Hi, Everyone!
We (two adults and two children - 10 and 13 years old) will be visiting London for a week in the middle of July, and we're thinking of taking a day trip to the seaside somewhere. My wife has suggested Brighton. We love to walk along the ocean, walk out on fishing piers and people watch, but need to entertain the kids a bit too. Maybe some local "main street" shopping, tourist attractions, etc. Interesting scenery en route would be nice. We need to be within a couple hours of London, since this is just a day trip.

I would really appreciate anyone's suggestions on where we might go, or if you think it isn't worth it, that's an option too! We only have 6 days in London, and I'm sure there's enough to see to fill many more days than that!

Thanks.
Len

Brighton would be good. The pier, and the wonderful Pavilion.
http://www.brightonpier.co.uk
http://www.brighton-hove-rpml.org.uk...ages/home.aspx

Brighton's as good an option as any. There are plenty of traditional seaside resorts around the Essex, Kent and Sussex coasts which would meet the bill to some extent, some of them more up- and downmarket than others.

Brighton has gone beyond that, becoming a university and commercial city with plenty of other things going on, and an "alternative" vibe but hasn't lost its history at the Pavilion, the remains of the original fishing village in the antique shops and boutiques in the Lanes, and the usual traditional seaside jollities. And it's an easy train ride from London (though scenery en route isn't much more than averagely pretty in places, to any of the resorts round about).

http://autolycus-london.blogspot.co....ay-monday.html

At 10-13 your children may beyond the building sandcastles on the beach stage but if that is part of what you are looking for you should be aware that Brighton has a shingle (stone) beach.

If you want a sand beach Bournemouth has a lot to offer,

Coming in at just over 2 hours, 2:07, is the Isle of Wight. Train from Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour, change to ferry to Ryde. Just the fact that you take a ferry to get there may be entertaining for the kids. Outside the town, the island is ringed by pretty villages and pirate coves with buses from Ryde. Be sure to choose a routing with just 1 change, at Portsmouth Harbour.

http://isleofwight.co.uk/