Who needs international travel when there’s still plenty of ways to recreate that foreign holiday feeling while staying closer to home. Whether you’re a nature lover or a culture vulture, these tips will help you get your travel fix from afar.
Like all adventures, you’ll want the freedom to be active, slip on your shades, and take in the sights — all without the hassle of wearing specs.
For nature lovers
You don’t need to travel abroad to get back to nature. There are plenty of scenic spots right on our doorstep. In fact, the UK is home to 15 gorgeous national parks and 11,000 miles of coastline. You’ll find waterfalls and wildlife in the Durham Dales, lofty peaks in the Lake District, and miles of coastline to cool off from the heat in Cornwall.
Start with your local area — all those parks, woodlands and picnic spots you’ve been meaning to get to — then make a list of the places that are a little further afield. For an overnight adventure, pitch a tent in your garden and fire up the BBQ.
For culture vultures
Fancy visiting the Louvre during your lunch break or the Van Gogh Museum on a Saturday afternoon? Well, it turns out you can. Google Arts & Culture has teamed up with thousands of museums and galleries worldwide to offer virtual tours. The platform allows you to virtually walk through your favourite museum and browse entire exhibitions — all from the comfort of your couch. There’s even a fun ‘Art Selfie’ feature that matches your face to a famous piece of art.
If history and heritage is more your thing, Google’s Street View allows you to explore some of the wonders of the world online, including the Taj Mahal, the Eiffel Tower, the Pyramids, and more.
For ‘Foodies‘
If we can’t eat our way around the world, there’s only one thing left to do — bring the world to our plates. One of the best bits of travelling is discovering new cuisines and local delicacies, and while that may seem out of reach at the moment—it’s not. The UK is home to thousands of restaurants filled with menu items and flavours from across the globe, just begging for you to give them a try.
And with outdoor markets in full swing this season, you can fill up on international street food without hopping on a plane. Slip into a summery outfit, find a seat outside in the sun, and you’re closer to your dream destination than you think.
For language pros
Daydreaming of ordering coffee and croissants in perfect French? What better way to start thinking about your next holiday than by learning the local lingo. And the good news is that you don’t need to sit in a classroom for hours to make any progress. There are heaps of online apps, including Rosetta Stone, Duolingo and Babbel, that make learning a language more manageable and fun.
However you choose to get your holiday fix from your hometown, summer’s the perfect time to ditch the clunky specs to enjoy the freedom and flexibility of contact lenses.