The short answer
- Level ground and good transport links matter more than the viewDevon, Somerset, the Cotswolds, Whitby and the Lake District each have a mix of gentle terrain and accommodation built for an easier week.
- The right base does more than the destinationA static caravan, a ground-floor apartment or a hotel built for it can turn a good region into a good week.
- Build rest into the planOne big outing a day, with a quieter day either side of it, tends to work far better than a packed itinerary.
- A carer, or a different kind of trip, can help furtherIf your relative needs day-to-day help, has dementia, or a physical disability is the main concern, there is a fuller guide for each.
Figures are what carers on PrimeCarers charge, with our fee included, and government rates for 2026/27.
Where to go
Five UK regions worth considering, and why
Almost any part of the UK can work for a holiday with an older relative if the accommodation and the pace are right. These five come up again and again in the destinations families choose, each for a slightly different reason.
Region
Why it can suit an older relative
Worth knowing before you book
Devon
Two National Parks, Dartmoor and Exmoor, and five National Landscapes bring gentle coast and countryside within a short drive of each other, and Exeter has step-free routes along the Exe estuary.
Exeter has a mainline station with direct trains from London Paddington, useful if nobody wants to drive the whole way.
Somerset
The Somerset Levels are flat wetland country with cycling and walking trails that keep the gradient gentle, and Bath and Glastonbury add historic sights close by.
Bath has a direct line from London Paddington, about ninety minutes.
Whitby and the North Yorkshire coast
A traditional seaside town with a level harbourside and West Cliff, plenty of static caravans and park lodges built for easy access, and Whitby Abbey for anyone who enjoys the history.
Reaching the abbey itself means climbing the town's famous 199 steps. The harbour and West Cliff can be enjoyed without them, and Whitby has its own station on the scenic Esk Valley line.
The Cotswolds
Level paths through honey-stone villages across six counties, from Gloucestershire to Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, Worcestershire and the edge of Somerset, with a tea room to break up a short walk.
Villages are linked by local bus services, but they can run infrequently, so check a timetable before relying on one instead of a car.
The Lake District
Miles without Stiles, a set of over fifty routes marked out by the Lake District National Park Authority, covers lake and valley walks with no stiles or steep hills.
Routes are graded 'for all', 'for many' or 'for some' depending on the gradient and surface, so check the grade before choosing one.
None of these five need a specialist holiday company to work well. Each combines scenery with the practical side of a trip: level ground in places, accommodation built for it, and a way of getting there that does not depend on driving the whole distance. If a physical disability rather than age on its own is the main concern, where can I go on holiday as a disabled person? sets out how to check a proper access guide before you book anywhere.
Where to stay
The base matters as much as the region
Where you stay shapes the week more than which county you have chosen. Four kinds of place come up again and again in the destinations above.
Static caravans and park lodges
Common at coastal parks
Ground-floor holiday apartments
Self-catering, at your own pace
Accessible farm stays
Often quieter than a hotel
A hotel built around it
Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire
Whichever kind of place you choose, ask about a step-free route from the car, coach or station to the room itself, not just whether the building as a whole is described as accessible. A single step at the front door can undo an otherwise well-chosen base. Merton House in Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire is a charity-run example, built for older and less mobile guests.
Before you book
Pace the trip the way you would pace a day at home
The choices that make a holiday go well are mostly the same ones that make a good day at home go well, just planned a little further in advance.
What tends to work
- One big outing a day, with a quieter day either side of it
- A pharmacy and a GP practice that will register a temporary patient, checked before you go
- A few extra days of medication packed, in case the return journey is delayed
- A base within a short drive of whatever the day's outing is, rather than in the middle of everything
What tends to go wrong
- A week planned back to back, with no day left to recover
- Assuming a "quaint village" has level access without checking a proper guide first
- Booking a room with a shower over a bath and hoping it will do
- Leaving a train assistance booking until the day you travel
If they need more support
When the destination is not the only decision
Where to go is often the easier question. Whether your relative can manage the trip at all, and what kind of help they need while they are there, usually matters more.
If a cruise is what your relative has in mind rather than a UK break, should a person with dementia go on a cruise? and should people with dementia go on holidays? go through what to weigh up first. And if it is worth working out what a carer costs at home before you decide on any trip, companion carer costs has the fuller figures.
Questions
Questions families ask about holidays for an older relative
Devon, Somerset, the Cotswolds, Whitby and the Lake District are the places families choose most often, each for a different reason: level coastal and countryside walking, accommodation built for easy access, and good transport links that do not depend on a long drive. The right one depends on what your relative can manage and what they enjoy.
The harbourside and West Cliff are level and easy to enjoy without any steps. Reaching Whitby Abbey itself means climbing the town's famous 199 steps, so plan on admiring it from below if steps are a problem, or check whether a taxi can reach the site by road instead.
A static caravan or park lodge, a ground-floor holiday apartment, or an accessible farm stay all tend to work well, and a small number of hotels such as Merton House in Herefordshire are built specifically for older and less mobile guests. Ask about a step-free route from the car or station to the room itself, not just whether the building is described as accessible.
Often, yes. If your relative already has a carer through PrimeCarers, ask whether they would consider coming away, for their normal rate: £15 to £20 an hour for company, or £18 to £25 for personal care, plus their own travel and a room, agreed in writing before you book. Can you take a carer on holiday with you? covers this in full.
Attendance Allowance is the most reliable starting point for most families, worth £77 or £115 a week in 2026/27, paid in cash with no rule about how it is spent. A council can sometimes agree extra hours if your relative already has a direct payment for assessed care needs. Attendance Allowance: who qualifies and how to claim.
A familiar routine and a short journey tend to matter more than which region you pick. Dementia-friendly holidays and should people with dementia go on holidays? cover what to check before you book.