A historic island nation. Over 7000 miles of coastline. Beautiful beaches. Soaring cliffs. Stunning views. Fossil-hunting. Ancient castles. Village pubs. Fish and chips! All of this and more await with the ultimate UK road trip.
Sunrise in Durdle Door, Dorset
If this sounds tempting, youโre not alone. The UKโs long and varied coastline draws millions of visitors every year – many of them on road trips. Travelling the coast is a fantastic way to relax, broaden your horizons, and generally enjoy yourself. Spending time by the sea is even great for your mental health!
But where should you start?
Hereโs how to plan the ultimate UK coastal road trip:
1. Get all the boring stuff squared away before you start
Getting your budget together, sorting out your vehicle, gathering the relevant documents (if youโre coming from abroad), cancelling deliveries, paying the bills while youโre awayโฆthese arenโt the most exciting things to sort out, but theyโre worth doing early. That way, you can enjoy your road trip without any worries holding you back.
For example, thereโs a trend right now for retired people to buy motorhomes and fund long road trips via equity release. This is a great way to unlock cash from your property, but doing it right can be a lengthy process (8 weeks according usually). If youโre planning to finance your trip with equity release, itโs worth getting the ball rolling with plenty of time to spare.
Similarly, itโs important to figure out your budget for the trip well in advance. Plan for emergencies, like breakdowns or delays. If it turns out that your budget wonโt cover emergencies, planning early gives you time to save up some extra.
If you have pets and arenโt bringing them with you, remember that petsitters are often booked months in advance – even years, when it comes to the summer months! So itโs worth trying to get a petsitter slot as early as you can.
Once youโve got all the boring stuff out of the way, you can plan the exciting details with a clear head.
2. Pick the right starting point
Depending on what you want to see and how much time you have, the right starting point can make all the difference.
For example, if you have limited time and want to see Lands End, donโt start all the way up in Scotland. While you might speed through the middle bits, youโll be delayed at the end by the notorious lanes of Devon and Cornwall, and might struggle to reach Lands End before your time is up.
Instead, start at Lands End and travel north-east at a more leisurely pace around the coastline.
Think also about seasonal traffic. Depending on your timescale, the point you start could see you snarled up in holiday traffic for your entire trip, or with plain sailing even at peak season. It all depends on where you start and how you time your travels.
Check holiday traffic data, and plan to avoid the most touristy spots during the most popular times. This way, you can avoid the crowds and get the beaches to yourself!
3. Donโt overstretch yourself
The UK has over 7000 miles of coastline. And every single mile is packed with things to see and do. From stunning views to wildlife-spotting, island-hopping, pubs, cafes, museums, watersports, stately houses, theme parks, castles, landmarksโฆthe list goes on and on.
Itโs tempting to try and pack in as much as you possibly can. But weโd advise the opposite. Rather than completely filling your itinerary, give yourself some leeway. Maybe even build rest days into your schedule.
Why? Because struggling to keep to an overpacked itinerary is stressful at the best of times, but itโs especially stressful when youโre dealing with the British coastline. Our weather is far from predictable, so you may have to change your plans very quickly to accommodate sudden storms or an unpredictable rainy spell.
If you donโt pack out your itinerary, youโll have the flexibility to change your plans if need be. Maybe spend a rainy day exploring local pubs rather than local landmarks, or take advantage of sunny spells to relax on the beach.
Rather than giving yourself an exhaustive list of places to see and things to do, we suggest that you limit yourself to a few must-sees, and play the rest by ear.
Weโre not saying you shouldnโt pencil in some ideas for the locations youโre visiting, but donโt stress yourself out by forcing yourself to hit an exhaustive list of targets.
4. Learn to drive narrow country lanes
Ah, Devon and Cornwall. They have some of the most beautiful and diverse coastal scenery in the country, but their roads are very narrow, very twisty, and often walled or hedged in on both sides. Itโs worth learning how to drive these lanes if youโre not already familiar with them.
For a start, donโt take a gigantic vehicle down these single-track roads unless you are very confident driving in them. Youโll struggle to get a wide vehicle through a lot of these tracks without scraping the sides. So, be sensible when choosing your vehicle.
Even in a standard-sized vehicle, driving narrow country lanes is an art form. You will frequently need to reverse a long way to let other vehicles pass, and you need to be very considerate of other road users at all times.
Of course, itโs not just Devon and Cornwall which have narrow, twisty roads. Scotland and Wales also have lanes like this, and you will find them in some other parts of the country too.
Weโre using Devon and Cornwall as an example because lanes like this are most common (and most notorious!) in this part of the island – but itโs still worth familiarising yourself with rural driving even if youโre avoiding the far South West.
Proper planning makes for the perfect trip
A road trip around the UK coast is a fantastic experience. Even if you only take in a bit of the coastline, youโll still get to see some of the most wonderful scenery in the world, and experience some truly historic sights.
Good planning is vital for a great trip. With good planning, you can set off with a clear heart and head, avoid touristy traffic jams, see everything you want to see without stress, and even navigate the toughest country lanes without breaking a sweat.
Good luck, and have a great trip!