Just been on your hols? Just about to go? We need you top holidaying-in-Britain tips

[HelenMumsnet]

Hello.

We're looking for your tip-toppest tips on having a brilliant family holiday in sunny old Blighty.

So, what to take, what to expect, what type of holiday (cottage, tent, hotel, holiday camp) bad-weather tactics, peculiar British delights - and why it's better than lugging the entire contents of your house onto a charter flight halfway across the globe. Etc etc...

Your contribution may be published in a round up of Great British holiday tips, sponsored by Butlins.

Thank you!

of course you can go in the sea GoingBackToWork. It is all a matter of grit and determination, but take a flask of hot chocolate with you for afterwards too.

Go onto MN

Enter your destination and ask lovely MN'ers to help you plan your break by suggesting places to visit.

Nothing like a bit of local knowledge

go to the isle of wight tons to do even in rainy weather - it's fantastic! also take a flask and sandwiches with you everywhere

oh and get out and about early so you get somewhere to park and don't have to queue

ds(9) and me played in the sea was lovely! though we spotted a whole family fully dressed taking a dip too

check tide times before you set off...

the number of families we see jaunitly shlepping down to the beach with bags and bags of essentials, having spent an hour trying to park, not realising the beach will be covered in 20 minutes!

"wingandprayer Wed 18-Aug-10 18:37:33
If staying at a self catering place take your best small knife, a decent chopping board and a good frying pan or preferably a wok."

I think you forgot <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=madcarl.com/corkscrew.gif&imgrefurl=madcarl.com/work.htm&usg=__OU2P7TPr9Go2moLKGtEjKAJXXdc=&h=480&w=366&sz=12&hl=en&start=0&tbnid=ZrZoh6z4cr_RdM:&tbnh=145&tbnw=102&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcorkscrew%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26gbv%3D2%26biw%3D1024%26bih%3D647%26tbs%3Disch:1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=466&vpy=87&dur=837&hovh=257&hovw=196&tx=103&ty=149&ei=rCxsTKy1Ec2NjAflp_i1Ag&oei=rCxsTKy1Ec2NjAflp_i1Ag&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> one essential there

If going self catering organise an online supermarket delivery for the first evening when you get there, save you taking lots of food/drinks/nappies with you

oooh llynnn like that one, very good.

Aquariums are very good on wet days & even tiny babies seem to really enjoy them - DD1 slept through for the first time ever at 9mths having been to the one at Newquay.

If you have a booster seat, put a label with your mobile phone number on the bottom so the pub / restaurant can phone you when you leave it behind (& you won't have drive all the way back there the next day to get it - yes, we have done this .)

Flapjacks make excellent car snacks - they don't melt / go soggy. M&S Choc Sauce is fab for a picnic treat since it does need to melt in the sun before you can dip fruit into it.

Tesco vouchers or online advanced booking can save you money on tickets. Also those 'Things to Do in [add county of choice]' booklets from the tourist office often have discount vouchers.

The Hardens Guide provides good reviews of restaurants & if you provide more than 4 reviews a year, then they'll send you a free guide each year. We've only had one dodgy place in 10 years of using them.

As well as your own knife etc, don't forget a plug-in night light & (if you're not sure if the accomodation has twin or double beds) cable ties. Also matches or a lighter to light the cooker - we once had to use a car lighter & some kitchen towel to make a cup of tea on arrival.

If you have time make a 8-hour long play video of your children's favourite programmes - it'll last you for a few days if it's wet & those no Cbeebies at the rental.

Layers, a wind break & wet suits are all good for beach. Agree that ones with rivers & rock pools are best for smalls as can play safely in the water even if the waves in the sea are too big - often the case in Cornwall.

Try to avoid The Eden Project on a rainy day when every-bloody-one in Cornwall goes too. Still a good day out though.

llynnnn has already said my suggestion of the online shop (although she hasn't added you may need to go to the top of the lane to flag it down... although that may just be me )

Take a sling or wilkinet for the baby - it saves having to restrict where you can walk to pushchair friendly places.

Grobag do a fabric take-anywhere high chair. Ours has been brilliant and means you don't have to rely on cafes, restaurants, pubs, your cottage etc having one. I've even used mine on a ferry.

Another Eden Project one :

In the summer they open late so go after 3.30 because adults get in for £10 instead of &17.50 and children get in free instead of £6.

It's also less crowded.

