To think we would enjoy Blackpool?

[Babysafari]

I haven't been for 15 years, it had a reputation for being a bit tacky even back then.

I do remember there was lots for dc to do, the waterpark, the tower, pleasurebeach, tram rides.

Thought I might book a couple of nights there but everyone looks at me like this

Is it that bad?

I thought it was a chav infested hellhole! The kids loved it though!

I don't want to hate it. I was born there, most of my family lived the majority of their lives there, and I have such lovely memories of growing up there. Going to the tower, bring on the beach. Stanley park and the winter gardens. As teens we used to get the train from Bolton and spend weekends there. It was fun, it was cheap and tacky but in a really good way.

I am so sad seeing the decline of it. I am going there next month for the day as I am taking my partner who has never been before. I have to go as I am going to the cemetery to my parents' grave. I want would love him to see the Blackpool that I grew up in. But I have family and friends still living there and no amount of money can fix what it has become.

There are nice parts and in good weather, during the day, it can be a great family resort but it's seedier side has spilled over too much now and what was once a premium beach resort in the uk is sadly a run down grotty dump. I really do find that sad too.

Go north shore, much nicer than south or central. We went a couple of years ago, went north and had s lovely time, last year we went central, not so good, lol!

We loved The Tower and The Tower Circus was fab.

I went to the zoo a few weeks ago and wasn't expecting much at all but it was really good.

Blackpool is fine, it's a good day out for the family but the stag and hen do's rule after late afternoon.

It is tacky and it's brash and it's a bit "common", but it doesn't pretend to be anything other than it is. There's lots to do and I bloody love it.

They've also done the sea front up and the steps down to the beach are great for paddling on when the tide is in.

Luckily I'm only an hour away, so don't have to fork out for hotels.

Lytham is lovely, much quieter and serene.

Oh and I LOVE Blackpool Zoo.

The dinosaur park has seen better days, but 3 yo DS thinks it is wonderful.

The rest of the park is half the size of Chester Zoo, nowhere near as flashy but it's much more intimate and there's never been huge crowds with sharp elbows getting to see the animals.

There's no pretence, it is what it is. You'll either love it or loathe it but children definitely love it.

it used to be a lovely place to live. So much so that the workers from lancashire and some of Cheshire used to retire there.
It hasn't always been a dump, but they really don't help themselves.
Very few people know this but Blackpool Council were approached for a Disney venue and they refused saying it would never take off and people wouldn't like it.
My ils have just moved out after moving there with gps when they retired.
Now, 2 generations are finally leaving, the old ones who retired there are dying and their families, finally.
House prices are really cheap , lots of crime, it is dirty, really bad food and such as shame as it could still be lovely.
I love Blackpool and did as a child, but really not worth it now

We live in a village not far from Blackpool (not through choice, work transfer here for a few years). I wouldn't go on holiday there, it's really run down and oddly, the attractions that would make it fun with kids are ridiculously expensive!

I loved it as a kid. Not so much as an adult.

We go to Blackpool at least once a month as my husband grew up in Lyntham St Anne's so we have a soft spot for the place. We usually go early in the day, packed with a picnic, do a beach walk and usually buy fresh donuts as a treat (Dd loves them) before driving home.

Since having a rescue dog, we tend to head to Lytham St Anne's end as it is much quieter and nicer than Blackpool. We love beach walks and I find the beach tends to be a lot nicer and quieter the further you go away from the main roads.

We have even been there on Boxing Day with a picnic and only a handful of people on the beach.... Utter bliss :-)

If you decide to go would recommend the De Vere Villagd hotel which is right opposite Stanley Park and next to the zoo. It's surrounded by a golf course and parkland as well as having a very good fitness club with indoor and outdoor pools which are great for the children. A great place to escape the crowds after a day at the Pleasure Beach.

It's a chavvy dump but the last two times I've been it has been quiet and there was no brawling or anti social behaviour anywhere.
When we went as kids someone in the next b&b got stabbed. Nice

We went with another couple 20yrs ago for a weekend. We had a laugh as a group but DH and I made a promise to never ever go back. It really was a shit hole. Very rough, rough bars. Hen do and Stag do heaven or hell imo. Thing is, there are so many other nicer seaside resorts and if you are used to Cornwall, you will hate it at Blackpool.

