Isle of Wight

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Was originally planning Cornwall for the summer but have been overwhelmed with finding the right place to stay, and on a budget.

Someone today suggested isle of eight. It wasn’t even on my radar. Has anyone been? Is it pretty, as in Cornwall pretty? Things to do for kids. Would be much easier to get to so that’s a bonus.

We went for the first time this summer holidays. Pleasantly surprised and had such a lovely time. Lots of things to with kids, lots of dog friendly places, lots of things to do if you are just adults. Good all round place

Lovely place - but are you sure it is easier...... you need a boat you know

I was amazed how much there was to do and see with dc when I went admittedly a long time ago now

As a general rule, the Isle of Wight does things a bit smaller than other places. Dedicated surfers will tell you that the waves are usually not as big as they are in parts of Cornwall but if you want a varied holiday, rather than just one stretch of coast then definitely the IOW. The beaches are so varied that you won't get bored by day three and spend the rest of the week in the cinema.
For its size, it’s very well equipped for summer attractions, with a good mix of adventure parks andzoosas well as historic things likecastles, stately homes, museums, lighthouses and roman villas. There's certainly enough to see a good quality attraction every day for a couple of weeks, perhaps more, and there are also quirky things to do and free days out. Expect to pay about £5 - £15 to get into most attractions on the Isle of Wight, rather than £20 - £30 which you'll pay for bigger attractions in the rest of England nowadays (Blackgang Chine and Robin Hill are the two main exceptions, but they're both good fun and fill a whole day).
Another plus point for the Isle of Wight is that you won't spend the whole week in the car. From the centre of the Isle of Wight, you can't really drive for more than about 25 - 30 minutes without ending up in the sea, so you shouldn't have massive great journeys every morning (besides the occasional tractor you get stuck behind).
We've now been to most of England's touristy counties and my general conclusion is that the only place that beats the Isle of Wight for views and scenery is the Lake District. The Isle of Wight is hilly, but it doesn't have any mountains so the most spectacular bits (in my view) are the high cliffs around the west coast.It know that it does have more Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty than Cornwall.

The IoW is very pretty with plenty to do. I’m not sure it’s Cornwall level beauty (but being a Cornish maid I’m a bit biased) but it’s probably better for a poor weather holiday than Cornwall. Worth a go, I’d say!

Thanks. It sounds good. I like the idea of being able to get around it all and see everything as it’s small.
That’s what I’m finding hard about researching Cornwall, I have no idea where to begin or what area to stay in. Too much choice and I don’t know anything. Also toying with Devon.

So IoW, any recommendations on where to stay? I like scenery, nice beaches, cliffs, countryside and cottages. But not people

Still not sure what the best choice is. I do really want to ‘do’ Cornwall. It’s on my wish list. Been looking at cheap air bnb’s. Cornwall is a loooonnggg drive. IoW a 2 hour drive to the ferry
Port max.

We went a few years ago.
Lovely island, loads to do for kids. They enjoy the ferry ride across. Even the pubs on the IoW are set up for kids, with most having play areas.
We stayed at the Napier apartments at Shanklin as we wanted to be right by the beach although as it turned out we didn’t spend much time on it as the weather wasn’t great. There was a lift a little way along the beach up to the town, if I remember right.
Another place to consider if you want Cornwall without the crowds is Broad Haven and surrounding area of Pembrokeshire. Lovely beaches and pretty winding lanes.

How old are your kids? Little kids iow is lovely big kids I'd go to Cornwall

The west side of the island is much quieter than the east. The south-west coast is cliffs, stony beaches and surf, the more north facing beaches are sandier and calmer. We like the villages of Shorwell and Brighstone.

The south-east coastline is ideal if you are looking for a classic British seaside holiday - but not if you are looking for privacy and peace. Sandown and Shanklin are packed full of hotels with sea views, the beaches are sandy and the sea is clean for swimming.Their esplanades are full of amusements, minigolf courses and cafes offering chips with everything. Some Islanders find Sandown and Shanklin a little twee and crowded during the summer but for young children or nostalgic adults they are probably the best bet.

The south (Ventnor, St Lawrence, Bonchurch, Blackgang and Niton) has seen a mini-renaissance in recent years, with posh hotels/restaurants such as The Hambroughand events likeVentnor Fringe Festival. It feels even more 'other worldly' and slow paced than other parts of the Island.

The west is the least developed part of the Isle of Wight. There is much less coastal accommodation and the only nightlife is the moon, but if you are after somewhere quiet to stay then Yarmouth, Freshwater, Totland, Colwell and Brighstone are worth a look. I adore the beaches along the military road. The coastal walks are great for ramblers but terrible for buggies. If you are after peace and quiet and you fancy a campsite then the West Wight is perfect.

Newport and Ryde are the main towns and so are the best equipped with supermarkets, cinemas and restaurants. They both have nice parts and Newport is excellent for accessing other parts of the Island but they aren't as pretty as the other options in my view. Ryde has some good seafront attractions for children (bowling alley, swimming pool, canoe lake, paddling pool, playgrounds) and the beach is sandy and huge (read the blog about our trip to Ryde).

IOW is great - we have been lots of times and really enjoyed it.

Cornwall we have never really been thrilled with - if you go and the weather is nice everybody else seems to be there as well. Roads clog up and car parks are full. We have has torrential rain and thick fog in Cornwall as well but there is not that much to do when the weather is bad.

Its not like that on the Isle of Wight, I can't remember much by way of traffic (except rush hour in Newport). And the sun always shines there - I guess we have been lucky with the weather.

We went at half term and loved it, even though the weather was far from good. Planning to go back again next year.b