It might not rain forever, so why not consider one of these 10 fab new trips in the UK, whether you want action, culture or a quirky place to stay
Retro bungalow, Cornwall
Steeped in 1950s nostalgia, perky Park View bungalow will appeal to lovers of all things retro – from the Pears soap in the bathroom to the American diner-style kitchen. Children will love the bunk beds, sheltered garden and candy colour scheme, while adults will swoon over the kitsch drinks cabinet and the chance to play their favourite vinyl on the suitcase-style record player. Set in peaceful countryside five miles from Bude on the north Cornish coast, it's the perfect place to indulge in an old fashioned seaside holiday.
• Sleeps six from £400 a week (01840 230990, sawdays.co.uk)
Family farm holiday, Carmarthenshire
Enjoy a taste of the good life at Cwmcrwth Farm, a traditional Welsh smallholding. The rare-breed farm recently launched Junior Farmer breaks, offering children of all ages a real hands-on holiday, looking after the chickens, collecting eggs for breakfast, brushing the horses and helping feed piglets and lambs. Accommodation is in one of three self-catering stone cottages with exposed beams and slate roofs, converted from the original hayloft and barn.
• Four-night Junior Farmer break £450 per family – based on two adults and two children (01558 669160, cwmcrwthfarmcottages.co.uk)
Stylish city break, Edinburgh
Edinburgh has a reputation for staid and expensive accommodation, so a fresh-faced new hotel in the centre with contemporary rooms for under £70 a night is something to get excited about. German budget chain Motel One has just opened its first UK property, on Market Street, a stone's throw from Waverley Station and Princes Street. Don't be put off by the functional name: design details such as Arne Jacobsen egg chairs and Arco lamps raise the style bar, while the all-in-one lobby, bar and cafeteria (with free Wi-Fi) acts as a buzzy focal point. The city has plenty of free attractions to keep your trip under budget, from the Royal Botanic Garden (rbge.org.uk) to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (nationalgalleries.org) and the climb to the top of Arthur's Seat. In the evening, head to the Tollcross area for Indian street food such as pakoras, samosas and kebabs at new BYO restaurant Tuk Tuk (0131 228 3322, facebook.com/tuktukindianstreetfood) on Leven Street, followed by cocktails up the street at the new and hip The Blackbird (theblackbirdedinburgh.co.uk).
• Doubles from £69 (0131-220 0730, motelone.com)
Walking tour, Suffolk
Explore the pretty market towns, ancient churches and crumbling Norman castles of Suffolk on a new four-day walking break from Inntravel. Following the winding Waveney river and crisscrossing farmland and country estates, the self-guided Secret Suffolk break explores three traditional market towns in the Waveney valley: riverside Beccles, historic Bungay and Pulman Market with its thatched cottages. Accommodation is in three guesthouses and your luggage is transported ahead each day.
• From £310pp including four nights' B&B, one dinner, two picnics, luggage transfers and walking maps and notes (01653 617002, inntravel.co.uk)
Youth hostelling, South Downs
The YHA recently announced a major programme of investment across its network of hostels, but perhaps the most exciting development for 2013 is the opening of a new hostel on the South Downs in April. It has spent £5m on converting a group of 13th-century farm buildings near Lewes into a 68-bed hostel and visitor centre to act as a gateway to the UK's newest national park. Beds in a shared dorm will cost £16, and an en suite family room (sleeping four) will cost £50 a night. The visitor centre will have maps for exploring the South Downs Way (nationaltrail.co.uk/southdowns) by bike, horse or on foot, or simply soaking up the beauty of sea cliffs, chalk escarpments, iron age hill forts and pretty villages.
• yha.org.uk/hostel/south-downs
Cultural break, Derry
There's a buzz about Derry as it takes up the title of UK City of Culture 2013 (cityofculture2013.com). Highlights of the year-long programme will include the hosting of the Turner Prize (the first time it's been held outside England), a marathon around the walled city, performances by the Royal Ballet, a punk musical called Teenage Kicks, and a city-wide pageant devised by Frank Cottrell Boyce (who scripted the Olympic Opening Ceremony). A city break can be combined with exploration of the Antrim coast and Giant's Causeway.
• The Everglades Hotel (028-9042 1066, hastingshotels.com) has two-night breaks, including two breakfasts and one dinner, from £160 for two. Or go glamping at the Carrowmena Activity Centre (carrowmena.co.uk) in Limavady, a half-hour drive from the city, with dorm beds from £10 a night or new six-berth camping "cocoons" for £55. Ryanair flies to Derry from Birmingham, Glasgow, Liverpool and Stansted
Quirky glamping, Pembrokeshire
From shepherd's huts to gypsy wagons, upturned boats and even double-decker buses, no clapped-out vehicle or derelict outhouse is safe from the glamping revolution. But a British Telecom canteen truck? The owners of Ffynnon Samson, an organic farm on the edge of Pembrokeshire national park, have taken the unsexiest of vehicles and created a charming hideaway that oozes vintage style. When you book a stay in Matilda you don't just get the cosily converted truck, you get a private glade, complete with picnic table, tyre swing, spacious outdoor bathroom with hot shower, and the run of the farm with its ducks, chickens and kune kune pigs. The truck sleeps two and costs from £79 a night but you can add a bell tent sleeping four for £30, or bring your own tent for £15.
• 01275 395447, canopyandstars.co.uk
Kids activity holiday, nationwide
Children's activity holiday specialist PGL aims to make its holidays more affordable for 2013 by making more accommodation available for single-parent families and offering free places for children under six. Brochure prices are usually based on two adults sharing a room with two or more children, but for this year, up to 25% of rooms at the company's eight UK multi-activity centres will not carry an under-occupancy charge, saving a single-parent family up to £150 on a typical holiday. In addition, children under six (who are not eligible for activities), will no longer be charged for food or accommodation.
• Four-night multi-activity breaks in school holidays from £255 adults, £225 six- to 18-year-olds, including en suite accommodation, all meals, activities, equipment and evening entertainment (0844 371 2424, pgl.co.uk)
Happy campers, Isle of Wight
Check into a colourful chalet at the Brighstone Holiday Centre on the Isle of Wight and you half-expect to be woken up by a chorus of "Good morning, campers" over the public address system. This family-run holiday park, built in 1932, is enjoying a renaissance with holidaymakers who come for the surfing at Brighstone Bay and the retro vibe. Facilities are distinctly low-key – an indoor pool and a launderette – but that's the way the regular guests like it. Choose between self-catering or B&B in a chalet or camping in the adjacent field. A week in a two-bedroom chalet starts from £300. B&B is £65 per double and camping costs from £9 a night.
• 01983 740244, brighstone-holidays.co.uk
Island escape, Essex
Mersea Island has become a favourite haunt for day-trippers from London and Essex who come in search of Colchester native oysters. But there's more to this sleepy island in the Blackwater estuary, which is linked to the mainland by an ancient causeway. Enjoy crabbing from the pontoon, atmospheric walks across the saltmarshes with their wading birds and weatherboarded fishing huts, sailing, and, of course, be first in the queue at the Company Shed (the-company-shed.co.uk) in West Mersea for one of its wonderful seafood platters (£11.50) or book a vineyard tour and supper at the Mersea Island Vineyard (vineyard.merseabrewery.co.uk). Stay at The Island Cottage, a sweet little bolthole dating from the early 1800s, a pebble's throw from the beach and decked out in crisp nautical style. Sea views and a sun-trap terrace are the icing on the cake.
• TheIsland Cottage sleeps four from £43 a night (holidaylettings.co.uk/rentals/mersea-island/215020)