Best UK staycations for autumn

Four UK regions that genuinely suit an autumn trip — chosen for what actually changes in that season, not just because the calendar says so.

Autumn is an underrated time to travel in the UK — the crowds from the school summer holidays have gone, the light is better for photographs than midsummer's flat glare, and a lot of the country's best walking and coastal scenery is more enjoyable a few degrees cooler. Here are four regions where that's especially true. **Yorkshire and the Humber** One of the largest and most varied regions on Stayfair Connect, and a genuine two-for-one for an autumn trip: the Dales and the Moors offer some of the best walking country in England, on either side of a coastline that swings from genteel seaside towns to properly dramatic clifftop scenery. Autumn bracken on the moors and quieter trails make this a better season for it than August ever is. **Scotland** The Highlands and islands give Scotland some of the most dramatic, least crowded scenery anywhere in the UK. Distances here are real — this isn't a region to try to see all of in one trip — and it rewards choosing one area properly rather than rushing between them. Autumn colour in the glens and shorter, crisper days make a Highlands trip feel different in October than it does in July, without needing to wait for the deep-winter version of the same landscape. **The South West** Still the region most associated with the classic British seaside holiday, and it earns that reputation out of season too — surfing beaches, fishing villages, and genuinely wild moorland a short drive from the coast, all considerably quieter once the summer crowds have gone home. A South West coastal town in autumn is a different, calmer place than the same town in August. **East of England** The flatness that defines so much of this region — the Fens especially — makes it excellent walking and cycling country, with skies that feel noticeably bigger than most of the country. Less obviously scenic than a national park at first glance, but genuinely good for anyone who wants an easy, flat, low-effort few days outdoors without planning a whole hiking trip around it. Wherever you end up, the same rule applies as any time of year: book direct with whoever's actually running the place. Every stay on Stayfair Connect is independent — not a chain — and the host is usually the best source of local advice you'll get, autumn or otherwise.