Car free holidays for a UK adventure

Proving you can get off the beaten path and have an adventure in the UK without a car!

More and more of us are deciding to ditch our cars, meaning car-free holidays are set to be a huge trend. 

Whether it’s due to the rising cost of living or for environmental reasons, more of us are swapping our own private cars for public transport, cycling, car sharing and taxis.

But can you have a UK holiday without a car? 

We all know UK city breaks are easily doable without a car but what about countryside or seaside breaks? Our public transport isn’t exactly the most reliable service at the moment, but are there any surprisingly simple car-free destinations out there?

One of my favourite car-free holidays in the UK was to the Isles of Scilly. This beautiful archipelago is just off the coast of Cornwall and has five inhabited islands and around 140 uninhabited islands. There are very few cars on the islands, and visitors can’t bring their cars, meaning it is perfectly set up for a car-free holiday. Ferries can take you from island to island and footpaths and bike trails make it easy to explore once you arrive.

It isn’t until you’re in a virtually car-free destination that you realise how noisy cars are! On the Isles of Scilly there is no background hum from a nearby road and you can enjoy the simple sounds of nature to the fullest.

Another great option is to opt for a resort where all of your activities and entertainment are within the holiday park. Places such as Center Parcs, Forest Holidays, Haven or Park Dean Resorts offer bars, restaurants, swimming pools, shops and activities within the resort. They are also in lovely locations and easily access beaches or woodland walks. 

If expensive train fares and potential delays and strikes are putting you off train travel then take a look at Stagecoach. These buses are incredibly well connected and fares are astonishingly cheap. You can travel all over the UK using a combination of Megabus, Stagecoach and local buses and, while journey times may be slow, prices are low and it allows you to see more of the country.

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If you want to have a real car-free adventure, then how about walking along the coastal path? The English coastal path is a work in progress, but the Welsh Coastal Path is complete with 860 miles of stunning walking trail. This is already a popular car-free holiday option, so it’s easy to plan and book accommodation with WalesCoastPath.info having lots of suggestions and tips.

tripr Insidr: Thinking of ditching your car and going adventuring? If so why not write and tell us about it. You never know you might get featured on tripr too! 

‍If you'd like to share a recent trip of yours and be published on tripr drop us a line: info@tripr.travel

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