Category Archives: Beach Holidays

Summer holidays in South Devon: Dartmouth is highly recommended

Dartmouth self cateringIf you need something to get you through the winter months then there is nothing better than planning your summer holiday.  

With its warm and sunny summer climate it’s no surprise that the south-west of England is where people flock to each year but where is the best place to head.  Well we can highly recommend South Devon and there is no better place to for an unforgettable family holiday than the gorgeous maritime town of Dartmouth.

Long days can easily be spent out on the water, unwinding on the region’s golden beaches, walking the dramatic coastal footpaths or visiting one of the many historical houses or gardens.

Whatever your interests whilst on holiday, Find Cottage Holidays has an excellent choice of luxury self-catering holiday properties to offer, which can be perfectly matched to suit all your needs.

Take a closer look at what Dartmouth in South Devon has to offer »

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January sale: save 10% on holidays in Cornwall Devon and Dorset

January sales for self catering holidaysThe January sales are in full swing and self catering holidays in the UK are no different with some great deals to be had even in this heavy booking time. 

You can find some great deals and offers on our website including 10% off luxury self catering in the south-west of England – Cornwall, Devon and Dorset.  With a great selection of 5 star and 4 star cottages and apartments on the coast and in the countryside available with an extra 10% off it is definitely the time to book.

Find out more about this offer and more by clicking here:  holiday offers »

Perfect for a half term break: Combe Martin, Devon, England

With the October half term nearly upon us, we think that Combe Martin in Devon will keep the whole family happy on a short break – seaside, Exmoor, North Devon…need we say more?

Located on the border between Exmoor National Park and the North Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is the picturesque settlement of Combe Martin.

This little seaside resort, with a wide variety of amenities, is a great attraction for locals and visitors, and is home to a very popular beach. Lynton and Lynmouth, Woolacombe, Croyde Bay, Saunton Sands, Ilfracombe and Barnstaple are all within easy reach.

There are also numerous National Trust properties and gardens close by, offering unique insights into local history. Woolacombe beach is close by and is an excellent place for surfing, whilst the South West coastal path passes within a mile for those who love rambling.

So plenty of places to burn off energy, lots to explore and see… for a family getaway it’s just about perfect, so what’s stopping you?  Here is a few places to stay to get you started but there are plenty more for you to choose from… self catering in Combe Martin

Save £100 on a July Break in Dartmouth Devon

Aboutt Tide Cottage in DartmouthSave £100 on selected July weeks at About Tide – a VisitEngland Five Star awarded property within walking distance of Dartmouth, at the head of Warfleet Creek.

Relax in this chic and contemporary property, or walk into town to explore the boutique shops and art galleries, and enjoy the views of the River Dart.

Guests also benefit from complimentary Dart Marina Spa membership, including an indoor pool and Jacuzzi.

The weeks commencing 5th and 12th July are now £842, if booked before 31st January 2013. Under £21 per person per night, based on 6 sharing.

Find out more about About Tide in Dartmouth

35% Discount on a Southwold Cottage, Suffolk Coast November December Short Breaks

Seaford House, SouthwoldEnjoy a short break on the wonderful Suffolk coast and save a staggering 35% on the cost of a holiday cottage that sleeps 6 and is dog friendly.

It almost sounds too good to be true, but in this case it isn’t.  You can book the lovely Seaford Beach House in Southwold with an incredible 35% OFF the brochure price between the 3-19th November AND the 8-22nd December 2012 (minimum booking of 3 nights).

Seaford House is a large 3 bedroom house that sleeps 6, is family friendly (with cot and high chair available) and is also pet friendly.  It has an enclosed garden with garden furniture and gas barbecue.

Seaford Beach House is a spacious, comfortably furnished detached house situated in a stunning position on the cliff top at Easton Bavants near the pier. It offers sea views from most of its windows and is a stone’s throw away from the beach. It is an ideal retreat from the bustle of Southwold High Street but yet only a fifteen minute walk away. This is an ideal location if you require quiet accommodation with easy parking that is also close to the beach and town centre.

Find out more about Seaford House, check availability and book online

Southwold is a wonderful coastal area in Suffolk that remains largely untouched and unspoilt.  Find out more about Southwold and Suffolk

Seaford House, SouthwoldSeaford House, SouthwoldSeaford House, SouthwoldSeaford House, Southwold

Discount Code for Norfolk Country Cottages, Save on Norfolk Self Catering Holidays

Find Cottage Holidays has a special discount code that will get you an EXTRA 5% OFF Norfolk Country Cottages short break or holidays in 2012.

If you are planning a half term get-away with the your family to Norfolk or are simply looking for an Autumn or winter escape in this lovely corner of East Anglia, a self catering cottage, apartment or lodge is the perfect base.  From cosy country cottages to self catering close to the coast and great beaches we have a great selection of accommodation across Norfolk.

We are delighted to offer a special discount code in association with Norfolk Country Cottages, a specialist high quality cottage accommodation provider in Norfolk, on all their range of 400+ cottages, until the end of 2012.

Discount code for Norfolk Country Cottages when used via Find Cottage HolidaysTO USE THE CODE: Simply check out their range of Norfolk Cottages on the Find Cottage Holidays website and click on the Check Availability or Book Online button that will take you to the discount code pages (if you don’t use the link you will not get the code option box). Then when you go to the check out remember to use the code ‘Norfolk12’ in the discount code box and your 5% discount will be applied. The offer valid until 31st December 2012 and can not be used in conjunction with other offers.

