KIP with the kids in a two-bedroom lodge at The Mole Resort or try the boujee airport hotel alternative of a grand Italianate mansion.
In search of the perfect pit stop, Lifestyle Editor Catherine Bennion-Pedley found out all that both had to offer.
The Mole Resort
As I slam on the car brakes, my kids Poppy, seven, and Raffy, four, shout: “Woah!” In the middle of the road is a local walking her dog – which happens to be the size of a small pony.
Yep, it’s safe to say rural Devon is proving to be an eye-opener for us all.
We’re kipping at The Mole Resort, a country-house hotel that had a spruce-up a couple of years ago, set in 125 acres of rolling countryside.
Our two-bedroom, two-bathroom lodge in the grounds comes with floor-to-ceiling views of a verdant meadow and a hot tub, which proves particularly restorative after the long drive.
Another huge win is the raft of activities on site – from pickleball to pétanque, disc golf to axe-throwing, and archery to pottery painting.
Talking of which, the kids adore painting egg cups, £14 each, and are thrilled to pick up their newly glazed souvenirs the next morning.
There’s also a restaurant, games room and health club with a pool – though this has seen better days.
The village it sits in, Chittlehamholt, is also home to excellent 16th-century pub The Exeter Inn.
Owners Hazel and Steve welcome visitors like family, as does their gorgeous cockapoo Frankie.
Flavour-packed dishes like Peking duck bon bons with hoisin, £9.50, and beef and ale pie topped with stilton, £17, are spot-on.
As are the proper puds – pick spiced sticky toffee, £8.50, for the win.
With more than 80 gins and local ales aplenty, you won’t go thirsty, either (Exeterinn.co.uk).
Just 20 minutes’ drive away is another absolute gem – Quince Honey Farm, which brings joy even on the drizzliest day.
Here, we roll our own beeswax candles, forage for wildflower seeds and taste five varieties of the golden stuff – the dandelion honey is crowned our fave.
Entry per adult and child over five costs £10.80 (Quincehoneyfarm. co.uk).
Leaving armed with brilliant bee facts, we all agree this pretty nook of Devon makes for a super stop-off en route to a beach break.
Stays in a two-bedroom lodge at The Mole Resort cost from £120 per night (Themoleresort.co.uk).
Down Hall Hotel
I’m not a huge fan of airport hotels, which is why the boujee alternative of a grand Italianate mansion in the Essex countryside instantly appeals.
Less than 20 minutes’ drive from London Stansted, its rural setting will help you to properly relax before take-off.
A giant chessboard, tennis courts and a mini football pitch in the expansive grounds keep the whole gang entertained.
Meanwhile, the newly opened Barn Spa offers mini-me treatments, including head and scalp massages, from £25 per child, and the recently refurbed family rooms come with a Nintendo Switch, so the kids are more than alright.
Tuck into dinner treats, such as crab with apple gel, cucumber and nasturtiums, £16.50, followed by venison loin with a dark-chocolate jus, £41, at The Garden Room, which holds two AA Rosettes.
And it would be rude not to try the moreish house cocktail – a Down Hall Bramble, made with the hotel’s own garden gin, £15.
When in Rome (or Essex) and all that. . .
Family rooms at Down Hall Hotel cost from £212 per night (Downhall.co.uk).