Blackpool?

[Inspiremeaholiday]

We’re currently looking at moving from the Uk and we have started to make a list of things we want to see before we leave and top of my list is Blackpool.

For some reason, I’m intrigued. My DP thinks I’m insane, but I think a quick weekend in may might be fun? We’d take the train up from London with DC and DDog find somewhere to stay by the coast and then train it down.

He is not that keen (I’ve said I’ll go just with DC and DDog) but he thinks it might be nicer to go in the campervan but I think that’ll be a 5 hour drive? It’s an old van and goes 55 miles an hour at most (with a wind behind it). I was thinking June but we have a tendency to be away in the van and then early July we catch the ferry to Spain - not sure when we’ll return but could be around mid August?

Would may be too cold? Should we try and push to August or September?

And what do we need to do there?

Finally (and be mumsnet honest) will I be disappointed and am I being deluded?

I don’t want a better campervan. I have a mint condition t2 from 1972. Recently taken down to steel and completely redone. She’s a thing of pure joy and beauty.
Faster doesn’t mean better.

Thank you for being kind and the advice.

Camper vans very much welcome in Blackpool

so go for it and report back!

We've been for the illuminations the last 3 years. Stayed at Village Hotel, about a 40 minute walk from the front, but on several bus routes. Village hotel has parking and also indoor/outdoor pools, jaccuzzi, sauna, steam room and gym. Enjoy wandering a long the front, the arcades are fun (although have a budget because you can eat through money easily!) We like the Wizard themed crazy golf (although there's a cool looking one on the front too, if you are going in summer)! Never done the pleasure beach as only Daddy would like the rides, but it looks good if you like that sort of thing. Riding the trams is quite fun.

You're welcome, and if you want a night at Lytham festival itself, then Pet Shop Boys are playing the Saturday, so no nudity/ bad language if your DC is young.
It's always v friendly too, albeit not cheap, but your budget allows

We went fri to sun few years back with kids, id have been cheaper going to benidorm for the week.

Amazing I will check it out. We do various festivals throughout the year but never been to lytham!

I just checked and alanis morissette is playing Thursday the 2nd. DC finishes school at 12 that day I wonder if I could get up for it and then do that weekend? Hmmmmmm an interesting thought!

I was born there and its an absolute hell hole of cheap dive bars, kebab shops and drunk drugged up people. If I had a couple of grand I would rather spend it on anything else at all.

We stay in our van, there’s a lovely little site about 5 minutes from the Pleasure Beach! 😁

Blackpool is greasy, raucous, full of tat and I love it for a short break.
There's the Pleasure Beach, Zoo, three piers, Coral island amusements, The Tower of course and lots of attractions like Ripley's and Tussauds.
Make sure you get the tram up to Fleetwood on one of the market days and a pot of cockles from Robert's Oyster Rooms near the North Pier.

If you go for a holiday in Blackpool, stay in Blackpool not Lytham, you’ll have to faff about with buses and car parks if you do! My kids adore Blackpool, they’d rather go there than any beach holiday abroad. Yes it’s tacky but also full of fun and excitement. We stay in the ‘Hampton by Hilton’ hotel on the prom or ‘The village Hotel’ next to the Zoo both great! The kids love the Blackpool pleasure Beach theme park, The Sandcastle water park, the Arcades and the Zoo. You’ll have a really fun time, yes it’s not posh but if you go with the right frame of mind you’ll enjoy yourself.

I made the mistake of going to Blackpool for a weekend away with my young son and his side of the family… it was the worst weekend of my life because I had various items stolen at the local leisure centre (notably my towel and some of my clothes). I was also shouted out by hotel staff and verbally abused on a tram by some local youths! That was about 15 years ago but I will never ever return!

Like people have said the town centre isn’t the best but the shopping centre is okay and right by the train station.

DS is 13 and we’ve gone either for the day, stayed on the village hotel near Stanley park or stayed in lytham and walked in and there’s enough to do for a couple of days easily.

They’ve got an escape room and hole in the and indoor golf which are both good, the sandcastle for swimming, pleasure beach, Blackpool tower, dungeons, Madame Tussaud’s, and plenty of amusements on the front. There’s a Pizza Hut in the centre or there’s a nice Wetherspoons up by the pleasure beach called the velvet coaster.

it’s nice just to have a wander up the front and along all the piers. Just watch out for the seagulls if you’re eating.

2k for a weekend in Blackpool? I don’t think it would be possible to spend that much. Are you planing to buy a lifetime supply of Blackpool rock?

I'm from blackpool originally and yes it has its rough areas but doesn't everywhere. The town centre needs some love but then tell me a town centre that doesn't. Embrace it for what it is and you will have a good time. My kids love visiting and going to the arcades. Lytham is nice but it's also pretentious!

I have been four times in the last eight years. I first took my adult daughter in 2018. We had such a great time, I have gone back with wider family three more times.

I would say much of it seems very run down but it also has some fantastic, world class attractions, which make it a great spot for a short break.

The Pleasure Beach is amazing if you like rides. Much of the park still has its old time architecture and old rides as well as the new ones. They also have a top class ice dancing show.

Then there's the Blackpool Tower, which is utterly iconic. Go up to the top and also visit the ballroom - it's worth paying to go into the actual ballroom rather than just the upper tiers. You can get up and dance - there is always someone playing the famous organ.

Mme Tussauds Blackpool is much more fun than the London version, as it's full of characters from popular culture.

We like walking along the sea front, going out onto the north pier, having fish and chips.

We always stay at The Imperial. It's very much past its prime but I feel safe there. You can easily walk down into town from there or get the tram from outside.

We live in London and get the train. Taxis in Blackpool are cheap and plentiful. Being used to capped bus charges in London, we were surprised at how expensive the tram was.

We took our dogs once, when we stopped off en routevto Svotland and we stayed in an air b n b. I wouldn't recommend either - we had the car but parking is a bit of a nightmare and the big attractions are not dog friendly. I sat outside a lot while the others went inside.

I think you will have a great time.

I like Blackpool, but I would probably would not schlep up from London to do it. However, great beach, illuminations if they are on, lots of fun for kids, zoo, arcades, sandcastle, fish and chips, cheap accom (have stayed in both Hampton and the De Vere). Long time since I have been to the Pleasure Beach. The trams are great. But yeah, it is rough around the edges, but no worse than anywhere else that is rough around the edges. The Velvet Coaster, a Wetherpoons is 5 mins from the Hampton and wins awards with its open fires and sea views. It gets a bad press, and it is tacky. but kids love it. Some genuinely nice places too. x

Thanks all. We’re definitely going to go! Will try and find a date that works when it should be warmer

Btw there is a newish Premier Inn which is close to both the railway station and north pier/tower.

We went last month and it was actually really warm so weather should/might be fine for may , we only used a cheaper place the grand but it was actually fine sea views and tram stop right outside to get to the other end of Blackpool as needed this was the first time we went and really enjoyed it the piers are enjoyable Blackpool tower we didn't get to last time but I heard it is good we probably spent with hotel and spending money £300 it is worth doing if you've not been before