When autumn and winter arrive, sometimes you fancy jetting off to exotic climes and staying in a fancy hotel, dining out every night and spending all day every day sightseeing. Sometimes, though, all you want to do is to escape to a cosy home from home where you can relax and do exactly as you please – even if this means doing nothing more than curling up on the sofa with a good book!
Of course, that may well leave you wondering ‘why go away at all?’, but that’s easy to answer. Anyone who has ever tried having a break from everything at home knows that real life just keeps rearing its head – hence the need to go somewhere different. Booking a country holiday cottage in the UK offers the perfect balance of home and away – here’s why.
thatched roof cottage in the United Kingdom.
Snug and cosy atmosphere
When the weather starts getting cooler, most of us immediately crave a cosier, more snug atmosphere – and this is part of the reason holiday cottages have the edge over hotels. After all, arriving to a soft sofa, fully equipped kitchen, welcoming bedrooms and, if you’re lucky, a roaring fireplace is much better than being greeted by a single hotel room with a meagre bathroom.
And of course, since the cottage is essentially yours for the duration of your stay and there’s plenty of space, there’s scope to make it even cosier still. For instance, you could bring extra cushions and blankets if you love curling up in soft spaces, or you could even pack a few of your favourite creature comforts from home just to make the place feel more like your own.
Cook warming food
One of the best things about renting a holiday cottage is that you’ll have your own kitchen. Now, most people focus on saving money as the main advantage of self-catered accommodation, but really having the ability to cook your own meals is a massive benefit in ensuring you enjoy your stay.
This is especially the case in autumn and winter, if you think about it, because it means you can treat yourself to a leisurely fry-up over the Sunday paper, delicious stews and steaming pies – all of which will not only make you feel at home, but will also be wonderfully warming in the cooler temperatures. And, of course, you can always go out for a meal whenever it suits you or your budget – this versatility is another big plus point.
Have space to socialise
Stay in a hotel and you’ll typically have a bedroom (or perhaps several, if you’ve got kids or are travelling with friends) and a bathroom, plus any lounge areas for guests, should there be any. So, there’s not really anywhere you can easily spend time together in private just talking, watching TV or playing a game.
Staying in a cottage is a different story. As well as having your own bedrooms, there will be plenty of communal space just for you, which makes it a much more social and homely environment. You’ll find this is especially handy in the autumn and winter, when you may well want to spend rainy days or evenings indoors.
Bring the family pet
Of course, if you have a dog, it just doesn’t feel like home without your faithful friend around. And this is another massive bonus of opting to stay in a holiday cottage, since there are so many pet-friendly properties available. So, you really can bring the whole family!