What do you do holiday in the UK?

[Antiqueanniesmagiclanternshow]

With it looking unlikely that we will get a holiday abroad this year, i was wondering about whether to try and book something in the UK despite the prices being horrendous.
However, looking out of the window as the rain lashes down , i am wondering what do you actually DO on holiday in the uk?
We don't have small children so the attractions that you would take them to are out, I'm sick of going for walks, you can't do museums every day.
If the weather is like this, do you just stay indoors and read a book or watch tv? So like being home but more expensive?

Abroad, you can go the beach or the pool and just enjoy being warm to your bones or take a boat out etc on days you don't want to go sight seeing etc

I find uk holidays very expensive, not just the accommodation but every cafe, pub, attraction etc seems to charge a lot, I resent paying loads for tea and cake if I'm only there because it's raining and I needed something to do

Could you go with another family so you
have company if it's raining?

Buy wetsuits so SRA swimming is bearable. Definitely need them even for hot summer days!

For me, the only bonus of UK holidays is lack of faff with the airport. Currently investigating what the rules are for us to go to DH's country (green list). Do we have to quarantine on arrival? What a headache this covid is.

We walk, often on the beach, every single day. If it's cold and raining, we wrap up. We go for coffees/hot chocolate/cake/scones.

We love country shows and we've been to many of them up and down the country. It's a really great day out.

We take bikes and go for bike rides.

We like pottering around harbours and marinas and going for boat trips. We try and buy fish from the boats, which I cook.

We go to the local shops to source local produce. I especially like a decent butcher and getting decent meat for the BBQ.

We like seaside or country pubs, just for a drink or a pub meal.

We buy fish and chips and sit on the quay to eat them.

Cornwall is the place for pasties for our lunch.

I like pottering around the shops, in places like Lymington.

If we're in Devon, we go to the Donkey Sanctuary which is a fab place to go. It's free parking and entry.

I prefer going abroad too OP, if i can’t this year I will put the money aside for a bigger holiday next year.
I’ve done loads of UK holidays since being a child and I’m bored of them now. Bored of walks, bored of uncertain weather, bored of thinking what to cook or where to eat.
Looking forward to a couple of weeks AI somewhere hot. And before anyone says anything we do go out and explore a lot on holiday, that’s why we travel, but it’s nice coming back after a busy day to a sun lounger by the pool with a cocktail. My 4yr old is desperate to be back on an aeroplane/back snorkelling looking at the fish etc

We love it, new places to explore. Countryside, history, museums, pubs lots of pubs.
I always have terrible luck with the weather though, it's been way too hot the last few years, hopefully it will be a bit more pleasant this year.

Yes, our rule of thumb is to not book any kind of accommodation that isn't as nice as our own house. Otherwise theres no point going somewhere and it not being as good as home!

I always find it startling how rude and unimaginative people can be about holidays! Some people like sun and sitting around a pool all day every day, other people like activities and aren't deterred by the weather. Neither is 'shit', they're just different and personal preference.

@strawberryforever

You do the same things as abroad, you're just wetter and colder.

This.

We are off to Cornwall next month. Staying in a mobile home on a holiday park. Just my DP and I. We have booked a seal safari trip in Padstow. Also booked an evening of pizza & drinks on the private beach at Lusty Glaze. (Marquee). We will walk a lot. Booked afternoon tea in a tea room. Will swim in the sea hopefully and the campsite has an outdoor pool. Can’t wait.

To be fair, I think the dullest holiday I've ever had anywhere was the Maldives. No culture and nothing at all to do there if it rains.

We live in Cornwall, which is totally amazing if dry, and ideally sunny. If you could guarantee the weather I think it's got an awful lot to offer. Coastal path walks with tea shop and pub stops and little villages and coves along the way could keep you busy. I could easily fill 2 weeks with visits to st Ives, mousehole, Falmouth, St Mawes, marazion, heligan, Eden, Fowey etc etc.

Love a trip to London- we walk and walk. There are some stunning cities in the UK.

We've travelled a lot overseas and find UK breaks are comparatively expensive. A week's accommodation in Cornwall at the moment can be comparable with the cost of a week in Thailand, including flights, and I'm not exaggerating. It's also generally far cheaper to do things and eat out overseas than in the UK, other than in pricey places like Denmark or Norway, for example.

We also go abroad partly for the culture shock element. You don't find that so much in the uk where the shops and restaurants are all generally the same brands in a different place. No languages to practise. The flora and fauna all very similar. We don't just go for the pool and sunbeds, although that is a lovely way to start or finish a day, when it's less hot.

If you want a real holiday, use the money you save from not booking anywhere with the kids to hire a 24/7 nanny for the weekend. Take yourself off to the local Premier Inn for a couple of nights with a Netflix account and a bottle of wine. You'll come back feeling refreshed and happy, as opposed to stressed out from being up at 5am to scrub your holiday accommodation with kids in tow for a 9am checkout.

We get somewhere with a pool, hot tub or both so there's something to do if it's rainy.
I'd count it as a huge plus not having to cater for children though. You can do what you like!

Although I'll be honest I don't like hotels or hot weather so most peoples idea of a holiday is very different to mine.

To be fair we went to Majorca for a week one year and it rained for 4 days out of the 6. There was literally nothing to do except go out in the rain or sit in our hotel room. At least the UK is set up for bad weather and has a myriad of indoor attractions!

