Where do you take the kids on a UK holiday?

[Ginevere]

I’m in my third trimester with my first, and have just started musing about holidays. Where do you take kids? Especially small ones? Since becoming an adult I’ve mainly gone abroad, and UK trips have been city breaks or places unsuitable for children. People say ‘Devon and Cornwall’, but where exactly? (I’m south east)

When I cast my mind back, the only childhood holiday I remember is a holiday camp we used to love, but I’ve just looked and it’s shut. That’s the only idea I had aside from centre parks, which seems very expensive. Is that unavoidable with children?

Forgive me if this is all very naive, but I am utterly clueless! Feels like the latest in a long list of things I can’t even imagine happening once the baby arrives.

Isle of Wight (Ventnor)
Lyme Regis
Broadstairs
Norfolk (Wells Next The Sea)
Whitstable
The Lake District

Remember that MN isn't representative of the population as a whole, and that Centre Parcs is ridiculously expensive for what it is.

There are holiday parks, which can be fun with swimming pool on site and usually a clubhouse with little bits of entertainment. Some people love the fact everything is on tap. Some people find them a bit over crowded and busy and not to their taste at all. Can be useful when you have a bunch or 4 - 6 yr olds though.

There are (static) caravan parks all round the coast. From the SE, Dorset is probably reachable as will the East Coast up to Norfolk be.

Then, if your budget stretches, you can stay in cottages. If you are happy to be 3 - 5 miles from the beachfront they are cheaper, but obviously you have to drive in each day. You will find loads of former farms that have converted outbuildings into holiday lets. We've stayed in lots of places over the years where there are about 6 holiday lets and a swimming pool on site.

Agree with pp who suggested you take advantage of the first 4 years when you can go outside of school holidays(unless either of you work in a school).

I've been talking my lb abroad since he was 8 months old. At first I was really nervous about it because of the heat/ plane etc. But it was a lot easier than I thought. We started off just going to Benidorm ( it's where we always went before anyway and we love it) it's only a short flight and there's so many things to do (zoos, water parks, funfairs). We first went in may when it wasn't as hot. You have to be more prepared as you'll have a lot more to take eg lots of hand luggage but now I'm so glad I did as we have some amazing memories and photos etc. Now he's 5 and we have also been to Cyprus and Tenerife too. I personally think it's easier to take them when they're younger and plus you get free child places, and once they're in school you pay a fortune.

If you absolutely don't want to go abroad then Bournemouth is nice lots to do for families. we took my lb to Peppa pig world whilst there which was great. Also Blackpool can be fun as there's plenty going on.

I'm in my second trimester with my second child and I can't wait to go abroad again. Il wait until after 3 months for their immune system to develop but then I'm looking forward to booking my next Benidorm holiday.

Haven! (Reighton Sands)

I know some snobs would scoff and turn their noses up but my girl absolutely LOVES it!

We have had amazing holidays with kids in the following locations

Skye
Mull
Dumfries and Galloway
Scottish Borders
Edinburgh
NOrthumberland
North York moors esp Whitby
Yorkshire dales
Lakes
London
Dorset Jurassic coast
Northern Ireland- Antrim
Sherwood Forest
Longleat
Cornwall

Always self catering on or very near to the beach or a lake; Lake District, Wales, Cornwall. Although the self catering is extra work, it’s easier than a hotel and we just arrange for a supermarket delivery to arrive on the first night. Cost wise it’s probably more expensive train going abroad, especially once you factor in any activities and eating out.

I was also going to suggest norfolk considering where you are. The furthest we drive is 2.5 hours because DD gets travel sick, we've had some fab holidays in Norfolk.

Thanks for these. To those suggesting trips before they go to school- is it hard to travel with young kids? Seems like a lot to take with me!

Also a few people have suggested Norfolk as only being less than an hour away- it’s 2.5 hours from me! I live in Windsor so the other side of London, quite a treck! A few people have also suggested Whitby, I’d love to go there, but it’s like 7 hours away. Ouch!

Since having ds (now 12) we've holidayed in U.K. and abroad.

Small ds didn't cope well with heat and went to sleep if temp above 85 degrees, so gave up on hot summer holidays.

