New study reveals the perfect Easter coastal road trip
Sunshine, seafood and stunning scenery - take a look at the best Easter trips to find all three
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Best Easter coastal road trips
With the Easter holidays just around the corner, many people across the UK are likely to be planning a short break or day trip.
In 2023, an estimated 2.7 million ‘getaway’ trips took place on Good Friday, making it a very busy day to hit the road.
According to figures from VisitBritain, millions of Brits plan to spend their Easter weekend away from home this year too, with plenty of drivers making their way towards the coast to fill their lungs with sea air.
When choosing the perfect coastal trip, there are several factors to bear in mind, from warm climate and affordable parking to beautiful scenery and good seafood restaurants.
So, if you’re thinking about a trip to the seaside, where should you head to in your used BMW or VW? We've listed the best UK beaches worth visiting this Easter.
The top 20 UK beaches to visit this Easter:
Camber Sands
Barafundle Beach
Bournemouth Beach
Brighton Beach
Scarborough Beach
Sandbanks Beach
Fistral Beach
Woolacombe Beach
Hengistbury Head Beach
Weymouth Beach
Perranporth Beach
Horsey Beach
Filey Beach
Porthminster Beach
Wells-Next-the-Sea Beach
Carbis Bay Beach
St. Brelade's Bay Beach
Gorleston-On-Sea Beach
Luskentyre
Rhossili Bay
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The best UK beaches for your Easter weekend
If you’re looking for the very best coastal destination for this Easter weekend, our data suggests that Camber Sands is the place to be.
Sam Sheehan, our motoring editor, said: “To determine the best UK beach locations for your Easter staycation, we analysed the top 20 traveller-favourite beaches from TripAdvisor, ranking them on average March temperature, Instagram popularity, parking prices and the number of fish and chips shops in the area.
“Based on our findings, Camber Sands in East Sussex is the ideal beach spot for your Easter travels. You can expect inspiring views and relatively warm temperatures in this part of the world, with the thermometer reaching an average of 10˚C in March 2024.
“But if the East Sussex coast doesn’t work for you, Barafundle Beach (Wales) and Bournemouth Beach (Dorset) are stunning seaside options, too. Sitting in second and third places respectively, these beaches provide a great destination for your Easter weekend.”
Average temperatures
Spending a long weekend by the sea when it’s cold and wet probably isn’t what you had in mind.
If you don’t cope well with chilly weather, you may want to skip Luskentyre Beach in the Outer Hebrides (Scotland) for the time being, as it’s the coldest location on the list. However, if its white sands and turquoise waters are too difficult to resist, wrap up warm – the average March temperature in this corner of Scotland stands at 5˚C.
On a brighter note, Camber Sands isn’t the only coastal place with good weather around Easter time.
The beach in Wells-next-the-Sea in north Norfolk enjoys an average temperature of 9˚C across March. It may not be tropical-like temperatures, but this East Anglian coastal favourite still ranks as the second-mildest spot on our list.
Instagram hashtags
If you rely on social media platforms to source picture-perfect scenery, you’ll be interested to know that Brighton Beach is by far the location with the most hashtags on Instagram.
With a whopping one million mentions under users’ posts, Brighton Beach (East Sussex) is no doubt a social media favourite, with its pier and pebbled shoreline acting as a candid background for striking photos.
Bournemouth Beach (Dorset) is also popular on Instagram, totalling about 214,000 hashtags. But if the south of England is too far for you to travel to, Scarborough Beach in North Yorkshire is also a very scenic destination.
Its hashtag has appeared about 185,000 times on Instagram, making it one of the most photographed coastal stretches in the UK.
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Parking prices
Parking charges at tourist destinations can often set you back a few pounds, and while it might not seem much at first, these fees will add to your Easter expenses.
If you’re sticking to a budget, you may want to keep an eye on locations that won’t charge you (much) to park your car.
Sam explained: “According to data from Parkopedia, parking spaces around Barafundle Beach (Wales), Hengistbury Beach (Dorset) and Horsey Beach (Norfolk) are free of charge. So, if you want to save your money for more exciting activities, these splendid beaches could do just the trick.
“Car parks close to Weymouth Beach in Dorset and Rhossili Beach in south Wales have an average tariff of £4.63 and £4.53, respectively. This makes them the priciest coastal places for drivers on our list.”
Fish and chips shops
Eating fish and chips on Good Friday is a tradition for many people across the country.
If you’re set on eating some battered cod or fried scampi during your Easter trip by the sea, you’ll be spoilt for choice in Barafundle and nearby locations.
With 116 restaurants in the area serving this British staple, Barafundle Beach is the ultimate destination for lovers of fish and chips.
Brighton Beach also has a wide selection of fish and chips options (84), followed by Bournemouth Beach and Hengistbury Beach, with 49 each.
So, have you decided on your upcoming Easter weekend coastal destination yet? If you aren’t lucky enough to live by the sea, hop in the car, turn on the sat-nav and explore the best beaches our country has to offer.