6 Affordable Staycations For A Fun Weekend Away From Uni

Is uni stressing you out? It’s time to book a staycation.

If you’ve exhausted every club, bar and takeaway in your uni city but don’t have the cash to go abroad it sounds like you need a staycation.

Staycations soared in popularity through the pandemic, but even though we can go abroad now they remain ever-popular and have helped show that we have some amazing tourist attractions and destinations in the UK that are worth checking out. Best of all, staycations are normally super affordable as you just have to book a train or jump in the car and probably won’t need to travel longer than a few hours.

With our student discount at booking.com you can easily save money on affordable hotels or apartments at the UK’s top staycation cities as well as booking fun attractions to try out.

So, if you fancy a weekend away from uni round up your friends and check out the UK’s top destination cities below based on what your favourite things to see and do are.

1. A weekend in a city straight out of a movie
2. A city for the best music and nightlife
3. A city that’s affordable with great food and drinks
4. A big city where you’ll never run out of things to do
5. A beautiful and historic city
6. An affordable city for nature, shopping and food

1. Edinburgh

Edinburgh is a stunning city to visit all year round with plenty to do whatever the weather may bring, but be sure to pack your warmest coat if you do visit during the winter.

From taking a tour of Edinburgh castle to visiting the beautiful Scottish highlands and keeping an eye out for the Loch Ness Monster it’s a city full of history with plenty to see.

Edinburgh not only has stunning scenery but there are plenty of bars, pubs and restaurants for foodies to enjoy too if you don’t want to be on your feet sightseeing all day.

For selected weekends in February, 2 guests can stay at the Britannia Edinburgh Hotel for 2 nights for just £168* when you book with booking.com.

2. Manchester

Manchester is a great city to visit with plenty to do, whether you fancy a night out or a weekend of sightseeing. Manchester is a great option if you want to try new places to eat or drink and the Trafford Centre’s unique architecture is something to admire while enjoying a shopping trip.

Of course, Manchester is well-known for football and you can use booking.com to buy tickets for a guided tour of either the Manchester United or Manchester City grounds. Plus, if you go on the right weekend you might be able to check out a game as well.

For selected dates in February, 2 guests can stay at the Sachas Hotel Manchester for 2 nights for just £195* when you book with booking.com.

3. Glasgow

Glasgow remains one of the most popular staycation destinations in the UK, and there are plenty of free attractions to visit in the city.

From the city centre mural trail to the Glasgow botanic gardens and the many free museums and art galleries, if you love to explore art on your holidays you’ll love a trip to Glasgow.

You can book city sightseeing tours and buses as well as distillery tours using booking.com and once you’ve finished exploring you can relax in one of the many independent pubs and restaurants in the city centre.

For selected dates in February, 2 guests can stay at Revolver Glasgow for 2 nights for just £130* when you book with booking.com.

4. London

Even if you’ve been to London before, you’ll always find something new to do that you haven’t seen before. Of course, there are plenty of iconic tourist destinations in London like the London Eye and Buckingham Palace that you could visit, but if you’re looking for something different you could also stop in at attractions like The London Dungeon or one of the many free museums like the Natural History Museum or the Science Museum.

If you don’t like sightseeing there are plenty of foodie and vintage shopping hotspots like Notting Hill, Portobello Market, Spitalfields Market, Borough Market or the general Soho area where you’ll find plenty of cool places to explore.

If you prefer shopping at the biggest UK destinations, avoid Oxford Street and head straight to Westfield instead to avoid the tourists.

For selected dates in February, 2 guests can stay at Central Park Hotel for 2 nights for just £253* when you book with booking.com.

5. York

York is a beautiful and historic city, so if you live in an average modern UK city it’s definitely worth visiting. If you like to spend time outside you can stroll through the York Museum Gardens or climb up Clifford’s Tower.

If you prefer indoor attractions, the York Museum, Jorvik Viking Centre, and the Deathly Dark Ghost tour are some of the other attractions you can check out.

With plenty of old-fashioned pubs and bars and independent restaurants, there’s plenty to eat and drink after a long weekend sightseeing and taking in all that York has to offer.

For selected dates in February, 2 guests can stay at Holiday Inn York for 2 nights for just £235* when you book with booking.com.

6. Birmingham

Birmingham is a great place to visit thanks to its midlands location, which means it’s pretty accessible wherever you live.

If you like to be at one with nature you can stroll along the stunning canals or visit the Botanical Gardens or if prefer to spend your weekends trying new foods the city is home to plenty of highly reviewed restaurants, bars and pubs.

Birmingham is also a great place for shopping and nights out and the iconic Bullring shopping centre has everything you need if your idea of relaxing is spending the day shopping and grabbing something to eat.

For selected dates in February, 2 guests can stay at the Ibis Birmingham Centre for 2 nights for just £136* when you book with booking.com.

So, if you like to run away from your problems and procrastinate on your uni work don’t forget to use our booking.com student discount to book your next UK staycation and focus on creating more memories and stressing less in 2024.

*Prices are correct at the time of publishing

This is a sponsored post in partnership with booking.com