The 7 Best Alternative UK Family Holidays

Bonjour lecteurs!  Did you have a good Summer? Who said you needed to go abroad to have fun with your famille? After debating and thinking about it for a long time, we personnellement decided to not fly out of the country. Instead, we had several mini-breaks across the country and it was just lovely! Fancy doing something similar next year so that you don’t have to stress about booking plane tickets etc? Here are for you The 7 Best Alternative UK Family Holidays to get you inspired! I made a list of some places the Frenchie family is yet to check out, but also some locations we tried in 2023 that we absolutely loved. Get inspired and rediscover now the beauties of the UK and its stunning landscapes.

Active Family Holidays

As you may already know, we love exploring new régions and we go often for walks. Stanley is still quite young as he is only 7 (and he gets easily tired LOL!), but I would love to go on more active family holidays in the future.

I am also a keen cyclist as I don’t drive. For now, we make it for family rides mainly in our town and local parks. But I am sure that one day. we will enjoy more often active family cycling holidays.

Par exemple, I would love to make it to the Yorkshire Dales for long bike rides with my boys! Do you like le vélo ??

Or even places like Scotland and the Lake District are high on ma liste to explore and and get some fresh air.

Holidays On Canals

Another big one to tick on my travel list would be a barge cruise holiday.

Holidaying on the Llangollen canals or anywhere as pretty in England would be a dream come true.

It’s l‘excuse parfaite to relax and you can do it at your own speed. Plus, you get to travel through beautiful places.

Because you sail at an average of 4 miles per hour, it sounds safe and I reckon even I would make a bon capitain!

You can simply pack some good food and une bonne sélection of books et voilà! Plus, the children can take part in jobs on the boat, and learn about the maritime world.

No wonder why canal boat holidays are often described as ‘the fastest way to slow down‘. I don’t know about you, but I rather like this expression and I already feel relaxed just thinking about it!

Visit Kent!

Bien sûr, I could not share with you the 7 Best Alternative UK Family Holidays without mentioning Kent! I have been living in the Garden of England for 15 years and I would not have it another way.

So if you are based somewhere else in the UK, come down and visit us now! There are so many beautiful places to explore whatever you are into.

Living in Ashford, we are very lucky because we are quite central. Kent is a big county and we are right in the middle, so only 20 20-minute drive from some nice sandy beaches, but also just over half an hour on the the train to London.

Plus, you have some beautiful countryside to explore with many English Heritage and National Trust sites for you to discover.

If your summer holiday has to be on the seaside, then you got to visit the Isle of Thanet. We went back in May and we absolutely LOVED it. You get to enjoy some beautiful sandy beaches and there is so much history there. Par exemple, did you know that Charles Dickens had a summer residence in Broadstairs? So come and say ‘bonjour‘ to our beautiful Kent!

Visit Sussex

Une autre région we cherish in the UK is Sussex.

I know that many people will straight away think of Brighton, but there is so much more to see.

Have you ever been to Battle, Eastbourne, or Rye par exemple? Those are only a few of the beautiful places you can enjoy with your family.

Over the years, I wrote many reviews and memories of our Frenchie adventures. We recently had a short break at the Flackley Ash Hotel and stopped by Rye for the day. That was un grand succés.

We also discovered the West Sussex coast and it was so charming. Another beautiful place in the UK you need to see.

Surrey

A bit more up north of Sussex, we also love Surrey.

We used to go there quite often when we used to live in London. But this summer, we made it to the Merry Harriers and we had such a blast!

The area is charming with lots of petits villages. You get to relax in the country and go for a walk.

Personnellement, I liked glamping in Surrey, but there are beaucoup d’options for you to stay in Surrey. You could even rent a cottage to turn it into a true British escapade.

Isle Of Wight

If you like a holiday in the UK with some vintage vibes, then the Isle of Wight is another bon choix.

We actually went there in June and I could not believe how fast it was to travel to cross The Solent on the ferry.

Our Family Holiday On the Isle Of Wight was an absolute breeze.

We had such beautiful weather too, it actually felt like being abroad at times. It reminded me a bit of France in so many ways. It looks a bit like Normandy sometimes.

Cornwall & More

Last but not least, I have to include Cornwall & Devon in my 7 Best Alternative UK Family Holidays. It sounds like a cliché, but it is a must-see.

I reckon every British person has made it to Cornwall at least once for a summer holiday.

We went to Bude back in 2018 when Stanley was still a toddler and it was pure bliss.

We actually rented a little house in the middle of nowhere dans un village called Sheepwash and it was heaven! Think endless ice creams and little cornish towns. I have very fond memories from Summer 2018…

If you fancy something a bit less cliché, then Bournemouth is also a lovely seaside town. And if you want something a bit plus classique, then you have to stay in Cambridge or Oxford. It’s quintessentially British and you could bump into Inspector Morse…

So what do you think of my 7 Best Alternative UK Family Holidays? What holidays have you already checked out with your family? Which ones are you yet to try? Are you more of a country or seaside person for a summer break? Either way, the UK has it all to charm you.

Feel free to share other places you loved in the past that I should visit. I am always looking for new idées. Merci!

 

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.