British beach holidays by numbers

Parents will get around 2.5 hours to themselves most days Credit: ITV West Country

According to a recent survey, around half of British families will take a staycation in 2016 - the typical beach holiday will involve 5 tantrums, 4 picnics, 3 inflatables, 2 rainy days and 1 sunset watch.

Holiday company Beach Retreats quizzed 2000 families to find out what the average British beach holiday is like.

One of our favourite things about UK beach holidays is the sea air - with three quarters of people saying it’s what they love most about the seaside.

The average British beach holiday involves:

Families will also have to contend with three occasions of seagulls swooping in Credit: ITV West Country

Top ten beach essentials:

  • Bucket and spade - 48%

  • Wet wipes - 44%

  • Windbreaks - 25%

  • Multiple changes of clothes - 21%

  • Newspaper - 17%

  • Umbrella - 16%

  • Crabbing net - 12%

  • Tablet - 9%

  • Full waterproofs - 7%

  • Tents - 7%

Traditional British beach activities are still as popular as ever, with building sandcastles, digging holes in the sand and exploring rock pools amongst the most popular things to do beside the seaside.

Top ten seaside activities:

  • Watch a sunset - 54%

  • Eat lunch at a gastro pub - 49%

  • Barbecue on the beach - 29%

  • Visit a local deli - 26%

  • Try some craft ales - 22%

  • Upload pictures/statuses of where you are - 21%

  • Cycling - 21%

  • Water sports/Adventure sports - 18%

  • Check in to locations on Facebook - 18%

  • Dine at a high end restaurant - 15%

The average British holiday also sees 81 photos snapped Credit: ITV West Country