Destinations

With early summer upon us, this guide ranks the best British seaside piers with arcades, helping plan classic coastal trips and fun days out for the sunshine season.

The Kursaal Amusement Park, one of Southend’s most recognisable seafront landmarks, is set to reopen following a landmark agreement that will bring the historic site back into active use.

The UK has a long and proud history of seaside entertainment, stretching back hundreds of years. From Victorian penny arcades and travelling fairgrounds to the bright lights of the Golden Mile, amusement arcades have always been part of the British seaside experience.

Southend is located on the Thames Estuary and is around an hour from central London by train. The area combines the charm of classic Victorian seaside architecture with the benefits of modern investment more commonly found closer to the capital.

Felixstowe is a fun seaside town located in Suffolk, on the east coast of England. It has convenient rail links from Ipswich on the Greater Anglia service, which is part of the direct line to London Liverpool Street. There are also lots of dedicated and street parking options for visitors. 

Blackpool needs no introduction as the UK’s largest seaside entertainment resort. Its wide, flat shoreline has hosted family holidays for generations, evolving from traveller sideshows, palm reading and donkey rides into a destination of major casinos and large-scale entertainment complexes.

Hemsby is a hidden gem of a seaside resort located just eight miles north of Great Yarmouth seafront. It offers classic funfair rides, traditional seaside attractions, and some of the best amusement arcades on the east coast, making it a worthwhile stop when exploring East Anglia.

Clacton offers a strong mix of amusements clustered around the beach and pier, which form the heart of the town’s tourist area. Everything along the seafront is within easy walking distance, and with plenty of parking available, it’s a convenient, low-stress seaside resort with a good variety of attractions.

Skegness is located on the east coast of Lincolnshire and is accessible through Boston from the south, Lincoln from the west, or Grimsby from the north.