Cornwall too busy and too expensive!

[clarasara]

Last went to Cornwall about 15 years ago.
We are looking to go in August but everyone keeps telling me how much it has changed and is super busy. Our friends go alot and said they were shoulder to shoulder in Padstow.
Can only go in August as a teacher and as we live in the North don't want to travel all the way down to find it too busy! Bloody expensive too.

My husband doesn't think it's worth the long drive and to pay over inflated prices. Just want somewhere the kids can go on a nice beach, be abit warmer than Yorkshire and lots to do!
Any other recommendations?
I love Cornwall though but hate the drive.

I’ve never been to either but my friend (we’re in Mcr) has swapped Devon/Cornwall for Tenby the past few years and said she doesn’t think she’ll go back to the SW until the kids grow up and she can go outside of school hols.

North Wales has incredible beaches and the crowds are nothing like Cornwall. Harlech beach is 5 miles long and totally unspoilt. You can stand in the sea and look back at an 11th century castle. There's a nice caravan site a few miles away called Duffryn Ardudwy that has its own beach.

Mumbles is lovely and not to far from Swansea if the weather is bad. It’s not a pretty seaside town but caswell bay and Langland are great beaches.

If valid passports go abroad prob cheaper!
i have family abroad, and need heat, others wilt, I blossom!

Any where down South other than Cornwall!
We like it around Poole/Portsmouth/Southsea/Bournmouth/Weymouth/Southampton/Bognor regis/Brighton..... areas, so many places to stay and places to visit depending on what you like to do

Pembrokeshire has incredible beaches and coastline and is nothing like Cornwall for crowds

Pembrokeshire is far better than Cornwall in my opinion and less crowded.

We go to Cornwall every year but avoid Padstow now as yes actually shoulder to shoulder.
I saw a sign on someone’s house saying please don’t sit on my steps to eat your chips. Must be awful for the people that live there.

Perfect that's not too far!! My husband travels for his job and said North Wales is the most beautiful place he has ever seen.

I have heard it is beautiful at Tenby. Have you been?

Cornwall is beautiful and much more like being abroad in August than anywhere else. Do not go to North Wales if you want the weather and I say that as someone who is going to Harlech in August this year but we know we are changing the weather. Just stat away from the really busy places. When we went we still did all the busy places St Ives Landsend Newquay Penzance. But also wear to some quieter places too. You can have a bit of both just do some research. The drive doesn't bother me I have just come back from the Scottish highlands for Easter that was a 8 hour drive. Do it super early if it bothers you.

What a shame! Not sitting on the step to eat chips of course but the fact it needed a sign as so busy.

I am Cornish, live in London, and frequently go to Cornwall to visit my Dad. I never go in August.

Another one recommending Pembrokeshire. Honestly I have no idea why Cornwall is as popular as it is. It’s often grey and drizzly, the prices are ridiculous, too many people… it has some nice beaches, but so so many other places.

Please don't tell anyone but the north coast of Northern Ireland is absolutely beautiful with amazing places to stay and wonderful restaurants. Seriously, tell no one, we're exhausted from Games of Thrones tourists 😁

North Norfolk is dryer than Wales and less busy and closer to you than Cornwall.

It can't compare with either for scenery though.

Another vote for South Wales. We go to Caswell and Langland bays and stay in a chalet at Caswell. Both are gorgeous and not overcrowded.

Isle of Wight for a family holiday. Its lovely. The ferry is expensive but you can usually use tesco vouchers.
It was our go to when ours were little.

North Norfolk great weather in the summer and huge beaches never feels that full

In fairness, it's likely to be a lot quieter this year as all the tourists who have been stuck in the UK for the last 2 years and wouldn't normally holiday here will be going overseas. The high prices are here to stay though, as there's always going to be someone willing to pay.

I've been across to St Ives & Padstow in the past few weeks and had no problem parking grabbing a coffee etc. Traffic's not been bad either.

I was born there grew up with the beaches and scenery on doorstep and it was lovely but left for life/uni work and stayed away so now going back it’s horrendous in sch holidays and over the years (I’ve been away 20) it has got much worse, over priced and rammed with people , even secret quiet beaches we used on south coast with car parks in a field are busy now if you don’t go early enough and the weather is so hit and miss but it always has been in august, so if it drizzles you are stuck inside or battling with loads of tourists (i suppose i am one now but the local in me always comes back to grumble about them!) we stay with family but we go abroad instead in august or at Easter and visit the family in the autumn/winter when it’s quiet. Haven’t done a summer there for about five years now, my teens don’t like the busyness or driving miles to do anything and actually neither do I anymore, one of the reasons I never went back was the relentless driving everywhere to do anything at all, I loved growing up there but don’t massively love going back nowadays , Id love to try the places others have suggested like north Wales and even ireland, never been to either coast line.

Weymouth and surrounding areas are lovely with plenty to do. I also adore the Gower in South Wales - it's beautiful.

We have to stick to the school holidays due to DC, it is busy in Cornwall in the same way that any pretty seaside place in the UK is busy during the Summer holidays, ( if you are in Yorkshire, think Whitby, Scarborough, Filey, Saltburn during the Summer) it really isn't just a SW phenomenon.
It will be more difficult to drive around and park and there will be more people there trying to do all the same things you are trying to do, the same goes for South Wales, North Wales, Norfolk, Dorset, Devon etc
Have a look at Barmouth and the surrounding area, thats a lovely place and not too long a journey from Yorkshire, bit of something for everyone and a bit cheaper than Cornwall.

Mousehole is lovely in Cornwall, suits a variety of ages of children, the older ones can spend the day flinging themselves off the harbour wall ( when the tide is right ) into the clear blue sea, it is busy during the day but much calmer and more chilled in an evening. If you can get accomodation with parking all the better, one of the holiday cottage companies had a deal with the local school. Still a crying shame the chippy closed down.

I'd def go to wales OP.. beautiful beaches, plenty to do.

Cornwall is over rated and very unwelcoming.