Sandy beaches close to London accessible by train/bus?

[JustineTimee]

Would anyone be able to recommend any sandy beaches that are easy to get to by public transport from London, close enough to go and come back on the same day? TIA!

[JustineTimee]

@Howshouldibehave

Kent beaches have been heaving for the past few days.

To be fair, I think ALL beaches in the S/SE and beyond have been heaving over the past few days!

Understandably! ☀️

Hmm, packed trains doesn't sound ideal... Maybe we'll have to wait for slightly less sunny weather after all...

Thank you to everyone mentioning the risk of grid locked roads to Camber - that would have been a nightmare to find out only once we'd have got there! I'll make sure to keep an eye on it.

[Howshouldibehave]

Kent beaches have been heaving for the past few days.

To be fair, I think ALL beaches in the S/SE and beyond have been heaving over the past few days!

[RARach]

Kent beaches have been heaving for the past few days. Not sure how the trains have been but judging by Margate at the weekend I’d say packed. With little ones and coming from NE London, I think I’d consider Essex bound beaches rather than Kent/Sussex.

[Mumdiva99]

I wouldn't try to take public transport to Camber. You can get a bus but the road to the breach gets grid locked.

Margate is simple you come out the station and the beach is right there. If you walk along the promenade to the left slightly away from the main area it is quieter and still lovely.

Broadstairs is also nice.

Someone up thread said Kent was a long distance from NE london - You go direct from St Pancreas so really easy to do.

[BlackLambAndGreyFalcon]

Ruislip is N London, but a complete bugger to get to from the top of the Piccadilly line - you basically have to sit on the tube all the way to the end of the line which takes about an hour and a half at least - unless you have alternative transport. Also swimming isn't recommended there.

[Redsparklybucket]

Camber is so busy and a massive walk from
Rye with little ones buses and taxis are less likely to go that way if roads are closed due to being busy. This weekend was horrendous so many cars Try Folkestone you could get a cab from the central station down to sunny sands. Or the Thanet close Margate or broadstairs are right by train station

[LBOCS2]

Great minds!

[PhillipPhillop]

🤣

[LBOCS2]

There's also Ruislip Lido for those days when you're short on time - it has an artificial beach and play areas (although I don't think you're allowed to swim there at the moment, IIRC).

[PhillipPhillop]

Ruislip lido is North London isn't it? That would be your nearest beach. Never been but looks good

[JustineTimee]

@BlackLambAndGreyFalcon - and everyone - thank you so much for this detailed advice. I really appreciate it!

[goldierocks]

Hi OP

IMVHO the south-Essex beaches (Southend, Chalkwell, Thorpe Bay, Shoeburyness, Westcliff) have quite a lot of small stones/shale on them. Definitely nothing whatsoever like Brighton, but not completely sandy either.

Given your location, I agree with the previous posters who have suggested the north-Essex beaches (Walton-on-the-Naze, Frinton-on-Sea, Clacton). You could get the Piccadilly line to Holborn, change to the Central line to Liverpool Street, then get the overground (Great Anglia). You'll be able to get direct services which will take approx 1.5 hours each way.

I used to take my DS to Walton from Liverpool St when he was little. Those beaches are properly sandy. Southend was much better when he got older and preferred the amusement park to the beach.

[BlackLambAndGreyFalcon]

@PhillipPhillop

Chalkwell beach is right by the station on the London Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness line. It depends on how easy it is for you to get to Fenchurch Street though.
Leigh, Chalkwell, Westcliff, Southend Central and Shoebury East are all stations on this line that are walkable to sandy beaches. (Or mud if the tide is out)

The OP doesn't need to go to Fenchurch Street for the Shoeburyness line. She can pick it up at West Ham (Pic to Green Park and then Jubilee) or Barking (Pic to Finsbury Park, Vic to Blackhorse Rd, GOBLIN to Barking) or Limehouse (Pic to Kings Cross, Northern to Bank, DLR to Limehouse). It's a lot of changes, but it's also a lot of changes from the top of the Pic line to Fenchurch street, and google maps says that these routes are faster than going to Fenchurch Street.

[PhillipPhillop]

Chalkwell beach is right by the station on the London Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness line. It depends on how easy it is for you to get to Fenchurch Street though.
Leigh, Chalkwell, Westcliff, Southend Central and Shoebury East are all stations on this line that are walkable to sandy beaches. (Or mud if the tide is out)

[UncomfortableSilence]

Liverpool Street station will take you along the Essex coast to places like Frinton, Walton-on-the-Naze, Fenchurch Street and the C2C will take you out to Leigh, Southend etc

Frinton way is much nicer in terms of beaches and space but the train takes soooo long, whereas C2C is quick and air conditioned.

[SimonedeBeauvoirscat]

Crikey the Kent beaches are a long way to go from NE London with small children. I’d look at Essex tbh.

[BlackLambAndGreyFalcon]

Chalkwell and the Southend Beaches are probably a shorter journey for you (Google maps saying 1 hr 38 from Arnos Grove), but that's still with a few changes. I personally don't know those beaches to either recommend them or not!

[SomeCatsLikeCheese]

If you’re near Liverpool Street/Fenchurch Street (can’t remember which), then Walton on the Naze and Frinton on Sea (on the Essex coast) are both sandy. We were at Frinton this weekend and it was busy but plenty of room for everyone.

[DameAlyson]

We're in Northeast London, on the Piccadilly Line.

Kent coast resorts you can get to on HS1 from St Pancras. But it is quite a long ride so might be a bit much for very young children. And Southeast trains are warning that trains to and from the coast are crowded at the moment. Not sure that they're actually running a full timetable currently.

Broadstairs is a really nice traditional family resort and Margate station is as pp have said across the road from the station. And you have Dreamland there too.

At Margate and Broadstairs there are other smaller bays - Palm Bay, Stone Bay etc - which are a longer walk from the station. But they might be equally crowded. And you need to be aware that when the tide comes in, the beach gets smaller! Memories of days at Margate when everyone was periodically moving backwards up the beach until there was nowhere left to go!

[BlackLambAndGreyFalcon]

If you prefer not to faff with the bus then I would choose Broadstairs over Margate (one stop away on the train).

[BlackLambAndGreyFalcon]

There is loads of space at camber, so even if it is busy (and it does get very busy) you can walk down the beach until you find a less busy spot (further away from the car parks the less busy it is).

According to Google maps (I put in Arnos Grove as the starting point) it's 2 hours 13 minutes to Margate and 2 hours 19 minutes to Camber Sands by public transport. I personally would much prefer Camber. It's a much nicer beach. But Margate does have the amusement park as well (if you're into that sort of thing) and you don't have the faff with the bus which you do with Camber.

[ClaudiaWankleman]

Chalkwell beach is 50ish minutes from West Ham (sometimes Stratford).

[JustineTimee]

@UndeadSlut

Can't get much closer than Margate, the beach is literally across the road from the station, but by God it is BUSY at the moment. Completely packed even when you could reasonably expect it to be quieter.

Thanks, that's good to know. Are there other, smaller places that would be less busy, or is this just how it is at the moment?

[JustineTimee]

@BlackLambAndGreyFalcon

Broadstairs (Viking Bay), Camber Sands (bit of a trek as it involves 2 trains and a bus - but gorgeous there). Where in London are you coming from?

Thank you! These look gorgeous. We're in Northeast London, on the Piccadilly Line.

Would Camber Sands be less busy than Margate? Or the same really?

[stormelf]

Folkestone