Trips to coast too costly for one in five

Even cutting out all but the basic costs, the poorest families would have too little disposable income to be able to afford a city-to-coast visit, Barnardo’s research showed.

The charity found that a family of four going, for example, from York to Scarborough would pay £80.80. From Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire to Bournemouth would cost £172. Barnardo’s said that, as the minimum disposable income for the poorest 20 per cent of families was £39, such trips would be unaffordable.

The charity’s calculation was based on a family-of-four day trip to the seaside taking in the cost of the cheapest rail fare, a fish-and-chip meal, sun cream and ice-creams.

The cost did not include such costs as swimwear and buckets and spades. Barnardo’s chief executive Javed Khan said: “Family holidays have a special place in the childhood memory box, and every child deserves to have a day out once in a while, no matter what their circumstances.

“Whatever the weather, a day at the seaside with the family is a day to treasure.”