Last year we just did the UK as Asian holiday booked wasn't viable but we had a lovely time. We were lucky and had mostly sunny days and none of us are keen on very high temperatures so 25C or so suited us fine.

We stayed in first place with an indoor pool we could go in once a day, also had mini golf on site, second place had alpacas / llamas and a hot tub. First place we did several boat trips from - one along the coast, one over to an island in which you swim with seals then get dropped off at the island which has lots of wild animals, one pub and rocks / beaches on so spent day doing that, second place did alpaca trekking across Dartmoor, and gorging in the river. Only stayed just over a week but there were other things to do even with covid shutting some.

This summer we have a helicopter trip, a small plane trip, visit to an island with a botanical gardens, a week in the castle we stayed at last year, will swim with seals and go to that island again, probably kayak, probably visit Bath en route. I am more concerned about weather this year as couldn't book first two weeks due to risk of close contact isolations but have the pool for a week which if same as last year get to yourselves, helicopter and small plane are inside, boat trip will book when have date.

Good city breaks for us in the last few years have been Oxford, York & Liverpool. If you liked the south bank, you'd probably like Albert Dock.

This year I'm contemplating a few days in Birmingham (on the grounds that everyone else will be a the beach) but struggling to convince DH...

I don’t mind a UK break but it’s so bloody expensive eating out. Can’t do that every night like we do abroad. Plus accommodation is dear, cottages etc.

Our last holiday abroad was a Greek Island and we never paid more than 30 euros for an evening meal in a beautiful harbour-side taverna - starter, main, couple of beers and a carafe or two of wine ..... try doing that in a pub in the UK. You’d be lucky to spend less than £80😳

It's lovely if you get the weather. Last year I had three holidays, in the U.K, August, September and October. We had appalling weather for all of them! I know it was Covid so a lot of things were harder anyway but it was so difficult to find things to do.
I'm a pretty outdoorsy, optimistic person but when you're paying £1000 plus for a beachside house and it pisses down every day so you can't even use the beach was so frustrating. I know it can happen abroad but it generally doesn't and even the rain is over quicker than here. There's only so many places you can shuffle around in anoraks. At one point last year I had a bit of a paddy and just cried that it did not feel enjoyable or like a break eating a greggs in the car whilst the rain pelted down. Not my proudest moment

This year I'm contemplating a few days in Birmingham (on the grounds that everyone else will be a the beach) but struggling to convince DH...

If you like history do the tour of the back to back houses. The Black Country museum is great too!

Haven't read through all your replies so I might not be the first to suggest it but have you considered a cruise around the UK, or part of the UK you're not familiar with?

If you're feeling sick of walks etc it might be just the ticket for variety, touch of luxury etc

The part my DC enjoyed most about our last UK holiday was trying his first Happy Meal in a motorway service station. He told his granny about that and nothing else. Beautiful seaside town, rained the whole time we were there and we ended up eating lots of ice creams in waterproofs sitting under the bus shelter (which admittedly had a great view of the sea).

We might save ourselves some money this year and do Cobham or Clacket Lane and then back to play in the sandpit.

This year I'm contemplating a few days in Birmingham

Do it! There’s loads to do in Birmingam (check out they’re local ‘what’s on’) and it’s a good base for exploring further afield for places like Stratford on Avon and Warwick. When DP first passed his driving test we used to flick through the local a-z and go to random places of interest. We found Kinver Edge in Staffordshire near stourport (which is a pretty town to visit) which is houses carved out the side of mountains in the rock.

I’m no where near the midlands now and I miss is greatly, it’s a great area for interesting places to go and things to do.

@PurpleWh1teGreen

Birmingham is a good base. Stratford and Warwick are in easy reach, Coventry is 20 minutes on the train, its City of Culture this year and there is a lot going on, the Cathedral is well worth a visit.

The one thing I really do miss about overseas holidays is the villas with a private pool. It is really nice to pick up a salad and pasta/pizza after a long, hot day sight seeing and just dip into your own pool then eat in your swimming gear whilst you dry off in the evening sun. Sometimes it's just a faff to get dressed, wash your hair and go out to eat and having a private pool with kids is lovely

I think it's very much horses for courses with holidays. As I said before, I love this country because I know what to do, how to read the road signs, what food is what and, if it pours with rain, I know I can understand the film I choose on the TV! I love exploring our history and wildlife. Plus just bunging everything in the car without having to deal with baggage allowances is lovely.

But it is great to see other countries and we've had some lovely overseas holidays, met some lovely local people and, as someone said, enjoyed evenings sitting in tavernas with a nice glass of wine.

I entered an archery competition. Did rather well!

I'd love to go on an painting course.

And then off to the pool and spa to unwind before a G&T.

Walking
Cycling
Kayaking
Paddle boarding
museums
castles
National Trust properties
cathedrals
boat trips
train trips
sea swimming
pubs
restaurants
cafes
swimming pools

I think there is more to do in the UK than a lot of overseas holidays but the weather is a gamble. Luckily we live by the coast in Devon so enjoy the coast when the weather is good, even if it's picnic tea and a swim after work. If it rains on a UK holiday we do some sight seeing and dry out back at our accommodation. Curling up with a bottle of wine in a pretty holiday cottage makes me happy. I love going abroad as well but can find lots of enjoyment in a UK break. Just as well as we are not attempting a holiday abroad this summer and I have a feeling it's going to be a wet and cold one.