Help me find a southern seaside town for day trip this weekend!

[millefeuille2]

I've just realised it's a bank holiday this weekend and we have nothing planned. We = two adults, a 4-yo and 2-yo.

I feel like a day trip to a seaside town within an hour's train travel from London could work. Something like Brighton but maybe calmer/less busy? The little ones love all the usual things - playground, seaside, bit of relaxed shopping, coffee shop/cake.

Can clever MNetters help me find a good place? (We've recently been to Southend and Broadstairs, so not those again please.)

Bank Holiday is the absolutely worst time to go on a day trip to the seaside! Why not relax at home and then go somewhere the following weekend, when it will be much quieter?

Avoid the Kent coastlines at the moment if your children get in the sea, most of them in my area have had sewage leaks and have a do not swim warning.

I see your point! My thought was that most people would be going abroad for the bank holiday weekend, so the UK seaside towns wouldn't be too bad. But maybe that's wrong. I don't think we'll have another chance this year while the weather is fine.

I suggest thinking about somewhere in London- Richmond Park or Regent's Park perhaps?

You get weather warm enough for the seaside well into September.

Hastings, Eastbourne, Whitstable

We're busy all weekends in September, I should have clarified. How busy will say Brighton be this weekend then? Like huge queues snaking out of fish and chip shops? We went to Southend this time last year and it was manageable.

The UK seaside has been heaving all summer, a lot of people are still choosing to holiday in the UK and the bank holidays have NEVER been quiet in the UK. Saying that, it doesn't put me off going.

Go to Brighton, you'll have a lovely time!

Hmm. I don't mind queuing 5 mins for ice cream and fish and chips 😄

Is Brighton better for young children or should we try the likes of Eastbourne or Whitstable?

Though Eastbourne and Whitstable both longer than an hour away by train, so maybe Brighton it is.

This is classic MN

OP: please recommend a sea side town for me to visit next weekend
MN: don't go next weekend. And how about a park instead?

Avoid Brighton. Littlehampton is lovely for little ones:

Littlehampton will be fine if you get there early ish

Why recommend Richmond or Regents Park when someone has asked for seaside?! 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

Walton-on-the-Naze, Holland on Sea, both generally quiet. Thorpe Bay, I know still Southend way but much quieter than the main strip, we had a beautiful afternoon there last week.

This is what I came in to suggest! We holiday around there, it's great for kids.

It's a bit longer but how about Bournemouth? Lovely beach!

If you fancy Brighton. Then go to Hove, plenty of room on the beach, they have play found an splash pool (and there is another one between hove and Brighton) might be worth checking they are open. My 2 year old loves it there

Littlehampton looks great but is 1 hour 45 from Victoria. We're about 45 mins from Victoria, so that would be 5 hours of travelling both ways 😢

Broadstairs, it'll be busy but so will everywhere.

1hr20 from St Pancras.

And ignore me, see you've done it already!

Have you been to Margate? It's very easy on the train. It can be very crowded and tacky but has an art gallery and is a mix. You could always get off at Westgate on Sea as well. 1h30 from St Pancras so it depend where you are in London

Tell us roughly where you’re starting from - or at least your nearest London terminus - and it will be easier to make suggestions.

Seaford is a nice little town between Brighton and Eastbourne, much quieter than either.