With the temperatures heating up again this week, it’s the perfect time to enjoy Switzerland and get to know a few places where you can create the feeling of going on holiday without straying too far from home. We explored some of the locations the Swiss head to when they need a 'staycation'.

Notes on this episode of Swiss and Chips: Your British Guide to Switzerland

• What's German for 'staycation'? Get ready to drop this phrase into Swiss conversation
• What’s summer like in Switzerland?
  - Weather: hot and sunny, occasional storms. Normal range in July and August is 18-28 degrees Celsius, 30 plus is the sign of a hot summer
  - Activities: Barbecuing - public grill spots, hiking, swimming in lakes and rivers
  - Cities come alive: cafes and tables outside, festivals happening- Too hot: go up high in the mountains
• Summer day trips
  - Erlach: 40km from Bern, it's a 50-minute drive or 35-minute train ride. Small pretty village on the edge of Lake Biel. Has a campsite and a spot to rent stand up paddle boards.
  - Estavayer le Lac: a medieval town with a castle on the shore of Lake Neuchâtel. Has a great water sport facility - a water-ski lift! You can also camp here and rent pedalos.