Accessible Holidays in the UK

It can be hard to find a summer holiday that works for all the family, including those with disabilities. To help you make the perfect choice, Rough Guides has picked some of the best family-friendly trips to suit all tastes.

From city-centre breaks to fun in the sun by the sea to the wooded wilds of the countryside, there’s bound to be something that appeals to everyone.

• Accessible holidays in England
• Accessible holidays in Scotland
• Accessible holidays in Wales
• Accessible holidays in Northern Ireland

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England

Soaking in the Lake District

Historic steamer on Lake Windermere © Shutterstock

Overlooking stunning Lake Windermere, The Ro Hotel makes an excellent base for active, accessible holidays. There are two accessible rooms available on the ground floor, with wet room-style bathrooms with grab rails. The hotel is built on a slope but is easily accessible by car. The top car park, which has a daily charge, has wheelchair-accessible spaces. Remember to book one when reserving your room. 

To get out onto the water, take a steamer boat ride (Easter to late Oct) from Bowness with Windermere Lake Cruises. The MV Swift vessel has step-free access to the wheelchair-friendly on-board toilets, and you’ll find a RADAR-accessible toilet on or near every pier the company uses. Near the pier is the accessible Windermere Jetty Museum and Café, which showcases the history of boating on England’s longest lake. A little further afield, on the lake’s northwestern shore, is the National Trust’s Wray castle and estate. Visit the boathouse, miniature harbour, arboretum and café, and admire the beautiful neo-Gothic castle from the trails around the grounds, accessible with an all-terrain mobility scooter which is available for hire.

Best for all-ages outdoor fun.

Back to nature in Cornwall

Bluebells at Deerpark © Shutterstock

With ten wonderful wooded sites around England, Scotland and Wales, Forest Lodge holidays are a great way to get back to nature. The lodges are all set in beautiful woodland, and are designed to make the most of the local environment. The Deerpark site in Cornwall is a lovely example, set in a wooded valley that was once the site of a gunpowder mill. Wander around the woods and you may spot nesting buzzards, or just sit quietly on your deck and woodpeckers, robins and other birdlife will come to you. The lodges come with all home comforts, such as a wood-burner and a hot tub on the deck where you can sit back and watch the stars.

All the sites have at least one specially adapted lodge, with an accessibility hoist for those with mobility issues to access the hot tubs, a wet room and lowered kitchen facilities. At Deerpark, the accessible lodge is close to the Forest Hub, shop and reception building. The lodge has drive-in access, an extra-large terrace overlooking a pond, and car parking with direct access for wheelchairs. The wooded areas of the Deerpark site are quite steep so wheelchair users will have to stick to the main paths which are mostly flat and level.

Best for relaxing wildlife adventures.

Bournemouth’s blissful beach huts

Bournemouth Beach © Shutterstock

The seven-mile-long sandy Bournemouth beach was voted Tripadvisor’s top UK beach of 2019, and Bournemouth Beach Lodges have prime position on it. The 24 luxury beach huts enjoy direct access to the promenade and the sand, as well stunning views over to the Isle of Wight and the Purbecks from their decks. There is a sand wheelchair available for hire from Bournemouth Beach Office, and the Pier is wheelchair accessible. Other accessible attractions include the Oceanarium and the mini golf course at Bournemouth Lower Gardens. The lodges are equipped with a well-designed galley-style kitchen, bathroom, trifold doors out onto the deck and a seafront barbecue area.

The adapted hut is accessible via a series of ramps, and has a large wet room-style shower area with enough space on the ground floor for wheelchairs to manoeuvre. There’s a pull-out double bed on the ground floor, but the other beds are in a mezzanine loft space, which is accessed by a steep ladder, so they’re not suitable for those with mobility issues. Access to the site can be challenging so it’s advised to call ahead to discuss requirements.

Best for sun-seeking beachgoers.

