Last minute Easter holidays: Britons snap up late deals to enjoy the unseasonal sunshine

Add to My Stories This time last year those famous April showers were sweeping in, and only the most hardy of holidaymakers braved the beach.What a difference a weather forecast makes. As the mercury hits 26.5C and the Met Office promises that the sunshine is here to stay for the weekend, Britons are flocking to the coast and countryside to make the most of the unseasonal weather.Hotels, cottage rental companies and campsites are reporting a surge in last-minute bookings as families decide to take that staycation that was rained off two years ago.

Beach boom: Britons are heading to the coast this weekend to enjoy the Mediterranean weather

As the BBC released its five-day weather forecast for Easter on Tuesday, Best Western hotels saw a 45 per cent increase in bookings, compared to the same day before Easter last year.Traditional beach holiday hotspots have been inundated with Britons looking to enjoy the Mediterranean conditions, and hotels are mostly fully booked for the Easter weekend.Staycation specialists Farm and Cottage Holidays has also reported a 40 per cent increase in bookings compared to last year, with aparticular interest in West Country properties.

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JamesMorris, managing director of Farm and Cottage Holidays says: 'April hasbeen a really good month for bookings but they have been steadily increasing over the last couple of weeks spurred on by the fantastic weather.'Bookings areup about 40 per cent on last Easter and our web traffic has shot up in the last week as people log on for last minute deals to the West Country.'The Lugger Hotel in Cornwall noticed a surge in last-minute calls a! s soon a s the warm weather began and is expecting a bumper year for Easter bookings as a result.The Isle of Wight is also enjoying renewed popularity with the Seaview Hotel reporting a lot of same-day bookings as mainlanders decide to jumpthe ferry for an overnight stay on the island.

Blue haze: Countryside destinations are also proving popular for the Easter weekendBut it isn't just hotels and cottages doing a roaring trade. More families are looking for camping weekends, spurred on by the good weather guarantee.Jonathan Knight, founder and author of Cool Camping guides says: 'Its fantastic. As soon as the sun starts shining, Brits get their tents out and start looking for the best places to go camping.
'This week, traffic to the Cool Camping website has shot up by an incredible 500 per cent on the pre-Easter week last year.'The most searched regions include coastal areas such as Devon, Dorset and South Wales, with the Lakes and Norfolk also proving popular.While families are making the most of the Easter school holidays, adults are also enjoying getaways, with Warner Leisure Holidays receiving last-minute calls for weekend breaks.Jim Forward, managing director of Warner Leisure, says: 'Our last-minute sales into Easter have been stronger than we expected. We do believe some of this is due to the fabulous weather, and people wanting to enjoy the best of the English coast or countryside.'