February half-term is the depth of winter, and the coast reflects that. Days are short, the weather is unpredictable, and the emphasis shifts indoors: board games, a good film, a warm cafe rather than a beach day. It suits families who want a change of scene without expecting summer conditions, and it's often one of the cheaper weeks of the year to book, since demand outside the big summer weeks is lower.

There's a stretch of the year, roughly from October through to March, when the coast quietens right down and a static caravan holiday lets holiday starts to feel like a different holiday altogether. Fewer people on the beach, no queue for the amusements, and a pace that suits a couple or a family who'd rather walk the front than fight for a spot on it.

For more detail, see Norfolk Broads holidays.

For a couple, a short break, two or three nights, usually built around a weekend, does most of what's needed. There's no school-term constraint to work around, less packing, and less need to fill every day with an activity. A Friday-to-Sunday trip to the coast gives a proper change of scene, a couple of decent walks, an evening meal out, and time to properly switch off from work without using much annual leave at all. The travel time matters more here than for a longer trip: somewhere within two hours' drive makes the most of a short window, since a five-hour round trip eats into what's a fairly brief stay to begin with.

Get the full picture at family holiday parks.

Read more from UK staycation guide.