As one of the millions of people living and working in the UKs most populous city, I need to find ways to spend my long weekends without contending with the hustle and bustle that is London. So, over the last few years whenever we have a bank holiday - especially if it’s one of those many ones in Spring, my husband and I, and occasionally our friends, make our little pilgrimage down to the south coast. And more times than not, we find ourselves in the New Forest or Hayling Island.

The New Forest and Hayling Island are both great places to go for a day trip if you live in London and have access to a car. If you set off early enough, you can get to either of their destinations in under 2 hours. Service stops excluded of course! On this particular Good Friday, we left our house at around 7am and got to Hayling Island just after 9am.

Hayling Island is a pretty small place and you can get to almost anywhere on it in under 30 minuets. One of my favourite things about the island is that there are many picturesque walks and trails all over. But some of the best ones, in my opinion, are along the south of the Island.

But if hikes and walks aren’t your thing, you can also spend the day at one of their amazing beaches. My personal favourite is the west beach on the south coast. It is a partial pebble and sand beach with plenty of quiet spots to reach, catch the sun or have a picnic. If you’re feeling adventurous, it’s also a great spot to have a paddle, swim or do some paddle boarding.

After a spending the morning at Hayling Island, it was time to hop in the car again and make the small road trip to the New Forest. Whilst there may not appear as much to do in the New Forest as Hayling Island, there are actually a few spots which I think are definitely worth visiting.

If you like quaint country villages, a trip to Beaulieu is a must. It’s full of cobblestones, old red brick buildings and a stately house or two. Not to mention, there are quite a few country pubs you can duck into for a late lunch or early dinner.

Unsurprisingly though, my favourite thing to do in the New Forest is to go for a walk or two. The New Forest is quite big and there are many different walks to choose from. Some are along waterways, some are in the shaded woods and some are even along a short beach (Lepe is the best one!). Many of the trails can be rather quiet, especially if you avoid the popular ones and go off the beaten track a little. Walks through the New Forest are always made interesting for me because of the variety in the wildlife here. You can see so many different flowers and if you’re lucky a rabbit or two!

Do you have a place where you often find yourself spending your long weekends? Let me know in the comments below. I’d love to explore a few myself.