The best UK cities for a family break during autumn half term
Choosing somewhere to go for your holidays when you have a young family can be time-consuming. There are so many considerations depending on children’s age, from daytime entertainment options to local restaurants that welcome younger diners.
While COVID restrictions seem to be easing down, going abroad isn’t as easy as it once was, particularly for families. This means that a staycation in the UK is the preferred option for many, particularly if it is in a city where everything is accessible and there’s plenty to see and do, rain or shine.
Staybridge Suites has ranked 22 cities across the United Kingdom using Tripadvisor. They looked at each place’s family-friendliness, including the number of family-friendly restaurants, parks with child-friendly facilities, nearby activities (such as an aquarium, soft play areas, farms and parks), National Trust properties and family-friendly hotels – all whilst also taking into account the size of the city. They then gave each factor and each city an overall score out of 10.
In first place was Liverpool with a score of 7.8. The city scored particularly well for its vast amount of amenities. Known for culture, architecture and transport links, several areas within Liverpool carry World Heritage Site status thanks to nearby expanses of green space and parks. There are also three National Trust properties within the city, including Speke Hall, where children can solve a hedge maze and make a woodland den.
In second place, with a score of 7.7 was the most populated seaside city in the UK, Brighton & Hove. If the weather is nice, families can spend the day enjoying the sun on the large pebble beach. Alternatively, rainy afternoons can be spent enjoying the amusements on the only Grade I listed pier in England.
Scoring 7.5 was Norfolk’s biggest city, Norwich. The main tourist sites, dubbed the ‘Norwich 12’, include Norwich Castle and Cathedral – both of which are great for families. It is also a relatively small city which means it isn’t too laborious to walk around with kids.
The top 10 best cities for a family break were as follows:
1. Liverpool: 7.8
2. Brighton & Hove: 7.7
3. Norwich: 7.5
4. Bournemouth: 7.0
5. Manchester: 5.7
= Bristol: 5.5
= Nottingham: 5.5
= Belfast: 5.5
7. Plymouth: 5.2
8. Leicester: 4.8
9. Newcastle-upon-Tyne: 4.7
= Edinburgh: 4.7
= Ipswich: 4.7
10. Southampton: 4.5
Bill Burnett, VP Operations – North from Staybridge Suites said: “It doesn’t surprise us that Liverpool has come out as the top city in the UK for a family break. The city is fun and has great family-friendly amenities.”
“Getting the family break right can be tricky for parents so hopefully this research helps parents decide on where is good for them to go! Our occupancy at Staybridge Suites Liverpool has tripled since early 2021, which we also attribute to being pet-friendly, our kitchen and laundry facilities and many more.”
