Summer holiday to the seaside reliant on public transport

[badlydrawnbear]

It will be our first summer holiday since DH died. I can’t drive. DC are 7 and 10. Please recommend places we can get to on the train from Midlands and can then get to accommodation/ beaches/ interesting places to go if not beach weather/ shops without a car.

There are a couple of steam railways in Norfolk if not beach weather (one in Sheringham, the other near Wells, the bus stops there). If Kent, then there are several indoor things to do in Canterbury.

My DS and I went all the way to the Isle of Wight from Durham by train a few years, so it's definitely possible. We have had some lovely holidays there.

Thank you for all the suggestions. I will look at them properly later. We are in Birmingham so have access to a lot of train routes from here.

We don’t have passports and I have never taken DC abroad, so I thought UK might be easier to start with. I can see how a beach resort abroad would be easier in many ways to get to and have everything nearby. DH and I would never have considered a sitting round the pool/ on the beach all week holiday, but DC would probably enjoy it. That’s something else to consider.

I live in the midlands and have holidayed all over the UK with my son by train
Isle of Wight very easy
North Wales is also a good option. Two routes both more or less direct from Birmingham
www.thecambrianline.co.uk/map/ the train stops at all these places so plenty of places to stay and loads of options for days out.
From Porthmadog you can get the steam train to Ffestiniog www.festrail.co.uk/ where the slate mines and zip world are llechwedd.co.uk/
or you can take the Holyhead line which stops at Colwyn Bay, Conway etc. LLandundo would be a good place. Gives you access to all the resorts on that line, Cable car or steam train up the Great Orme, the Copper mines, also www.jnlllandudno.co.uk/slopes/tubing-tobogganing/

Sorry you've had a difficult time. My suggestion is Barmouth - easily reached by train from Brum (lots of brummies holiday here, and relocate permanently!) one simple change at Mach I think - lots of caravan sites, self catering or B and Bs to stay at, depending on preference.

Lovely sandy beach with lots of cafes, ice cream shops running along the promenade. Donkey rides, amusement and fun fair.

Day trips along the coast via the train too if you fancy a change of scenery - lovely beaches at Harlech and Criccieth , and castles in both these spots too.

Not sure which station you'd be travelling from but I do seaside holidays from Yorkshire on my own by train with two similar aged kids and Scarborough, Bridlington, Cleethorpes are all within a couple of hours, further up Tynemouth/Whitley Bay and Berwick-upon-Tweed. We've had really lovely holidays in all of these places staying at premier Inn or Haven and they all have loads of other things to do but we've always enjoyed the beach too.

I took DS2 to Dartmouth by train when he was about 9yo. Once there there's plenty you can walk to and the buses are good.

I third Weymouth......but I live here! I’m sorry to hear of your loss.

I would suggest that you book a holiday at one of the caravan parks but as you don’t have a car, the “Waterside Holiday Park & Spa” at Bowleaze Cove is the nearest to the beaches, is rated 5* and lots of things to do - there is a pool, children’s entertainment, beach bar, spa....oh and a Spar supermarket, amusement arcade, funfair rides, cafes all on the doorstep. There is a bus service to the town centre shops and harbour - they might enjoy getting a bucket and go crabbing....the crabs love bacon - but you could even take a long, leisurely walk there along the Esplanade if you fancy it!

For staying at any of the holiday parks It would be best to take a taxi from the train station but Waterside and the Haven caravan park at Preston would only be an 8-10 minute journey from the station. Personally I wouldn’t stay at Chesil Vista - tiny and too far from any action/attractions and Osmington too far if you don’t have a car.

AFAIK you can book ‘The Waterside’ via Hoseasons and www.watersideholidaygroup.co.uk

but some caravan owners let them out privately, which should be cheaper. I think you would need to google for the privately owned ones, I guess some let them out themselves or others use booking agencies. There are also Haven caravan parks but not as well located, especially if you don’t have use of a car. Weymouth also has a number of hotels, B&Bs, holiday cottages - rent via agencies or AirBnB, and two Premier Inns.

You can take the local bus to Portland and the children may enjoy going up the ‘Portland Bill’ lighthouse. There is also a bus to Monkey World at Wareham and the Bovington Tank Museum.

You could spend a day at Lyme Regis or Charmouth by taking the double decker bus which I think is called the ‘Coastal Breezer’ (I did this last Summer on my own, it’s a long journey but there are lovely scenic views). You get the bus from the Esplanade near the King George’s statue.

For bad weather days you can take the train (2 stops) or the no 10 bus to Dorchester as there are a number of museums there (Tutankhamen/Dorset Museum/Shire Hall Court/Teddy Bear museum) and 2 cinemas (there is a Cineworld in Weymouth).

