This pretty northern town has been crowned the UK’s best staycation spot

Summer may be over, but that doesn’t mean holiday planning needs to be. You may be starting to think about half-term getaways or weekend breaks to get you through the bleakest months of the year, in which case you might be in the market for a staycation.

People have been staycationing as long as they’ve been able to travel. The main difference is that now, instead of hopping in a horse and carriage to the nearest beach, we can just get in our cars and drive anywhere we fancy. The whole country is your oyster these days, but where should you go? According to AA, your next homeland trip should be to Harrogate.

The Yorkshire town, known for being the ‘most southern town in the north’, is undoubtedly scenic. Its toy-town streets are not only Insta friendly but full of cute little cafés and boutiques, and its proximity to nature makes it ideal for an Autumn escape. AA highlights the local happiness ratings (7.8/10) and the abundance of spas as top reasons to visit, as well as its high number of parking spots and places to charge electric cars which make it ideal for drivers.

The insurance company also considered the amount of things to do and number of AA approved places to stay when analysing the country’s best holiday spots. In a close second was the birthplace of the Bard himself, Stratford-Upon Avon, and Newquay in Devon came third. All three scored highly as family-friendly locations, so you’ve got loads of options if you’re bringing the kids.

You can have a look at the AA’s full list here to start planning your next holiday. 

Staycations according to Time Out

Here at Time Out we’re big fans of Harrogate – just check out our features on the best things to do and the ideal day in the town. But Harrogate isn’t the only place worth staycationing in. Here’s our favourite UK road trips, and some of what we consider to be the most beautiful places in the country. We’ve also got guides to the most romantic locations in the UK, and some pretty cool castles you can stay overnight in.

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