And they do a BBQ if you can be bothered to queue and endure the hideously loud live music that goes with it.

herladyship's holiday happiness essentials for the uk:

decent sized, well kitted out self catering accomodation

wetsuits for all british water (sea, lake, swimming pool!)

walking boots, waterproof trousers and decent coats for all family members

preferably take family or friends to share cost of accomodation and make for more lively indoor fun on very wet days (think board games, charades, cream teas and a mary poppins dvd )

buy loads of local food & produce, it will support local economies and you (or your chidren) might find a new favourite.. speaking from experience here as dd got addicted to 'cave aged cheddar' at cheddar gorge!

try something new, eg. surfing/horseriding/ or whatever as kids will remember this long after they have forgotten how cold they were

i LOVE the uk, have taken kids to several different continents but devon & cornwall are still our favourite places on earth ♥

Order lots of wine in your online shopping.

Just to add to Katisha's tip re: Eden - the late opening is Tues, Weds and Thurs only.

We just regularly holiday in Devon and my top tip is always assume it'll rain. Anything other than rain = bonus. We had two weeks in Devon once where it rained pretty much 24/7. Still had a fab time

oh, and for the journey - visit your local library for audio books - we had Stig of the dump to and from Cornwall this year

Rent self-catering acommodation with an extra spare bedroom.

Then grandparents can join you for a carefully thought out limited period, a few days.

You can then enjoy some nights out on your own some happy, extended-family bonding time.

Check, double check and triple check that wherever you are going has an internet connection, arriving to find that they don't have wifi anymore can cause a certain degree of cold turkey!!!!!

1. National Trust/English Heritage membership (check which has the most stuff in the area you're going to). Helps if you've convinced your DC that looking at old houses is their favourite thing to do on holiday [ponce] - we I pretend I'm the lady of whatever house we're at and swish around "being posh". Worked so well that DD2 went somewhere with the GPs and loudly criticised the kitchen for not being properly authentic [uber ponce]

1. Lower standards ( I know, you think that they can't get any lower, but honestly, if you can get through a two week holiday without actually murdering DH a DC then you win).

1. Accept that the stuff the DC will like and remember will not be the expensive ticket places, and will be the time the car broke down and daddy said a very bad word.

1. based on 3 above - make sure you have comprehensive breakdown cover [flashback to timing belt snapping, outside lane og M25, Friday night on the way to Norfolk, recovery truck to Norfols AND back home].

(please imagine i can type properly )

1. Go to Centerparcs - yes it's full of sharp elbowed middle class families, but actual go off-season and it can be really inexpensive and lovely.

1. If you can bear it, travel either late in the evening or very early in the morning. I've been known to take the kids in their PJs and a still half asleep DH at 4am, we miss the traffic and we arrive at our destination when the rush hour is still getting going.

1. Buy bread, milk, chocolate and an easy supper on the way home when you fill up with petrol. There is nothing worse than getting home after a horrible long journey and then having to pop out to the shops because you can't even have a cup of tea.

1. For each person under the age of 10 in the car take one extra outfit and two extra sets of underwear/nappies. You will never regret having too many emergency outfits, but the converse is not true.

1. Do not feed your child a tin of beans the night before a four hour car journey.

1. Do not drink so much espresso when getting up at 4am to load the car that by the motorway junction you could probably fly the rest of the way unaided.

1. Remember to take painkillers (adult and child) and snacks.

1. If traveling in winter a shovel and a blanket is a basic requirement of car travel. If nothing else you'll need it when you kill your DH for complaining about your singing.

Check your arrival date. You will feel a right plum if you turn up on the wrong day.

Also, do not rely on your satnav to hold the only copy of the remote location of your holiday cottage. If it breaks or indeed is stolen at the motorway service station you will feel like a complete twunt and have to spend two hours googling madly while trying to remember exactly whether it was Rose Cottage or Briar Cottage or what!?

The middle lane of the motorway is not an appropriate place to sit and have a think - move over and stop irritating everyone (especially if you are towing a caravan!)

Never underestimate the joy of muddy puddles.

Avoid service stations. They are always packed and horrible and make the start of the holiday feel like a chore. There's about a million other options. Nat Trust place if you're a member; better still, find a village just off the motorway and support a local pub or shop.

It's going to rain (except for the days, the weeks, the years it doesn't... we've just had the most incredible 2 weeks...) so practice getting your game face on; gather a few ideas before you go/as you arrive.

Never underestimate your children on holiday. DS climbed about three-quarters of Scafell Pike last weekend; for a 6-year-old I call that tenacious. He'd have made it all the way but we hadn't been expecting him to get near the summit so hadn't brought any gloves.

If at all possible do a night drive. Put jolly music on once children are asleep!

The traffic is minimal and you arrive in plenty of time.

At the very least leave as early as possible.

If doing a long journey get some portable dvd players of ebay that attach to headrest then sell back on when you get back - also put them up high so they dont barf. I also recommend getting some of those cardboard puke/ wee bowls to keep under your passenger seat should they decide to barf anyway.