Offering miles of pristine beaches, The Outer Banks in North Carolina are a series of barrier islands stretching 200 miles, connected by road to the mainland.  Apart from the obvious beach attraction, the islands offer lighthouses, wild horses, boating & fishing,   There’s also some very pretty towns, shops & restaurants.  If you’re an adrenaline junkie you can go kite surfing and if you prefer a quieter activity, bird watching. As if that wasn’t enough, they lay claim to the first flights performed by the Wright Brothers, at what is now the Wright Brothers National Memorial.

Wright Brothers Memorial

You can easily incorporate a trip to the outer banks with a visit to the beautiful Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Here you can experience thickly forested mountains with so many different plants and animals it is an international biosphere reserve. There is wonderful hiking and great places to just sit and drink in the scenery. If you so desire you can also take a trip to Dollywood and / or the Biltmore Estate with its amazing chateaux style mansion and beautiful gardens.

For more info, see our Mountains and Beaches of North Carolina road trip.

Go independent…

British Airways have a range of flights from the UK to the nearest airports to the Outer banks; Norfolk International Airport (82 miles north) or Raleigh Durham International Airport (192 miles west), through their partnership with American Airlines.

If you want to check out other options, we like Skyscanner for a good listing of all the operators running flights.

In terms of places to stay, we like the Sanderling Resort in Duck. It is a lovely property with 2 pools and on the beach, and you can walk to the restaurants and shops of downtown Duck. If you would rather self-cater, HomeAway have a fantastic array of properties to rent on the Outer Banks, from studio apartments to 20 bed mansions.