4 Family Holidays In The UK

Sunset over Bournemouth Beach, Dorset

Sunset near Bournemouth. Photo © allou

Holidays don’t have to mean aeons of planning, haggling over lost luggage and a week of jet lag. Here are our top last-minute British getaways: just load up the car or jump on a train and start to enjoy your break immediately. Easy.

1. Margate, Kent

Go for: culture, beach, kids’ activities

Margate has upgraded in the past few years, with the Turner Contemporary’s opening in 2011 and a whole host of satellite galleries, shops and eateries springing up around it.

Margate seafront with art gallery in background

Margate seafront and gallery. Photo © ian woolcock

Then of course, there’s the clean, golden expanse of Margate Sands, a beach that could easily rival any Spanish counterpart.

And as of June, the UK’s oldest amusement park, Dreamland, will also re-open after 10 years and an £18m refurbishment. Old rides are restored to their 1960s glory and Margate native Tracey Emin has designed two new neons for the park. Think candy floss and novelty postcards and you won’t go far wrong.

Stay at: Travelodge Margate Westwood

2. Bournemouth, Dorset

Go for: history, culture, seaside breaks

This pretty seaside town is the perfect point from which to explore the rugged Dorset that’s the backdrop to Broadchurch and the most recent film adaptation of Thomas Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd, starring Carey Mulligan.

Spend a day on the Jurassic Coast – a World Heritage site where you might find a prehistoric fossil on an afternoon jaunt down the beach – recreate scenes from the film against the backdrop of the rolling Dorset Hills, also known as Hardy country, or simply while away a few days on one of Bournemouth’s white-sand, award-winning beaches.

Stay at: Travelodge Bournemouth

3. New Forest, Hampshire

Go for: Nature, activities, adventure

A quiet, healthy getaway for anyone wanting to go back to Nature, the New Forest National Park is filled with beautiful woodland, heather-covered heaths, rivers and valleys. While away your holiday by exploring some of the miles of walking paths or get adventurous and hire a horse for the day from one of the many riding stables nearby. Try a nature trail with the kids or saddle up for a family biking holiday; it’s the perfect way to get away from gadgets and rediscover your inner child.

Stay at: Travelodge Stoney Cross

4. Edinburgh, Scotland

Go for: city break, culture, festivals

As well as the Fringe Festival (7 – 31 August), the world’s largest arts festival, Edinburgh hosts film, jazz, book and storytelling festivals.

Edinburgh Castle from Princes Street

Edinburgh Castle from Prince’s St. Photo © godrick

Whatever time of year you go you’re likely to come across galleries, theatres and public spaces overflowing with the newest and most exciting cultural talent in the world. And as befitting a capital city, there are enough restaurants, shops and sightseeing to keep even the most culture-phobic traveller happy.

Stay at: Travelodge Edinburgh