What do you do on a UK holiday?

[Hemsbyboc]

First time on a UK holiday in my life. Kids have never been out of the city they were born in unless in a plane.
They are bored to tears.
What do you do??
Don't want to say exact location but it is coastal wales and we have driven here.
Honestly don't blame the folk going abroad despite restrictions. We are climbing the walls.
Been to 4 villages, takes less than an hour to walk around each one. Shitty cafés, food like school dinners. Tide is in so looked at the sea. Everybody in full winter clobber. I am not investing in body boards cos I never want to come back. Wales match is not even showing anywhere. I am 90% leaning towards cutting my losses and going home tomorrow, I have decorating/gardening I could be doing.

Save us mnetters!

Sorry in my first comment I was talking about younger children and said go to Eastbourne. Scrap that! If you've got teenagers, go on a break to Brighton! So much to do. And countryside on the doorstep too. I would have been more than happy with Brighton if my parents had taking me there in my teens

Ah, yes, I'd keep my football short hidden away if I was in wales after that match. Congratulations!

www.visitanglesey.co.uk/en/things-to-do/activities/?catId=2989 plenty of adrenaline filled ideas here to get the teens off the screens.

I've not been to north wales for years, but Llandudno and Rhyl used to have plenty of teen stuff. I'm sure you can find a water park or pleasure beach along the north coast for rainy weather.

Personally, I'd find a shop that sells wetsuits and go and spend a day on the beach. Maybe go for a paddle boarding lesson.

You might be in a bit of a funk, but try to shake out of it because Wales is absolutely beautiful, and the people are amazing. My best friends are Welsh and my husband Danish, and the culture overlaps quite a bit. They even pronounce their 'y' a bit like you.

I spent a summer in a beach house in Hojby one year, and had similar feelings to your OP.

StellaRoses Sorry ! I must read the post thoroughly next time! Not awake yet obv!

I can't get over the op's teen children never being out of their city.

When I was a teenager I'd visited loads of places in the UK and had great times, so had all my friends. My children too who will often take off on a short break if they can get time off and the weather is nice.

Going abroad is lovely too but the weather isn't guaranteed wherever you go. There are beautiful, quirky, interesting places to see here which beat sitting next to a pool and sizzling. That is so shallow!

Look on Air BnB experiences. There are lots of unusual things to do.

Come to our estate, i imagine you'll have to knock on many doors to find anybody that has been to London.

Lmfao OP. We’re not talking about your estate, we’re talking about you. You obviously have the money to travel as you keep saying, the kids have been to Barcelona, Australia (not a £20 ryan air deal there I suspect) and Copenhagen (a seriously expensive place to spend the weekend even if you get a cheap flight. To have genuinely barely left Liverpool apart from those trips in 15 years is very strange for all of you.

We are Londoners and yes, our DC have been taken to Liverpool. Very interesting city.

Admittedly our (adult now) DC have always shown a keen interest in visiting new places and history etc. Neither of them have ever enjoyed lounging around the pool type holidays although they enjoy going to a pool or the beach but only to be active.

Also, there is this amazing tool called google. It can be used to help look up things ahead of time so you can prepare for a trip and also once you’re there to find out about things.

Surf snowdonia surfing lesson, fforest coaster, climb Snowdon with a guide, Rib boat ride, cliff jumping/coasterring, abseiling, dolphin spotting, nice meals out, beach day, experiment with cooking at your accommodation, hire bikes

If your teens don’t find even some of these interesting then you have teens with a tech addiction

@Hemsbyboc I've taken DC to Anglesey many times for holidays, including last summer during pandemic in awful weather.
They are now teens and still love it.
At the minute, its just nice to get a change of scenery surely?
Anyway, there are lots of nice places in eat in Beaumaris. Don't know where you tried but definitely not school dinner food . Bull Inn or Bulls Head, not sure which, little tapas place and a nice Italian all on High Street.
Or try Dylans at Menai Bridge, that's really good.
Last summer, in heavy rain, we went to the Sea Zoo.
Also go over to Caernarvon and visit the castle. Still interests teen DC.
They loved Greenwood when younger but bit old now - would probably still go though and not moan.
However we spent one very happy afternoon just playing board games where we were staying with a very dramatic blustery view of the Menai Straits.
Visit the little bakery first just off the High Street in Beaumaris and get goodies.
There's also a very well known fish and chip shop on the High Street, I'd recommend.
If boat trips are running, go to Puffin Island and see the puffins. Again, DC always love that.
You clearly never grew up camping in North Wales most weekends in the 70s. My one rule is I never camp as even when it rains - and it does frequently - we have somewhere nice, warm and comfortable to relax.

Look for local high adrenaline activities.
Theme parks
walks
board/card games
Arcades
crazy golf
bowling
beach games like cricket /Frisbee
lazy mornings
Attractions in local city

loads to do with imagination

@FeatheredHope

Come to our estate, i imagine you'll have to knock on many doors to find anybody that has been to London.

