An A-Z Guide To The Perfect British Family Holiday
By
5 days ago
Made with input from a panel of parents, travel experts and opinionated kids
A is for ADVENTURE
‘What an adventure!’ is a British, Enid Blyton-y way of sugar coating anything that goes slightly awry while holidaying with kids. Missed the last ferry home? Adventure! Buried the car keys in the sand and lost them (see ‘X’)? Adventure! Biblical downpour results in soggy sandwiches? What an adventure!
B is for BUCKET & SPADE
There’s always one in the car boot until you arrive at the beach, at which point it disappears – presumably some dark magic of the grim (but irresistible) British beachside shops selling decade-old rock, gloopy (delicious) coconut ice, and fluorescent plastic beach accessories.
C is for CHIPS
Not a foodstuff for holidaying Brits, but an activity. Finding the best chip shop in any given area and eating whatever they batter best is (probably) a Scouts activity badge. Chips and gravy, curry sauce, battered saveloy or a deep fried Mars bar. ‘C’ is also for ‘culture’ and ‘cuisine’, of which British chips are a fine example.
D is for DUCK HERDING
Travel is all about broadening your horizons. Camilla Davidson, head of destination management at Red Savannah, says: ‘Find an activity that none of the family will have tried before but can each attempt at their own level – falconry, archery or even duck herding spring to mind.’ Apparently all are on offer at the lovely Lucknam Park near Bath.
E is for EATING OUT
‘What I don’t like about holidays is when my parents book fancy restaurants,’ says Arabella, 11. I have to agree; fine dining is often best enjoyed without children. But that doesn’t mean chicken nuggets, says Palm PR founder Emily Keogh. ‘My son loves Michelin Guide spots like The Nest at The Feathers Hotel in Woodstock, where local produce takes centre stage.’
F is for FOWEY
Falmouth, Fowey and Folkestone: all gorgeous seaside destinations in England. There’s something for everyone between Falkirk, Fair Isle and Fort William in Scotland, while long coastal walks from Fishguard in Wales are fabulous. Not that you’d pick your holiday destination based on its starting with an ‘F’ – that would be foolish. Funny, but foolish.
G is for GRANNY
Or grandpa. They are the key to a restful family holiday. Intergenerational family holidays are on the rise, partly because people want to make magical memories with the whole gang, and partly because there’s nobody with more patience for your kids’ annoyingness than the people who dealt with yours.
H is for HAM
Valuable insight from Noah, three: ‘My best part of a holiday is eating ham.’ Which just goes to show, you can splash out on an ultra-luxurious, bells and whistles getaway, but sometimes children just want an ultra-processed meat feast.
I is for INDEPENDENCE
‘Younger children thrive on routine and imagination, while older ones value independence. Water sports and adventure-style activities give them confidence and freedom,’ says Phoebe Hitchcox of The Lakes by Yoo. The balance between quality time together and having them independently entertained is the ultimate holiday sweet spot.
J is for JOY IN THE JOURNEY
Avoid the dredge of the A to B and take steps to make it part of the adventure. Mum-of-one Lou shares: ‘I love finding out what a great little traveller Georgie, nine, is, navigating interchanges or planning train picnics.’ Letting the kids join the navigation team could halt the onslaught of the ‘are we nearly there yet?’ hell. Answer: ‘You tell me, mate.’
K is for KIDS’ CLUBS
‘A great kids’ club is never just about killing time,’ says Beth Kevan of Worldwide Kids and Luxury Childcare Association. ‘The most memorable ones are expertly led, age-appropriate and genuinely inspiring.’ Jack, ten, cites the luxe Football Escapes camps hosted by ex-pro footballers as ‘cooking’ (this is very good, apparently).
L is for LONDON
Don’t overlook seeing the third most visited city in the world through your children’s eyes. John Andrews of The Goring in Belgravia says: ‘Our city is rich in famous landmarks that spark curiosity and imagination. These iconic sights help children connect stories from books and school lessons to real places, making history feel alive and exciting.’
