COTTAGE holidays in the South-West are among the cheapest in the UK, according to one holiday firm.

A cottage in Somerset for a family of four can cost as little as £46 a night, in comparison with a budget hotel in the North-East costing £70.

Marsdens Cottage Holidays general manager Adrian Culley says 2014 could be a bumper year for ‘staycations’ – where people enjoy holidays at home.