Beach weekend in the UK with young kids?

[parapaul]

Kids will be 3 and 5 this summer, so quite capable of sitting in a car long enough to get most places in this country. IMO they're too young to take abroad, with all the hassle of airports, checkins, luggage etc, and to be fair, they won't care as long as they can build a sandcastle!

So, where can anyone recommend? Ideally cheap and cheerful, self catering for simplicity, and dog friendly would be a bonus...

Over to you, the travelled wise ones

[andy_s]

Get a big tent and head north - Scotland, east or west coast.
As far as getting in the sea up there is concerned, knowledge usually dispels fear - in this case I'd just go with alcohol.

[lottie]

It's got to be Cornwall for me!! Beaches, coastal paths, cream teas, hidden villages, pixies...What more can you ask for!

[Planet Claire]

How about Cornwall?

I went down there a few years ago and booked through this company. We stayed in Porthleven, which is a lovely little harbour village and because it's off the main road the traffic isn't too bad. We stayed in The Retreat, which appears to accept pets too! Even though it's behind one of their other properties there's a garden which looks over the roof-tops and is a sun trap and just across the single-track road is the beach.

[jkennyd]

North west Scotland has some of the best beaches to be found anywhere. Miles of sandy beach with sometimes not another person in sight.

[Puggit]

SW Wales - either the Gower (Oxwich bay is fantastic, I spent my childhood on that beach) or just west of Llanelli is Cefn Sidan beach. Massive safe sandy beach.

Also obviously Pembrokshire and Tenby.

[Engineer1]

Pendine, Pembry are good beaches in south wales, but abroad is still do able ferry to France then there are the beaches of Normandy and Brittany.

[prand]

Dorset, around Bridport/West Bay is pretty cool. Big long beach (it's the start of Chesil Beach) loads of camping & caravan parks, good kiddie facilities and local fish & chips.

[jep]

As Puggit and others have said, West Wales is great.

Oxwich bay in particular, is a very family friendly place, with a gently sloping sandy beach, and campsites and caravan parks nearby should you wish to do it that way!

[ettore]

parapaul said:

Kids will be 3 and 5 this summer, so quite capable of sitting in a car long enough to get most places in this country. IMO they're too young to take abroad, with all the hassle of airports, checkins, luggage etc, and to be fair, they won't care as long as they can build a sandcastle!

So, where can anyone recommend? Ideally cheap and cheerful, self catering for simplicity, and dog friendly would be a bonus...

Over to you, the travelled wise ones

UK is great and I would suggest Dorset (Purbecks) as ideal for a young family.

However, unless your children are Genghis Khan in minature, you can drive abroad. My children are 4 and 18 months and they've been all over Europe without going near an airport....

Edited by ettore on Thursday 9th April 12:42

[bazking69]

As a Bournemouthian I'd fully recommend Bournemouth as a destination. Not only do you have Bournemouth, but you have the New Forest/Southampton/Portsmouth etc one side, and the Purbecks the other side.
I'm not sure what your budget is, but the gym (at a hotel) I go to offers a family room in the summer for about £600 for the week.

[S7Paul]

Torbay area would be good. Not far off the motorway network. Good array of resorts/beaches (Dawlish, Torquay, Paignton, Brixham). Just on the edge of Dartmoor, and backed by the Dart Valley, so nice scenery. Plenty of attractions that would suit the kids (model village, steam railways, etc.). Not sure what kind of accommodation you're after, but there are plenty of holiday parks around (chalets & static caravans).

[DBSV8]

ettore said:

parapaul said:

Kids will be 3 and 5 this summer, so quite capable of sitting in a car long enough to get most places in this country. IMO they're too young to take abroad, with all the hassle of airports, checkins, luggage etc, and to be fair, they won't care as long as they can build a sandcastle!

So, where can anyone recommend? Ideally cheap and cheerful, self catering for simplicity, and dog friendly would be a bonus...

Over to you, the travelled wise ones

UK is great and I would suggest Dorset (Purbecks) as ideal for a young family.

...

also from this neck of the woods ....when in the country

Theres some great places in Dorset ,

http://www.resort-guide.co.uk/infoloca.php3?
locacode=5216&service=self&servcode=1322
river cottage ??

http://www.hoseasons.co.uk/v3/WebPages/UKCottage/P...
may be pricey at 600 allows pets ..

warmwell `lodge
http://www.hoseasons.co.uk/v3/Webpages/UKPark/Prod...

[pic]http://images.hoseasons.co.uk/images/ProductImages/UKParksV3/warl-ex-
ldg2-09.jpg[/pic]

a few places to go with the kids
http://www.imagesofdorset.org.uk/
http://www.places-to-go.org/xml.asp?CTY=Dorset&amp...

monkey world
http://www.monkeyworld.org/
corfe castle , look around the model village then take the steam train to swanage .........and the beach ( sometimes its ""Thomas"" )

http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/
tank museum bovington
http://www.tankmuseum.org/
moors valley

http://www.imagesofdorset.org.uk/Dorset/008/intro....
the new forset.............great for picnics


the beaches are excellent

Sandbanks : Poole great sandy beach

Bournemouth : gets very crowded

Weymouth great sandy beach
Swanage great sandy beach
Studland...........avoid the nudist beach !!! take the car ferry to poole
lulworth cove ...shingle beach

durdle door shingle beach ......


enjoy

Edited by DBSV8 on Thursday 9th April 09:33

[dmitsi]

lottie said:

It's got to be Cornwall for me!! Beaches, coastal paths, cream teas, hidden villages, pixies...What more can you ask for!

Cornwall has Piskies, not pixies.

I'd go with Cornwall too, but check on the different beaches as quite a lot don't let dogs on during the summer. I'm heading to Gwithian on Sunday for a week, missus isn't coming so I can surf and drink as much as is needed.

[rsole]

parapaul- i've got some self catering places in Cornwall -great location, near beaches, coast paths and small town. PM me if you would like any further details.

[northwest monkey]

jkennyd said:

North west Scotland has some of the best beaches to be found anywhere. Miles of sandy beach with sometimes not another person in sight.

Sssh don't tell everyone;)

[DBSV8]

dmitsi said:

lottie said:

It's got to be Cornwall for me!! Beaches, coastal paths, cream teas, hidden villages, pixies...What more can you ask for!

Cornwall has Piskies, not pixies.

I'd go with Cornwall too, but check on the different beaches as quite a lot don't let dogs on during the summer. I'm heading to Gwithian on Sunday for a week, missus isn't coming so I can surf and drink as much as is needed.

used to Surf at Holywell bay .....a few years ago ..

used to stay at the ""limit "" was a small green shack overlooking the golf course great place ...wonder if its still there .......this was in the 70s

[Pabl0]

Check out my add - luxury caravan on the edge of New Forest about 9 miles to Bournemouth/Poole. No pets though.

On a good site for family. Had family of similar ages there week up to Easter Saturday and they thoroughly enjoyed their stay.

Pabl0

Edited by Pabl0 on Sunday 12th April 14:59

[Baby Huey]

jkennyd said:

North west Scotland has some of the best beaches to be found anywhere. Miles of sandy beach with sometimes not another person in sight.

And some of the best swarms of mosquitos.

[macp]

Yep another one here for Cornwall.We go regularly infact we are down in Carbis Bay near St Ives this year. http://www.cornwallbeachguide.co.uk/penwith/carbis...