The UK’s Seaside Staycation Glow-Up

There was a time when the British seaside meant one thing: a windswept promenade, a cone of ships, and a stubborn optimism about the weather ⛅ That version still exists, and honestly, there’s comfort in it. But something else is happening along the UK coastline right now, and it’s worth paying attention to.

As overseas costs climb and the appeal of a familiar, affordable break grows stronger, a new generation of travellers is rediscovering the British seaside 🏖️ 

But these aren’t the same towns and cities they remember from their childhood. Derelict waterfronts have become design destinations, old fishing quarters now house some of the best independent restaurants, and cities that barely registered as holiday destinations a decade ago are generating serious social media momentum.

Sarah Bartlett, PR Lead at FlixBus UK explains: 

"We are seeing growing interest in classic coastal destinations that offer more than a traditional seaside break. According to recent search data, 'seaside staycation UK' has seen a 100% rise in searches year-on-year. Alongside the nostalgia, destinations offering exciting food and drink experiences, cultural attractions and stunning scenery are redefining what a UK staycation can look like."

To find out which coastal destinations are leading the revival, FlixBus analysed Google search trends, TikTok and Instagram popularity, sunshine levels, new business growth, and the density of attractions and nightlife across towns and cities within five miles of a beach. What emerged is a ranking of eight coastal destinations worth rediscovering - some familiar, some surprising, and all of them considerably more interesting than their reputations might suggest 😉

1. Southampton

Southampton tops our ranking with a score of 7.1 out of 10. If that surprises you, that’s rather the point 😮

For most travellers, Southampton has historically been a place you pass through on the way to a cruise terminal or motorway junction. But our data tells a different story. Southampton recorded the highest TikTok and Instagram trend score in the entire ranking, a business birth rate of 12.7%, and an attractions and nightlife density that comfortably outpaces several destinations with stronger tourist reputations.

The energy is most visible around Ocean Village Marina, where waterside restaurants and independent bars have replaced the blank spaces of an older, quieter waterfront. The SeaCity Museum, which tells the story of Southampton’s maritime history, including its deep connection to the Titanic, is one of the most underrated visitor attractions on the south coast 🚢

The medieval city walls, still largely intact, offer a walking route through the city’s past that most visitors never find. Add the fact that Southampton records sunshine on more than 63% of days annually, and the case for a proper visit starts to feel compelling rather than surprising.

2. Newport, South Wales

Newport is an interesting entry in our ranking, not because it scores highly, but because of what its 6.4 score actually represents.

In a dataset built partly on nostalgia and existing reputation, Newport shouldn’t be near the top. It isn’t a traditional seaside resort, and it doesn’t have the name recognition of its Welsh neighbours. But it recorded the highest Google search trend score of any destination in our list, and a high business birth rate of 12.9% 🤩

The engine of Newport’s quiet reinvention is Newport Market, a Victorian covered market that has been transformed into one of the best independent food destinations in Wales. Street food vendors, artisan producers, craft beer, and local traders share space under a restored roof. It’s the kind of place that becomes a reason to visit in its own right.

The city’s position near the South Wales coast means the broader appeal extends to nearby beaches and coastal paths, but Newport itself is increasingly worth time rather than simply a base for exploring elsewhere 🥾 This is a destination in the early stages of its glow-up, which is precisely the best time to visit.

3. Brighton

Brighton scored 6.3 and has been comfortably near the top of lists like this one for the better part of three decades. The question worth asking isn’t whether Brighton belongs here, but why it continues to earn its place rather than trading on past reputation.

The simple answer, partly, is sunshine ☀️ Brighton recorded the highest sunshine figures in the entire ranking, with nearly 68% of days receiving more than six hours. That consistent brightness is part of what drives the city’s enduring appeal and its strong year-round visitor numbers.

But the more interesting answer is the North Laine. This tangle of streets remains a genuinely distinctive neighbourhood experience. Think independent retailers, record shops, vintage markets, cafes that don’t take bookings, and a general resistance to the kind of homogenisation that has hollowed out similar areas elsewhere. Brighton has been popular long enough that it could have lost this, but it hasn’t.

The seafront and the Lanes continue to pull visitors in, and the business birth rate of 12.3% suggests the city’s hospitality and leisure economy is still growing 🌟 Brighton remains, by some distance, the benchmark for what a British seaside town can be.

4. Dundee

Dundee matched Brighton’s score of 6.3, but reached it by an entirely different route, making it one of the more compelling entries in this ranking.

Where Brighton trades on sunshine, independent culture, and decades of accumulated cool, Dundee’s position is built almost entirely on transformation. The city recorded the highest attractions and nightlife density score outside Liverpool, and a sunshine figure over 64% that consistently surprises people who haven’t checked the data.

The centrepiece of Dundee’s reinvention is V&A Dundee, the first design museum in Scotland and the only V&A outside London. The building itself is worth a visit before you even see anything inside 📷 Its position on the waterfront is part of a broader regeneration that has innately changed how the city faces the Tay. Where there was once little reason to linger by the river, there is now a genuine cultural quarter.

Just outside the city centre, Broughty Ferry offers a different kind of coastal experience entirely 🌊 This historic fishing village has a castle, independent cafes, and a beach that earns its reputation on a good day. It’s a reminder that Dundee’s glow-up isn’t confined to its waterfront.

