Please help me to Go On Holiday! ?

East Anglia. Nice and flat and the same sea as Northumberland ?

I don't know where you are starting from, but if you go sideways, East or West, no-one is all that far from the sea. Does it have to be the specific cottage you have in mind, or would a bit of research (a pleasant occupation in itself) dredge up other equally charming cottages in equally lovely places?

Norfolk? There are lots of lovely villages, so I'm told.

I've never been but it's on my bucket list .....

What is the matter with Gransnet today?

It's slow, I can't post (seemingly), leave the thread and there is my post!

Anglesey is absolutely beautiful if you can get there ? There are so many lovely beaches , Benllech, Treadurr bay , RedWharf Bay and it’s very peaceful there not too busy at all .

I can recommend North Norfolk. Had many happy holidays here and eventually retired here. Some lovely places to explore or just sit and enjoy. Best outside the school holidays when it can get swamped. Hope you are both up to a holiday before long.

Thank you everyone
Elegran I’m in Derby. It is far from the sea. Skegness () is the nearest sea side place, and if I remember correctly it’s well over two hours to get there. Not that I would.
I think that I might think about the Lakes.
I know what you mean about enjoying the research, but I fancied personal recommendations as well.
One place that was absolutely top of my list was a hotel in Runswick Bay. It ticked all the boxes.
But the reviews really did vary.
It’s got some awful ones.

Could you go by train and then hire a car locally ?

If the cottage at Alnmouth is your dream, then go for it.
You could break the journey and stay at a Premier Inn, say at Catterick, where you aren’t far from Richmond Castle.
There are various options to get your there, you just have to make it happen!

We love on Gower. It’s beautiful even in the rain. ?

Live haha.

what yorklady said

We drove from here ( Birmingham) to Northumberland a couple of years ago. Yes, it's a long way but wasn't half as bad as we envisaged. We stayed at Alnwick, a lovely place. The castle was used in Harry Potter. The Alnwick garden is lovely too.
We walked on Bamburgh beach, visited lots of little seaside towns/villages along the coast, some after recommendations from gransnetters. It was worth the drive! Maybe break your journey as suggested.

Kate1949

We drove from here ( Birmingham) to Northumberland a couple of years ago. Yes, it's a long way but wasn't half as bad as we envisaged. We stayed at Alnwick, a lovely place. The castle was used in Harry Potter. The Alnwick garden is lovely too.
We walked on Bamburgh beach, visited lots of little seaside towns/villages along the coast, some after recommendations from gransnetters. It was worth the drive! Maybe break your journey as suggested.

I don’t know if you have a garden Kate1949 but I was surprised how many plants we had in our garden that were in the Poison Garden.

We had a lovely time in the area.

Thank you again.
I think that you are right Yorklady and Jane , we should go to Almouth.
Kate we’ve been to Northumberland many times, and stayed either at Beadnell and Alnmouth. Bamburgh is stunning, but we’ve never worked out how to get on the beach!
The first time that you see Bamburgh Castle it takes your breath away.
The cottage I mentioned is actually perfect. So I’m not quite sure why I’m faffing about. It’s ground floor, has private parking and the sea is literally across the road. And it’s even got a window seat so you can see the sea (and the famous cross).
I’ve also been toying with the idea of staying at Lindesfarne.
Thank you for helping me to make up my mind.
I think I’ll leave it till Christmas to see how we’re bearing up, and then book for Spring (hopefully, touch wood, fingers crossed …)

Well Fanny we did get onto that fabulous beach. I seem to recall it involved a trek through sand dunes and undergrowth. Yes we have a garden Beechnut. We probably have some of those plants too. Northumberland is wonderful. I loved all the little seaside towns and Lindisfarne.

FannyCornforth, now you have made up your mind, get it booked! It sounds perfect, and if you are not quick, I will have beaten you to it!
Seriously, since the pandemic, UK spots are booking up months ahead.

Have a nice time FannyCornforth, I take my dog to Alnmouth beach every day. Too tricky with the tides at Lindisfarne, I think you've made the right choice. Do bring your warm clothes and a rain mac.

If you are staying in Alnmouth you could walk down to the station and take the train into Edinburgh for the day for something different? Or Newcastle - the Laing has a fantastic exhibition on at the moment.

Fanny, if you want to have not too long a drive, I would head either for Anglesey, or the North Lincolnshire coast, which is beautiful. I also agree that North Norfolk, which is lovely, might be do-able.
How important is the sea? Maybe you are so near the Peak District that it doesn't feel like a 'holiday' but what about the Lake District?
I hope you can find somewhere that ticks the boxes for you.

Hello again, and thank you. I am actually thinking about the Peaks and the Lakes nannarose

BUT! (hold onto your hats!) my criteria has changed a little bit.

I have a so called landmark birthday in January (I’m 50 - so I will finally be officially allowed on here )
I floated the idea of going away for my birthday with DH (who is considerably older than I am) and he was surprisingly ‘up for it’.

The key thing is, I can’t book until the last minute (ie one or two maximum weeks in advance) because of our health situation.

But (another one) it’s going to be easy to book in January…

What do you think?
(Thank you all x)

Oh Shandy, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, you really are living my dream ♥️
My mobility is absolutely atrocious, I won’t be able to go far at all. This entire enterprise is a bit of a pipe dream tbh

Fanny, I cannot advise on destinations at all, but if you have mobility issues, figure out how you will spend your days, find a nice spot then book it! Others here are correct in that things book up very quickly. Two weeks of lead time will find you in a shoddy hotel facing a parking lot, especially if your timing is near a school break. Many places have quite reasonable cancellation policies, which you can ask about, and it will really give you something to look forward to.

I love researching vacations, it's part of the fun of travelling. So many possibilities!

Another thumbs up for Anglesey. There are so many lovely places to stay and nowhere is far from a beach. Its also very easy to drive round. I would book a holiday there every year if it was just up to me.

Anglesey! Just had a few days there doing the coastal walk and enjoying the quiet roads too. Beautiful.