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 :(

I can't drive, single parent and I take DS on plenty of holidays. We usually go abroad though. We are going to Butlins next week and London and Norfolk in the summer. We use public transport or walk.

National express coaches from Victoria coach station , they go all over the country. Including seaside places.

I did the Isle of Wight, train from London, boat as foot passengers and the bus around the island. It was bliss. It’s a slower paced life, and it’s very stress-busting as a result.

I don’t drive and DP avoids it where possible so a few examples we’ve done:
Camping in the new forest: Ashurst campsite is right next to the train station
Camping in the Lake District - we used buses to get around, you can get the train to various parts
We also went to Loch Lomond, stayed in Balloch which has a train station, iirc we also used local buses and boats on the loch
Obviously you’ve got city breaks like York, Bath, Liverpool, Brighton. Bournemouth station is also close to the beach.

We have been from the SE to Cornwall by train and camped.

@aibutohavethisusername I actually can't imagine camping by public transport. Last time we went camping I had so much gear in the car I damaged the rear springs. Or do you mean glamming where it's all set up? Even then the amount of clothing and footwear you need to account for the British 4 seasons in a day whilst camping I can't imagine dragging on and off a train

Don’t forget to book in advance on the train to save a third. Cheaper Tue-Thursday and also check out the train split websites - they can save you a fortune!

@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

Southend, Clacton, Walton on the naze, Frinton etc should be easy enough. You can get a train from Liverpool Street.

You can get to herne bay, whitstable, margate, ramsgate and broadstairs from victoria.

PS - the 3 of us once went return to London for £24 (from the Welsh Marches) so it’s worth tinkering about.

[quote cocoloco987]@aibutohavethisusername I actually can't imagine camping by public transport. Last time we went camping I had so much gear in the car I damaged the rear springs. Or do you mean glamming where it's all set up? Even then the amount of clothing and footwear you need to account for the British 4 seasons in a day whilst camping I can't imagine dragging on and off a train [/quote]
No. Proper camping. Two adults and a child. Suitcase and day pack each. Was great fun. My Mum & daughter even packed about 15 small toy cuddly dogs in her suitcase

@aibutohavethisusername but the tent, the camping stove, mats or beds and sleeping bags , the plates, cups and cutlery? 🤯I know wild campers do it with big backpacks and tents but they have little lightweight single ones and individual crockery - not one big enough and bedding for a family of 4. Big respect 😆

Loads of excellent city breaks don't need a car.

Or pick a bit of coast well served by the train.

Of course you can! Im a LP without a car, and since he was born have taken 4 yo DS (alone) on holiday all over the place, including to:

Whitby
Robin Hoods Bay
London
Scarborough
Brighton
Numerous campsites in the Yorkshire dales
A Narrowboat holiday

We do camping, boating, seaside, city breaks ... air bnb, hostels, beach chalets and tents. I just use trains and buses, a massive backpack or wheelie suitcase and take my time. All my camping stuff is ultralight.

I’m planning/ saving for a big backpacking trip with him the summer he finishes primary school, through France, Spain and Portugal, including a bit of the Santiago.

You just have to embrace the (slow!) pace, pack a lot of snacks, and budget for wine for you in the evening

London would be great. So much to do and see and good transport. Your 12 year old would love it.

My DH drives but when we go to London, which we do at least twice a year, we never take the car

Hi OP, hope you are feeling better and even inspired by some of the great ideas suggested. If just you and your 12 y/o Premier Inn/Travelodge and youth hostels are ideal for you two, booking twin rooms (usually a double and single in the PI). There is also the Network South East railcard, not advertised as much as the other types. Weekly passes with the bus company at your destination will probably save a fortune. Just back from 2 nights in Eastbourne, paid £10 for a 24hr open top bus tour which got me out to Seven Sisters at Birling Gap. If you go to some attractions they offer you a discount off entry if you travelled via public transport for the green/environmental aspect. Happy travels to you both. X

We did loads of holidays without a car. Cities and rural.

Cities aren't a problem in the slightest as they have great transport links.

For rural, we choose places we could get to by train. Then we'd make sure they had a few circular walk options, perhaps bike rental and rail or bus links to some local sites.

We've even taken full camping gear on the train before!

Can you get treatment for your anxiety? It sounds like it's really limiting you.

Does anyone else not think trains are really expensive? I've looked into going on a city break or even to the coast from the day and the cost of trains seem astronomical.

We are a family without a car so the only
option for a holiday would be to travel by train, but even to travel somewhere like Bristol - Yorkshire would cost us in the region of £460 before we even get a hotel or sightseeing and eating out.

Does anyone else not think trains are really expensive? I've looked into going on a city break or even to the coast from the day and the cost of trains seem astronomical.

I have a family and friends rail card and if you book using that as soon as the advance tickets are released (usually 12 weeks before) you can get from, for example, Edinburgh to London for very little. Think return journey for 3 for under £50. When you start needing multiple changes rather than direct mainline it can get a bit pricier

The walk up price with trains is huge, yes. But if you get a Friends and Family travel card for thirty quid and book specific trains in advance you should be able to halve that price (including the outlay on the travel card). Still real money I grant you.

@cocoloco987 when we go by public transport we go lighter on the equipment than if we go in the car eg eat at local pubs instead of taking camp stove. We also don’t have camp beds, we just use mats which saves some space. We basically attach straps to everything (eg tent, mats) so that it can be slung over a shoulder or attached to a rucksack!

@covetingthepreciousthings have you got a railcard? They save you a lot. Booking advance fares are usually a lot cheaper than flexible fares too.

If you just want an easy change of scenery, lea valley has campsites.

£219 for family of 4 advance purchase. Bristol to Yorkshire. travelling 23 July & 31 July. Family railcard.

(I have no idea if Bramley is worth going to, tbf).

Not cheap but Doesn't have to be £450+.

I went to windermere in the train once and stayed in a B and B. There was then at least one company that offered day trips. Also you can go on the boat to Ambleside or get the train to Lancaster or Keswick or walk etc.

It's eminently doable by train: cities are usually easier - I've done Edinburgh, Devon, Cambridge, Nottingham, Birmingham all by train, as well as Avignon, Carcassonne in Europe.

Key points:

1. Packing expands to fill the space available - start with a smaller suitcase (or one big one for you and your child).

1. Tesco clubcard points will buy you a railcard for £10 of points. Then it's 1/3 off.

1. Book 12 weeks in advance for the cheapest rates.

1. Find somewhere you'd be basically happy to spend the week - so a beach there if you want it, and then cafes etc if you want that. That way navigating buses etc (which I always find harder than trains as they seem more random) is easier. This is less bad in the UK than abroad! My personal preference is actually to take a bike on the train - you can usually book them on in advance and then when you get there you have all the freedom you need really. This would depend a lot on how confident your 12 year old is - I was fine on roads by that age but I understand you might not be keen on that.

1. Make sure you've paid for enough data to do whatever you need to online without faffing with wifi - on trains it's patchy and honestly the £3 extra it costs me for that month is well worth it to save continually trying to log in to guest WiFi.

Thanks for the replies about the expense, will look into a railcard and advanced fairs