Overview

At the heart of the Garden Coast, lovely Folkestone has much to offer, with towering white cliffs to the East and broad sandy beaches to the West. Its lovely harbour and wonderful sandy beaches make this a popular seaside resort, becoming one of the Cinque Ports in the 13th century. A relaxing tour of the county of Kent, featuring some of the coastal and historic towns including Canterbury, a ride on the famous Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway across Romney Marsh.

Your Accommodation:

The Best Western Clifton Hotel occupies a prime location on the famous Leas, looking out over the English Channel. Built in 1864, the Clifton Hotel retains an elegant Victorian exterior. Inside, modern facilities and period features blend with a bar and lounge as well as free WiFi. Bedrooms are traditionally decorated and well appointed, are all en suite, and have television and tea/coffee making facilities. The hotel has a lift.

Your Itinerary:

From your front door to the waiting Club Class coach for the drive south to Kent, spending time in Royal Tunbridge Wells before continuing our leisurely drive arriving at The Clifton Hotel late afternoon.

This morning, our excursion takes us north along the coast to Deal and Broadstairs first, then to the historic cathedral city of Canterbury where we have the afternoon to explore at your leisure. The city is dominated by the magnificent Cathedral, now a World Heritage Site, and the city centre, being very compact, is best explored on foot. There is a maze of intriguing side streets with a rich variety of specialist shops and welcoming cafes and pubs in which to relax. We return to the hotel for dinner.

This morning we visit the Battle of Britain museum at Hawkinge. During the war this was known as ‘Hellfire Corner’ due to the barrages of cross channel shelling. On our return to Folkestone we stop at The Battle of Britain Memorial located in a peaceful spot, offering quiet reflection and views across the Channel and a replica Spitfire and Hurricane. Later we have time to discover Folkestone. In recent years the port of Folkestone has seen lots of regeneration and development, with brand new shopping areas, leisure facilities and boutique hotels. Why not explore the shops or take a stroll around the harbour and watch the world go by.

Today we take a short ride to the small resort of Hythe. Here we join the worlds famous Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway – Kent’s mainline in miniature. The train offers a scenic ride, taking us alongside Romney Marsh to new Romney where we take a short break and rejoin the coach to continue to ancient Rye, one of the Cinque Ports, now some distance from the sea!

A leisurely breakfast at the hotel before we bid farewell to our hosts and make our way home. We drive across Kent through picturesque villages to spend time in the popular and historic resort of Whitstable. Mid-afternoon we complete our journey as we arrive on our home areas after a memorable holiday in Folkestone.

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