We don't live too far away so tend to drive there for a day out- the sea life centre, zoo and park opposite, jungle Jim and circus in the tower are all big hits with us. You can use clubcard vouchers too which it makes it a cheap day out if you have plenty of points. Kids love the arcades and a walk on the beach too. We haven't done the pleasure beach with the kids yet but will be doing it soon I think. If we lived further away we would probably stay over for one or two nights, find a decent hotel- there is one near the zoo that looks nice and also the one next to pleasure beach.

I hate the place,looks dirty,dull and is expensive to do things. My Grandad is 90 and loves the place,he's been going every year since he got married aged 25. Since my Nan died he still goes,bless him.

I usually LOVE seaside-y places and was excited to go to Blackpool on a hen do a couple of years ago - but it was absolutely grim.

I genuinely felt quite depressed at the drug addicts, run down hotels, bleak shops - the new seafront is nice but the lights are awful now and it was heaving with arguing families. And was so expensive.

It actually felt quite dangerous at night too. I love other seaside towns like Barry Island, Brighton, Grange-over-Sands etc but Blackpool was truly the pits. I couldn't even warm to it in an ironic way.

Shame really as it was magical when I was a kid.

YY to Lytham being much nicer.

I'm from Blackpool so my opinion might be slightly clouded.

Okay so yes lots to do but as others have mentioned it is expensive. Also if you're planning on heading during the summer things like the pleasure beach and the sandcastle will be absolutely rammed.

It is full of stag and hen dos. Clubs in the town centre are open all day so don't be surprised to see a bunch of drunken men or women shouting something offensive at 2pm on a Saturday afternoon.

Things like the tower are very overrated. It's about 40quid to go inside and do everything and I wouldn't say it was worth it.

The beach is lovely. Honestly the strip of fylde coast is so underrated. The nicest typical touristy beach bit is by st Anne's pier and then the beach past clevelys up towards fleetwood is so pituresque. If you ever stumble upon Rosssll beach it is always so quiet.

Lytham is lovely by very very expensive.

The zoo is pretty rubbish if you consider its 17 quid for an adult ticket. Very small and the animal conditions aren't great.

Stanley park is lovely but a pretty standard park.

BrianCoxReborn the dino park in the zoo is being done up. And they are creating a new home for Kate the elephant and getting her a new friend. That's what they said to someone on their fb page anyway. We go to the zoo loads. It may not be as big as other zoos but my DC love it. DD is obsessed with dinosaurs and keeps trying to catch peacocks.

Oh ffs, it isnt that bad. We go often as have merlin passes.

My advice is stick to the seafront (( which is bloody lovely and where all the attractions are )) and go midweek. Avoid the weekends and you'll avoid 99% of the hen / stag brigade (( who arent even from the bloody place but have destroyed it as a family resort imo )) There's a premier inn / travelodge at lytham that's nice and further out if you're really afraid of the poor and unwashed and many hotels who only take families.

In all the years ive been taken my two we've happily walked around late at night and never had any issues then again I don't go looking for things to moan about

Clubs in the town centre are open all day so don't be surprised to see a bunch of drunken men or women shouting something offensive at 2pm on a Saturday afternoon.

And people still want to take their children to witness this? Sorry but it is sounding even more revolting than I remembered.

I've come to the thread to stick up for Blackpool!

We've been the last two years, as we have small children and I wanted them to experience the illuminations. We had a brilliant time. We stayed North Shore, ate at some nice places, did the piers and the tower and went on the 2p machines.

My two young boys love Blackpool, and are always asking when we can go back. It is great for kids. Yeah, it could be nicer, but you have to go with an open mind.

People who are commenting about how bad it is, it has changed. I went on a break there ten years ago and it was worse then.

Grew up there. Visit regularly with dd. A bit at some of the, frankly, snobby comments on here. No I wouldn't go out from early evening but I would certainly go for day trips. you might stick your noses in the air at the Tower, the zoo, Stanley Park and the model village but your children won't . The front from the Tower southwards has been cleaned up and actually looks pretty cool. The beach is lovely. The air is so clean. A ride on the donkeys is great fun. A tram trip (especially on the Heritage ones) is fab too. Your kids will have a lovely time. Again stay inland around maybe the Trough of Bowland and take a few day trips.

We went for a day last summer. We'd been a four years earlier and hated it but had heard enough people saying "It's changed!" to feel we should give it another go when we were in the area.

It hadn't changed at all. It's still dirty and tacky, with a slight air of menace about it. I'm not interested in taking my kids to places where the general
concensus is that you have to clear out by teatime to protect them .

There are plenty of traditional and pleasant seaside towns in Britain. Go to one of those instead.