Best Car Free Holidays In The UK

The summer is here and after a year of school and nursery runs, ferrying kids to after school clubs and weekend activities, we're all ready for some car-free time. A car-free break with the kids is the perfect way to de-stress and spend some quality time together, and that’s why we love a car-free holiday. Here’s our pick of five car-free family breaks you can take this summer.

Cornwall

 Amidst the beauty of the southwest there is a converted bus called Scarangar that sleeps 10 people, has a fully equipped kitchen and a large awning for chilling out and enjoying evenings by the sea. Your driver takes the strain and ferries you between Cornish locations, where you and your kids can play on the sands, visit a farm, and roam the Cornish countryside. You’ll stop at a campsite each night, where you can use the amenities, and the next morning your journey around the coast continues. The tour ends in beautiful Mawgan Porth in North Cornwall, where you can take the bus and then the train down to Penzance. Stay at Chapel House, where travel cots and high chairs are provided, and enjoy the Jubilee Pool by the sea, where there’s a safe baby pool.

Cotswolds

 With seven bedrooms, Blakemore Farm self-catering cottage in the Cotswolds is perfect for any larger family, or if you want to go on holiday with extended family, or perhaps as two families who are friends. There’s an onsite heated outdoor swimming pool, large tennis courts, and six acres of gardens and paddock. Inside there’s a library for quiet time, and a family play room. The house is set in a quiet, rural location, and is perfect for families wanting to unplug and spend time together playing board games and relaxing. There are nearby forests to explore and the market town of Chipping Campden is an hour and a half walk away. Make it completely car-free by taking the train from London to Morton-in-the-Marsh and walking the two hours to Blakemore Farm, or with little legs taking a taxi!

Lake District

 It might surprise you to know that the Lake District is one of the easiest destinations in the UK to navigate by bus. I’ve taken a car-free holiday in the Lakes and travelled around entirely by bus, and it was easy, and beautiful. The 555 bus route has been described as the most picturesque in the UK. You can hire bikes at Total Adventure Bike Hire in Windermere, then cycle to Zip World at Brockhole. You could also catch a cruise from Windermere with Windermere Lake Cruises going to Ambleside in the north or Lakeside in the south. At Lakeside there’s an aquarium and the Lakeside to Haverthwaite Steam Railway. There’s also a new car free path, the West Windermere Way, which is lovely to explore. Head over to Coniston Water and stay at Experience Freedom campsite, where you can glamp in pods and cabins, or take your own tent.

The Cairngorms, Scotland

A stay at The Dell puts you right on the doorstep of the Cairngorms National Park – it’s easily accessed through a gate on the estate. This gives you the ideal location for walking, wild swimming, and nature watching. With the cleanest lochs and rivers in the UK, this area is the ideal place to go paddleboarding, fishing, and canoeing. Water sports hire and activity centres are dotted around the Cairngorms, making it the ideal base for exploring the water and the landscape. Great for kids of all ages, but especially for those a little older and into teenage years, The Dell runs workshops onsite and hosts activities like guided walks, jewellery making, and wildlife tours.

Norfolk

Take the train to King’s Lynn and the helpful owners at Hunstanton Camping and Glamping will pick you up from there. Once on site, check in to a ready-pitched bell tent, which are available for stays from 1st June each year. Each tent comes furnished with a double bed and bedding, fire pit and kettle, so all you need to pack into your rucksack are towels and basic cooking equipment alongside a few clothes. There’s plenty to do without a car once there, and the site is within a two-minute walk of the dog-friendly beach at Heacham. It’s the only east-coast beach in the UK that actually faces west, meaning you’re often treated to a fabulous sunset over the sea as well as being among the first in the country to see the sun in the morning. Walk along the beach to the seaside resort of Hunstanton, which is 5 miles away, where you’ll find the Sea Life Sanctuary, boating, shops and restaurants.