Want to get away from busy Devon

[Peanutkitten]

Live on the coast in a beautiful very popular holiday destination that is already fully booked for the summer (which is great for our local economy!) but after last summer it was just so busy, this year we want to get away to somewhere quiet. Thing is, everything I look for in a holiday is what we have on our doorstep, so where else can we go in the U.K.? Never holiday’ed in the U.K. before! DC 10 and a newborn.
Apparently we can rent our house out for £3k a week?! That’s ridiculous! But we can’t as we have a sweet old cat!
AIBU to want the beach to myself again?! 😂

What about the Northumberland coast. Cold but very beautiful

It's going to be even more fun when the works on the Tamar bridge start. Happily most locals will know the long way round and hopefully not get stuck in the miles and miles of tailbacks!

Totally understand op, that must be a nightmare. Scotland is gorgeous but living here I'm biased

I'd consider Dumfries & Galloway or Ayrshire as they have a wide range of accommodation. Highlands and Islands tend to have less accommodation and get booked up very quickly. Not too sure about the east coast, more a west gal.

We love coming to Devon and Cornwall but are not planning on visiting until the October school week as it'll be much quieter (Scottish hols are earlier). Sad not to be coming in summer, again we come early July when it's not as busy, fingers crossed for next year. Will be delighted if we make it in October.

I live in North Devon and it's already getting busy. People have been sneaking down for ages but this last 2 weeks has got busy. The thing we are noticing is the increase in dog mess on the pavements and grass areas. Getting fed up of the kids treading in it when they're trying to play in the park. Seems to be the motor home owners more than the Airbnb visitors. The MH owners seem to swing into town for a night and just don't give a damn about the place. They have cooped up dogs that they just let go to the toilet anywhere because they can't be arsed to find someone appropriate. They block up the public toilets emptying out their vans, block pavements with the overhanging parts of their van.

I'm all for tourists because the local economy needs them but this year it feels like most are acting like its Glastonbury and someone else will pick up their mess.

I'll happily rent your house and take very good care of the cat OP!

@Sssloou

If you live 50 weeks of the year in a rural / coastal location and want to escape maybe consider central London. This summer with no office workers or overseas tourists will be empty. There are loads of green spaces, quiet walks by the river and safe to cycle now with minimal traffic and less pollution.

Once in a lifetime opportunity to walk through Soho to Westminster.

I’m really enjoying London this year, I’m loving being a member of Historic Palaces and visiting my ( and Henry VIII’s) favourite, Hampton Court. You can’t turn a corner without coming across a park, no matter how small, let alone the big ones.

I haven’t done the SoHo to Westminster walk though...

I have taken my teens Boris biking around Trafalgar Square, across Tower Bridge, The Mall, around Piccadilly Circus etc at night because there is no traffic - once in a lifetime opportunity IMHO

@Daytimetellysucks

I think if you live by the coast you have to accept there will be lots of tourists in the summer. There are pictures of packed beaches since Victorian times.... This is Brighton!

We do!!!!!!

OP wants to escape to somewhere quieter this year. Not sure why that’s so controversial

I love it here in the summer, I love the buzz tourists bring with them. The place is dead in the winter, in the summer it all comes alive, although I do breathe a bit of a sigh of relief come the end of September when it quietens down and it’s peaceful again.

We work round it, go to the supermarket and town early, avoid the tourist attractions and go to the quiet, off the beaten track beaches. We’re all well used to the busy summer season, and given our economy is based on tourism, welcome it.

However, I’ve never witnessed the kind of behaviour we experienced last year. I’ve lived here all my life and I’ve never had people pissing or shitting in my garden, I’ve never come home from work and found a visitor parked on my drive, I’ve never found a tourist trying to ride my arthritis ridden, elderly, retired pony and then been verbally abused and physically threatened when confronted, I’ve never witnessed the litter, vandalism or destruction we experienced last year.

I want to go away somewhere a bit quieter this year. We were hoping to go on a bit of a road trip this year. We were waiting to hear when year 11 DD is likely to finish school so we can go out of the school holidays, but am worried we’ve missed the boat

I think what you're witnessing reinforces how much we owe the beach resorts of parts of Spain. It makes me feel so embarrassed that we export these tourists to other countries most normal years.

Sorry, Spanish people.