U.K. holiday have been cycling ( cottage on the Tarka trail), island camping (Herm), Canal boat holiday, rockpooling, bird watching & seal spotting in Scotland.

Now he's hit teens, we'll try a city break next, Stockholm maybe.

If you enjoy warm beach holidays then I recommend getting as many of those in before your children start school. While they're little they are super easy to entertain on the beach/pool and they take naps in pushchairs while you sunbathe abs swim. They can be fed easily in the hotel room some nights and they tucked up in the pushchair to sleep while you have a grown up evening at dinner. We managed about 5 holidays while our baby twins were this easy to entertain and those holidays were fabulous!

Once the kids were a bit older, they still enjoyed beach holidays abroad, but also like U.K. seaside holidays. Buckets, spades, crabbing, walking, playgrounds, fish and chip picnics ....

We do Haven holiday parks or Center Parcs.

I think 2.5 hours is do-able, especially if they still nap as you can time it around that. We always travel first thing as DD likes to have a nap (even at 8!) so it's better to let them sleep earlier.

Also a few people have suggested Norfolk as only being less than an hour away- it’s 2.5 hours from me! I live in Windsor so the other side of London, quite a treck

I live in the Midlands, so, unless I want to go to Weston-Super-Mud or Brean every year, EVERYWHERE is more than 2.5 hours away. That really isn't considered too much of a drive to go on holiday by most people

I mean, seriously you are asking about holidays. If you want a day trip, you are right by LegoLand

For a week’s holiday, we are prepared to travel most of the day to get there....perhaps 6 hours to include a couple of short breaks.

It’s not the most fun part of the holiday but the reality is that if you limit it to 2.5 hrs most people will have limited choices.

If it’s a long weekend or perhaps a Mon-Fri thing, I wouldn’t go so far.

If your kids are terrible travellers though, it’s definitely a factor. But for those who don’t puke or behave unbearably in the car, I’d just get on with it. A couple of stops, perhaps an audio book (or some awful music they like) and maybe a snooze along the way....it’s often quicker than going abroad.

I find it easier to travel when they are younger as they can't mess around. If you are in a car you will need to do plenty of stops and get them out of the car seat etc so they don't spend too long in it at once but it would still be ok to travel a couple/ few hours it's only one day and you'll enjoy the memories forever. I'd prefer a plane to a car as they are not in a car seat the whole time. They will be on your knee and you can entertain them and share the load. You will need to take plenty of hand luggage and be very prepared but it's so worth it. I wouldn't let the worry of travel stop you from enjoy those first holidays together as a family. The memories you make will be forever. I agree with other posts that say you should just go where you enjoy when they are very young as they won't know/ remember anyway. You will always find something to entertain them at that age, and you will have the memories of taking them to places you love.

It's much easier to travel before they go to school. Travelling during school holidays is a pain. Things are expensive and busy. When they're little, it's easy, assuming you have a car. We've been doing UK holidays since our first was 6 weeks old and I holidayed abroad with youngest from 8 months (on my own - it was still no big deal to bring everything I needed on the plane). You don't need to go somewhere wild and 7 hours away. Just find somewhere interesting within 2-3 hours of you with a lovely garden and some interesting places within a short drive. You don't need holiday parks or anything. Centre parcs is massively overpriced.

Our most successful UK holidays have been camping weekends and caravan parks. Used to go to the Haven site at New Quay in Wales every Easter and kids loved it. We have done lots of camping trips, we did them before kids too. As the kids have got a little older going camping with other families has been great, the kids all play and that old cliche that you're happy when the kids are is true.

Center Parcs is reasonable during term time, so if you can do that before dc starts school I'd recommend. We found that during school holidays its cheaper to go to center Parcs in Belgium or Holland than the UK.

Paris, Barcelona, Amsterdam, London, many places in France, mallorca, marrakech (City and essouria).
Disney paris and other European theme parks, Europa parky and our absolute favourite... Efteling.

sorry op I missed the UK part.

OK.
London, lakes, Cornwall... Bath.. Etc.
No holiday parks.
Just beaches..

Not RTFT but there are different phases of travel with children.

When you have one tiny baby you can absolutely do Euro city breaks. Or whatever you fancy. The necessary kit is totally manageable with two adults to carry it and a baby who doesn’t move. Always baffles me when I see people paying a fortune for Centreparcs etc for a holiday with a 6 month old. They don’t care!