You will also find lots more self catering accommodation in Norfolk on our website including holiday cottages, holiday flats, apartments, holiday bungalows, static caravans and lodges. Although these will not necessarily have the discount code they are all extremely competitively priced.

While you are browsing Norfolk accommodation look out for our 5% OFF sticker near the discount code accommodation 🙂

Holiday Reading – books for your holiday… Kindle E-reader

If you love a good read on holiday then choosing the right books for your short break or holiday can be a pleasure but also a challenge. At least with the advent of e-readers like the Kindle there is less restriction on how many books you actually physically take with you but that doesn’t mean it’s any easier to choose what to read.

We all have our favourite authors but over time I do forget which books of a series I have read. As a result I am often look out for the latest books by my preferred authors and desperately try to avoid, not always successfully, those old books dressed up as new by crafty publishers. Although this year I fell victim to buying a book for my Kindle just to find it was a pre-order which would be delivered after my holiday was over!

Anyway, my 2012 holiday reading list looks a bit like this….

  • Racing through the Dark, David Millar. A fascinating and absorbing read where David Millar takes you through the highs and lows of his professional cycling career. Not for the feint hearted as it takes you honestly through the sad dope cheating years but in a year when Bradley won the Tour and Britain dominated the Olympic Velodrome it’s a reminder of how the sport has such a difficult past to overcome.
  • Deep Down, a Jack Reacher Short Story, Lee Child. You can never go wrong with a bit of Jack Reacher but as I have read the whole series to date the only left was this short story before the next novel is out later this year. Short story it may be, but it contains all the twists, turns and action you would expect from him.
  • The Litigators, John Grisham. It has been a while since I have picked up a Grisham book, mainly because recent books had moved so far away from the gripping court room stories that I really enjoyed. The Litigators takes us back to familiar territory with courtroom drama, David vs Goliath type scenario… in short a quick, fun read.
  • You’re Next, Greg Hurwitz. Not a writer I was familiar with previously, and it’s selection was based upon an Amazon Kindle suggestion. So a first for me, but certainly not the last. A thriller right to the end, this was a real page turner and
  • Private Screening, Richard North Patterson. I am a big fan of the political novels by North Patterson having read all of his books to date. This one doesn’t disappoint although I did find it hard going at times.
  • Fifty Shades of Grey, E L James. Sometimes you just have to find out what all the fuss is about and at least reading it on a Kindle no one can tell what you are reading! Downloaded mainly as a joke, you have to say that it’s a page turner but best as bed time reading rather than by the pool.
  • The Ambler Warning, Robert Ludlum. An older book that found its way on to my Kindle. You can never go wrong with Ludlum though, tight plots, action all the way, perfect for beside the pool.

So that was my reading list, but what was on yours? Any recommendations on what I should read next?

Author: Holiday Junkie

Are some British Blue Flag Beaches under threat?

 

From 2015 the qualification levels for the prestigious Blue Flag that recognises the cleanest beaches across Europe is being tightened up and this may cause some British beaches to struggle.

It is reported that beaches will require a longer (up to 5 years) clean track record and this puts at risk some beaches in the North West of England, including Blackpool and Morecambe because of some current pollution issues that have yet to be fully resolved.

We hope that these issues can be resolved quickly as we all want high quality beaches to visit across the UK.

If you are heading out for a day at the beach this Bank Holiday you can see a list of the current English Blue Flag beaches and Scottish Blue Flag beaches

 

Enjoy the Heatwave in France in a Lodge, Chalet or Caravan

The weather in the North West of France, including the popular Loire Valley and Vendee areas, is expected to hit the mid 30’s this weekend with more good weather to follow.

So if you are looking for a short break in the sun or a last minute summer holiday then take a look at a self catering break in France. The good news is that there is still lodge, chalet, bungalow, caravan and tent accommodation available across France including Brittany for short breaks, Vendee, Loire Valley, Dordogne, Burgundy and Cote d’Azur to name a few popular locations.

You will find accommodation on the coast perfect f0r a family seaside holiday as well as some idyllic countryside locations perfect for exploring the best of the French countryside.

If you stay at a holiday park you will also find some great activities and services on the site including swimming pools, hot tubs, horse riding, entertainment and more.

You will find hundreds of lodge and caravan holidays across France to choose from at Find Holiday Parks France.

It’s Official…. Seaside Holidays Are Good for You

Beach holidays are good for you... officialA recent study conducted by the British Psychological Society found that the bracing seaside air had a more positive effect than the countryside or an urban park.  In fact, the seaside was significantly more likely to create a feeling of well-being.

We can hardly say that we are surprised by this news after all there are not many nicer things in life than a seaside holiday.  The study went on to say that the greatest sense of pleasure came from exercising beside the sea (not so sure about the exercise bit!) regardless of factors such as age, where they lived and who they were with when they were visiting.

This preference for the coast was found both in the general population and among walkers.  Those who were travelling alone were particularly likely to get more enjoyment from the coast.

So, it’s official coastal cottages, seaside self catering and beach bungalows are good for you – tremendous, we have always said so.

To celebrate this fact and help you maintain a healthy lifestyle check out these super seaside holidays… beach and seaside self catering cottages