driving from Bath

ViaMichelin gives two routes, the southern (more interior) one being two hours faster (at just over 4 hours without stops) than the northern route. The southern route skirts Exeter, which is a handsome town of some size. It would make a nice change from small coastal towns.

The proposed northern route (over 6 hours) runs fairly near the sea in a few places and would appear to give you more opportunities for the type of overnight stay you have in mind. I can't provide any recommendations since I traveled through Cornwall via train and bus. I did notice traffic tie-ups in the immediate area of some of the little coastal towns.

I see lots of side roads marked on the map in green, which is the way ViaMichelin flags especially scenic routes.

Thank you for the information!!

It might not be exactly halfway but Lynton and Lynmouth, the latter reached best by funicular railway from above, are well worth a visit. We were there recently, setting off on a long distance walk, so didn't have anywhere near the time to explore properly (for instance the town hall at Lynton looked a fabulous building worthy of a visit), but I'd hope to go back and 'do' both towns justice. For the record we stayed at The Bath Hotel on the 'front' (seafront) which was pretty good. Again though, just passing through. Do a web search of the places so you can see where they are on the map!

Have a great trip!

Ian

When my wife and I made the drive from Bath, we stayed in Tintagel. It’s more than half way but has very nice views. Port Isaac is also nice, and we loved St. Ives. After visiting Land’s End we also stayed in Truro. Remember, the roads are narrow and not necessarily straight, so although the distance may be short, it takes longer than one might expect to arrive at your destination.

Another very useful website for planning road trips in England is www.theaa.com (then click on route planner). This is the website for the British equivalent of AAA.

As much as I love Exmoor (especially the area around Selworthy) and Clovelly on the northern Devon coast, I would be inclined to drive the M5 via Exeter, thus avoiding the slow coastal roads until I reached Cornwall.

Thank you!!!

You could easily do this drive in a day, but if you want to take two days, here is a suggestion:

Day one: Bath to Wells to Glastonbury to an overnight somewhere on the eastern edge of Dartmoor. For Dartmoor hotels, Google map Dartmoor, hit nearby, and lots of hotels show up.

Day two: Explore Dartmoor, if you didn't have enough time on day one. We stopped for a mid-day break at Cotehele, if that interests you - it is right on the Devon and Cornwall border. Then visit Boscastle (the witchcraft museum is fascinating, not at all sensational) and Port Isaac (although it gets very crowded with Doc Martin fans. Tintagel is located between Boscastle and Port Isaac. The town itself has very little charm, but it does have Tintagel Castle which is fascinating. However, to access the castle one needs to climb several hundred steep, uneven, and slippery steps.

You won't see much of the north coast of Devon if you are driving. The road is set back quite a bit from most of the coastline. Exeter Cathedral is interesting, but the town can be a traffic problem.

If using a gps set it to avoid single lane roads. We didn’t. It was hard driving them. In our gps they are called shared lane roads. My knuckles are still white a week later. LOL