insideKENT Magazine Issue 82 - January 2019 | Page 108

TRAVEL
START
PLANNING
FOR THE
SUNSHINE!
108
Top Travel Trends
for 2019
STAYCATION HOME EXCHANGE MICROTRIP
With staying in being the new going out, we now
have staying home as the new holiday away, with
staycations set to boom in 2019. Whether driven out
of Brexit travel uncertainty, the increasing pressure
of lack of time or spendthrift-ness, or simply from
the desire to actually go and see what’s on your
doorstep, staycations offer the perfect answer. You
can book a night or two at a guesthouse, cottage or
hotel; explore local attractions and events, plan
countryside walks, spend days at the beach and go
city sightseeing and shopping; and enjoy local
gastronomic delights from award-winning fish and
chips by the sea, to afternoon tea at renowned
vineyards, to Michelin-acclaimed fine dining - just
as you would ‘on holiday’ but in your home county.
www.kentstaycation.co.uk The new way to holiday is perhaps not to book
anything at all. Home exchanging allows you to
‘swap’ your home with another person/family either
during the same time or non-simultaneously,
depending on what works for you. Having found a
match for the destination you wish to go and time
you wish to visit, you can simply swap
accommodation or go a step further and swap
vehicles and even help each other plan exciting days
out. It’s not only an amazing way to see the world
with all the comforts of home, you also get your own
personal travel consultant (i.e. your swapping
partner!). It’s a great way to get a true home-from-
home holiday experience which doesn’t cost more
than the membership to a home exchange network
and your travel costs. insideKENT recommends
www.homeexchange.com Less is most definitely more for 2019, with over half
of us planning to take more weekend trips this year.
The microtrip is about perfectly planned and carefully
executed one- or two-night itineraries. Utilising early
morning departures out, and late night returns home
for destinations that are just a couple of hours away
by plane or train means we can cram in mini visits
with sightseeing, beautiful food and views to
remember at some top European destinations and
still be back in the office Monday morning. Utilise
flight search engines such as www.skyscanner.net,
www.momondo.co.uk or www.kayak.co.uk
with filters for early departures, late returns, flexible
dates and maximum travel times to find bargain
flights that meet your brief and maximise your time.