Two/three nights by the sea in the south- where would you choose?

[gerbo]

We'd like 2/3 nights by the sea this Easter school holiday. Our budget is not huge, we'd probably book a 2 bed apartment on booking.com or find an air bnb.

There are 4 of us, children are 9 &12.

We're in Hertfordshire so somewhere we can access in a few hours. I'd prefer somewhere (town/large village) with some character/buzz about it, with a beach nearby.

Where would you suggest?! Thanks in advance!

Suffolk coast staying eg in Aldeburgh or Southwold. Good beaches, lots of space, interesting towns and villages, nature trails, fish and chips. Think I need to book a break too!

Dymchurch is nice. It has an open all year around mini steam railway and great sandy beaches.

Another vote for Brighton - take 2ps for the pier! My 11-yr old grandson loved the little train, the sharks at the aquarium, the 360 Eye and wandering around the Lanes.

Bournemouth, Weymouth, Lyme Regis or if you fancy going east, Southwold is lovely!

Not Portsmouth/Southsea, I live half an hour's drive away, its a bit of a dive to be honest. Portsmouth town centre is dying a slow death sadly. Southsea has a few nice shoos but very small. Southsea beach is just pebbles, it does have amusements at one end of the beach. There's a lake with boats to hire and a playground. Nothing much really to do there.
We've had many a holiday in Woolacombe, like all seaside towns it is lovely in good weather but nothing to do really if it rains. Gorgeous sandy beach, surfing, arcades, gift shops, Barricane is a little shell beach just along the way, there's a car park up the hill called Marine Drive where you can clamber down through the sand dunes to get to a quieter part of the beach. But as I say you really need half decent weather to enjoy the beaches.
My brother lives in Hastings, there's more to do than Southsea but again it is pebbly beach and not a lot to do there in bad weather, arcades and some moochy shops but also some dodgy areas.
I feel like I am being very negative! But I would go somewhere more built up like Brighton if you're looking for a bit of life.

Shops not shoos!

North devon is great but it takes a while to get here. Ilfracombe much cheaper than woolacombe and has beaches although not sandy. Hele and tunnels beaches are great for younger families.

Lots to do - watermouth castle, exmoor zoo, big sheep, Milky Way.

Oh God sorry I think Ilfracombe is a bit of a dive too, maybe I am just a snob

Swanage or Wareham in Dorset ( Wareham is inland but easy access to the coast). Nice beaches nearby like Studland Bay, it's near Corfe Castle or Monkey World. There is the steam train or tank museum if it rains!

We are further East than you and get there in about 2.5 hours.

I think North Devon would be a bit far.

I would say Bournemouth or Cromer in Norfolk.

Lyme Regis

Ilfracombe is a total dive. Don’t send OP there. It’s grim.

What about Cornwall or is it too far? Bude is on the north coast, lots of crashing waves and sandy beaches. Only a smidge into Cornwall.

Another for Lyme Regis

Whitstable or if I was going further then Lymington or Christchurch

For 2/3 nights I'd try to minimise travelling time and look at the east coast - Norfolk, Whitstable?

It's a heck of a journey getting through or round London and out to Devon just for a few days.

Brixham in South Devon? Might be a bit far but lots to do. You can catch the boat across the bay and go to Paignton Zoo, Dartmouth is lovely and close, you could visit the hippy dippy shops in Torbay. My sister used to live in Brixham and it was a great base for a couple of days away.

Both North and South Devon are lovely but it's a long way to go from Hertfordshire for 2 or 3 nights. Especially as the chance of getting stuck in traffic on the M25, M4 or M5 is HIGH (speaking from bitter experience here!)

@MetallicPaints I'm intrigued as to where you live. I'm 15 mins from Portsmouth (near Petersfield) and you've really made me laugh! But you're right in your description. However, for planned days out and if OP has an interest in Naval history I think Southsea is a good place to go (dockyard - action stations, mary rose etc. d-day museum, explosion museum in Gosport) but some may be boring for children. Could go over to the isle of Wight on the hovercraft or take the car to to Osborne House.

I went to Bournemouth in the summer to see a band and stayed over night. We had a great time and went to corfe castle, the sea life centre, general beach walks etc. It was nice to go away there even though it was close to home.

@ThankfullyAlive then we are very close You are right, the dockyard has some good activities and Gunwharf is nice for a mooch or a meal. I just wouldn't recommend it as a holiday destination

Metallic you aren't a snob. I grew up in south sea and now live up off the peninsular. I agree south sea isn't what is use to be. But I wonder if someone who didn't know it and doesn't live by the beach would enjoy the museums, canoe lake, model village, fair, dockyard etc. There's also gunwharf for shopping.

I would also suggest Bournemouth or Lyme Regis which is where I'd go if I wanted a good few days by the beach.

X posts metallic and thanks

Thorpeness

For proximity, there's lots to do in Rye and you've got Camber Sands nearby. Otherwise, one of the pretty villages near Chichester and the Witterings?

Otherwise, if distance not such an issue I'd go for North Devon coast or North Norfolk coast.

Wells next the sea...

If you (or anyone) goes to wells next the sea be careful about parking in the harbour car park - see google reviews !