05 March 2021

17 highs and lows of classic British seaside holidays

05 March 2021

Seaside staycations are on track to become the biggest travel trend of 2021 as new research from Which? reveals accommodation prices have risen by an average of 35% in 10 of the UK’s most visited beach destinations.

With coronavirus restrictions meaning foreign trips may not be possible until later in the year, holidaymakers are snapping up rentals in places like St Ives, Whitby, Llandudno and Brighton.

As much as we love a British beach escape, it’s not always plain sailing when you venture to the coast. Here are some highs and lows of a summer holiday by the sea…

1. The drive to the seaside is always a nightmare as you battle other holidaymakers and attempt to keep the kids entertained for hours on end in heavy traffic.

2. Breathing in the salty sea air and listening to the sound of the seagulls squawking feels wonderful…

3. … although seagulls are actually pretty terrifying up close. If you’re not careful, what starts out as a lovely picnic on the beach turns into a scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds.

4. You wonder why you ever used to go abroad. With beautiful beaches and breathtaking coastlines, who needs the Caribbean when there’s Cornwall right here?

5. There aren’t any fancy fish to look at… but you might get stung by jellyfish or step on a crab. Whoop.

6. ‘Swimming’ will likely involve splashing about in water that only comes up to your knees.

7. It’s chilly even in the sun, yet somehow you still get sunburnt.

8. Fish and chips taste better by the sea. You don’t know why, but they just do.

9. A day at the beach is like a military operation. You cart a dinghy, deck chairs, several windbreaks, and a variety of bucket and spades down to the sand, then spend the rest of the day trying to stop them blowing away.

10. Sand gets everywhere. No nook or cranny escapes those scratchy grains.

11. Crazy golf is so much fun. Especially if it’s pirate/dinosaur/safari themed.

12. You have an ice cream cone every afternoon without fail. And it’s got to be topped with a flake, of course.

13. You put the FUN in fun fair, even when it involves spending a ridiculous amount just to win a cheap plastic keyring or ugly cuddly toy.

14. Long coastal walks are glorious – especially when they end in a pub beer garden.

15. Family arguments are rife. But at least everyone shuts up while devouring their daily ice cream.

16. You go home with silly souvenirs. Do you need a fringe magnet shaped like Blackpool Tower? No. Are you going to get one anyway? Yes.

17. You wouldn’t change a thing. The seagulls, sand and silly souvenirs are all part of the glorious fun.

The best videos delivered daily

Watch the stories that matter, right from your inbox