New Year Staycations: Loud, Quiet, or Somewhere Between

New Year is the most polarised trip in the calendar. Half the country wants a crowd, fireworks and a late night; the other half wants a cottage, a fire and the certainty of hearing nothing at midnight. Both are entirely reasonable, and the mistake is booking one while wanting the other, which happens surprisingly often because the listings do not say which they are.

If you want the party

Edinburgh

Edinburgh's Hogmanay is the largest New Year celebration in Britain and one of the best known anywhere. Scotland also treats both the 1st and 2nd of January as public holidays, so the city stays in holiday mode longer than anywhere in England. Book accommodation many months ahead; this is the single most competitive night of the year in the city.

Other cities

York, Bath and Brighton all handle New Year well at a manageable scale, with the advantage of being walkable so nobody needs to solve transport at one in the morning.

If you want the quiet

Somewhere genuinely remote

The Scottish Highlands, Northumberland and mid Pembrokeshire are far enough from anything to be silent by default. Short days and long evenings suit a cottage with a fire, and the walking is at its most atmospheric.

Upland winter

The Cairngorms and around Aviemore give you the possibility of snow, which is never guaranteed anywhere in Britain but is likeliest here. The Lake District and Peak District are busier but still quiet away from the main valleys.

Why it is a difficult booking

Minimum stays are long

Three, four and even seven-night minimums over New Year are normal, and the week is often sold as a fixed block rather than by night. Budget for the length rather than the nightly rate.

Prices behave oddly

New Year is frequently more expensive than Christmas, and the days immediately after are among the cheapest of the winter. If the date itself does not matter to you, the first full week of January is excellent value in places that were unaffordable four days earlier.

Things are shut

Rural pubs and restaurants often close for several days around New Year, and small shops may not reopen until the 2nd or later. Somewhere self-catering with supplies bought in advance avoids an unhappy discovery on the 1st.

Practical points

If you want quiet, ask directly whether the property is on a park or shares a courtyard, since New Year is the one night when neighbours matter most. If you want the party, check how you are getting back, because taxis are scarce and public transport varies enormously on the night.

See also our winter staycations, Christmas markets and city breaks.