Holidaying Close To Home

Somerset holidays 

"Staycations" have been gaining popularity in recent years, with people abandoning the stress and expense of long distance travel in favour of holidays closer to home. Somerset is an ideal county for a holiday, with beaches, hills, beautiful villages, historic houses and wonderful food.

Somerset plays host to a huge range of festivals and events, from the world-famous Glastonbury Festival to the amazing winter carnivals - the longest illuminated processions in the world. Visiting these can be holidays in themselves.

So if you're thinking of a holiday, why not check out somewhere nearby - you might be surprised what you find.

Beyond Somerset 

Somerset is also the gateway to other popular UK holiday destinations like the Jurassic Coast, Cornwall, Devon, Bath and Bristol. More than 21 million people come to stay in the South West each year, so if you haven't explored your local area already, it could be time to see the attraction for yourself. There are excellent train and coach connections from all over Somerset, letting you leave your car at home to arrive relaxed and rested.

Taking the train or coach to London or one of the local sea ports (e.g. Plymouth or Portsmouth) also opens the doorway to further destinations.

The Caledonian Sleeper is a brilliant way to get to Scotland - leaving Euston in the evening, enjoying a drink the buffet car, before going to sleep and waking up as the train arrives in the stunning Highland countryside.

If you take the Eurostar to Paris, you emit ten times less carbon than someone flying there. And it's easy. Cities in France, Holland, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Germany and Switzerland can all be reached in less than 12 hours.

A useful source of information and ideas for travelling by train rather than by air in the UK and abroad is The Man in Seat Sixty-One (www.seat61.com) website.

Offsetting carbon emissions has received a lot of attention, but it's no substitute for reducing emissions in the first place. If you are offsetting your emissions then look for the kitemark as an indication that the Government has taken a proper look at what the money is used for.