Cornwall/London?

Yes, in my opinion, 6 nights is too short a time. You could stay 3 nights in London, then take the train for Penzance and use buses to get around for a few days. But the problem is that a train will take you anywhere from 6-7 hours to get to Cornwall from London, so that really only leaves you a day or two. It would not be worth it, in my opinion, but it depends on how bad you want to see Cornwall.

Personally, I think Cornwall deserves more time. I spent 9 nights there and in Devon last year and could easily have spent much more time. I realize not everyone has that luxury, but you do want to enjoy yourself and not spend the bulk of time on a train.

I would concentrate on 6 nights in London and take day trips to places like Bath or Salisbury or Portsmouth, Bristol or some of the cute villages that outly London. You could see Hampton Court Palace and Windsor. Or you could take a few days from London and head to the Cotswolds.

I agree that it’s not really long enough given the amount there is to see in both places and the travelling time that would be involved.

Cornwall is much easier with a car but even then in 2 days (which is all you’d have) you would only get a small taste of what’s there. You’d also only have 2 full days in London which isn’t a lot for such a huge city jam packed with sights.

I'll echo what Mardee said. Cornwall is stunningly beautiful and deserves as much time there as possible (watch the latest Poldark, Masterpiece for the incredible scenery and you'll know what I'm talking about). Then, there are the moors that Daphne du Maurier was so good at describing.

London is deserving of as much time as you can give it. You could take day trips to Oxford and/or Cambridge.

Cornwall and London really are two different trips or more than six nights.

That was kind of my fear...and I'd rather not drive. Traveling with a poldark fan whose only other must-do is the Tate to see Drowing Ophelia.

May be able to stretch to 8 nights, but definitely would have to split like 5-3

Thank you for your insight.

from 6-7 hours to get to Cornwall from London, so that really only leaves you a day or two.

It’s not quite so bad. Train from Paddington to Penzance in the far west is less than five hours. There is also the Riviera Sleeper option which saves a hotel stay or flights from Gatwick or Southend which take an hour.

Don't forget August is peak holiday season so your itinerary in Cornwall may depend on where you can find accommodation. Many places will already be fully booked.

The Night Riviera Sleeper is a very good option and way more affordable than the Scottish sleeper. I'm currently sat on a quote for a solo berth supplement of £59 for next month (sat on it as unsure of the date) which includes the lounge in Queen Victoria's waiting room at Paddington beforehand, showers in the Penzance or Truro lounges afterwards and a light cooked breakfast on the train. From experience the sleepers ride better now than when new. Do that in both directions and you gain two days in Cornwall.
There is usually late availability as the train length varies between 3 and 7 cars according to demand.

Rabbies Tours has a great 5 day tour of Devon and Cornwall.

Based on my research, driving there in high season (Summer) would be difficult with VERY heavy traffic.
Consider a tour.

Also, I wouldn't try to do London and Cornwall in only 6 nights.

Parking is the main issue in August which you can avoid having to deal with if you use public transport. However, it’s a rural area so using the buses will require a bit of planning. Traffic isn’t really a problem once you’re in Cornwall. The main routes to Devon and Cornwall can become very congested on summer weekends.

Tourism to Cornwall has been considerably down over the last few years and you will be able to find accommodation even in August. There is a lot of supply.

These are great tips. I just looked at the sleeper train. thank you all.

This is the Cornwall Bus timetable for this summer- https://images-transportforcornwall.passenger-website.com/2025-04/TFC%20April%2025%20Guide%20Web.pdf

For those familiar with the timetables of previous summers there are some very significant changes this year including the loss of all the open top routes.

Wondering if Uber is an option in Cornwall...google is giving me mixed information

Overthinking but have dropped Idea of Cornwall to concentrate on London.

Any thoughts on a central location to base for 2 or 3 nights on front end of for day trips like Oxford, Cambridge, Bath, or Windsor/other locales suggested above.

Trying to cut down on hotel costs in central london if possible....

I think that makes sense, Cornwall is a lot to fit in in a short time. If you're interested in day trips from London I would suggest staying near Paddington Station- of the four places you mentioned, three of them (Bath, Oxford, and Windsor) are most commonly accessed via Paddington. The fourth, Cambridge, goes from Kings Cross or Liverpool Street, both of which you can easily get to on Circle/Hammersmith & City line from Paddington.

Where are you coming in from and leaving from? That's an important factor in considering where two stay because that's when you have your bags with you.

Paddington is a meh area for me. It's handy for Heathrow but there are plenty of other areas that also are and have more interest. It's not great if you're using Gatwick.

I really liked staying near Victoria Station. You have easy access to three lines—Victoria, District and Circle, and can easily get to just about any place outside of London. I don't know what your budget is for a hotel (can you let us know?), but I recently stayed at The Resident Victoria hotel and really loved it. Here is a link to my trip report that has a more detailed review of it: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/london-and-paris-and-grandkids-oh-my-march-and-april-2025-trip-report

If your budget is less than that, Premier Inns are a good bet, although they are usually the cheapest the earlier you book, so you may not find much of a bargain there booking in August. However it's worth a shot. There is a Premier Inn near Victoria Station, but others abound throughout town.

Thank you

Would be landing at Heathrow.

The Paddington area hotels seems to be "most budget friendly."

"meh" in what way?

I've stayed at Number 63 on Bayswater Road several times. It's very close to Paddington Station and Lancaster Gate tube station is almost next door. Their prices are very affordable and it includes a continental breakfast. Another plus is that it is across the street from Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens.
Enjoy London and happy travels!!

Paddington for me is just a rather dull place to stay. It's a bit removed from most tourist attractions too. Generally hotels in the City, Tower Hill, Shoreditch and Aldgate areas for example are as cheap as those around Paddington and for me are in more interesting locations and closer to many tourist sites such as St Paul's and the Tower of London. The Elizabeth Line will get you there directly from Heathrow.

There’s not really anything of interest around Paddington and it doesn’t have a nice neighbourhood vibe either. It is just ‘meh’.

I don't think Paddington is that bad, and it has very good transport connections. However, you don't have to say "in" Paddington, but if you are planning to make several day trips to the places listed I would definitely stay near it to reduce your travelling time each day. There are lots of nicer neighbourhoods that are close by like Marylebone or Bayswater (as mentioned above- that particular hotel seems very popular here). Either way you are close to Hyde Park which is nice, and just north of Paddington is Little Venice.