Which? consumer magazine has released its annual guide to the best seaside towns in the UK, highlighting destinations that are easily accessible from Birmingham. Unlike Blue Flag or Seaside Awards, this guide is based on a survey of nearly 4,000 Which? members who took around 9,000 trips to British seaside towns. The focus is on unspoilt sandy beaches, gorgeous scenery, and peace and quiet away from major tourist hotspots.
Top Picks Within Three Hours of Birmingham
The guide includes several Welsh towns, such as Conwy, Llandudno, and Portmeirion, all within two hours and 45 minutes of Birmingham. Lymington in the New Forest, Sidmouth in Devon, and Beaumaris in North Wales are also reachable in about three hours. Further afield but still manageable for a day trip are Lyme Regis, Wells-next-to-the-Sea, and Aldeburgh.
Trevor Baker, travel writer for Which?, said: "If you want the perfect UK seaside holiday you need to look beyond the traditional favourites on the South Coast or Cornwall. The towns with the best beaches are in Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, and Wales."
Full List of Best Seaside Towns and Distances from Birmingham
- Conwy, North Wales – 2 hours 20 minutes
- Llandudno, Wales – 2 hours 30 minutes
- Portmeirion, North Wales – 2 hours 45 minutes
- Lymington, New Forest, Hampshire – 2 hours 50 minutes
- Sidmouth, Devon – 3 hours
- Beaumaris, North Wales – 3 hours
- Lyme Regis, Dorset – 3 hours
- Wells-next-to-the-Sea, North Norfolk – 3 hours
- Aldeburgh, East Suffolk – 3 hours 10 minutes
- Beer, Devon – 3 hours 10 minutes
- Whitby, Yorkshire – 3 hours 20 minutes
- Robin Hood Bay, Yorkshire – 3 hours 30 minutes
- Southwold, East Suffolk – 3 hours 30 minutes
- Lynmouth, Devon – 3 hours 30 minutes
- Tenby, Wales – 3 hours 30 minutes
- Dungeness, Kent – 3 hours 40 minutes
- Swanage, Dorset – 3 hours 40 minutes
- Broadstairs, Kent – 3 hours 40 minutes
Further Afield but Worth the Drive
Destinations beyond three hours include St David's (4 hours), Tynemouth (4 hours), St Mawes and Bude in Cornwall (4 hours), Bamburgh in Northumberland (4.5 hours), and Scottish towns St Andrews (6 hours), Stonehaven (7 hours), and Nairn (8 hours).
Baker added: "Our survey of almost 4,000 Which? members – who took around 9,000 trips to British seaside towns – shows, once again, that holidaymakers prefer the unspoilt sand, gorgeous scenery and peace and quiet that you only find away from the biggest tourist hotspots."
Welsh Towns Dominate Top 10
Three Welsh towns – Portmeirion, St Davids, and Tenby – appear in the top 10. Also featured are two Devon towns: Beer, which came second overall, and Sidmouth, but none from Cornwall.
