What do people DO on UK holidays?

[JudgeRindersMinder]

We’re sun worshipers, and go abroad for the sun 2-3 times a year. Except this year!
We have a few days off in September, Thurs-Sun, and wouldn’t mind getting away for at least a couple of nights.

I’ve been looking at nice hotels in various UK locations (ie NOT Premier Inn type places) We aren’t super active people who are into bracing walks in the countryside (both have issues with arthritis 🙄), and if we stay in Scotland, any spas, pools etc are no go.

If you were us, where would you go and would you do?
Budget is fairly healthy, and travel by plane or car isn’t an issue

A scone testing tour of Devon? Or fly to Belfast, do a tour around Hastings hotels, and visit garden centres which compete in home baking. No guarantee of hot sun, but September is often mild.

As a child we always had to be busy on holiday. Although my mum is a sun worshipper, no minute of the holiday could be "wasted", we had to be up and out doing things we couldn't/wouldn't do at home from dawn till dusk. It took me along time to realise that watching a film or reading a book were perfectly lovely ways to spend a holiday.

Cottage with a hot tub so you can sit in it nice and warm even if it's a bit parky.

Leisurely breakfast. Then pick a tourist attraction/museum to visit each day for a couple of hours. Then a late lunch in a nice cafe. Back to accommodation for reading/mooching. Then local pub for a bite then an early night.

Bliss.

@C8H10N4O2

I don't understand people who go on holiday and don't 'do' anything

You don't have to, its the OP's preference and her holiday.

If you like sun and can fly then consider flying to Bristol, Exeter (for SW) or the Channel Islands. Then rent a car and cottage/apartment with some extras - a sea view, hot tub etc or whatever helps you relax. SW/Channel Islands can supply restaurants/shops or sightseeing if you want access to those as well.

Quoting a quote. We go on holiday to do fuck all, or what we want as we’re non stop at home and do interesting things every week.

We went to a cottage with a tennis court, croquet green and badminton last week.

So we played some of those, went for a hike, had a picnic in the grounds of a castle, drove down the coast and went in the sea, read our books while drinking red wine, ate lots of food and chilled out.

Went to a local pub a few times.

Totally different if we’re on a city break though.

Oh yes and lots of board games/ Tafl

we lie about in the sun all day - my idea of hell - and people pay to do this!!!!!

We are similar age to you and we enjoy the Lake District doing different light walks which are really easy to find online . We are by no means fell walked we just choose a walk around the lake or short walk to a lovely waterfall or viewing point. Also boat trips on the lakes . It's lovely to sit and read in the beautiful countryside. Also enjoy trips to York as others have suggested we have done history and ghost walking tours there.

Last week was 30-35 degrees in many places in England. Too hot to lie in the sun as OP describes? Only about 24 deg C where I live (East Anglia) today & I'm sitting firmly in the shade (shorts & tank top) to avoid sun. Our garden has needed buckets of watering every day to deal with the dry heat. I managed to get sunburnt on an almost purely cloudy day last week in the Yksh Dales, in spite of sporting a magnificent lockdown nearly-all-over tan since April.

Hope you find what you want, OP. I am same age as you but have a sedentary job so I only want very active holidays punctuated by the odd museum. I imagine going on cruise ship hols when I'm about 75.

I totally understand the doing nothing holiday (apart from perhaps reading a book or going for the odd swim). I think people who don't get that have probably never felt really stressed out by work or burned out. I have really needed to do that (as best you can with small children!) a few times.

Nowadays I like a mixture. I certainly don't want a route march of tours, walks and visits and to have some days on the beach reading a book and swimming. DDs like that too. I find that mixture is actually easier in the UK and it's often too hot to move very much at all in parts of Spain and Greece, especially in August.

We went to Granada in June once (for a couple of days, as part of a holiday in Andalucia which was more like 25C to 30C most of the time and lovely). Fantastic city but it was getting up to the mid 40s by the afternoon. You could only really do anything early morning and late evening. Heat and sun can also be very restrictive!

I would hire a decent sized motor home, travel North, to the wilds of Scotland.Off the beaten track sometimes, with camera and binoculars. Hope to avoid a lot of people, but maybe sample a bit of local food and drink, and have a chat with some way off locals.