Idyllic countryside close to London

Grand Union Canal © Shutterstock

Relax in the peaceful countryside, without straying too far from the capital, at Petasfield Cottages. These self-catering, wheelchair-accessible holiday cottages are situated within the grounds of a working riding stables just outside of the market town of Hertford. Designed with accessibility in mind, they have features like wheel-in showers, ceiling track hoists that can go into the wet rooms from the bedrooms, grab and safety rails, and bed and toilet seat raisers. Broadwater Cottage also has electrical adjustable sink and hob heights. There is accessible parking at all cottages.

There are plenty of fun things to do within 40 minutes’ drive of the cottages. In Hemel Hempstead, Waterway Experiences offer day trips in their accessible canal boats, so the whole family can have fun going through multiple locks, watching the peacefully passing scenery on the Grand Union Canal, and maybe even having a go at steering. Bookings need to be made a minimum of a month in advance. The Imperial War Museum Duxford is not to be missed if you’re interested in planes or wartime history. The site showcases a huge collection of antique and modern aircrafts, and there’s an option to book a mobility scooter or board the free site transport vehicle with a manual wheelchair.

Best for active families.

Scotland

City break in Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle © Shutterstock

After London, Edinburgh is the UK’s most popular destination and, despite its hills and cobbled streets, it still makes a great place for a city break. The highlight of the city, of course, is Edinburgh Castle, which is surprisingly accessible for such an ancient building. Disabled visitors can park at the Esplanade, and a mobility car will take you up to the top of the castle if you can’t manage the steep ramps and bumpy cobblestones yourself.

A fun way to visit other sights around the city is on the tram, which is fully accessible for wheelchair users. The long-established Caledonian Hotel is in a great location for exploring the city centre and has accessible bedrooms with wet room-style bathrooms, accessible changing rooms in the spa, and accessible parking spots. If booking on their website, you need to book a Kind Deluxe room and then call to request it be one of the accessible ones.

Best for history buffs.

Wales

Sea and city in Cardiff

Cardiff Bay © Shutterstock

To combine staying by the sea with being right in the heart of a capital city, opt for Cardiff. Cardiff has plenty to explore, from fascinating museums and ancient castles to the cutting-edge architecture of the regenerated waterfront. The gleaming Millennium Stadium is where the country’s top rugby is played. Located on the waterfront, the voco St David’s Cardiff hotel has five accessible rooms with wheel-in showers, and accessible parking in the car park. There’s level access into the hotel and a lift to all floors, but the best thing about this place is the sea views from all the rooms.

Don’t miss a visit to the Welsh Senedd, home to the National Assembly for Wales, just a ten-minute flat walk along the waterfront from the hotel. It’s a fascinating contemporary sustainable building, designed to be completely accessible, with lifts, ramps, accessible toilets and wheelchairs to borrow.

Best for culture vultures.

Northern Ireland

Experience the streets of Belfast

Titanic Belfast © Shutterstock

Take in the view of the Northern Irish capital from Belfast Castle, its nineteenth-century halls adapted over the years to make the site more accessible. Both the castle and visitor centre are wheelchair-friendly, with lift access to the visitor centre, coffee shop and gardens. There’s also Blue Badge parking. You can also admire the Belfast skyline from the 1568ft (478m) peak of Divis, looming to the west of the city. Have a ramble along the wheelchair-accessible Lough Trail, a 0.9-mile (1.45km) loop from which you can see for miles on a clear day. If you’d rather get into the thick of the city, take a taxi tour in one of the iconic black taxis, which are all wheelchair-accessible. Be sure to make a stop at Titanic Belfast, which has an industry-leading approach to accessibility, to see where the famous ship was made.

The Crowne Plaza Belfast is located in the Lagan Valley Regional Park and has accessible parking spaces, so you can enjoy relaxing natural surroundings just 15 minutes’ drive from the city centre. The hotel’s wheelchair-accessible rooms have wet room-style showers, built-in transfer shower seats, grab bars and handrails throughout the bathroom, and tall toilets.

Best for city, sea and countryside all in one.

For more inspiration on accessible days out around the UK, see The Rough Guide to Accessible Britain.

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