Great Yarmouth

Two hundred golden beach huts line the seafront like a Victorian postcard brought to life. This is Great Yarmouth at its most quintessential - a proper seaside town that knows exactly what it's about and delivers without pretension.

The wide sandy beach stretches for miles, backed by the famous Golden Mile with its amusement arcades and fish shops. It's wonderfully old-school British seaside, the sort of place where you queue for chips and dodge seagulls. Some might find it a touch dated, but that's precisely the appeal.

Just north, Caister Castle stands as Norfolk's most complete 15th-century moated castle. The adjoining Caister Castle Car Collection houses an impressive array of vintage motors - quite the contrast to the medieval stonework. Worth combining both if you're passing through Caister on Sea.

The surrounding Norfolk coast offers brilliant contrast. Head south towards Hemsby and you'll find quieter stretches of sand. North takes you into Broads territory, where the landscape shifts to reed beds and waterways. The whole area feels properly Norfolk - wide skies, big horizons, that particular quality of light you only get on the east coast.

Getting here is straightforward enough. The A47 brings you in from Norwich in about 45 minutes, or there's a decent rail connection from the cathedral city. Great Yarmouth station sits right in the town centre.

Staying at one of the nearby holiday parks makes perfect sense. You've got easy beach access without the summer parking headaches, plus you're well placed for day trips into the Broads or along the coast to places like Winterton-on-Sea.