Mum Vikki White had never been on a coach holiday before when she headed to Newquay with her mother and young daughter but she wasn’t prepared for what awaited
What do a six-year-old girl and an 80-something-year-old mum have in common? They both loved our classic British coach holiday to Newquay!
According to latest research, us Brits are thoroughly embracing multi-generational travel, which is why I decided it was time for me to try out the trend.
My six-year-old , my mother and me (a 40-something) were keen to spend a few days together in the school holidays and a Daish’s Holidays coach trip to Newquay looked to meet all of our requirements.
It’s safe to say I was a bit unsure – from sunshine breaks to skiing to UK jaunts, I try to squeeze in as many holidays as I can each year, but a coach trip was a first.
Thankfully, from the moment we hopped onboard our luxury vehicle, we felt right at home. Much to my relief, given the 320-mile trip we were embarking on, the coach was modern, boasting comfy seats with foot rests and air conditioning.
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So far, so good. Many of the friendly clientele on board told us they regularly took Daish’s Holidays coach trips, which was surely a good sign. They explained it isn’t a mode of travel for the impatient—we stopped at several service stations for rest along the way. With a bit of traffic as we headed down towards the South West region, we only just made it for dinner at our home for the next four nights, the Barrowfield Hotel.
Close to Newquay’s seafront, the 80-room residence is managed by Frank, who stepped on board the coach to personally greet us. My daughter was keen to hand over her ‘golden ticket’ to another member of the smiling staff at reception and was thrilled to be offered a choice of toys in return. There were only a few children staying at the hotel, and I thought this was a lovely touch.
Just like on the coach, we had our own seats in the dining room for our half-board meals, which needed to be selected in the morning for the evening and vice versa. From breakfast fry-ups to roast dinners with apple crumbles, dishes here are hearty and traditional.
The evening entertainment in the bar ranged from cabaret dancing and quizzes to live singers and bingo, with a kids’ games room providing even more entertainment. The number one attraction for all three of us at the hotel, however, was the indoor, heated swimming pool. We made full use of this during our stay and often had it to ourselves.
Keen to explore Newquay, we were pleased to find its tourist heart a short seafront stroll away. We tried out the Blue Reef Aquarium Newquay, which sits above lively Towan Beach and my daughter loved the informative talks about its resident Loggerhead Turtle and Blacktip Reef Sharks.
My mother was keener to try some of the trendy coffee shops on offer, and we particularly loved Mothersurf with its amazing cheese toasties. There are plenty of shops to peruse, and we couldn’t resist a play in one of the traditional arcades, with game machines spitting out tickets for every win that could be exchanged for prizes.
Back to the Barrowfield Hotel, where our bedrooms were spacious, with comfortable beds and great walk-in showers. And while our half board deal was a total bargain, we couldn’t resist heading out to check out local eateries on two of our nights’ stay – our favourite was Ginger and Joe, which offered tasty artisanal small plates and fabulous cocktails.
On our third day, we signed up for an optional coach trip to St Ives, the picturesque seaside town we decided was the perfect place to indulge in a cream tea. We headed to the Scoff Troff Cafe and were not disappointed. Being in Cornwall, we were sure to spread the layer of jam first before applying clotted cream!
Another highlight of this day out was the Tate St Ives, which had some brilliant activities on offer for youngsters. As for me, I loved the gift shop, which was filled with unique and creative finds. The Tate sits above the soft, sandy Porthmeor Beach, where we grabbed a coffee in one of the most stunning cafes I’ve ever seen before heading back to base.
As for Newquay, we had one more day to explore before making the long journey back up North. We first spent some time snuggled up on one of our hotel’s comfy sofas, chatting to our fellow guests who had become friends. We next headed out to paddle our feet in the water at beautiful Tolcarne Beach, which is just 200 yards away from the hotel.
We enjoyed a final potter into the lively city centre too, where we bought henna tattoos to mark our girls’ trip away, before returning to the Barrowfield to pack up ahead of our early start the next morning. I loved how clear the communication is on a Daish’s holiday – from what time we were going to eat to the exact time of our departure, it was all made easy for us.
As we prepared to depart, my mum told the hotel manager, Frank, that my daughter had pronounced our trip the best holiday of her life. Much to her delight, this earned her a large Daish’s teddy bear, which took pride of place on the coach back home!
We all felt the same – we had had a blast, and as we said goodbye to our driver and fellow passengers, we decided we needed to make our short coach break an annual occurrence. Daish’s Holidays offers a range of UK destinations from Llandudno to Eastbourne and Scarborough to Torquay, so we just need to decide where to go next.
Book the holiday
A Daish’s Holiday package includes luxury coach travel or free hotel guest parking on-site at most locations, convenient pickup and drop-off along popular routes, breakfast and three-course evening meals every day and on-site entertainment. Prices from £179 to £379 for self-drive and from £199 to £399 for the coach. Early Booking and Kids Go Free discounts also apply.