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Cornwall UK

WE will be driving from Bath to Cornwall. I was there about 12 years ago on a teacher exchange and loved the area. I stayed in Penzance. Could anyone suggest a better area to be able to drive around to see St. Ives, Minnack Theater,etc.? WE have about 4-5 days. Thank you!!

Posted by
1869 posts

We spent a week in the West Country, June, 2015. I highly recommend the two places we stayed. Gurnard's Head, near Zennor, was very friendly and served delicious dinners. It was convenient for all locations west of Penzance. We stayed there three nights. We then relocated to Pebble House, Mevagissey for two nights. We had lovely views there of the ocean. Pebble House does not serve dinner but it is an easy walk into Mevagissey which has several restaurants. Mevagissey was convenient for the eastern parts of Cornwall, both the northern and southern coasts and Bodmin Moor.

Due to its long skinny shape, Cornwall is really easier to visit if you choose two hotels - one for the western end, one for the eastern end closer to Devon.

Posted by
28247 posts

Since Cynthia mentioned Mevagissey: As of August there was not an ATM in town. Townspeople said they were hoping to solve that problem, but best to arrive with some cash on hand unless you're willing to use your debit card to get cash back (something several shops were offering).

Posted by
4167 posts

Have a look at St . Just in Penwith , well located for your plans .

Posted by
2805 posts

Regarding Mevagissey, there has never been an ATM. If you feel up to a two mile walk, you can walk to Pentewan, they have one.

Posted by
28247 posts

That's interesting. The locals told me there were 3 banks in town not long ago; I just assumed they would have had ATMs.

Posted by
311 posts

Thanks again! Sometimes the best part of the trip is the planning!!

Posted by
2805 posts

We stayed in Mevagissey for two nights in 2014 and that’s what we were told by shop owners, also by our B&B owner. But still worth a visit and/or stay for a couple of days.

Posted by
993 posts

Mevagissey is my favorite place to stay in Cornwall. I love being in town and watching cars try to navigate the narrow street corners. Park at the carpark just outside of town.

Posted by
28247 posts

Yes, the driving conditions are sub-optimal to say the least.

Posted by
776 posts

We weee just in Cornwall a few days ago. We are doing it more budget. Mostly in Premier inns.

We ended up in Exeter for the first night and Camborne for 2 nights. We were driving. It was awesome even in the rain.

Suggestion. If you travel with a GPS, set it to avoid shared roads. Omg that would have saved us so much stress. Single lane roads ( I think it’s calked single carriage ) are CRAZY when you are driving a people mover on the opposite side you normally drive. My knuckles are still white. Lol

Posted by
5553 posts

Single lane roads ( I think it’s called single carriage )

Single carriage roads are one lane in both directions, dual carriage means two lanes in both directions ie four lanes in total. Those single lane roads with no dividing line are simply roads or lanes. They can be nerve wracking at times, particularly when locals come hurtling along in the other direction because they're used to them. As a tourist who's not used to navigating them accompanied by driving on the other side I can imagine it can be quite intimidating particularly when your view is obscured by hedgerow.

I can well imagine your knuckles are still white!

Posted by
4167 posts

Since a picture is worth a thousand words , the driving on the back roads and lanes of Cornwall can best be summed up in a scene from series 1 , episode 1 , of " Doc Martin " , when the Doc gets his first taste of it . In all fairness , once I became accustomed to it , it wasn't bad at all !

Posted by
776 posts

JC yes you are right. The more you drive the better you feel about them. I was told we would see a lot of them in Scotland also. Be there tomorrow. Lol