The UK is a wonderful place to holiday in summer, despite the British summer rain with which we are, at this point, all intimately familiar. With the chaos at the airports and the cost of summer holidays ever-rising, the good old British staycation has once again become a national pastime – and a good thing, too!
While there are thousands of uniquely beautiful places to visit as part of a UK-based summer holiday, perhaps the best of them are situated on the UK’s idiosyncratic coastline. Pebble beaches and golden sands; the bright lights of the piers and arcades; the lemon tops and Mr Whippys: all of these – and, of course, the ever-present threat of downpour – make UK summer holidays what they are!
Of course, not every beautiful beach in the UK is easily accessible. Some are tough enough to get to even by car! So, if you’re angling for an easily accessible summer seaside retreat with your friends or family, where are the best places to go that can be reached by train?
Brighton
Brighton is easily one of the best resort towns in the whole of the UK, let alone the south of England. It is a melting pot of well-worn customs and new, progressive culture. It also sits on one of the more popular train routes in England, making it incredibly easy to visit by public transport.
When alighting from the train, you are faced with a mere 15-minute walk before you bump into the thing for which Brighton is perhaps best known: the Pier. Brighton Palace Pier brims with activity, boasting as it does an assortment of rides and arcades – fun for all the family. The town itself has oodles of places to discover and explore, from the historic Lanes to the Royal Pavilion and beyond.
Portsmouth
Another big name when it comes to the UK’s coastal locations is Portsmouth, otherwise known as the Great Waterfront City. This is a seaside city with history, its Historic Dockyard being home to the National Museum of the Royal Navy and two historic ships that beg to be explored.
Being a city, Portsmouth is eminently accessible and boasts a great degree of attractions and landmarks to visit. Portsea Island, the thrumming centre of the city, has four train stations, enabling access from any part of the country. Come for the naval history, stay for the burgeoning independent scene, and soak up the summer rays while you’re at it.
Newquay
Cornwall is a county chock-full of wonderful seaside locations, being a south-west England peninsula that is practically all coastline. One of the stand-out resorts on this impressive stretch of shoreline, though, is Newquay.
Newquay is perhaps most famous for Fistral beach, one of the pre-eminent spots for surfing in the UK. It is also a quintessential seaside resort, with all the trappings of a classic summer holiday. To top it off, Newquay’s train station could not be closer to the beach; your holiday starts the moment you alight!
