A TRIP to a beach hut can make a seaside break so much easier, with many now having kitchens and bathrooms inside.
But some even let you stay overnight - with beds squeezed inside too.
Similar to glamping, many huts have been kitted out with everything you might need for an overnight stay.
And some cost as little as £49 a day - compared to the average price of buying a beach hut of around £123k.
For example, Beach Hut 409 on Mudeford Split is right on the beach, with four beds inside.
This is along with a kitchen, complete with fridge and cooker, as well as outdoor shower and portaloo.
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Or there is Sea Angel Vintage Beach Chalet in Cornwall, which sleeps four as well thanks to a double bed and bunk bed.
Previous guests even said there was a "bottle of bubbly and chocolates waiting for them" on arrival.
The cheapest option is staying at Branksome Chine in Dorset, which costs less than £50 a night.
Lily Smith, a travel from specialist booking service , said tourists often couldn't stay overnight in beach huts due to bans on overnight stays by local authorities.
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However, she said this isn't the case as much anymore in certain seaside towns.
She said: "There’s no doubt many UK staycationers would love to book chalets by the sea and, happily, although we’d like to see many more, a wide range is already available.
" Most overnight huts sleep at least two people in comfort and many feature kitchens, facilities and showers, etc.
"Thankfully, it is now significantly easier for holidaymakers to find freehold beach huts and chalets whose owners offer overnight accommodation.
"We’d love to see more local authorities grant freehold tenures for beach huts with no night-time occupancy restrictions.
"This would let more Brits have the chance to stay overnight in huts and chalets, right on the beach, while supporting local restaurants and shops in the area."
The places where you can currently stay overnight in a UK beach hut are:
- Bognor Regis
- Bournemouth
- Camber Sands
- Christchurch
- Gwithian Beach near St Ives
- Millbeach near Maldon
- Minehead
- Mudeford Sandbank near Christchurch
- Newquay
- Seasalter Beach near Whitstable
- Shaldon near Teignmouth, St Ives Bay
- Whitstable
Ms Smith added: "Many such places feel straight out of a nostalgic Enid Blyton adventure.
"If you fancy watching the sun set with Timmy the dog, opening some ginger beer and tucking into a tongue sandwich – or perhaps a glass of something colder with some fresh crab pasta – an overnight hut could be the perfect holiday destination."
If you want to stay by the beach but in a tent instead, we've rounded up the best UK campsites with nearby beaches.
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UK's most expensive beach hut
BACK in 2022, one of the most expensive beach huts in the UK went on sale.
The hut was built on the exclusive Mudeford sandbank in Christchurch Harbour, Dorset.
The wooden cabin measures just 10ft by 16ft but it doesn’t have mains electricity or washing facilities.
Although small, it can sleep up to seven people and has a kitchen area, with a cooker connected to a Calor gas bottle and the fridge is powered by solar panels on the roof.
It also doesn't face the sea, being behind a line of other beach huts.
Despite this, it came with a price tag of £450,000, the price of a five-bed house in some parts of the country.
Otherwise here are some other beach huts that you can hire for the day, on an island named "Essex's best kept secret".
And here's our budget beach hut guide for a cheap summer holiday.