With the school holidays in full swing and the sun beating down on the UK right now, a trip to the beach is an absolute must. On a summer’s day you can’t beat a picnic on the sand and a paddle in the sea. Just don’t forget sunscreen and a sun hat as the sun can be fierce at the coast. There are some incredible beaches within easy reach of Greater Manchester along the coastlines of Lancashire, Sefton, The Wirral, and North Wales. Formby Beach is always popular, although this year visitors travelling by car are urged to stay away. Stay connected with our City Life newsletter here A major construction project is underway and the car park at Victoria Road closed to vehicles on Thursday, May 1, and will remain closed until Spring 2026. Although the Lifeboat Road car park and toilets will remain open, parking is extremely limited and to avoid being turned away, the National Trust has warned against visitors driving to Formby Beach on busy, sunny days this summer. For those looking for something similar to Formby, then Ainsdale, a little further up the coast, comes pretty close. Like Formby it too has sand dunes and a tranquil pine wood, where you can follow twisting trails through the trees - and enjoy some shady respite from the sun. Keep your eyes peeled and you may even spot a resident red squirrel. The beach itself is vast with lots of room for kids to run around. It’s actually recognised as one of the best beaches in the UK for extreme kite activities. It has zones set aside for kite buggy and landboard use, where you can glide along the sand as the wind pulls you along. Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE Ainsdale is known as a beach where you can park on the sand, but this weekend parking on the sand remains off-limits due to “high levels of windblow sand and ongoing dry weather conditions”. This doesn't mean Ainsdale is out of bounds to visitors from Manchester; in fact it's a chance to see this beloved beach without any vehicles parked up. You can still get to Ainsdale easily via the train from Manchester Victoria and changing at Liverpool Lime Street, which takes around 90 minutes - about the same time if you were driving. For more of the latest What's On news, click here.