How do you find a nice UK holiday? Help me out!

[UnaiEmeryboard]

How do you plan a nice UK holiday? We've been in a Sussex village for a week and the cottage we booked is old and tired and the village is full of traffic on tiny narrow roads and not great shops. Before we booked the photos of the cottage looked totally different, and everything we read about the village made it sound lovely and in the country. This isn't the first time we've had a disappointing UK holiday and I just don't know how to get decent self catering accommodation (we're not looking for super expensive, just clean and fresh and with basics like a little welcome pack) or find a location that fits what we need. (Somewhere with a few decent shops, nice countryside or quiet beach and maybe some places like NT properties or museums/larger town etc within driving distance). I try to search all over the internet and do research but what websites do you use to book accommodation? And can anyone recommend anywhere nice in the south east (Kent/Sussex) that sounds like that. I've had a really tough year health-wise and was so looking forward to a quiet break and it's just been a bit rubbish. Please help me so I don't mess it up again next year!

Where abouts in Sussex are you? Quite a few NTs around there.

For accommodation it's just the reviews and trust on the photos so that's not really your fault!

One thing I always do is put it into Google maps to see what's around in walking distance in terms of shops and restaurants x

I put it I google maps and “walk” around the area to see what it’s like. I’m ruthless with accommodation - it has to be as nice as our own home. Lots of zooming in on photos and reading multiple reviews. I also try and find newly listed rentals as they are generally in better condition.

Thank you both! I never thought about the Google maps thing but that's such a good idea - I'll definitely do that next time. The place were staying only had a couple of reviews but generally positive - until the before we left, when a one star review appeared 😱 @Babyputyourpantson We're in the Saltdean/Peacehaven area.

A shame it has to be South - the best company I’ve used is Coquet Cottages who oversee properties in Northumberland. We’ve never had a bad stay with them.

We always go to the isle as there is such a variety of things to do and its very pretty

Coquet cottages have been taken over by a larger company. They're listed on holidaycottages.co.uk now. I'm hoping they maintain the high standards.

My aunt swears by National Trust Holidays cottages and The Landmark Trust. They are not cheap though!

That sounds so disappointing, especially after the year you’ve had. For self-catering places, I now look beyond the professional photographs and check the most recent guest photos, Google Maps reviews and Street View. I also message the owner before booking to ask when the property was last refurbished and whether the village shops and attractions are genuinely within walking distance.
It may also help to choose a proper small town rather than a very rural village. Somewhere like Rye, Deal or Broadstairs could give you independent shops, places to eat and coastal walks, while still providing access to countryside and larger towns.
If you are planning for next year, I would also check the UK bank holiday dates for 2027 before booking. Avoiding those peak weekends may give you better accommodation choices, more recent reviews to compare and possibly lower prices.

We often stay in Folkestone and visit Broadstairs mainly so we can go to Morelli's for ice cream. It is a lovely town. DH always checks google street view and we use booking.com or AirbandB and we've never had problems. I read the reviews and we have had lovely holidays. One time we got on so well with the owner he would call for a morning coffee and checked we didn't need anything. Sadly he gave up his business as he owned several places in Canterbury. Covid closures meant calling it a day .He and his wife were the best owners we ever met. He left us with a good quality drinking chocolate tin, luxury coffee and tea.