Can you actually go on holiday without having a car

[AL75]

I was wondering if I can get some advice as I am feeling very low at the moment. Basically I suffer from anxiety and although I can drive I only drive to areas I know and am comfortable with which are limited and never been on the motorway because I have a phobia although I am quite a good driver. With what is going on with the pandemic everyone is looking to go on holiday inland but it seems to me that it is impossible to get anywhere if you aren’t going with your car. Even if you do find a place to stay for example and you initially get there by cab, you may still need transportation to go to see sites etc. Is there anywhere I can go to where everything I need is there with short walking distance? I feel like such a failure as a mum as I can’t take my 12 year old child places and feel stuck :(

A city break?

We don't have a car. Been on holiday lots, to rural/small places. You just have to plan so you know the options. We base our holidays on going to places with a nearby train station.

I went to Cornwall by train. Stayed in St Ives and Falmouth.

Manged to explore loads of places by bus. Got a copy of the local time table and a weekly explorer ticket which wasn't expensive.

Also done loads of city breaks.

Center Paris, Butlins, Haven Caravan Parks, London, Edinburgh, most seaside resorts such as Bridlington, Scarborough etc all doable without a car

Bournemouth. Train then taxi. Its a very long beach so plenty of scope to find a hotel near to the beach.

Where do you live? Tenby has a train station and a good bus service to other areas.

Of course it's possible! What region do you like and what sort of holiday do you like?

We've never had a car and have been on all sorts of holidays. Sometimes you have to compromise a bit. For example: you end up poking round a town that's a couple of train stops away from your accommodation instead of doing every major tourist site within a 50 mile radius. But that way, I find that we end up seeing more of the area and doing more unusual stuff instead of all the touristy things that everyone else does. You actually end up spending more time doing, rather than spending hours in the car with all the rest of the bank holiday traffic.

A rail map is a good place to start! Where can you get to easily from your starting point?

I don't do motorway driving, so go to places I know that I can get to on decent roads, or take the train. It is just a matter of looking at what is in the area that you go to and if there is enough there to do. Often when I go away, we never go out in the car anyway.

We go to Weston-S-M, and they have the beach, the pier, a kids play/water park, a swimming beach, a climbing park, a big wheel, a massive funfair all summer (used to be an aquarium but it sadly closed down). There is so much to do that we don't need to go anywhere else. We stay in the PI on the sea front which is a short walk from the train station.

I don't know where you live, but if you could find something similar that you can get to easily, you could have a great holiday.

In the past we have been to Dawlish and Paignton, both accessible by train, and used the local buses to get to the Zoo or other towns nearby, Dawlish Warren, Torquay, Babbacombe model village etc.

We went to Bath by train, stayed in a fairly central PI, went to the Abbey, the Roman Baths, did the 2 open top bus tours and went to a massive park, and also had a wander round the shops.

There is so much out there, you just need to look at the stations, accommodation and what is nearby/bus routes etc.

I took DS2 to Devon by train (from SE England) and we had a lovely time. The journey down was like part of the holiday and we sailed past the cars sitting on the motorway

It did mean we were reliant on buses once we got there so spent a fare amount of time stood at bus stops , but that was all part of the adventure too and better than taking the car and having to find parking in high season.

We had a family Rail card and booked 12 weeks in advance and it was a bargain too!

Before we had a car we went places like Butlins,haven or got cheap premier inn rooms in cities.

My friend has often goes on coach trips to theme parks for one or two nights.

Whitby by train Lots to do and you can walk/bus/train to visit other places.

I've also been to the Lake District by train which is similarly easy. You can't see all the remote places by bus, but there is a very good bus service covering all the main tourist and walking spots.

Your anxiety is imprisoning you. :(

We went to rural Scotland (Fort William) & Derbyshire (many places) by rail & with a toddler & bicycles. You can get to rural Cornwall or Norfolk or Wales, small nice towns, by rail. Where there is a will there's a way.

We drive to the Lake District but once we get there the car is parked and not moved for the week. We spend our week walking. So depending on the type of holiday, if you can get there by train and have what you need around you then yes it can be done.

I've never been on holiday with a car

As a child I used to go to Torbay by train. The bus service is good to get about once there.

I’ve taken my son all over the country without driving. It just takes a bit of planning.

Get yourself a family and friends railcard.

Where would you like to go? I could give you some ideas if you give me an idea where you are travelling from

Sometimes things take a bit longer, but some train routes are very pretty, you make it part of the holiday

Thanks for all your comments. And you’re right llijkk, my anxiety is imprisoning me :( I live near potters bar so near a rail station

Yes, you can go on holiday without a car. Go by train. Where do you live?

Opps sorry, cross post. Weymouth, Dorset. Great for family holidays, a range of accommodation from hotels, guest houses, caravan parks. Train station is in the town centre and is on direct line from Waterloo Station.

Honestly, instead of working around the anxiety, try and get therapy to sort it out. I can't stress enough that as a parent/carer you pass an awful lot onto your kids. My nan was totally germphobic and would wrap toilet seats in loo roll and stand facing me- holding my knees up while I had my hands around her neck so she could hover me over the toilet so I didn't catch anything. She had no sense of smell so was constantly asking me to smell left over etc. To this day , on a good day I struggle use a public toilet without my heart racing . Before therapy, Ona bad day I couldn't eat left overs from my own fridge even if it's sandwich meat that was only opened the day before. It's took me 2 years in therapy but I'm so glad I did it. . And it's horrible my nan's fault, she loved me more than anybody in the world but she created this in me.

By your own admission , your anxiety is affecting your child. Just try to go to places when it's quiet. Look on Google street view to prepare if you need to. But please take steps to try and get over it. It is horrible to be shackled by your own ( totally groundless) fear.

Ironbridge. Taxi from Telford station to your holiday accommodation and then walk to all the attractions and the gorgeous scenery (or take the occasional short bus/taxi) from there.

The year of the lorry drivers’ fuel pickets we took a holiday to a cottage on the Northumbrian coast and didn’t dare drive anywhere. We took buses to places every day - yes it required more planning but it was fine - and nowadays with online and live bus timetables it’s even easier.

Are you happy with trains and buses?

You could try a short one to the South Coast, somewhere like Brighton or Littlehampton for a couple of nights?

Once you've gone through London, it's fairly easy to get out?

@AL75

Thanks for all your comments. And you’re right llijkk, my anxiety is imprisoning me :( I live near potters bar so near a rail station

Oh love. Do you have any support with it?