Help! Where would you go ? 1 week holiday in UK...

[HappyJoyful]

My DH is not from the UK and we have been discussing a weeks break (out of school hols - 2nd week Sept) with our DD who will be 20months.

I was keen to book a cheap last minute package holiday abroad BUT, he's rightly pointed out he's not been anywhere really in UK.. and I confess since childhood hols in the Peak districts/Lakes, visits to grandparents in Blackpool and a trip to Cornwall 10 years ago and various camping trips (all of which I've loved) I am no expert on where I should take him plus obviously life is different now with a little one.

My 3 key thoughts so far:

• We love camping and outdoors, walking, bike riding, exploring etc but feel at that time of year it will be too chilly? Static caravans ?

• Distance, happy to go pretty much anywhere, was thinking good train deals possibly an option? Sleeper to Scotland ?!

• Budget, pretty non existent, we're more youth hostel rather than Centre Parc's, are there cheap cottages out there ?

• Guess with DD and no babysitting guess we wouldn't need too much nightlife, but options would be good..

Seen a thread on Lakes and that's sounding lovely.

Would really appreciate any thoughts or suggestions on your favourite destinations..

Bournemouth.

Lovely beach, great town centre, acquarium if too wet, crazy golf....... lovely travelodge too if that helps.

New Forest ? Beaches close by, walking/outdoors, ponies, attractions. Off peak some of the holiday parks/camping might be less expensive such as Sandy Balls or look for a lodge park. We did Devon when ds was 6 months old, stayed at a farm complex near Okehampton with a small indoor pool and play area.

Look at the Yorkshire Wolds - relatively unknown until David Hockney's Royal Acadamy exhibition but now on the map! It is a beautiful place loads of walks and some great cycle routes. There are some nice cottages broadgatefarmcottages.co.uk they are all Gold Award and may be out of your budget but as you are looking out of school hols it will be worth checking as prices do drop down in September

Depends a bit where in the country you are starting from - I'd choose not to have to travel too far with a toddler in the car.
September can often be beautiful weather
My preference is for seaside withlittle ones - Weymouth or Bournmouth are good choices, or lovely beaches around north coast of Norfolk, or Pembrokeshire is just beautiful - as I say, depends where you'd be travelling from.

Lake District is lovely but accommodation there is £££ - hence we only do it on day trips!

we tend to holiday on the Llyn, N.Wales, or Yorkshire - either the Dales or the N.York moors - as they tend to be cheaper than the Lakes, West Country etc. The Llyn is the best place in the world when the sun shines, but there are fewer options in the wet. Yorkshire is a good bet for cooler weather as there's lots to do in Leeds, York, and the other larger towns/cities. You could always book a cottage on the Skipton side of the Dales, and do the Lakes as a day trip.

Why not youth hostel? Plenty of them have family rooms and they won't be booked out in school term.www.yha.org.uk/things-to-do/family-breaks
they advertise family rooms from £25 per night.
City centre/ rural idyll
Otherwise, a step up in budget would be a cottage, and by mid september, you're out of peak season.
Before DS1 went to school we had some wonderful UK breaks in Sept, weather is as stated above, often lovely and settled.
My favourite memories are of are Pembrokeshire, Monmouthshire, N York Moors

Pembrokeshire. Lovely beaches, castles, Pembrokeshire Coastal Path to walk along, Folly Farm for the little one. Tenby is a very pretty town.

Northumberland! Lots of cheap camping/caravan/bunk barns available. We're staying in wigwams later this year £40 per night for the 5 of us

A cottage might be cheaper in September, by quite a bit as you're out of the school holiday times

Ohhh lovely, thanks for all the suggestions.. places I'd never thought about like Pembrokshire and Northumberland and Wales too. Decisions, decisions!
Perhaps we'll fit in a weekend camping somewhere at the seaside too and then we can explore somewhere bit further afield for longer trip.

Travelling from Buckinghamshire so yes, do agree don't want to spend too long driving, hence had thought about good train deals, but then we may not have as much 'freedom' as we would like once we're at the destination and possible not ideal with toddler.

Going to check out the youth hostels for sure as I have happy memories from times spent at them.

Thanks again! just wish it was holiday time now