Set your watches – the clocks go forward on Sunday and British Summer Time begins, welcoming lighter days and the start of the holiday season across the UK.
With the Easter school break looming and a string of bank holidays on the horizon, now’s the time to bask in the final bliss of coastal hotspots from, Cornwall to Brighton, before the bucket and spade crowds descend.
Forget gridlocked traffic and queue bedlam, the Cambridge cobbles, Pembrokeshire fishing villages and Norfolk Broads are all that bit more hushed as we see in spring.
Boutique boltholes and historic hotels scattered between the Lake District and the Isle of Wight still have space to host travellers during the mild end of March next week – cautiously predicted to see the high teens in temperature.
Here’s where to go and stay for a last-minute holiday to soak up the final days of off-season travel in the UK.
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Cornwall
Early spring is the time to secure a staycation in Cornwall – the coastal king for Brits seeking sun, sand and piping-hot pasties.
From the shores of St Ives to honeypot Port Isaac, the well-trodden tourist trail on the UK’s southwest coast can be bedlam during peak season, but bring a jacket, and you’ll find all the same rugged walks, historic towns, blissful beaches and harbour-front high streets when the sun comes out next week.
Where to stay
The Scarlet Hotel, sprawling along a hillside above the north-coast village of Mawgan Porth, is an adults-only retreat with extensive spa facilities, seasonal seafood and a sun-trap dining terrace.
Porth Beach Hotel is a small but characterful family-run hotel on the northern fringes of Newquay. Close to the area’s impressive sandy beaches, there are 11 vibrant rooms in total and a menu of comfort classics in the charming restaurant.
Read more: Best hotels in Cornwall for beach breaks, walking retreats and sea views
Pembrokeshire
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Pembrokeshire wows with its puffin islands, pretty fishing villages and wave-battered coast, and the wonders of this wild county are one of Wales’ worst-kept secrets.
Hikes to the Blue Lagoon, toasted Welsh cakes in picturesque villages and coasteering on the look out for wildlife make a holiday to the likes of St Davids, Haverfordwest and Tenby a dream during the more mild temperatures between March and May.
Where to stay
Try Twr y Felin, a converted windmill now a slickly minimalist hotel, to tuck into St Davids with bays, clifftop walks and fine dining on your doorstep.
Penally Abbey promises guests a gothic stay and the chance to gaze across Carmarthen Bay. Think light, elegantly understated rooms, beautifully restored antiques and a chandelier-studded restaurant serving foraged and locally farmed ingredients.
Norfolk
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With the wetlands of the Broads, beaches built for seal sightings and marshlands on the north coast, Norfolk is one of the country’s most rural and diverse regions. Often gridlocked in summer, Norfolk is still a joy in spring.
County capital Norwich is peppered with buzzing breweries (some you can paddle to by kayak), independent bookshops and some serious seafood, while the stretch of sand at Holkham Bay is a haven once the UK welcomes back temperatures in the high teens.
Where to stay
To make it a city break, The Assembly House occupies a renovated Georgian building bang in the centre of Norwich – a boutique hotel, restaurant and cookery school that is one of the country’s best places for an indulgent short break full of shopping.
The Boathouse on the waters of Ormesby Broad features affordable boutique rooms, a handful of well-equipped lodges and a large restaurant complete with cosy corners, a roaring fire and tables overlooking the water.
Lake District
Twisty lanes, craggy fells and, of course, mirror-calm lakes, make the Lake District a darling destination for hikers, cyclists and literary lovers.
Spring can be balmy in areas such as Bowness, Ambleside and Keswick, but layers are a must, with a chance to see snow atop the fells well into April. With Windermere to cruise, William Wordsworth poems to recite and Michelin meals to taste, staycations at the lakes await.
Where to stay
The Waterhead Inn overlooks the head of Lake Windermere and is well-priced with spacious bedrooms and bric-a-brac decor in the ground floor bar-restaurant lounge just a 15-minute walk from the quaint shops and cafes of Ambleside.
Tempted to steam, sauna and relax with some cake by a lake? The Swan in Newby Bridge has an extensive spa garden, bright rooms and a menu of jolly pub classics near the southern end of Lake Windermere.
Read more: Best Lake District hotels for lakeside views, spa breaks and Michelin-starred meals
Isle of Wight
If it’s sun you seek, the Isle of Wight is the UK’s brightest clime, basking in an average of over five hours of sunshine per day off England’s southern shore.
The island marches to a gentler beat than the mainland, with over half of its countryside now recognised as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Here you’ll find classic beach days, military forts, royal residences and impressive surf swells between glitzy seafood feasts.
Where to stay
The Royal Hotel, one of the island’s oldest, is perched on the cliffside of Victorian resort Ventnor with sprawling sea views, contemporary modern rooms and a choice of tiered afternoon teas and the fish of the day from The Royal’s kitchen.
Discover the charm of The Seaview Hotel, a retreat nestled in the upmarket coastal village of Seaview. With cosy, naval-themed rooms, this inviting hotel offers inventive dining at swish restaurant The Aquitania, flavoured with local produce.
Read more: Where to eat, drink, walk and stay on England’s biggest island
Cambridge
To enjoy one of the most coveted seats in Cambridge without the crowds, settle into a punt on the River Cam and cruise past the city’s cobbles, gothic chapel and buzzing bike lanes.
The historic centre has heavyweight architecture in its university buildings, a collection of museums and parks primed for picnic dates as we settle into the greens of spring.
Where to stay
The Varsity Hotel & Spa features 48 sleek rooms on the River Cam by Magdalene College. Head to the seventh-floor roof terrace for one impressive view across the city’s college spires, or make the most of the two popular restaurants, full-service gym and Elemis spa on site.
The oldest hotel in Cambridge, University Arms has sheer class across its 192 rooms, marble-adorned communal areas and cosy library-like lounge. With British brasserie Parker’s Tavern serving classics from field and fen, this is the place to tuck in on a Cambridge city break.
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Brighton
Brighton makes for an effortlessly cool break on the coast come rain or shine, luring Londoners to the train to explore the Lanes year round.
With its shingle beach, trendy coffee shops, vintage boutiques and calendar of LGBT+ events, Brighton is at its best when the students start to dwindle and the children have yet to descend on the pier for spring’s string of bank holidays.
Where to stay
Rooms are dressed with roll-top baths and floor-to-ceiling windows at Drakes Hotel in Kemp Town. The Georgian hotel is 1930s swish with a basement restaurant serving top-notch modern British cuisine and jewel-toned furnishings framing sea views from rooms at the boutique gem.
Funky guest house Snooze offers eight individually styled bedrooms, including two attic suites, with full English and big vegan breakfasts on offer come morning. Picture reclaimed fairground rides, flying ducks and a riot of retro accessories.
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