About a million people have had this idea already, and I doubt the locals will be up for a friendly chat after campervanner number five thousand hoves into view, given that the last lot probably crapped in their garden.

Why do some people have to have a snobby opinion on what others choose to do on holiday?! If you can't help, no need to comment.

@lljkk

Last week was 30-35 degrees in many places in England. Too hot to lie in the sun as OP describes? Only about 24 deg C where I live (East Anglia) today & I'm sitting firmly in the shade (shorts & tank top) to avoid sun. Our garden has needed buckets of watering every day to deal with the dry heat. I managed to get sunburnt on an almost purely cloudy day last week in the Yksh Dales, in spite of sporting a magnificent lockdown nearly-all-over tan since April.

Hope you find what you want, OP. I am same age as you but have a sedentary job so I only want very active holidays punctuated by the odd museum. I imagine going on cruise ship hols when I'm about 75.

It’s 15°C and totally dull where I am just now 🙁

And 30-35c is perfect for me....on holiday, to laze around and read 😜

To be honest, I would be very happy in a bikini soaking up sun rays and reading lots of books while sipping long cool drinks. Possibly in Mustique (visited briefly) or Zanzibar (aspirational).

However DH is not keen on beach holidays. And also we have organised holidays around something easy, much more local and well affordable since the children came along. So we used to pootle around looking at interesting cultural stuff and at the moment the great outdoors is enjoyable (and safer).

I don't think any one sort of holiday is inherently better than another. And I am happy enjoying plush hotels, but also have enjoyed staying in Premier Inns and air b and bs. I spent one summer living in a mud hut when I was 19.

Maybe we could try not to criticise the OP for her choices?

I have two interests which I can do anywhere - food and photography. If I were in your position I'd be looking at gourmet eating places near to where you're staying, local food and drink producers, and places/things/people to take photos of - and/or making videos to be edited at home as a souvenir of my break. These things work in all weathers!

I can't understand why people just want to lay in the sun all day. I'd be bored in 10 mins. We just get on trip advisor for the local area and have a good look round. Nice museum on a rainy day :)

Oh, Killyhevlin hotel on the lakes in the west of Northern Ireland. About 90 miles from Belfast, it has lodges on the river plus the hotel. There are walks, castles, forests if you like, boats if you like, and the Donegal coast isn't too far. Sligo is slightly further if you like to drive.
Good scones available.

@FinnyStory

As a child we always had to be busy on holiday. Although my mum is a sun worshipper, no minute of the holiday could be "wasted", we had to be up and out doing things we couldn't/wouldn't do at home from dawn till dusk. It took me along time to realise that watching a film or reading a book were perfectly lovely ways to spend a holiday.

I am usually the annoying one yelling at everyone to get up so we can go out. We are away now and the weather is absolutely pants and I don't really want to go anywhere that involves a mask or track and trace so we are just lazing around.

There were scones everywhere we went in Devon, one day we had 2 lots of cream tea included. I tried to cancel one but was told it wasn't possible. But it's a nice problem to have.

If you prefer relaxing to sightseeing, what about finding a pretty lodge or cabin with a hot tub? That way you can relax with a book outside regardless of the weather.

Don't forget to buy your favourite treat food/drink and maybe book into a couple of nice restaurants too

Channel Islands have quarantine- Guernsey is 7 days today so you'd need to come for a while. No social distancing or restrictions once you are out of quarantine and tends to be sunny but not Mediterranean. Lots of nice beaches.

I'd go for a fancy hotel with an indoor pool, lounge areas and nice food.

I love a city break but it isn't the same vibe as a holiday by the beach/pool somewhere hot. I'm lucky that we do both most years. I don't think one is better than the other and I don't judge people for not wanting to do the same as me.

I’d stay in a lovely hotel in Liverpool.

Mooch around the city, ferry across the Mersey, cocktails at Liverpool 1.

Get a Merseyrail pass and visit Crosby, a trip to Port Sunlight for a look around, maybe go a bit further on to Chester for a day.

Bath also has a spa hotel - not been but its offering treatments etc from 1 September and appears to have availability - and plenty of places doing cream teas and lots of places to see if weather a bit rubbish.