The Cheapest Hour Of Sunshine In The UK This Summer
09 June 2021You pack the sunscreen — we'll crunch the numbers. Our research uncovers Britain's sunniest seasides for the cheapest tan in the UK.
vouchercloud used Google Hotels and historic Met Office data to calculate the best value hour of sunshine in the UK. Factor 50 is strongly encouraged.
Contents | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Best value sunshine hour |
| 2 | Northern towns provide great value |
| 3 | Sunshine data |
| 4 | Hotel data |
| 5 | Save £30 a night with these destination swaps |
| 6 | vouchercloud says |
| 7 | Data |
| 8 | Footnotes |
Felixstowe, Blackpool and Burnham-on-Sea have the cheapest sunshine in the UK
Reach for the suncream and ready the bucket and spade, we've found the best value sunshine hours on this sometimes-sunny isle. With 6 and a half hours of sunshine at an average of £60 a night, Felixstowe will get you an hour of precious sun for just over minimum wage: £9.55. Its seafront gardens and bird observatory are worth a visit alone!
Not far behind is a classic holiday destination, the mighty Blackpool, with just under 6 hours of sunshine at £61 per night in the summer months, getting you an hour of sun for £10.35. Somerset's Burnham-on-Sea lands in third place with 5 hours, 50 minutes of sun and the cheapest hotels of any seaside town — just under £60 a night. You'll get an hour of sun for £10.48.
It's good up North
Strong showings from Northern counties show you don't have to stick to the South for a good value summer break — 9 of the top 20 towns are in the North.
Blackpool comes in at 2nd — it might not have as much sunshine as other towns (5 hours, 56 minutes, in fact), but it's got the 3rd cheapest hotels (£61). Its famous Blackpool Zoo, Blackpool Tower and Blackpool Pleasure Beach mean it's well worth the visit. Be sure to check local guidance before travelling as guidelines for travelling in Lancashire can be changeable due to the pandemic.
Nearby Southport makes a strong showing at 18th (£13.13 per hour), similarly with less sun but great value hotels. It also boasts the best value sunshine in the month of June, ideal conditions to enjoy Rotten Row Park (it's nicer than it sounds!).
The mighty Skegness storms into 13th (£12.58 per hour). You might only get 5 hours, 49 minutes of sunshine per summer's day, but the £72 per night hotel average sweetens the deal. Plus its Seal Sanctuary is nationally renowned and there's the Gibraltar Point National Nature reserve if you fancy spying a bird or two.
Sunshine data — Isle of Wight has the sunniest destinations
Out of all the seaside towns we looked at, the ones with the most sunshine were on the Isle of Wight. Both Ventnor and Shanklin get 7 hours, 34 minutes of sunshine a day on average in the summer months. Not far behind are Kent's Folkestone and Dungeness, which have the sun shining on them for an average of 7 hours, 25 minutes from June — September.
Hotel data — Burnham has the cheapest hotels
At £60 a night, Burnham-on-Sea proves excellent value, boasting the cheapest average hotels in the summertime. However, it scores in the bottom 3rd for sunshine. For an average of just £10 more per night, you could stay in Great Yarmouth, which has 40 minutes more sunshine per day.
At the other end of the spectrum are Falmouth and St Andrew's — the two most expensive destinations, averaging £189 and £202 each throughout the summer months. Whilst you don't get a tonne of sunshine in either place, your money does buy you access to a number of desirable days out: Pendennis Castle and Gyllyngvase Beach for the former; East Sands Beach and St Andrews Castle for the latter.
Save £30+ a night with these destination swaps
Our research shows you can make serious savings if you're flexible about where you go. You’ll get more sun for your buck with these sneaky swaps, and they can save you 50% on your hotel costs.
Sussex: Swap Brighton for Hastings
If Sussex is calling you, swap the Brighton Pier for Hastings Castle. Brighton costs £17.36 per sunshine hour while Hastings costs £12.59.
| Hotels | Sunshine Hours | £s per Sunshine Hour | |
| Hastings | £95 | 7 hours, 14 minutes | £12.59 |
| Brighton | £126 | 7 hours, 24 minutes | £17.36 |
| Hastings Savings | £31 | -10 minutes | £4.67 |
Devon: Swap Lynmouth for Brixham
Brits love flocking to Devon, but you’ll get the most value for money by swapping Lynmouth's £15.22 per hour of sun for Brixham’s more economical £13.11.
| Hotel Cost per Night | Sunshine Hours | £s per Sunshine Hour | |
| Brixham | £82 | 6 hours 25 minutes | £13.11 |
| Lynmouth | £99 | 6 hours, 39 minutes | £15.22 |
| Brixham Saving | £17 | -14 minutes | £2.11 |
Norfolk: Swap Hunstanton for Great Yarmouth
If you’re heading to Norfolk, swap Hunstanton for Great Yarmouth. Hunstanton will set you back £15.22 per hour of sun, while Great Yarmouth comes in at just slightly over a tenner: £10.89 per hour. Remember, our staycations discount codes page can also help in the savings department.
| Hotel Cost per Night | Sunshine Hours | £s per Sunshine Hour | |
| Great Yarmouth | £69 | 6 hours 34 minutes | £10.89 |
| Hunstanton | £91 | 5 hours, 49 minutes | £15.83 |
| Great Yarmouth Saving | £22 | 30 minutes | £4.94 |
vouchercloud says
Clare Joslin, General Manager of vouchercloud, said:
"After the year we've all had, a summer break is definitely on the cards, but we know that now more than ever people's finances are being tested. That's why we at vouchercloud put together this guide to the cheapest hour of sunshine across the UK, to ensure those beach breaks are both sunny and affordable.
We've found a huge range of affordable destinations, from East Anglia's Felixstowe and Great Yarmouth, to Bridlington and Skegness in the North-East, all of which are in the top 15 for best value sunshine. We also found that you can make huge savings by being savvy about your destination: swap Devon's Lynmouth for nearby Brixham and you'll save £16.73 per night!
Hopefully readers will get some inspiration about where to book their next trip. Make sure you check local and government guidance before making any purchases, of course."
Data and methodology
- Towns from the Which? 100 Best Seaside Towns list.
- Sunshine data from Met Office averages 1980 — 2010. Sunshine data taken from the nearest weather station to each destination. Towns were excluded if there was no weather station within 20 miles or if their average sun hours were lower than the UK average for June — September (5.16 hours), to ensure only sunnier than average locations were included.
- Hotel prices for 2 person, 3* hotel rooms from Google Hotels' API.
- Data collected 18th — 21st May 2021.
Footnotes
1https://yougov.co.uk/topics/travel/articles-reports/2021/03/11/post-lockdown-travel-perceptions-polls
Staycation discount codes
Put our insight into action with some top-level savings — vouchercloud has a number of ways to melt the £s off your next UK staycation in the sun. Our travel and accommodation vouchers feature deals to many of your favourite UK hotspots, as does our dedicated staycations discount code page. Expect deals from Tui, Hotels.com, loveholidays.com and many more.
More holiday savings inspiration
Looking for some more holiday inspo? We have you covered. Check out our guide to the best value wine and cheese in Europe, the best value remote European destinations, 6 top European destinations cheaper to visit by train than plane and the best destinations to maximise the strength of the £. Be sure to check government guidelines and rules before booking anything!
