The Cotswolds and Shakespeare Country

(VisitBritain, £6.99)

Because the Cotswolds are on our doorstep, we tend to take them for granted. The Cotswolds and Shakespeare Country (£6.99) is a superb little book, compiled as part of VisitBritain's short break series, which reminds us of amazing places we can visit without having to spend hours at an overcrowded airport waiting for a flight which will take us away from it all.

More than 200 villages, market towns, heritage sites and visitor attractions are listed, all linked to a circular route of 150 miles which takes in the undulating green hills and breathtaking scenic spots. It can begin at Burford, Chipping Norton or Cheltenham and can be enjoyed comfortably in under a week.

Other tours invite you to explore the area around Stratford-upon-Avon and follow the footsteps of the Bard, stopping off at Warwick Castle along the way. The Severn Valley can be explored in three days, beginning at Gloucester, with its Gothic cathedral founded by Benedictine monks in 1069. The old wool town of Painswick, with its warren of medieval streets set on a wooded hill, is included.

A four day tour of Bath takes the reader to Fairley Hungerford Castle, and the steep hills of the chalk downs of central Wiltshire which boasts the largest concentration of white horse carvings.

If you aim to enjoy a holiday of short breaks this year to keep your carbon footstep in check, this book could prove inspirational.