea any time of day. Generally, autumn provides us with some gorgeous crisp sunny days perfect for walking along the shore and spending an afternoon watching the comings and goings of the tide, hot chocolate in hand.
Cosy evenings
Cosy autumnal evenings are the perfect opportunity to head back to your cottage after a day of exploring. Relax on the sofa with a good book in front of the toasty fire or slip into the warmth of a hot tub with a glass of something tasty. Really, what’s better?
Peace and quiet
We’re all for enjoying the summertime but the school holidays ending for another year means it’s a lot quieter around. This makes it a great time to explore the local area without getting stuck in traffic and with parking spots aplenty! Whether you’re venturing out to a nearby beach, a woodland walk, or a gorgeous town or village, it’s a great time to explore and reap the benefits of the tranquility that autumn brings. It’s also the perfect opportunity to get a spot on the beach for those gorgeous sunsets!
Great time for activities
There’s plenty of activities to keep you busy in Autumn, including surfing whilst it’s quieter but the water temperature’s still pleasant from the warmth of the summer sun. It’s also one of the best times of the year for walking – witness the change in nature as the leaves start to fall, head off on colourful autumnal walks in that crisp, refreshing air and feel the crunch of leaves underfoot. There are also many wonderful events taking place, including food and literary festivals and free Heritage Open Days for a step back in time at no cost to you.
Photo opportunities aplenty
The changing of the seasons brings a shift in nature’s colours, making it an optimal time for photography. Capture the golden and amber hues of the foliage in the countryside, photograph the complementing colours of the sunrise and the sunset and take advantage of the golden light that sticks around for much longer this time of year.
Where’s your favourite place to visit during the autumn?
Simon Tregoning is the Chairman at Classic Cottages. Classic Cottages have an exclusive portfolio of places to stay, handpicked in the best locations from the tip of far west Cornwall across the south of England and over on the Isle of Wight.If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.
Simon Tregoning is the Chairman for Classic Cottages. Classic Cottages has an exclusive portfolio of places to stay, handpicked in the best locations from the tip of far west Cornwall across the south of England and over on the Isle of Wight. Classic Cottages find holiday cottages that make you say wow. From bijou fishermen’s cottages on a harbour’s edge, to sprawling country pads, we’re picky about what we offer so you can be sure you’re always getting the best. Holidays with hot tubs, properties that welcome four-legged friends and homes set up with babies in mind all feature in our eclectic mix of home-from-homes.
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8 Comments
I like taking a holiday in the autumn in Britain. There’s usually an Indian Summer where we have a spell of warm, sometimes even hot, weather. I usually try to keep a week of holiday up my sleeve and keep an eye on the weather forecast. As all the family people are back at work after the long school holidays there are enough people around to cover for me if I suddenly decide to take a break at short notice. Also availability for hotels is usually quite good at this time of year. Though I think there are quite a few people who follow my tactics. When that Indian Summer does come hotels can suddenly get quite booked-up.
Yes, agreed, we often get an Indian Summer, and if we do I’ll be taking a well-deserved break from work. But September hasn’t started well, people walking past with umbrellas outside, and I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that we might get the tail-end of Dorian heading this way. I just hope that I have got it wrong …
Another great reason to travel in September is that you are avoiding the High Peak prices of July and August. Some hotels by late September and early October are charging just 60% of what you were looking at in those most expensive months.
In the summer you’ve got screaming kids having a tantrum because they’ve not been given a third ice-cream of the day, families crammed onto beaches like sardines in a tin and parking is a nightmare.
Why pay so much in High Season when you can have a much nicer time in Autumn?
It’s been very busy down here in the West Country over the last couple of months. As the Brexit debate drags on and as the pound gets weaker we are seeing more and more overseas visitors coming to Devon and Cornwall.
We’ve got some amazing restaurants in the region and all these visitors are enjoying some top quality meals and it’s not costing them very much at all.
I’ve also noticed that they are spending more in the shops too. For them clothes with the weak pound are a real bargain and some of them are investing in our local art work too.
The weak pound isn’t just tempting overseas visitors to Britain. It also means that a lot of us Brits who normally fly off to the sun for an autumn holiday just can’t afford it. By the time you’ve paid to change your pounds into sterling you’re virtually looking at 1 : 1 parity. I think Staycations will also be boosting the British tourism industry.
I’ve been so disappointed by the poor excuse for a ‘summer’ in the UK this year. It’s like we had a couple of incredibly hot days, and that was it. No consistently nice weather. I think I wore 5% of my summer wardrobe, and now it’s all gone back into the storage bags for next year. We live in hopes… I do think, because you can’t guarantee the British weather at all and the summer has been rubbish, that autumn probably is a pretty good time to explore, and it’ll be cheaper and quieter. Even though I don’t like being so cold, I do like snuggling up so I’d love to stay in a cottage on a UK break. Never done that before. It would be good to visit Arboretums in the fall, because the changing colours would be very photogenic. Batsford is a good one. And of course there are plenty of countryside walks for dry weather that would be lovely.
Looking out of my window at the moment my street’s being lashed by the tail-end of yet another tropical hurricane. Though on the bright side the trees are turning beautiful shades of autumnal browns, golds and oranges. I’m still optimistic that we are going to get one last glorious few days of an Indian Summer.
I like the idea of a quiet Classic Cottage somewhere, probably close to an empty beach for long walks. I know that the cottages will have good kitchens but I go on holiday to get away from cooking. There’s nothing better than eating out in a few pubs to make it a real break.
