Day Trip From London: Clacton-On-Sea

Introduction into Clacton-On-Sea

Clacton-del-sol or should I say Clacton-on Sea? I visited Clacton-On-Sea beach in the summer on one of the hottest days of the year and it felt like I was in Spain. Who knew we had lovely sandy beaches in England?

Clacton-on-Sea is a seaside resort town, considered by many as the jewel in the crown of the Essex coast. This popular British seaside town is located on the east coast of England. Clacton beach itself is actually surprisingly good and has a long stretch of soft golden sand. Along the coastline and pier, there is plenty of entertainment, an amusement park, cafes, ice cream stalls and trade stands. 

How to get to Clacton-On-Sea from London

Clacton-on-Sea is about an average 2-hour drive from London and 1 hour and 34 minutes via train which is why it makes a great day trip from London if you are looking for a change of scenery. 

With the UK transport system being accessible, commuting by train from London Liverpool Street to Clacton-on-Sea with one direct train using the Greater Anglia makes it convenient. This option is also an affordable one as return adult tickets can be purchased on Trainline for as little as £20 when booked online in advance. 

If you are driving from London to Clacton-on-Sea, there are three possible routes to get to your destination. Driving through the A12 with no traffic is the quickest route with an average time of 1 hour and 54 minutes, including 50 minutes on the motorway. 

What to do at Clacton-On-Sea?

1. Enjoy water-sports activities with Curve Water Sports

The beach is not just great for swimming, but also good for kayaking, paddle boarding and even some jet skiing. There is always a lifeguard posted at the beach for safety. 

 2. Take a stroll to Clacton pier and have some fun at the Clacton Pavilion

Clacton Pier is one of Uk’s largest seaside piers that is located across from Pavilion Fun Park. It features a variety of shops and amusement facilities, making it the perfect spot to spend a day out with family and friends. The Pavilion Fun Park hosts the Clacton’s largest waterpark, ten-pin bowling alley, arcades, a seqaurium, golf and a soft-play centre as well as numerous food, drink and retail outlets. I literally felt like a big kid again going on the bumper cars and waterpark rides.

You can buy a fun card at the pier which you can use towards rides and food with a minimum load of £11. Most rides ranged from 2-4 points depending on which ride you choose and the I was able to use my fun card on some of the arcade machines. 

3. Have a shopping spree at Clacton Shopping Village

Clacton Shopping Village has a superb range of stores including high-street store discount outlets and great savings on top of that.

Things to note:

1. Come early in the morning to make the most of your trip. We arrived at 10am and the beach was already quite busy and limited parking space.
2. There are public toilets available to use. Public toilets are located halfway down the pier neck, all accessible by wheelchair with no steps. 
3. There are cafes and restaurants dotting both the top and bottom ends of this beach, perfect for grabbing a bite or grabbing a drink after a day at the shore. Bring cash as there are some kiosks that accept only cash. 
4. Dogs are not allowed between the Pier to West Road out-fall pipe on Martello Bay from May to 30 September. 
5. Lifeguards keep an eye on the waves during summertime, so everyone can enjoy this fair-weather spot.

 

Would you do a day trip to Clacton-on-Sea? Let me know in the comments 🙂