@Limalama Air BnB visitors if you have evidence should be reported to the police. Air BnB will probably be willing to act as well.

We did a UK tour last year but avoided Cornwall. North wales wasn’t too busy. Edinburgh was empty. Lincolnshire coast was nice too.

@Macncheeseballs

How about a remote Isle in scotland, if you don't like people? You chose devon to live in because its beautiful, you need to learn to share!

Give us a clue which "remote isle in Scotland " has a fully functioning ferry service and won't be jam packed with tourists in summer.

@2bazookas 😂 good luck with the scottish island hunt you can't even get on the ferry from mainland Shetland to another Shetland Island at the moment without a valid reason!

Have you looked into house exchange - your cat can be looked after by your exchangee

@Gruntwork

You're in the wrong bit of Devon.

I live inland, in an AONB. Not a soul around, even at the height of summer. I can walk all day and have silence and beauty to the horizon.

It's not Devon that's the problem. It's the seaside.

That's not what they've been saying about Dartmoor.

It’s not that I don’t welcome the tourists, like I say they are a huge part of our local economy but yes last year was crazy- I’m in Croyde and traffic was insane, literally insane. I think maybe the police had to direct traffic at one point as the main road was blocked because of stupidly parked cars? Locals don’t park like that!

And the majority are lovely people but there just isn’t the space for the volumes we had last year, let alone the expected volumes this summer.
I’d like to have a week or two away in peace, not the whole summer so I will be ‘being kind’ and ‘sharing’ with many visitors over many many weeks!

Am absolutely loving the recommendations thank you! London or Scotland sounds like a good plan...!

@MrsKingfisher

Totally understand op, if you live in Devon or Cornwall even if your area isn't a holiday hotspot you are disrupted. I think those on holiday forget that many folk are going about their daily business. If anyone is heading our way, please learn how to navigate country roads before you get here.

Oh God yes! I am on the edge of the New Forest and realised we already had visitors in the warm weather at the start of this week (the camper vans and motor homes were a giveaway) when I was nearly forced off the road more than once, when the hapless tourists were driving way too far over to the right for a narrow country road. It was absolutely noticeable - the locals are familiar with the roads and this just doesn't happen.

So, welcome to the New Forest - please do come, but watch your driving position, kill your speed (not a New Forest pony), leave no trace (take your rubbish and your poo bags) and don't feed the horses

OP - I head as far North as possible. People are lazy and don't like to travel too far. What about Northumberland?

peanut I live round the headland from you Braunton at the traffic lights is hellish. I'm dreading the summer but hoping that it stabilises over the next few years. Can't wait for the national Trust teashop at Croyde to open again

Have you thought of a holiday home swap? I know someone who has done it for years, very successfully.

Ouch OP the roads are hard work round Croyde in high season. Aren't there agencies that do house swaps? Some family would jump to be there.

YABVU for never holidaying anywhere else in the U.K! So much of it is stunning.

Cornwall, Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, Cotswolds are my favourites, plus Peak District, Dorset, East Sussex (Northiam area), Northumberland, Scottish Islands, Brecon in Wales, Snowdonia, Pembrokeshire - the list is endless! Plenty of remote areas in these places too. No shortage of quiet spots.

Can't beat the Yorkshire coast in my opinion!
Although the beaches are probably going to be rammed this year so maybe somewhere more inland like the Lake District or one of the Yorkshire Dale villages

It's already heaving in the Yorkshire Dale villages, @Quaagers. I've really struggled to park this week. All the green spaces are incredibly busy, and lots of camper vans around.

I really can not bring myself to feel sorry for you op

Cotswolds, short drive, beautiful countryside. Quiet, peaceful and more sheep than actual people!

Devon is the only place I have ever been abused for being a tourist. I offerred a dog poo bag to a woman whose labrador had soiled the beach and she had just walked off and left it. She went berserk, yelled that she lived there and could do what she wanted and that I should "fuck off" back to where ever I came from.
Lancashire has some gorgeous spots and Cheshire is gorgeous with a lot going on, Chester/zoo/blue planet, new Bewilderwood, Delamere forest, wild swimming places, Cheshire oaks outlet, lots of National Trust places and great for eating out.
The Hebrides are gorgeous but not a lot to do if the weather is bad.
Oxford and Cambridge?
Bath?