Cornwall

The Cornish Coast.
I have to ask why you want to visit Cornwall and that will probably be your answe.

Two days is not really enough, as it takes a long time to get there, ~5 hours from London

You don't say when, but I am currently trying to arrange a visit for myself to include this: http://www.falmouthseashanty.co.uk/
Falmouth Sea Shanty Festival, Friday 22nd June - Sunday 24th June 2018. Lots of people going round singing in pubs and outside.

Cornwall is one of the most evocative places I've ever been. Absolutely beautiful coastline. We stayed in St. Mawes (train from London to St. Austell, then hired a car to take us to the Tresanton in St. Mawes), and took a tiny ferry to Falmouth one day. It was too long ago for me to have any valid suggestions, beyond "you have to go there"!

We have been there a few times. Our favorite location was the coast near Zennor. We stayed at the Gunard's Head - excellent food and it was easy to drive from there to most of western Cornwall. You need at least three nights. It takes a full day just to drive to Cornwall from LHR. Some other good coastal locations would be near Falmouth or Fowey on the south coast or near Port Isaac or Boscastle on the north coast.

hey bjc
my friends are going again to cornwall and st.ives in september for 12 days. they absolutely loved it, so gorgeous. they watched doc martin and decided to go. they saw and took picture with him, some filming, loved the singing fisherman friends on the platt in port issac friday nights, (visitcornwall.tv), greatscenicrailways.co.uk (under great days out- rail ale trails) bodminrailway.co.uk, 54lemons.com, cornishpremierepasties.co.uk and escapesurfschool.co.uk (under accomodations little escape). only a few suggestions which you can research about. enjoy your time.
aloha

I just visited St Ives on a Rick Steves tour and wasn’t wowed by that seaside town or by Penzance. I did visit Falmouth last fall on a Road Scholar tour and liked it’s atmosphere much better. As indicated St Mawes is a quick ferry ride across the Fal River.

Port Isaac is where Doc Martin is filmed but it’s so crowded I can’t imagine staying there. Parking is horrendous. I don’t think it’s well connected if you are depending on public transport.

Do you mean just 2 nights? That really only gives you 1 full day and Cornwall is a heck of a long way by train or car from London. Not sure what the rest of your plan is so that could have a bearing on recommendations.

This is the official website for the County:>https://www.visitcornwall.com

If travelling by train, be sure to pre-purchase tickets in advance as turn up and go can cost a lot of money on this long journey. www.gwr.com

I have heard from friends in the UK, that Cornwall is such a hot holiday destination these days that in summer the roads are clogged with traffic. Be prepared for crowds on the roads and pretty much everywhere. I was there a few years ago in late October. It wasn't a mob scene but there were plenty of visitors. I went to St. Michael's Mount, Penzance, and Mousehole. I can't imagine being there at the height of the summer season. People must be shoulder to shoulder.

It's a lovely area and I'd like to return, and I enjoyed walking the two miles along the shore from Penzance to St. Michael's Mount. It was the tourist attractions that were so busy.

BTW, I traveled by train, and took a local bus back from St. Michael's Mount and to see Mousehole. The train trip from Penzance to London is indeed long. The scenery was great, but I was really ready to get off that train by the time we got to London. (I'd traveled to Penzance from York, also by train, but for some reason that didn't seem as long as the Penzance to London trip, although it was actually a longer one.)

Last August I had trouble finding anywhere to have dinner in a couple of Cornish coastal towns without a reservation. Even very casual places were booked up. Locals speculated that it was the effect of Poldark plus Doc Martin.