hayleylhy

my friend and I are planning a short 3-4 days trip in uk in early january, we were thinking about perhaps a seaside town that's beautiful, but also quite lively. we had our eyes on cornwall/devon but i'm worried about horrible weather during our visit considering it's so early.

So far I think St Ives' the highest up my list, but any comments and suggestions regarding things to do or the towns themselves would be lovely.

nytraveler

Seaside tends to be dead in Jan - not lively. Expect weather to be chilly and rainy - which would be seasonable - not horrible. (Two feet of snow would be horrible.)

Hooameye

"Expect weather to be chilly and rainy" and probably windy as well, not a great time to visit.

hayleylhy

i know it's horrible timing, but i haven't seen him in a very long while and that's the only time he can make it. any other suggestions then? =\

Nonconformist

Bournemouth? That's not dead in the winter.

Hooameye

"Bournemouth? That's not dead in the winter."
Good suggestion, just try to stay away from the stag & hen parties!

CarrieAnn40

Brighton? The Royal Pavilion. The new Brighton Wheel. And only an hour from London so a day trip is easy.

annhig

St. Ives is hopping at Christmas and New Year, but calms down a bit after that. it would make a good base if the weather is good as the museums and galleries will be open, and there are more decent restaurants than you can shake a stick at.

Newquay can be lively all year round, even January, but is an acquired taste - easier to acquire if you're off your face with booze and/or drugs.

why not a city with good access to the seaside if the weather turns clement? - Exeter would be a good base. you can be at the seaside within 30 minutes - and the city has lots to offer if the weather's bad. or Bristol - loads to do whatever the weather.

hayleylhy

thank you for all your responses!!
although i had imagined a kind of scenic, picturesque location (hence devon and cornwall, with their fishing villages and all), i guess it is rather unrealistic to hope for those during early january. I'll give all these locations a look through. thanks again!

hayleylhy

still, keep the suggestions coming if there are any!!

jamikins

My suggestion would be Brighton. Lots of pubs, places to eat and young people around and interesting historical things to see.

Seasides are really not ideal in Jan - grey choppy water, potentially rainy, likely quite a bit of wind...

Kate

I love Cornwall in the winter when the tourists have left, but you'll struggle to find 'lively' as so many towns in Cornwall are packed with (empty in the winter) holiday homes.

Lively year round seaside town is certainly Brighton, although it isn't particularly picturesque. But definitely loads of fun! It's a popular commuter town for London workers and attracts weekend tourists year round, plus it has the biggest resident gay scene outside London so is always jumping.

G_Hopper

If you're interested in fossils/fossil hunting then look into Lyme Regis. Winter is supposed to be the best time for beach combing. It's also a very pretty town - but I don't know how lively it remains in winter.

http://www.discoveringfossils.co.uk/...is_fossils.htm

annhig

I love Cornwall in the winter when the tourists have left, but you'll struggle to find 'lively' as so many towns in Cornwall are packed with (empty in the winter) holiday homes>>

actually, my fave, Falmouth [is she employed by the Falmouth tourist board, I hear you ask?] is lively all year round as it's a holiday place where people live - students make up a large proportion of the population so it might appeal to the OP. it's the place my DS, now 21, gravitates to when he's home, which may [or may not!] be a recommendation.

alanbowen

If you are only travelling to the UK for three or four days, Cornwall or Devon are simply too far to travel. The rail or road journey would be 5 hours each way, that's two of your days gone already. If you would like to stay on the coast I add my vote for Brighton, good shopping for when it pours, good restaurants when you want to eat, the Pier to blow the cobwebs away and get some potentially very fresh air and nightlife that rivals London. When all else fails, London is just 50 minutes away on the train

davidx

For a start it is usually warmer in the south-west than in most of the country at that time. I've not been to St Ives or Falmouth in winter but how about Plymouth, much larger and therefore with more at hand to see and do and as near to Cornwall as you can get without crossing the border?

annhig

how about Plymouth, much larger and therefore with more at hand to see and do and as near to Cornwall as you can get without crossing the border?>>

frankly I wouldn't - i have to go there to work and it has yet to work its charms on me.

Exeter I feel is a rather better bet - with the lovely Cathedral and green, very good shops and restaurants, the canal basin, and easy access to Dartmoor or the south coast of Devon. and it's much easier and quicker to get there from London by either car or train.