Remember that wonderful week of weather that we had in February? I’ve got a sneaking feeling that we could get a similar dose in November.
Cosy evenings
Cosy autumnal evenings are the perfect opportunity to head back to your cottage after a day of exploring. Relax on the sofa with a good book in front of the toasty fire or slip into the warmth of a hot tub with a glass of something tasty. Really, what’s better?
Cosy evenings
Cosy autumnal evenings are the perfect opportunity to head back to your cottage after a day of exploring. Relax on the sofa with a good book in front of the toasty fire or slip into the warmth of a hot tub with a glass of something tasty. Really, what’s better?
Peace and quiet
We’re all for enjoying the summertime but the school holidays ending for another year means it’s a lot quieter around. This makes it a great time to explore the local area without getting stuck in traffic and with parking spots aplenty! Whether you’re venturing out to a nearby beach, a woodland walk, or a gorgeous town or village, it’s a great time to explore and reap the benefits of the tranquility that autumn brings. It’s also the perfect opportunity to get a spot on the beach for those gorgeous sunsets!
Great time for activities
There’s plenty of activities to keep you busy in Autumn, including surfing whilst it’s quieter but the water temperature’s still pleasant from the warmth of the summer sun. It’s also one of the best times of the year for walking – witness the change in nature as the leaves start to fall, head off on colourful autumnal walks in that crisp, refreshing air and feel the crunch of leaves underfoot. There are also many wonderful events taking place, including food and literary festivals and free Heritage Open Days for a step back in time at no cost to you.
Photo opportunities aplenty
The changing of the seasons brings a shift in nature’s colours, making it an optimal time for photography. Capture the golden and amber hues of the foliage in the countryside, photograph the complementing colours of the sunrise and the sunset and take advantage of the golden light that sticks around for much longer this time of year.
Where’s your favourite place to visit during the autumn?
Simon Tregoning is the Chairman at Classic Cottages. Classic Cottages have an exclusive portfolio of places to stay, handpicked in the best locations from the tip of far west Cornwall across the south of England and over on the Isle of Wight.
If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.
I like taking a holiday in the autumn in Britain. There’s usually an Indian Summer where we have a spell of warm, sometimes even hot, weather. I usually try to keep a week of holiday up my sleeve and keep an eye on the weather forecast. As all the family people are back at work after the long school holidays there are enough people around to cover for me if I suddenly decide to take a break at short notice. Also availability for hotels is usually quite good at this time of year. Though I think there are quite a few people who follow my tactics. When that Indian Summer does come hotels can suddenly get quite booked-up.
Yes, agreed, we often get an Indian Summer, and if we do I’ll be taking a well-deserved break from work. But September hasn’t started well, people walking past with umbrellas outside, and I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that we might get the tail-end of Dorian heading this way. I just hope that I have got it wrong …
Another great reason to travel in September is that you are avoiding the High Peak prices of July and August. Some hotels by late September and early October are charging just 60% of what you were looking at in those most expensive months.
Autumn v Summer in the U.K.? It’s a no brainer.
In the summer you’ve got screaming kids having a tantrum because they’ve not been given a third ice-cream of the day, families crammed onto beaches like sardines in a tin and parking is a nightmare.
Why pay so much in High Season when you can have a much nicer time in Autumn?
As I said it’s a no-brainer.
It’s been very busy down here in the West Country over the last couple of months. As the Brexit debate drags on and as the pound gets weaker we are seeing more and more overseas visitors coming to Devon and Cornwall.
We’ve got some amazing restaurants in the region and all these visitors are enjoying some top quality meals and it’s not costing them very much at all.
I’ve also noticed that they are spending more in the shops too. For them clothes with the weak pound are a real bargain and some of them are investing in our local art work too.
The weak pound isn’t just tempting overseas visitors to Britain. It also means that a lot of us Brits who normally fly off to the sun for an autumn holiday just can’t afford it. By the time you’ve paid to change your pounds into sterling you’re virtually looking at 1 : 1 parity. I think Staycations will also be boosting the British tourism industry.
I’ve been so disappointed by the poor excuse for a ‘summer’ in the UK this year. It’s like we had a couple of incredibly hot days, and that was it. No consistently nice weather. I think I wore 5% of my summer wardrobe, and now it’s all gone back into the storage bags for next year. We live in hopes… I do think, because you can’t guarantee the British weather at all and the summer has been rubbish, that autumn probably is a pretty good time to explore, and it’ll be cheaper and quieter. Even though I don’t like being so cold, I do like snuggling up so I’d love to stay in a cottage on a UK break. Never done that before. It would be good to visit Arboretums in the fall, because the changing colours would be very photogenic. Batsford is a good one. And of course there are plenty of countryside walks for dry weather that would be lovely.
Looking out of my window at the moment my street’s being lashed by the tail-end of yet another tropical hurricane. Though on the bright side the trees are turning beautiful shades of autumnal browns, golds and oranges. I’m still optimistic that we are going to get one last glorious few days of an Indian Summer.
I like the idea of a quiet Classic Cottage somewhere, probably close to an empty beach for long walks. I know that the cottages will have good kitchens but I go on holiday to get away from cooking. There’s nothing better than eating out in a few pubs to make it a real break.
Remember that wonderful week of weather that we had in February? I’ve got a sneaking feeling that we could get a similar dose in November.