M is for MEMORIES
It’s amazing what kids remember from their family holidays (think of sweet Noah and his ham). Singing Cliff Richard’s ‘Summer Holiday’ in the car, choosing a puzzle book at the first service station stop, a seagull stealing mum’s ice cream… tiny family rituals will result in a lifetime of warm, fuzzy, nostalgic feelings.
N is for NATURE
Spot dolphins and puns from the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland. See otters and seals from Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland. England’s New Forest National Park is an ancient woodland where wild ponies roam free. Pembrokeshire in Wales is a haven for seabirds, while Scotland’s Cairngorms are home to a free-roaming reindeer herd, golden eagles and ospreys.
O is for OH WE DO LIKE TO BE BESIDE THE SEASIDE!
Nothing* beats a UK beach. From busy pebble promenades and arcade-packed piers, to remote white sandy havens on the Hebrides or the Scillies. Sun, sea and sand! As Meatloaf so wisely said: ‘Two out of three ain’t bad.’
*Apart from the millions of beaches worldwide that also have good weather
P is for POOL
‘The best part of any holiday is going to the pool.’ Riyaan, six, knows the joys of pool time. The infinity sky pool at Shangri-La The Shard in London provides particularly memorable swim time, with views across the capital from 52 floors up. Or for a wilder swim, the seawater mermaid pool at the Burgh Island hotel in Devon is carved directly into the rocky shoreline.
Q is for QUALITY TIME TOGETHER
Of all the children and parents asked about their favourite thing about holidays, 90 percent of them said ‘spending quality time with my family’. Whether you’re in a five-star haven or sleeping in a car next to a collapsed tent, you just can’t beat quality time together making memories away from the humdrum of everyday overwhelm.
R is for REST & RELAXATION
There will be no such thing on a good family holiday. You will return tired, broke and aged by at least one decade. (But grateful for all that quality time nonetheless.)
S is for SPACE
‘Space is one of the most underrated ingredients of a successful family holiday,’ Beth Kevan says. ‘Thoughtfully designed family accommodation – whether that’s interconnecting rooms or room to spread out – makes a huge difference.’ This is corroborated by 15-year-old Romilly: ‘When you’re enclosed with your siblings for too long, it’s reeeeeeally annoying.’
T is for TRAINS
The golden age of British train travel, take two. Travel to Scotland (by rail, of course) and board the Jacobite Steam Train, aka the Hogwarts Express; steam through heather-clad moors on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway; or have a real adventure on a sleeper train journey aboard the Night Riviera from Paddington to Penzance.
U is for UNIVERSAL ACCESS
Inclusivity and accessibility are not nice-to-haves, but rather the bare minimum for many. Hotels that care about catering for everyone make for the best bases for families. Tourism For All is a charity offering advice to both travellers and businesses, along with activity ideas for individuals with a whole range
V is for VOLLEYBALL
Volleyball, padel, ping pong, pickleball… there’s nothing like a bit of family competition to liven up a trip. Just don’t play with ten-year-old Raife, a self-confessed sore loser: ‘The very worst thing about holidays is getting beaten at sports.’ Unfortunately for Raife, when the kids start winning it stops being fun for the grown-ups, so here we are.
W is for WET WET WET
Wellies, waterproofs, whipping winds, woeful weather. There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. (But poor weather really does ruin everything, doesn’t it?)
X is for X MARKS THE SPOT
Treasure hunts on the beach are always a winner. Though choosing a large and non-essential item as the treasure is crucial – something mum-of-two Emma learned the hard way when she allowed her children to bury the car keys in the sand to buy herself ten minutes of peace. The result: a not-so-peaceful, four-hour recovery mission.
Y is for YIKES!
A small book of family-friendly curses is useful for navigating an intense period of time with your loved ones curse-free. Yikes! Barnacles! Fudge! Bringing back some retro insults is also quite fun. Try ‘snollygoster’ (a dishonest politician), ‘shabberoon’ (poorly-dressed disreputable person) or – useful for teenagers – ‘neerdowell’ (an idle loafer or scrounger).
Z is for ZIP WIRE
Cited by several children as a key holiday highlight. The world’s fastest can be found at Zip World Penrhyn Quarry in north Wales, where at 100mph there is little-to-no chance of being left hanging like a limp tea towel – à la Boris Johnson at the 2012 Olympics.
