Broadstairs worth a visit with a toddler?

[Ireallydontkno]

Would people recommend Broadstairs for a nice day trip with a 2 year old? We are based in SE London so looking for a beach drivable or trainable from there with sand ideally, and / or rock pools, and somewhere nice to eat.

We've already been to Camber Sands which is lovely but not that many places near the beach so looking elsewhere.

Also I'm not sure if it's the main beach we want or Botany Bay.....

Yes it's not too far from me and I think it's a lovely beach. Car parking is a bit of a problem though!

There's nothing at botany bay, it's literally a beach and an inn/pub and that's it. I'm staying there soon and will be making trips to broadstairs. I really like it. Sandy beach, rock pools, lots of nice restaurants and morellis ice cream parlour.

Botany bay, joss bay and water gate bay are much quieter.

If you want to go soon you may want to book the train/restaurants in advance as when I went (drove) last summer for a weekend it was rammed and a lot of places were already full.

In fact I've seen an alert on southern rail website warning that all routes to coast will be very busy this week and weekend.

I really liked Broadstairs, it's got a nice sandy beach and some lovely cafes. We went there pre kinds. I'd definitely take our 2 year old for a trip to Broadstairs!

It’s lovely. I’d definitely recommend it for a fun day out. There’s a great ice cream parlour.

Broadstairs is great for a visit i thnk although watch out for seagulls! Excellent ice cream (morellis) alsk nice beach and range of other cafes/shops as well...can get busy though....

Your 2 year old will love it, it's beautiful
Like PP said parking is a pain but most coastal places are

Ok great! Thanks everyone! We are planning on going on a weekday next week after the mini heatwave, so hopefully it might be less busy for parking 🙏

I am from Broadstairs and live up the road from Botany Bay. Parking there can be tricky as it's private roads leading down to the beach. You might find parking on botany road.
I would actually recommend going to Stone Bay, or go to the main beach Viking Bay, there's more to do and more facilities whereas Botany has rubbish toilets and one cafe. In Broadstairs there is Chiappinis for ice cream (which I prefer to overhyped Morellis!) but also plenty of other places. The arcades are fun too and a nice pier to walk along.
Also, if you're driving it's definitely worth checking out Ramsgate and Margate if you get time- each about 5-10mins drive away from Broadstairs and have nice sights. Ramsgate has a pretty harbour and the beach is pretty quiet (my mum used to take us to Ramsgate main sands as it was easier with 6 children!). Margate harbour is nice to see and the old town can be fun to explore. The turner contemporary also sometimes has events and activities for children.
Hope this helps!

Also parking wise, for Broadstairs, park on the road along the top of Stone Bay and walk in, or by Louisa Bay/Dumpton Gap and walk. It's not too far for a 2 year old

Broadstairs is lovely, and your toddler will love the sandy beach. 🏖
I was there at the weekend for the Folk Festival, it's such a vibrant atmosphere! 🏖🎶🍦