The Great British Seaside by Train
Your Holiday Guide for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Welcome to UK Rail, your go-to platform for planning a trip to the seaside by train. If you want to visit coastal towns in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland - this is the website for cheaper hassle-free rail ticketing, journey planning and desintation guides across the UK.
We offer a comprehensive guide to the UK's coastal regions and seaside resorts. Here, you will find detailed information on the UK's coastal areas, including resorts, beaches, hotels, guest houses, and cottages. Discover beautiful beaches, hidden coves, breathtaking cliff tops, and vibrant resorts, all within the islands of Great Britain.
Whether you're planning a quick weekend getaway, your annual vacation, or a day trip to the coast, our guide provides all the information you need. Our site is organised regionally, providing you with in-depth details of all seaside resorts within each region. Enjoy your journey!
UK Coastal Regions
| Region |
Towns |
| South East England |
Brighton Hove, Bognor Regis, Chatham, Chichester, Clacton-on-sea, Dover, East Sussex Coast, Eastbourne, Essex Coast, Felixstowe Harwich, Folkestone, Hampshire Coast, Hastings, Kent Coast, Lymington, Margate Ramsgate, New Romney, Portsmouth, Rye, Southend-on-sea |
|
South West England |
Bigbury On Sea, Bournemouth, Bridport, Bristol, Bude, Budleighsalterton, Burnham On Sea, Cornwall Coast, Dartmouth, Dawlish, Devon Coast, Dorset Coast, Exeter, Exmouth, Falmouth Penryn, Fowey, Lands End, Looe, Lulworth Cove, Lyme Regis, Mevagissey, Minehead, Newquay, North Devon, Padstow, Penzance, Plymouth, Poole, Salcombe, Seaton, Sidmouth, Southwest Coast Path, St Austell, St Ives, Studland Bay, Swanage, Teignmouth |
| North East England |
Ashington, Berwickupontweed, Bridlington, Cromer Area, East Yorkshire Coast, Great Yarmouth, Hartlepool, Kingston Upon Hull, Lowestoft, Middlesbrough, Newcastle Area, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Norfolk Coast, North Yorkshire Coast, Scarborough, Skegness, Sunderland |
| North West England |
Barrowinfurness, Birkenhead, Blackpool, Burnham-on-crouch, Grimsby, Lancashire Coast, Lincolnshire Coast, Liverpool, Morecambe, Southport |
|
Scotland East |
Aberdeen, Ayr, Dundee, Edinburgh, Fife Coast,, Peterhead, St Andrews, Stonehaven |
| Scotland West |
Dumfries Galloway Coast, Glasgow, Oban, Orkney, Shetland, Stranraer |
| Wales / Cymru |
Aberystwyth, Barmouth, Cardiff, Carmarthen, Fishguard, Mumbles, Pembroke Area, Pembrokeshire Coast, Porthmadog, Rhyl, Swansea, Tenby |
| East England |
Clacton-on-sea, Cromer Area, Essex Coast, Felixstowe Harwich, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft, Norfolk Coast, Skegness, Suffolk Coast |
|
Northern Ireland |
Bangor, Belfast, Dumfries Galloway Coast, Larne, Londonderry, Newcastle, Northern Ireland, Stranraer |
Exploring the UK's Coastline
The UK's coastline is a remarkable area, rich in diverse landscapes, activities, human and natural habitats. It is easily accessible to the UK population as it surrounds us on all sides and is just about two hours away, by train, from anywhere in the UK. For many, especially those living near the coast, it is a constant source of recreation and enjoyment. In many ways, the UK coastline is our largest national park and our greatest leisure resource.
Our guide provides a comprehensive overview of this remarkable area, with details of resorts, coastal towns, outstanding natural features, attractions, activities, and wildlife. In the Directory section, you'll find useful tourism information on hotels, guest houses, cottages, attractions, shops, pubs, and restaurants. We hope that you enjoy your visits to this guide and to the UK coast.
UK Coastline Facts
- The length of the UK coastline is around 12,500kms or 7,760 miles. Around 60% of our coastline is located in Scotland and the off-shore islands.
- The UK coastline is 1.5 times longer than the coast of Italy, over 3.5 times longer than Spain's coastline, and more than 5 times longer than French coastline.
- The UK is comprised of over 1,000 islands, adding up to a significant amount of coastline. Around 790 of these islands are located off-shore from Scotland. There are 291 inhabited islands in the UK.
- The place in the UK that is farthest from the sea is Coton in the Elms, Derbyshire - located just north of Tamworth, about 73 miles from the sea.
- About 25 million holidays were taken at the coast in 2005, accounting for 115 million nights. In addition, there were approximately 200 million day trips to the coast.
- The annual spending at coastal areas in the UK is estimated at around £8bn per year.
Popular Resorts
Visit our resort guide section for general descriptions of areas, details of beaches, and more. Browse through the listing pages of each resort for details of hotels, guest houses, cottages, and attractions. Check our site regularly for more information and to search for holiday destinations, accommodation, attractions, or ideas for great days out. Some of the popular resorts include Torbay, Swanage, Bournemouth, Eastbourne, Southend-on-Sea, Great Yarmouth, and Blackpool.
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