Sure, we might not have the warm, crystal-clear waters of Greece, the pastel-hued cliffs of Italy or the reliably blazing sunshine of Spain, but what Britain’s coastline does have is drama. Vast, angry skies. Windswept dunes. Fascinating rock formations. And, according to TripAdvisor’s 2026 Travelers’ Choice Awards Best of the Best, we also have two of the best beaches in Europe.
Based on more than eight million reviews on the site, fewer than one percent of the continent’s beaches made its revered Best of the Best list. And better yet, both UK beaches are perfect for a weekend away from London, being within a few hours’ drive.
TripAdvisor’s list is split into sections, with a global list, a ‘one of a kind’ ranking (which features one British beach – read about that here) and continental shortlists. The British beaches we’re focusing on were in the European lowdown, rubbing shoulders with stretches of sand in Crete, Sardinia, and Corsica.
Horsey Beach, Norfolk
Don’t let the name fool you – there are no horses here. Instead, Horsey Beach, which came 13th in TripAdvisor’s list, is famous for something arguably much cuter: seals.
Just a two-hour train journey from London near Great Yarmouth, Horsey is home to a colony of hundreds of grey seals. In the winter, newly born pups are easily spotted lounging on the sand as they’re too young to swim yet. But come summer, you can see their heads bobbing up and down in the waves.
According to TripAdvisor, visitors describe Horsey as ‘wonderfully calm’, with long stretches of clean sand ‘made for wandering’ and sweeping views of the North Sea.
Bamburgh Beach, Northumberland
Up in England’s far northeast (near the Scottish border, in fact) lies Bamburgh Beach, which came 19th in TripAdvisor’s best beaches in Europe list. This cinematic shore is best known for the mighty Bamburgh Castle. The ancient Celtic fort is perched high above the sand and has watched over this stretch of coastline for around 1,400 years. As backdrops go, it’s hard to beat.
The beach itself is vast and rugged, framed by grassy dunes and big open skies. Time your visit for sunrise or sunset and you’ll be rewarded with golden light spilling across the sand. And with a direct train connection to London King’s Cross, dramatic scenery and a chilly dip is very accessible, too.
Bamburgh didn’t just feature on TripAdvisor’s ranking of Europe’s best stretches of sand – it was also the only UK beach to make the global cut in the ‘one of a kind’ category. Northumberland is on a bit of a roll at the mo, having picked up recent travel reccs from National Geographic and AllTrails.
You can read TripAdvisor’s full list of the beach beaches in Europe and the world, then check out Time Out’s guide to the UK’s top seaside spots here.
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