AIBU to think hot weather beach trips sound more hassle than fun?

Can't agree with you more.

I foolishly found myself on a train from the Midlands to Bournemouth yesterday.
Absolutely packed with people heading for the sun. I stood in a sweaty, packed carriage for an hour and was so pleased to leave them to it when I got off.

Without kids, it’s fine, pleasurable in fact. With kids it’s hell on Earth.

Also, I would never go to the big resort photographed beach. I would go to a little beach with a cafe or ice cream shop , of which there are many, down the side roads and between the villages

Yes agree. It's not fun, I don't like the sand or the sea. The noise, the wasps, overflowing bins, smelly toilets etc.

Beach, like the garden centre, is about 30 minutes away, so a reasonable weekend outing.

That and when they decide to take kayaks and paddle boards out when there is an offshore breeze and wonder why they can’t get back in.

Yanbu, it's not my thing at all. I would never make a special day trip to the beach.

Even on holiday my limit is about a couple of hours, or a morning or afternoon. I just don't like lying in the sun or swimming that much.

When my kids were primary school age, I remember offering to take them to the beach. They refused, as they didn’t want to get sand between their toes! They said they would prefer to go to the local garden centre, which had a nice cafe, and have tea 🤭! Mind you, sensory issues might have come into that, but at the time I did wonder if they were turning into OAPs before their time.

Me too, we live close to the beach but only go for walks in the winter just not. Beach people, when we go on holiday we would never spend a time round the pool on but it’s some people’s idea of Heaven, it’s a good job we are not all the same.

lol 😜

have you had tourist come up to you and ask where the beach is, then had to explain about tidal times? Honestly I can see why so many people drown as when they don’t live near the cost seem to be so unaware

We live about 25meters from the beach so it’s really not much hassle at all, what is a pain is tourists parking over our drive so we can’t get in or out all day!

YABVU!

Are you just trying to keep others away so that you can find a car parking space more easily?

I love a day at the beach, and know where to go to make it a lot less stressful than you describe.

Don’t be such a misery!

I live in a suburb with beaches and it’s great. The nearest lifeguarded beach with toilets can get busy but not heaving. The nearest city with beaches I would never ever go to on a hot day! It’s one of those ones they put photos of in the paper to illustrate how busy the beaches are in a heatwave 😂. People pouring out the station, nowhere to park, fight for a spot on the beach, listen to five genres of music at once and shouty people getting drunk all day. Fun when I was 18 but no way at 35! The ‘burbs are where it’s at

Why not?

At least when you’re abroad you can pay for a lounger, the sea is warm and you have facilities at the beach. Maybe it’s just my local beach but there’s nowhere to change, you have to pay for toilets and there’s no showers for sand etc.

I used to hire a beach hut for a week in the summer in Frinton about 10 years ago when DD was little. Parking was horrendous, even early in the morning and sometimes you could get stuck in the mass exodus in the evening and a 30 min journey would take 1.5 hours (mainly stuck in standing traffic in Frinton itself)

Its lovely other than that!

I can't imagine anything I'd enjoy less. It depends where you live of course. Beaches near me would be absolutely packed during the day, and parking would be a nightmare. It can be lovely in the evenings.

We do the opposite of most of you.

Go late in the day, 4pm ish. Couple of hours on the beach, fish & chips for tea, then home

Never understood the obsession with beaches and pools. I am not an outdoor girl.

I'm very lucky to live 5 minutes walk away from a beautiful beach in Cornwall.. When the kids were little we always got there early..or later when their dad finished work.. now it's grandchildren I'm taking..
But yes.. parking wars is not fun and living in a town where it's gridlock often is no fun either..
But I think it's worth it when you finally get settled, suncream on, windbreaks up, moat built, picnic out and the kids have stopped bickering and are now playing nicely..
Ahhh memories...
And I know I'm lucky to be able to walk there now but my own childhood memories are of hours long journeys, fighting with my brothers, nearly all the kids puking in the car, (4 ltr old ice cream containers full!) warm cheese and onion sandwiches, rain when we finally got there and finally sunburn! (Before suncream was a thing)
Are We Nearly There Yet became a family saying and was talked about during our father's last days.
I'll be there tomorrow rock pooling with my oldest grandson.. can't wait..
And we've not yet got the heatwave. Cornish Mizzle here and actually a bit chilly..

I’m on the south coast and it’s HOT here today for us. The beaches will be rammed and to be honest it’s not worth it. I’ll do it abroad but that’s because you’re there for that purpose! I’d rather stick pins in my eyes than attempt a British beach trip

When we go we’re out of the house by 8am
and it’s an hour drive through the countryside.
I agree though it is a faff and we rarely bother now, we go for a coastal walk instead and find a country pub for lunch.

@70isaLimitNotaTarget the tide doesn't come in "early", it's different every day!