Lmfao OP. We’re not talking about your estate, we’re talking about you. You obviously have the money to travel as you keep saying, the kids have been to Barcelona, Australia (not a £20 ryan air deal there I suspect) and Copenhagen (a seriously expensive place to spend the weekend even if you get a cheap flight. To have genuinely barely left Liverpool apart from those trips in 15 years is very strange for all of you.

I think it is unusual. I don't live on an estate (though I don't see what that has to do with anything).

There are so many really nice places in the north of England - I'm actually not familiar with them but would love to visit.

I've always lived in the London area and regularly holiday'd in Cornwall, Devon, the IOW, North Norfolk, etc. There are also the Kent and Sussex coasts not too far away for short breaks.

OP, it as if you are determined to have a miserable time. Please say you will do a couple of the many many good suggestions you have had on here.

If it's any consolation, my teen didn't want to do the cultured worthy stuff. Waste of a National Trust Membership dragging her round when she was frankly bored. It's easier to let them have their wifi for a bit, or a climbing wall, whatever, and it gives you some peace.

And for those of you worried this type of indulgence leads directly to a life of crime or general slothfulness, DD has just qualified as a teacher, so no lasting harm done

@Hemsbyboc

We live in Liverpool so I am loving the suggestions of going there. Considering this I should not have been surprised at the weather I clearly have boring children though, they probably get it from me Thanks for all of your suggesting that don't involve walking. I will start tomorrow with a brighter outlook. Thanks to those who recognise how difficult it is to entertain teens, I thought I was going mad

Well I'm from Merseyside and that's why I suggested it. Liverpool's great. But from Liverpool it's also really easy to get to loads of other places. Direct train to London, trip to Chester, go up to the Lakes, just for starters.

What about the kids' schools? I went on trips to the Lakes (primary and secondary) and York with school.

I wonder what they're doing today?? Any guesses?

Hopefully one of the many brilliant suggestions on here (and not driving back to Liverpool for the WiFi!)

OP

If you'd don't fancy London, that's fine. But, it just seems odd when it meets so many of your holiday criteria.

• you can do the Sandemans tour that you enjoy in London.

• you can see many sites of historical interest (as you've said you enjoy).

• there a million things to do for teens both inside and outside, sporty, arty, cultural, whatever they like. If entertaining teens is important it's a top destination.

• there is WiFi

• it's significantly warmer and dryer than North Wales.

• there are a huge amount of restaurants offering all different cuisines, even you with your negative approach would be able to find somewhere offering something other than school dinners.

• pretty much everything is open

It's odd to exclude it as a destination and then moan on about there not being somewhere in the UK that's ticks these exact boxes. I think the problem is you've booked a holiday that doesn't suit your families interests. But that's very much your fault and not Wales/the UK tourism industry.

Well it's a beautiful morning on Anglesey this morning, hope you are having a better day OP.
We've just got back from Cable Bay, DDs go swimming and I sit with my book and a coffee making sure they don't drift too far.

Anglesey is a beautiful, magical, interesting place.

If someone is planning on visiting London it is best to organise a few things in advance otherwise you could end up in a hotel and not quite know what to do. I've always loved London and what it has to offer but I've always lived here.

Chester was mentioned above and, yes, that's an amazing place to visit.

I know and have known people from Liverpool who find their way around the rest of the UK quite well, some even move and work down here.

Love going to Wales. Anywhere in the UK always research restaurants before you go. Wales has some great ones, but not easy to avoid given you do not say where. Massive amount of adventure stuff to do, notably in North Wales- White water rafting, mountain biking, kayaking, zorbing was great fun with kids. Hire bikes and cycle. There are some really good theme parks in Wales. Oakwood is good and has a really good rollercoaster.

I'm hoping that you've found something fun to do today OP. I'm taking the fact you're not responding as a good sign.

Oh, ffs. Don't you have the internet? Didn't you look at things to do locally before you went on holiday??

What do you like doing? Galleries, museums, beaches, walks, parks, Go Ape, National Trust places, nice pub for lunch...

It's bonkers to suggest that you have to fly out of the UK to have fun 🙄🙄

Kids have never been out of the city they were born in unless in a plane

🙄🙄🙄🙄

Your poor kids. They've missed out on an awful lot.

@mag2305

Where do you live? North? South? Although I know Wales is beautiful, there are other places I'd prefer to go in the UK. I like being near the coast or countryside but I also like places that have some life, especially with children.

This wouldn't be everyone's choice but we love going to Eastbourne. For us, it has everything. Two and a half hour drive so the toddler can't get too bored. There's a lovely hotel on the seafront we always go back to with views over Beachy Head. Lots of nice pubs and restaurants nearby and nothing too pricey. Beautiful walks over the South Downs within a 10 min drive. Loads for families and children in and around Eastbourne. Would highly recommend for a family holiday.

I'm in Eastbourne for the coming week.

Any recommendations?

Pre-pandemic a lot of people held the attitude, or unquestioned assumption, that a holiday must be abroad. I can well believe a family would never have gone anywhere in Britain outside their own city.

North-south links in Wales are notoriously poor, so yeah, stuff in mid and S isn't really reachable.

Llanberis pass well worth a drive or bus ride through and could be on the way to something like the zip lines, kayaking/rafting, or hiking up Snowdon.