To ask you to find me a (less popular) holiday?

[Goingagainstthegrain]

Have one 4yo. We were all set to stay at home and miss the summer holiday rush, then book for September/October but DH has been told he has to take a week off work at the beginning of August. He doesn't fancy sitting in our house looking at these same four walls as we've been staring at for the past year. Nor do our usual local days out/attractions have any pull for him since we've done them to death.

We'd usually go to the seaside (south-west way) but turns out millions of people have the same idea this year, I wonder why ! So not much available and I imagine it's going to be rammed...

Where can we go that's different to where we are at the moment (London suburb) but not popular as a holiday destination? We don't mind what type of holiday - city breaks, moors, inland, mountains etc. - but just want to go somewhere, anywhere else but where we are!!!

Any suggestions for killing a week?

North Berwick. Some lovely beaches in and around that area.

Big cities will have business-type hotels with pools, I'd have thought?

Another vote for Scotland here. We flew up and hired a motorhome a couple of years ago. Great beaches, lots of open spaces and you can wild camp so don't even need to book camp sites if you don't want to.

www.marwellhotel.co.uk/

Has space in August - opposite the Zoo, has a pool, nice walks in the South Downs, and can easily do day trips to the coast or New Forest.

I’d vote Manchester with a visit to Chester as a day trip to visit Roman ruins and a boat trip. You can book a tour with a “Roman Soldier” which is great fun for little kids. I don’t know if you’ll pad out a whole week in Chester.

In Manchester you’ve got a big range of hotels - lots with pools for the little one. And there’s the football museum (if you’re into that), museum of science and industry is great for DC as is Manchester museum. Lots of great places to eat too.

You’ve also got the option of surrounding Cheshire countryside with places like Dunham Massey (National Trust), Tatton Park, Quarry Bank Mill.

Stratford Upon Avon.

This hotel has a swimming pool and you can explore the Cotswolds, Warwick castle etc: www.booking.com/hotel/gb/stratfordmoathouse.en-gb.html?aid=304142;label=gen173nr-1FCAEoggI46AdIM1gEaFCIAQGYAQm4ARfIAQzYAQHoAQH4AQyIAgGoAgO4Apav24cGwAIB0gIkNzVmOTJlNTYtYzEyYS00MjE4LWI5ODYtNDRiODEwZjdiODlj2AIG4AIB;sid=f801924c7294a3beba956fc65170fab9;age=4;atlas_src=sr_iw_btn;checkin=2021-07-31;checkout=2021-08-07;dest_id=1706;dest_type=region;dist=0;group_adults=2;group_children=1;highlighted_blocks=21115_328285373_4_2_0;nflt=hotelfacility%3D301%3Breview_score%3D80%3B;no_rooms=1;room1=A%2CA%2C4;sb_price_type=total;type=total;ucfs=1&

Perhaps not entirely what you’re after, but would you consider a true “staycation” in London - city centre hotel, tick off some of the touristy things you wouldn’t tend to do day to day?

Otherwise, I’d always recommend North Yorkshire. It’s popular in the well known touristy towns around the moors, but I imagine there would be availability in some of the other villages/market towns in the area around the moors, York and coast.

I have also just been in Edinburgh, and it didn’t seem to have the hoards of tourists that usually descend this time of year.

@AnxiousPixie Scotland is heaving at the moment, a friend with a boat was planning his usual west coat summer cruise snd could not get one restaurant booking on his planned itinerary. Might be ok after the Scottish schools go back in August though.

Yes to Chester and Manchester as well. Or Manchester with a visit on the train to Buxton or the Cheshire countryside.

Oh and my third suggestion

Warwick! Lovely place, my friend recently worked there and loved her hotel so much she’s booked it again for a holiday.

I live in an area in the south popular with tourists and we are having city breaks up north this summer - think York/Newcastle area/Liverpool/Manchester

Newcastle? Get the train up. Then upon can always do a day out to the beach as metro system takes you to seaside town. Theres the life science museum- so interactive and designed for children. Then theres Hancock and discovery museums which are free.

Northern Ireland.

Another thought is Worcester and Kidderminster. Day trip to Cadbury world.

Telford.

Holiday inn for that week is coming up at £650 inc breakfast for 3 of you and it has a swimming pool and "fabulous" rating.

Things to do:

Wonderland
Hoo Zoo and dinosaur world
BeWILDerwood
Visit Shrewsbury and take boat trip
Alton Towers
Cadbury World
Drayton Manor/Thomasland

We had a week by the Suffolk coast (instead of a fortnight in Greece weep). It was great.

Northern Ireland is a fabulous place to go on holiday - beautiful beaches, coast line, activities, cities, and you’re never more than an hour or two from anywhere.

Portsmouth - loads of attractions (Mary Rose etc.), Gunwharf, Southsea beach (stony but nice), day trip to Isle of Wight, Chichester down the road, and it’s a working city so there should be reasonably priced accommodation.

Hi, thank you so much for all the ideas!

We ended up splitting the week and booked 4 nights in Canterbury (holiday cottage) and some day trips (including indoor water-park) near to where we live.

Have banked some of these for future use, though.

Lincolnshire coast, Skeg, Mablethorpe, Ingermells. It is shite, so a different experience from Devon.

@Goingagainstthegrain

Hi, thank you so much for all the ideas!

We ended up splitting the week and booked 4 nights in Canterbury (holiday cottage) and some day trips (including indoor water-park) near to where we live.

Have banked some of these for future use, though.

Will you post back about how you get on in Canterbury please? Thinking of having a mini break there sometime.

The Scottish Islands. Take the train, drive or fly (although some Islands- like Mull- only have a ferry service ).