5. Plymouth

Plymouth scored 5.6, driven by a strong attractions density and a business birth rate of 11.1% that reflects the growing confidence of a city that has been quietly getting on with its reinvention for several years 🤫

The story of Plymouth’s revival is really the story of three distinct places becoming a coherent destination. Royal William Yard 🎖️ - a beautifully restored Royal Navy victualling yard, now home to independent restaurants, galleries, and studios - is one of the finest examples of heritage regeneration in the country.

The Barbican, the city’s historic fishing quarter, combines maritime history with one of the most authentic independent food and drink scenes on the south-west coast. And The Box, Plymouth’s major museum and gallery, has given the city a cultural anchor it previously lacked.

Plymouth also records sunshine on more than 62% of days and sits at the edge of some genuinely spectacular coastline. The South West Coast Path starts here, and Plymouth Sound offers kayaking, paddleboarding, and boat trips that make the city’s waterfront feel active rather than merely decorative 🚣

This is a city that has done the hard work of reinvention without making a great deal of noise about it. And the results are worth seeing.

6. Swansea

Swansea scored 5.5, and its position in this ranking feels like a turning point, not an arrival. The city has spent years in the shadow of Cardiff and the Gower Peninsula - too urban to be a beach destination, too peripheral to compete as a city break. But things are changing.

The business birth rate of 11.4% and a consistent search demand score suggest that both entrepreneurs and travellers are beginning to reappraise Swansea on its own terms. Ongoing improvements to the Marina and the city’s waterfront are starting to strengthen the connection between the urban centre and the coast in a way that hasn’t previously existed.

What Swansea has always had is its location 📍 The Gower Peninsula, the first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty designated in the UK, begins on the city’s doorstep. Rhossil Bay, consistently ranked among Europe’s finest beaches, is also just 45 minutes away. The combination of a city with growing independent food and cultural credentials alongside access to coastline of that quality is, frankly, a strong hand.

Swansea is worth visiting now, before the rest of the country fully catches on 🏃

7. Liverpool

Liverpool scored 5.2, but one figure in our dataset immediately sets it apart from every other destination in this list. Its attractions and nightlife density score of 7.23 is nearly three times higher than the next closest entry 🪩

That number reflects something that anyone who has spent time in Liverpool already knows: the city has a huge amount of cultural riches relative to its size, and it keeps generating more.

The Baltic Triangle, a former industrial district south of the city centre, has over the past decade transformed into one of the most genuinely exciting creative quarters in the UK. Now occupying spaces that were derelict a generation ago, visitors here are treated to independent breweries, street food markets, and vibrant music venues 🎤

Liverpool also recorded the highest business birth rate in the entire ranking at 14.3%. This figure suggests the cultural economy here isn’t coasting on reputation, it’s actively expanding. The waterfront, a former UNESCO World Heritage site, provides the kind of backdrop that makes even an ordinary afternoon feel significant.

Liverpool has been a coastal city its whole life, but it’s never felt more worth visiting than it does right now.

8. Aberdeen

Aberdeen rounds out our ranking with a score of 5.1, and of all eight destinations, it’s perhaps the one whose position will surprise people the most.

Aberdeen recorded the second highest Google search trend score in the dataset, behind only Newport. For a city not typically associated with coastal breaks, that level of search interest is a meaningful signal. Something is shifting in how people think about Aberdeen as a destination, and the city’s growing arts scene is a significant part of the reason 🎨

The Nuart Festival is an internationally recognised street art event held every year in the city. It’s transformed large sections of the city into an open-air gallery. Murals by artists from across the world now occupy walls throughout the centre, creating a walking experience unlike anything else in Scotland.

The historic fishing village of Footdee, tucked against the harbour mouth, offers a completely different kind of Aberdeen 🎣 A tight cluster of painted cottages feels entirely removed from the granite city surrounding them.

Aberdeen beach itself is wider and longer than many visitors expect, and the city records sunshine on more than 62% of days annually. This puts it on a par with destinations considerably further south. Britain’s seaside revival extends further than most people assume, and Aberdeen is the proof.

Turn the tide with FlixBus

The British seaside has always meant something to this country; it just means something different now. The deckchairs and penny arcades are still out there, and there’s nothing wrong with them ⛱️ But alongside them, something new has taken root: waterfront regeneration that works, food scenes built on local produce, and cultural institutions that give people a reason to visit places they’d previously driven past.

The destinations on this ranking are at different stages of that journey. Some, like Brighton and Liverpool, have been doing it for years. Others, like Newport and Southampton, are only just beginning to be discovered 👀 All of them are worth your time, and all of them are easier to reach than you might expect.

With affordable fares, onboard amenities, and direct connections to many of Britain’s favourite coastal destinations. FlixBus makes exploring the UK’s seaside revival easier than ever 🚍 So pack your beach bag, grab your shades, and discover the coastal towns enjoying their glow-up moment ⭐

Book your journey online, in the app, at a FlixBus sales point, or directly with your driver.

Methodology

FlixBus analysed UK destinations within five miles of a beach and ranked them based on a range of factors, including Google Search interest, TikTok and Instagram popularity, sunshine levels, business growth, and the density of attractions and nightlife.

Search demand was measured using UK searches for destination and seaside-related terms, while social media popularity was based on destination trends across TikTok and Instagram. Sunshine data covered 2016 to 2025, and business growth was assessed using 2024 business birth rates.

Attractions and nightlife scores were calculated using OpenStreetMap data, including venues such as bars, pubs, museums, galleries, theatres, cinemas and tourist attractions within 5km of each destination's centre.