National Trust Car Park, Victoria Road

Okay, so you're heading to Formby pinewoods, right? If you're driving, the National Trust car park on Victoria Road is usually your best bet. It’s just off the main road, so easy to find. It's a paid car park, which bums some people out, but honestly, it's worth it to know your car's safe and you're contributing to the upkeep of the woods. Plus, it's usually a bit less manic than the one down by the Lifeboat Road entrance, especially on weekends when everyone and their dog descends on Formby.

I've used this car park loads of times. It's got a 4.2 rating from 128 reviews on Google, so people generally seem happy enough. It's a good starting point for loads of different walks through the woods and down to the beach – you can easily spend a good few hours exploring. And afterwards, you're only a short drive from Formby village if you fancy a pint in the Freshfield or some chips.

The car park's open during daylight hours, but check the National Trust website before you go, just in case they've got any special events on or anything that might affect access. They've got a phone number too, 01704 878591, if you want to double-check anything.

One tip: take some change for the parking machine, just in case the card reader's playing up. It's happened to me before, and nobody likes a trek back to the car!