When they are in the 1-3 (ish) age bracket it’s all a bit tricky travel-wise - they don’t like sitting still in the car/plane, they get into mischief in the Airbnb. Plus still need a lot of kit. At this point just do the bare minimum. Short breaks in the UK, near a farm, sort of thing. I’m not a toddler doom-monger - I adore the toddler years. But travel gets a lot easier after about 3-4. With DC1 we powered through because we knew no better. With DC2 we temporarily lowered our horizons. Or we went on holiday with GPs (when allowed). Going somewhere with friends/family with small kids is also good for morale.

Preschool it gets good again! And you can still go away in term time. You can go city breaks (if there’s parks/beaches/aquariums), caravan parks, resorts, camping, whatever you’re into.

Then once they’re in school you have to lower your horizons again because everything is so ducking expensive. At this point you start doing things like camping in France because a nice cottage in Cornwall or a week in a resort costs you 6 months mortgage payments. Which might be ok unless you’ve had another kid and are skint again.

And once you’ve got two kids (and one at school) that’s when you get properly into ‘family holidays’ (Eurocamp, Haven, all the stuff recommended above). But you’ve got about 5 years before you’re there, IME.

It's a long way from the SE but we go every year to the Outer Hebrides where we own a house. Used to actually live there. Beaches, countryside, rivers, more beaches, big house with comfy lounge and all mod cons - love it! Every year, even if we go abroad, we'll go 2-3 times (from Glasgow). Teenagers still love it, especially when there's live local music. We rent the house when we're not there, so it's pretty much a free holiday.

@CryMeALiver

Not RTFT but there are different phases of travel with children.

When you have one tiny baby you can absolutely do Euro city breaks. Or whatever you fancy. The necessary kit is totally manageable with two adults to carry it and a baby who doesn’t move. Always baffles me when I see people paying a fortune for Centreparcs etc for a holiday with a 6 month old. They don’t care!

When they are in the 1-3 (ish) age bracket it’s all a bit tricky travel-wise - they don’t like sitting still in the car/plane, they get into mischief in the Airbnb. Plus still need a lot of kit. At this point just do the bare minimum. Short breaks in the UK, near a farm, sort of thing. I’m not a toddler doom-monger - I adore the toddler years. But travel gets a lot easier after about 3-4. With DC1 we powered through because we knew no better. With DC2 we temporarily lowered our horizons. Or we went on holiday with GPs (when allowed). Going somewhere with friends/family with small kids is also good for morale.

Preschool it gets good again! And you can still go away in term time. You can go city breaks (if there’s parks/beaches/aquariums), caravan parks, resorts, camping, whatever you’re into.

Then once they’re in school you have to lower your horizons again because everything is so ducking expensive. At this point you start doing things like camping in France because a nice cottage in Cornwall or a week in a resort costs you 6 months mortgage payments. Which might be ok unless you’ve had another kid and are skint again.

And once you’ve got two kids (and one at school) that’s when you get properly into ‘family holidays’ (Eurocamp, Haven, all the stuff recommended above). But you’ve got about 5 years before you’re there, IME.

I agree with a lot of what you're said but why do you need two kids to enjoy 'family holidays' in places like Haven?

So many great tips, thanks everyone. Someone mentioned taking the kids on beach holidays when they are still small, this is a great tip. I’ve very much jumped straight into the ‘can’t do any of our usual holidays’ pity pool, but maybe I’m overthinking it.

A few people have pointed out that 2.5 hours isn’t that far to drive, and that’s fair also! I’m a bit adverse to long drives, maybe I need to be a bit more flexible!

You don’t! In fact I imagine they’re pretty awesome for primary age solo kids as lots of other kids to play with. I was just trying to summarise (after wine) the way our decision making went. That’s just the point at which we stopped leveraging the kid(s) into our holidays and started doing holidays more ‘for them’.

@CryMeALiver

You don’t! In fact I imagine they’re pretty awesome for primary age solo kids as lots of other kids to play with. I was just trying to summarise (after wine) the way our decision making went. That’s just the point at which we stopped leveraging the kid(s) into our holidays and started doing holidays more ‘for them’.

Sorry, this was meant to be a reply to Ginger1982 above