We were supposed to be on the Italian Riviera, but an impromptu switch to a glamping break on the Llŷn peninsula proved a more than acceptable substitute

Everyone has a good holiday disaster story, don’t they? Even experienced travel journalists.

Ours was a twist on the classic passport fiasco, that saw us having to “exchange” a two-week trip to the sunny Cinque Terre on the Italian Riviera for sitting on a compost toilet in Wales.

A new Sawday’s guide to dog-friendly days out selects ideal beaches for dog walkers year-round – plus places to stay nearby

Dog-friendly year-round but with an on-leads rule between 1 April and 31 August to protect ground-nesting birds, Holkham beach is a brilliant family destination. The walk down to the golden sand is enchanting – along boardwalks and through pine forest – and there’s a cafe serving homemade sandwiches and cakes. Lots of great local walks too.
Stay pet-friendly Sueda Cottage, with its own walled garden, is a minute’s walk from the harbour and pub. From £89 a night (sleeps 4, plus two dogs)

An art deco hotel, a restaurant with rooms and sea views aplenty … Our selection covers everywhere from the Highlands to the Isle of Wight

The Albion hotel, which can lay claim to some of the best sea views on the island, has been welcoming guests to Freshwater Bay since Victorian times. It is about to reopen under new ownership after a multimillion-pound refurbishment. The new-look Albion will have 40 rooms, 36 of them sea-facing, including two suites, seven dog-friendly rooms and two accessible rooms. Some have roll-top baths and balconies or terraces. The Rock is its new 100-seater restaurant, which sources more than 90% of ingredients from the island, including garlic, tomatoes, fish, lobster and meat. A free shuttle bus drops off and picks up guests from local bars and restaurants. The hotel is about a 10-minute drive from Yarmouth ferry port.
Opens in June, taking bookings for 19 June, doubles from £99 B&B (two‑night minimum), albionhotel.co.uk

Travel writers take a salty, summer saunter through old-fashioned seaside towns that have ‘not yet been Airbnb-brushed out of existence’

Photographer Martin Parr’s 1999 film Think of England captures the nostalgic appeal of Weymouth: roast dinners at seafront B&Bs, pensioners with cones of Mr Whippy, the carousel whirling to the familiar tune of the funfair organ. “It’s not a resort that needs a lot of razzmatazz,” says the man sitting in front of a “Sorry, No Vacancies” sign.

The sun doesn’t always shine, but when it does the town’s idiosyncratic seaside cheer and remote feel make a train trip worthwhile

Along the promenade come the crowds: drag queens spouting one-liners, farmers gossiping in Welsh, a choir out of rehearsal but still singing, and a man who raps to himself and the heavens. There seem to be as many dogs as humans, and twice as many gulls, all eyeing the fish and chips. The funicular railway up the cliff has a queue of Hasidic Jewish families clutching ice-creams, and the pier is packed with good-humoured Brummies enjoying the snooker tables and push-penny machines, waiting for the nightclub, Pier Pressure, to open. By the ruined castle a party of Australian fans of TV crime series Hinterland are gazing around in bemusement: is this really a gritty murder capital? Behind the town rise the mountains of mid-Wales; out front is the sparkling sea. This is Aberystwyth on a sunny afternoon.

Far from large population centres, down a long slow railway line, and with a climate that strips paint faster than a Tom Jones audience used to remove its underwear, Aber, as locals call it, has taken some knocks. But that adversity has bred something unique among British seaside resorts: a place that is proudly cultured, often comedic and always quirky. There’s a university and a national library, but there may also be a muddy tractor with a straw-filled trailer parked outside the pub. After many visits, in all weathers, I’ve grown to love that independent spirit and eccentricity. (Those Hinterland fans might, however, get a little closer to the atmosphere they expect on a wet November Wednesday.)

From a Yorkshire fishing village to a genteel beach resort in Essex, our tipsters share their top coastal getaways

Saltburn-by-the-Sea boasts a magnificent beach and plentiful ice-cream, coffee bars and a burgeoning arts scene. Among the highlights has to be a stroll along the Grade II-listed pier and hopefully a ride down the UK’s oldest water-balanced cliff tramway (still closed at time of writing after a fire in January, but being repaired). Head for lunch at the superb Seaview fish restaurant, which has views across the bay. Walk off the meal as you wander through beautiful Valley Gardens for the flora and fauna and smuggling history from the 18th century. Later, perhaps visit the Ship Inn, an 18th-century pub right on the beach, for a sundowner with a view.
David Cowling

Which? readers have consigned the Lincolnshire town to the bottom of the list of beach resorts – despite its affordability, unspoilt coastline and clean water

Name: Skegness.

Age: Inhabited since the iron age.

Popularity of traditional holiday memento hit by smartphones, ‘rude rock’ and rising price of stamps

A trip to the British seaside may not always have been something to write home about, but these days you might struggle even if you wanted to.

At the Little Gems gift shop in Blackpool town centre, all the usual seaside wares are on display – beach towels, plastic buckets and spades, sticks of rock – but one item is notably missing.