With the recession well and truly upon us, why should we even be thinking about our summer holidays at the moment? Well the truth of it is that most of us would really rather like a holiday to look forward to especially at the moment when it’s cold and winter is still in full swing. So is it possible to organise a holiday for the summer that works with the credit crunch instead of against it?

According to a poll last year, about a third of people reckoned that the credit crunch would affect how and where they holidayed this year. Some people reckoned on reducing the length of their holiday, while others were looking at alternative locations to help reduce the cost.

So is it really cheaper to holiday at home? And are the days of cheap holidays on the Continent over?

At it’s peak in 2000, the pound was worth more than 1.7 euros, today it sits almost at the 1:1 mark. This means that hotel bills and food prices in Europe aren’t the bargains to us British that they once were. Add to this the increase in fuel prices meaning that cheap flight deals are becoming more scarce and it would seem that things are looking bleak indeed. In fact, these factors mean that budget holiday camps and campsites for caravans and tents across Britain are filling up fast, and according to one source tent sales are up a whopping 25%.

There are still deals to be had abroad however, but you have to be willing to be a little more flexible perhaps opting to drive to an airport that you wouldn’t normally travel from in order to reduce the flight costs. And another alternative of course is to look outside the Euro zone. There are still many countries out there which are not linked to the Euro, and where there are bargains to be had, so it’s wise to look all round the options before making your decision.

For many people however the most attractive alternative is to choose to holiday at home here in Britain and there are lots of advantages to this. For a starter, if people book their holidays here in the UK then more of the money that would normally be spent outside the UK gets spent here instead helping to boost the economy and hopefully help shorten the recession. Another excellent advantage is that if we cut down on the number of long haul flights we’re taking we’ll help reduce our nations carbon emissions too. The third reason to look at holidaying in the UK is that there are some really wonderful places here to be seen, and it seems a shame that many of us travel the world and yet rarely see what’s on our own doorsteps. From the Lake District to Cornwall, The Scottish moorlands to the New Forest there is wonderful scenery to be seen, and many interesting places to visit. Historical houses and castles, Big cities with fancy restaurants, Museums, medieval churches and loads more. One way to look at holidaying at home, is to think of the sort of holiday you might choose abroad and then see if you can emulate it here. It is probably possible, and with the economy the way it is, now is the time to give it a try.

By Vialdana