I haven’t booked a summer holiday this year. You see, the family like to book well in advance to lock in the early bird prices and give themselves longer to pay it off. They booked this year’s summer holiday back in January. At that point, I didn’t have the finances to go ahead and commit to something I may not have been able to pay for. It will be the first year in a long time I haven’t been on the family holiday.

I’m not the only one though, my youngest sister wasn’t able to secure the time off work for the proposed holiday dates. I wasn’t too bothered though. This year, Olivia is going away for a week with her dad to Spain. My sister has booked a week away with my mum for later in the year (I may or may not be joining them again). So in all honesty, the only person not getting to have a holiday this year is me!

Booking a Last Minute Holiday.

That being said, plans to book last minute sun holidays are in discussion and if I can, I would love to get away at some point this year. But any holiday I do book will be last minute. Very last minute. It may not be a full week, more like a mid-week or long weekend break but I would love to just get away.

This year I have been lucky enough to get away overnight to a couple of hotels in Liverpool and Manchester, and whilst I love this it’s not the same as a few days away, is it? Luckily, we are within driving distance to two airports and where we live has great motorway links. This opens up our options for booking a last minute holiday whether we choose to stay home or abroad.

But where could we book for a few days? It would most likely be just myself and Olivia. Possibly my younger sister and my eldest niece. So we wouldn’t want to travel too far and waste time getting to our destination. But we would like to be far enough away for it to feel like a holiday all the same.

Where could we go?

I have a few ideas of where I would like to visit, home and abroad this summer.

North Wales.

Photo by Pauline Amphlett on Unsplash

In all honesty, this is likely to be our top choice. We love a good caravan holiday and North Wales never fails to disappoint. The only issue will be whether or not we actually see some sun whilst we are there. The drive is under an hour and last year, I even drove home one morning to go to work! Can’t beat that for a quick getaway can you!

Lake District.

Olivia has visited here with her dad many times, usually camping. Whilst camping isn’t really my scene, I would love to visit the Lake District and see the beauty for myself. At less than a 2-hour drive, it is perfect for a short break.

London.

I love London, well, we all do really. It’s not one of the most budget-friendly of destinations, the train tickets alone need to be booked way in advance to bring down the price. But with an approximately 2-hour train journey, it is perfect for a getaway for a couple of days over the weekend or a mid-week break like I took in 2018.

France.

Photo by Luca Baini on Unsplash

More specifically, Paris. Actually, Disneyland Paris. It has been 10 years now since our last visit and with a less than 2 hour flight time from Liverpool or Manchester, it is definitely feasible for a short getaway. The only issue would be making sure we get a good deal as we all know it can be costly to visit the happiest place on Earth. But totally worth it. If I had my way (and the funds) we would most definitely be paying a visit this summer.

Amsterdam.

Photo by azhrjl on Unsplash

I’m not sure Olivia would approve of this choice, it isn’t somewhere she has expressed an interest in visiting but with a 1 hour and 15 minute flight time from Liverpool, it isn’t too far or a long journey that would eat into your time away.

Where would be your ideal short break away for a last minute holiday like I am considering? Would you stay close to home or travel further afield?