Undesirable holiday locations, please!

[WouldBeGood]

I’m far too scared to book a wholesome staycation in a beautiful tourist area, lest I be run out of town by angry locals; or refused service in the extortionately priced local farm shop.

So, I’m planning to go to places that are not holiday destinations, where they might be pleased people are visiting. Or, even better, not notice.

My sole requirement is a nice hotel.

Any recommendations?

Bishop Auckland or Barnard Castle!! A place this generation will forever remember with its 2020 connotation - we stayed in Crook in 2019 though and it was lovely. Parts around there reminded me of the undiscovered bits of the Lake District as they used to be in my childhood (waterfalls and river areas especially).

Our best ever family holiday was to Newcastle. Amazing friendly city. Great walks along Hadrian's wall. Good hotels. It's fab.

I live near Reading. You could stay in Reading town centre, plenty of restaurants and shops, the theatre The Hexagon might have reopened.

Hotels, The Forbury or the Malmaison.

You can walk along the Kennet and Avon canal from there and onto The Thames Path.

Get the train to Windsor, Henley on Thames, London, Bath, Oxford.

No one would notice you're a tourist.

Definitely Hull! Beautiful old town area, interesting museums including Street Life and Wilberforce; The Deep; The Fish Trail - a self guided walking tour around the city’s old and new town; loads of independent restaurants; Hull Minster; super friendly people! You’re also close to the coast, the Dales and great transport links to other cities such as York and Leeds as well as the ferried. Oh, try a patty while you’re there! I’d say Hull is a very well kept secret

We’re going to Durham and Minehead

I went to Hull for a birthday weekend and loved it but people thought I was crazy. I don't get all the hate. It's quite an attractive old town and The Deep is excellent. I want to explore more of Northumberland, only been there briefly. All that wilderness really appeals to me.

I might do a tour 😃

Birmingham - you can even stay in the Rotunda with Staying Cool.

Northumberland. Alnwick was lovely and with few tourists who actually hung about after seeing the castle.

Stoke on Trent is definitely what ticks your box. We went to the Emma Bridgewater factory for a tour and loved that. There's not a lot else there. We were passing though.

@Leapyleaffrog I'm off to Oxford this summer on that basis as well!

@MrsHandles OMG Patty's, once lock down is over, have to have a trip to Withernsea for Patty and chips

*Adds mysterious patty to list

We're going to Northumberland later this year, Alnwick, Lindisfarne, Bamburgh, Hadrian's Wall are all on our list. Planning a stop at Chester on the way or the return, haven't decided which other city to visit for the other leg of the journey. York was wonderful a few years ago and although we did the Minster and the Railway Museum, I'd forgotten to prebook tickets so we missed Jorvik, although I have a feeling it may be aimed at school groups rather than people who read archaeology for their first degree. What does anyone else think?

And we live in North Wiltshire which a few people have mentioned! Avebury and West Kennet long barrow both get a bit rammed on sunny school holiday/weekend afternoons, if you want to really get the atmosphere go at sparrowfart.

Better put in a word for bits of Essex as well - Saffron Walden? Maldon? And/or Woodbridge, Suffolk, but that would not be a tricky daytrip from either - Cambridge and Kent also do-able.

‘Sparrowfart - chortle

It's maybe not completely tourist free but St Andrews is lovely and a lot quieter than many places especially if you go when Scottish schools are back.

And it has the most amazing beach (think Chariots of fire).

Easy travel to Edinburgh, Dundee, Perth etc. As well as some stunning fishing villages

@Wakeupin2022

It's maybe not completely tourist free but St Andrews is lovely and a lot quieter than many places especially if you go when Scottish schools are back.

And it has the most amazing beach (think Chariots of fire).

Easy travel to Edinburgh, Dundee, Perth etc. As well as some stunning fishing villages

Weirdly, I went to school there 😃

Lots of lovely out of the way places and areas up North. If you search for places that are not in the areas where masses of people go to, as in those with big attractions, as in people with children to entertain, then you can find quiet places with good scenery and good hotels.

Come to Kent. Not snobbery at all with tourists. It's ridiculous

Nottingham. My hometown. About as far from the coast as you can get but lots to do. Caves, Sherwood Forest, galleries of justice, lovely castles, Wollaton Hall and park, lots of great pubs.

And we're definitely not snobby locals here.

@Leapyleaffrog

Given the likely absence of hoards of foreign tourists, Chinese tour groups etc I’ve decided this is the perfect year to go to London, Oxford, Cambridge, Stratford, York or Edinburgh. Basically I’ll be avoiding countryside or coast.

That's our plan too. I can't think of anything worse than paying the price of an all-inclusive week on the algarve for a holiday cottage by the coast in U.K. drizzle.

Hardwick Hall hotel near sedgefield. Can easily explore Durham & Yorkshire from here. Also visit coastal towns of Seaton & Seaham.
Beamish, Roseberry Topping, Museum of the Royal Navy in Hartlepool.

Not really undesirable as it's absolutely lovely, but my too recommendation is Shropshire. Doesn't attract many tourists as its in the middle with few obvious tourist attractions, but we've stayed at a wonderful mansion near Ludlow a few times now - last time was last summer - and there's a goodly number of walks ending at fantastic pubs, some fine National trust cafes with historical things attached and Ludlow itself is definitely worth a visit with quite a decent castle.