Weymouth

Golden sand stretches for miles along this Georgian seafront, where donkey rides still clip-clop past candy-striped beach huts every summer morning. Weymouth's harbour buzzes with fishing boats and pleasure craft, while the old town's narrow streets hide proper pubs and fish and chip shops that have been frying cod for generations.

Weymouth Marina fills with sailing yachts during Cowes Week, though the real action happens around the harbour where crab boats unload their catch. The Jubilee Clock towers over the esplanade - a Victorian timepiece that's become the town's unofficial meeting point. Behind the seafront, Tudor House offers a glimpse into 17th-century life, complete with period rooms and a herb garden.

Portland's limestone peninsula juts into the English Channel just south of town, connected by the famous Chesil Beach. Portland Castle, built by Henry VIII, guards the harbour entrance, while The Verne Citadel crowns the island's highest point. The D-Day Memorial Plaque near the harbour reminds visitors that American troops departed from these very waters in 1944.

Trains run direct from London Waterloo to Weymouth station in about two and a half hours. The town sits at the heart of Dorset's Jurassic Coast, with fossil-hunting beaches stretching east towards Lulworth Cove.

Staying at one of the holiday parks around Weymouth puts you within walking distance of both the beach and the South West Coast Path. Chesil Beach Lodge Park gets consistently good reviews, while several touring parks offer easy access to both the town centre and the wider Dorset countryside.