We're going to be spending a week in Exeter, and we don't have a car. We'd like to see some of Dartmoor National Park while we're there, but the 35-pounds-for-half-a-day tours seem to be a thing of the past. Now all I can find are 600-pound tours where you bring your own group. Can anyone tell me of a way of seeing it and/or advise what part to see? Thank you.
Karen
There are buses from Exeter to places in Dartmoor National Park, and the Visit Dartmoor website (the official UK one) has a list of local tour guides that offer tours in Dartmoor. I have no idea what the prices are but you could check them out. https://visitdartmoor.co.uk/get-active/the-best-dartmoor-walks/guided-tours/
I loved Dartmoor and was just there in late March, but I had a car, which made it much easier to get around. I highly recommend having a meal at the Three Crowns Hotel in Chagford, and I don't know if you can get there with a guide, but Widecombe-in-the-Moor is a charming village with a beautiful and very historic church.
There is a lot of hiking in the park if you like that. And the moors and tors are gorgeous—the scenery really is breathtaking. Again, the Visit Dartmoor site has a list of the highlights in scenery there. https://visitdartmoor.co.uk/things-to-do/moors-tors/ I found a lot of ideas there, and also on the website for Dartmoor National Park. https://www.dartmoor.gov.uk/
One good way to get there is by train from Exeter to Okehampton (a relatively newly re-opened line). From right outside the station entrance a whole network of bus services runs- timed to connect with trains.
And there is a really good cafe on the station platform. Although it is an unstaffed station the bathrooms are open during cafe opening hours.
The risk of course is that you don't explore Okehampton town itself. There is also cycle hire in Okehampton town.
Another way to get there is train to Plymouth, then frequent bus to Tavistock. Again from Tavistock there are a lot of local bus services radiate out. You do NOT have to walk into Plymouth City Centre to catch that as it also stops at the back of the railway station.
Bus 98 Tavistock to Princetown to Yelverton (also on the #1 route to Plymouth) being one example. If you go up in the morning bus 172 takes you from Tavistock to Princetown, time there including lunch then the early afternoon Bus 98 ex Tavistock takes you on a tour of the moor on it's way back to Yelverton.
Bus fares are still £2 per journey all year, but there is a little know 'Devon Day' Bus ticket (even valid into parts of nearby Cornwall) for £9.50- which is multi-operator and valid all day from start of service.
A benefit of going by bus sometimes is that you get to visit unexpected places like Yelverton (due to changing bus) which you would just otherwise drive straight through.
I have a set of up to date timetable books for Devon, but hey can't put my finger on them this morning. But this is the County web page for Devon buses- https://www.traveldevon.info/bus/timetables/
Chagford for instance is Bus 173 from Exeter 5 times a day- some extended to Moretonhampstead, 1 hour journey, and the 359 is the faster bus back to Exeter 6 x a day- to give a round trip.
There are many more options than might be realised.
Hopefully the Devon Bus link will give you the information you need, otherwise do revert back.
Even Widecombe in the Moor has a 4x a day circular sightseeing bus on summer Saturdays (#271) from Newton Abbot railway station (an important station on the very frequent Exeter to Plymouth railway line).
I'm not a tours person- I go to where I want to go to at my pace- not where a tour wants to go to at their pace, but am not aware of day tours from Exeter. I think Plymouth Bus stopped their day tours during Covid and never restarted them.
It depends what you want to see. Are you looking to hike Dartmoor or spend time in the towns and villages?
If you're going to hike and don't have a car then Okehampton is my recommendation as the entrance to the park is across the railway tracks and up a short hill, about 5 minutes total. I enjoy hiking Okehampton to Belstone and stopping at the Tors Inn for a pub meal, then hiking back to Okehampton. They do offer limited accommodation as well if you want to stay the night. On the way you can also stop off at Nine Maidens stone circle (also known as sixteen brothers).
Give yourself 2 hours each way, perhaps more if its a particularly windy day because it slows you down significantly. The terrain is also incredibly bipolar up-down up-down at first but levels out eventually.
You do not need any specialised gear other than warm clothes and do be prepared for the weather to change very quickly. Like, a sunshine-to-hailstone sort of change.
If you're up for it you can continue past Belstone to Sticklepath where the National Trust estate Finch Foundry is. Unfortunately it was named after the Finch brothers, so no birds involved but is still very worthwhile.
You can get to Okehampton by bus or train but I recommend the train if you want to see Dartmoor.
I've found my timetable books now.
One easy and worthwhile day trip to Dartmoor would be Train to Okehampton, do @ Clyffthear's walk then the hourly 118 bus across Dartmoor to Tavistock then bus 1 to Plymouth and train back to Exeter.
The obvious place for a stop on your way over the Moor on the 118 is Lydford- a nice Saxon village with a big tin mining history, but also with a well known River Gorge. .
I think that would be a very good day out.
A few months ago, in deep winter, I did something similar when I had been to several of the villages between Okehampton and Exeter (nearly to Exeter, starting from Okehampton before dawn) then back to Okehampton, Lydford and Plymouth as described, then on to my overnight hotel at Paignton on the English Riviera. After a freezing start it resolved into one of those magical sunny, beautiful crisp winter days, which can be almost magical in their beauty.
Thanks to all of you! The links and the transportation information are particularly helpful. We're not spring chickens, and we're not small, so I'm glad to see there are buses that go through Dartmoor.
