Holiday Planning for Your Forest Of Dean Stay

(This is a guest post written by Todd Hollinger. Todd is a travel writer who contributes to blogs and websites on a variety of vacation related topics.)

With the holiday season on the horizon, many families are beginning to consider the early stages of vacation planning. Indeed, for those families who like to get away from home for a few days during the winter holidays, it's important to look into destinations early, as things tend to book up quickly. One popular option is to rent a country cottage to use as a vacation home, and Pike House cottage in the Forest of Dean is certainly a lovely choice.

In addition to renting the cottage itself, though, you'll also want to figure out exactly how you'll be spending your holiday there. In short, you'll want to plan out a few activities and ways to enjoy the holiday in Gloucestershire - so below are a few options to consider.

To begin with, you'll want to take care of the comforts within the cottage. You'll want to get out and explore the surrounding area but for the holiday stay it's important to have some good comfort food and drink in the home as well! Pike House is a self-catering cottage, meaning you'll have all you need to make your own meals, etc. But it wouldn't hurt to order a few hampers from Marks and Spencer as well, just to have some convenient holiday drinks and snacks around. There's a branch in Gloucester (St Anns Way) or nearer by in Monmouth but ordering online is an option as well.

Once you've taken care of stocking up your cottage a bit, you can focus on surrounding attractions and activities. Here are a few to highlight for your visit.

• Surrounding Towns - It's no secret that the towns and villages in the Gloucestershire countryside offer unique charms, and in particular appealing holiday atmospheres. For that reason, taking a night to visit Coleford, Clearwell, or another surrounding town can be a great event to plan.
• Dean Forest Railway - If you're travelling with children, or even just want a peaceful venture through the forest as a couple, the Dean Forest Railway is a must. This old-fashioned train ride through an ancient forest helps you to experience the Dean Forest in a unique way.
• Caldicot Castle Country Park - This is a great historical retreat if you'd like to take in a medieval castle and the surrounding area. Offering a mixture of preserved and restored attractions, the country park gives a great glimpse into the knightly past of the region. It's not too far a drive away.
• Clearwell Caves - exploring these caves can make for a unique vacation experience. If you're the adventurous type, you can even arrange to do a bit of climbing and crawling and go down to a deeper level of the caves. It'll more than your average outdoor adventure! And it's right on your doorstep.

Of course there are plenty of other attractions as well, and you can check Trip Advisor for a thorough list of things to do. Particularly during the warmer seasons, the Forest of Dean is home to a number of fantastic outdoor activities. But for a holiday getaway, the above attractions can be perfect for you and the family!