Sorry cross-posted with you saying Birmingham, hopefully still useful ideas if you feel like Yorkshire/Northumberland coast

Another easy holiday aboard you might consider is Duinrell in the Netherlands. You can fly or take the Eurostar direct to Amsterdam and then it's a short train and taxi ride away. Everyone seems to speak very good English which makes things much easier. My son loves the park with the rides, pool and water slides but you can hire bikes and ride to the nearby beach, get buses from the park to some lovely towns and cities (Leiden nearby is like a mini Amsterdam and you can take a boat ride on the canal and go inside a windmill) and you have the nearest town just outside the park gates for shops and places to eat.

I'm in the Midlands too, and I'm taking my kids to Dawlish Warren by train this summer. Plenty of holiday parks in walking distance of the train station, and lots of little seaside towns accessible by train nearby.

What about the Channel Islands, its an hours flight from Birmingham and the weather is usually pretty good.

I'm sorry for your loss.
Echo the suggestions for the Barmouth area or nearby Tywyn. Tywyn has some beautiful self catering houses and flats right on the seafront and only a few mins walk from the station - the main self catering agency for the area is Lounge Lettings. Tywyn has a swimming pool, amusement arcades, chippie, cinema and nice cafes. Short hop on the train to Aberdovey for crabbing and a couple of nice pubs or Barmouth I think has a small fair. Machynlleth has a great pool too.
I was a single parent albeit with a car and always felt very safe in that general area as it is very family friendly and perfect for kids. And loads of Midlanders there! (Waves from Dudley)

Train to Newcastle
Metro to the coast at Tynemouth/Whitley Bay (although WB metro station is a bit of a hike from the beach)
Loads to do in Newcastle/Gateshead
Train to Durham or Hexham for other days out

Bournemouth is a good suggestion as it’s on the cross country which you’d be able to get direct from Birmingham. Torquay, Paignton and Newquay look like they are on some routes as well but are less frequent services.

I’m sorry for your loss and I hope you and your children have a lovely holiday together

Weymouth would be a good bet. We’ve got the train there many times, though it’s much closer for us, the dds often do it with their friends. The beach is nice and there are amusements, donkeys etc. there’s the sea life centre and crazy golf place. If you walk up to bowleaze you often see a seal just hanging out on the beach. There’s also Portland bill and the castle to see.

Bournemouth would also be good. Again nice beach and a sea life centre, all be it smaller than weymouths. You could get to Poole by bus and go to brownsea island. Or there’s the big indoor water park if the weathers not great.

Check us out . There are many direct trains from the Midlands to York and then the train to Scarborough is less than an hour. Once in Scarborough you have beaches , the town and many attractions on your doorstep with good public transport links to further afield if desired . Our lovely welcoming apartment is new to us this year and we do all we can to offer our visitors a lovely base for a happy and memorable time . Wherever you decide, hope you all have a lovely time 🌊🌞.

You can get a train to Bristol and then on to Dawlish, which is great for a seaside holiday.

@badlydrawnbear
Its well worth investing in a Family and Friends railcard, particularly a 3 year one. You would recoup the cost in one or two journeys
It saved me hundreds of pounds a year.

My son is 17 now so we can't have one - I really miss it.

I'm sorry to hear about your DH.

Whenever I book UK breaks, I'm always mindful that the weather isn't reliable so like cities or large towns that have plenty to do in the rain.

With that in mind, much as I love the beaches in Norfolk, it's not somewhere I'd go without a car. Instead I'd pick somewhere like Bournemouth or Brighton.

Whenever I book UK breaks, I'm always mindful that the weather isn't reliable so like cities or large towns that have plenty to do in the rain.

With that in mind, much as I love the beaches in Norfolk, it's not somewhere I'd go without a car. Instead I'd pick somewhere like Bournemouth or Brighton.

I agree. This is very sensible. Or somewhere that has good public transport to other places of interest.

Lymimgton or brokenhurst in new forest. If you stay in brokenhurst you can hire bikes and cycle round, have a a trip to bournemouth, go outdoor inflatables and lymimgton sea baths or even do a day trip to Isle of Wight!

But yes - also Brighton, whitstable, Margate, deal all have fast train links as well.

I'm one stop out of Brum @badlydrawnbear and we do North Wales with babies / buggies. One train will get you a long way, possible one change along the way but easy to avoid. We love Llandudno / Colwyn Bay etc, zip lining, mountain zoo, beach, outdoor pool, castle, tram, mines etc and that's just off the top of my head. Also easy to jump on a train to see a bit further