AIBU to think hot weather beach trips sound more hassle than fun?

[Njuy]

People who decide to head to their nearest beach when hot weather.

They spend ages driving around the town as everyone else is driving
They spend ages finding somewhere to park
They spend ages queuing up for food, toilets etc

This doesn’t sound fun.
If you are being roped into doing this week, be warned

The last time I remember being at the beach was 2012 because I hired a beach hut for a week that summer to make it easier to have all the kids stuff kept there (even though we were just a walk from home). The sea is literally at the end of my road, but like residents of London who don’t go to tourist spots it never crosses my mind to go on it. I do, though, always admire the view and realise I am pretty lucky to have it on my doorstep.

We go late, around 3pm or so. Easy to get a park, have a good swim, fish and chips or pizza for dinner and drive home. Avoids the worst of the sun and helps us sleep!

YANBU. I don't know how people can stay on a beach all day. I'm ready to leave after a couple of hours.

I think you and the OP have different issues though - I get the impression she does like being at the beach, but finds the logistics of getting there too much.

I said to DH this morning "Years ago we'd have been taking the DC to Frinton "
It's a lovely beach (Frinton on Sea) , ideal when they were little and not looking for funfairs or bright lights .
Fairly easy to park , clean beaches and toilets nearby but nothing else .
We had to take everything - picnic,drinks, towels .,kites , sun protection, something to sit on
And the tide comes in quite early so that was the time to go .

They loved it but they didnt have to vacuum the sand out of the car

As a child, a whole day on the beach was an amazing thing. As an adult I can't stand it but it's a lovely thing to do with children even if you need to take so much stuff.

We only go to our local village beach and though occasionally the parking is harder (park on the lane not in the car park) it's never crowded. If the tide is in you can paddle and if it's out there are rock pools.

@70isaLimitNotaTarget the tide doesn't come in "early", it's different every day!

When we go we’re out of the house by 8am
and it’s an hour drive through the countryside.
I agree though it is a faff and we rarely bother now, we go for a coastal walk instead and find a country pub for lunch.

I’m talking Skegness, Bournemouth and Blackpool

I’m on the south coast and it’s HOT here today for us. The beaches will be rammed and to be honest it’s not worth it. I’ll do it abroad but that’s because you’re there for that purpose! I’d rather stick pins in my eyes than attempt a British beach trip

I'm very lucky to live 5 minutes walk away from a beautiful beach in Cornwall.. When the kids were little we always got there early..or later when their dad finished work.. now it's grandchildren I'm taking..
But yes.. parking wars is not fun and living in a town where it's gridlock often is no fun either..
But I think it's worth it when you finally get settled, suncream on, windbreaks up, moat built, picnic out and the kids have stopped bickering and are now playing nicely..
Ahhh memories...
And I know I'm lucky to be able to walk there now but my own childhood memories are of hours long journeys, fighting with my brothers, nearly all the kids puking in the car, (4 ltr old ice cream containers full!) warm cheese and onion sandwiches, rain when we finally got there and finally sunburn! (Before suncream was a thing)
Are We Nearly There Yet became a family saying and was talked about during our father's last days.
I'll be there tomorrow rock pooling with my oldest grandson.. can't wait..
And we've not yet got the heatwave. Cornish Mizzle here and actually a bit chilly..

Never understood the obsession with beaches and pools. I am not an outdoor girl.

We do the opposite of most of you.

Go late in the day, 4pm ish. Couple of hours on the beach, fish & chips for tea, then home

I can't imagine anything I'd enjoy less. It depends where you live of course. Beaches near me would be absolutely packed during the day, and parking would be a nightmare. It can be lovely in the evenings.

This is what I’m talking about

I used to hire a beach hut for a week in the summer in Frinton about 10 years ago when DD was little. Parking was horrendous, even early in the morning and sometimes you could get stuck in the mass exodus in the evening and a 30 min journey would take 1.5 hours (mainly stuck in standing traffic in Frinton itself)

Its lovely other than that!

At least when you’re abroad you can pay for a lounger, the sea is warm and you have facilities at the beach. Maybe it’s just my local beach but there’s nowhere to change, you have to pay for toilets and there’s no showers for sand etc.

Why not?

I live in a suburb with beaches and it’s great. The nearest lifeguarded beach with toilets can get busy but not heaving. The nearest city with beaches I would never ever go to on a hot day! It’s one of those ones they put photos of in the paper to illustrate how busy the beaches are in a heatwave 😂. People pouring out the station, nowhere to park, fight for a spot on the beach, listen to five genres of music at once and shouty people getting drunk all day. Fun when I was 18 but no way at 35! The ‘burbs are where it’s at

YABVU!

Are you just trying to keep others away so that you can find a car parking space more easily?

I love a day at the beach, and know where to go to make it a lot less stressful than you describe.

Don’t be such a misery!

We live about 25meters from the beach so it’s really not much hassle at all, what is a pain is tourists parking over our drive so we can’t get in or out all day!

lol 😜

have you had tourist come up to you and ask where the beach is, then had to explain about tidal times? Honestly I can see why so many people drown as when they don’t live near the cost seem to be so unaware

Me too, we live close to the beach but only go for walks in the winter just not. Beach people, when we go on holiday we would never spend a time round the pool on but it’s some people’s idea of Heaven, it’s a good job we are not all the same.

When my kids were primary school age, I remember offering to take them to the beach. They refused, as they didn’t want to get sand between their toes! They said they would prefer to go to the local garden centre, which had a nice cafe, and have tea 🤭! Mind you, sensory issues might have come into that, but at the time I did wonder if they were turning into OAPs before their time.