London/Bath/Cornwall

Greetings from Camborne.

Firstly there is a direct train to Camborne from London Paddington but there is not a very touristy place so you might want to think about going through to Penzance or St Ives (with a change at St Erth) and stay there. The archives in Redruth “ Kresen Kernow” maybe really useful, the staff seem to be really helpful to people looking for ancestry. Wadebridge isn’t on the railway so a car may be most useful.

Sounds like a nice trip. If it were me, I would drop Bath- there is so much to see in London and the travel to Cornwall alone will take half a day each way, so I wouldn't try to fit in more. It's easy to get from London to Cornwall on the train from Paddington, which goes all the way down to Penzance along the south coast with some branch lines to the north. You can easily travel within Cornwall by train or bus depending on the destination (looks like there is a station in Camborne and bus stops in Wadebridge). Of course if you really want freedom you can hire a car and not have to worry about checking schedules etc. September is a good time to go as the weather should still be nice but it will be less crowded- you could even look at staying in St Ives which is normally quite busy but should be quieter by then and is very close to Camborne. If interested in seeing the coast, you could also look at doing a section of the Southwest Coast Path which goes all the way around Cornwall and Devon and has beautiful scenery. This trip should be pretty easy to plan on your own so I don't know that you'd need a travel agent. Good luck with your planning!

There is also the Sleeper Train which leaves Paddington at 2345.

Only 8 days, how many in London?
You need one FULL day in Bath, not good for just a day trip. Consider doing on another trip.

Devon and Cornwall are very busy , with loads of heavy traffic, don't try renting a car and drive.
We did a wonderful Rabbies Tour of Devon and Cornwall last year and it was wonderful.
https://www.rabbies.com/en-gb/tour/devon-cornwall-a-magical-land-of-legends-5-day-tour-from-london?_gl=1*o0gmxv*_up*MQ..*_ga*MjEzMDQxOTQ2MS4xNzk0MzM3MjU0*_ga_CQ6TXTDB4F*czE3OTQzMzcyNTIkbzEkZzAkdDE3OTQzMzcyNTIkajYwJGwwJGgxMjc0NjYzODIy

If you take the train, you must find a way to see more of Cornwall than just where the train trip takes you.
Don't miss going to Land's End and St. Michael's Mount.
https://stmichaelsmount.co.uk

https://www.getyourguide.com/-l1686/-tc172/?cmp=bing&ad_id=78409142599655&adgroup_id=1254544127824203&bid_match_type=be&campaign_id=710870987&device=c&feed_item_id=&keyword=day+trips+from+st+ives+cornwall&loc_interest_ms=246641&loc_physical_ms=74961&match_type=e&msclkid=691b9e7af5bc177fc2a6f4899f19caeb&network=o&partner_id=CD951&target_id=kwd-78409397836305%3Aloc-188&utm_adgroup=lc%3D1686%3Ast+ives%7Cfn%3Df4%7Cci%3D1484%3Aday+tour+from&utm_campaign=dc%3D35%3Agb%7Clc%3D1686%3Ast+ives%7Cct%3Dcore%7Cln%3D29%3Aen%7Ctc%3Duk&utm_keyword=day+trips+from+st+ives+cornwall&utm_medium=paid_search&utm_query=tours+of+cornwall+from+St+ives&utm_source=bing&visitor-id=9OAN9E2TSIEKA3SRISGVAPDJI5D7SENE&locale_autoredirect_optout=true

There is an hourly bus service from Bodmin Parkway Railway Station to Wadebridge thence Padstow (and a Steam Train service on certain days from Bodmin Parkway to Bodmin Town).

Buses run hourly from Penzance to Lands End hourly even in the depths of winter, and from Penzance to Marazion (for St Michael's Mount) at least every 30 minutes, sometimes more than that.

You can easily get a full day in Bath by leaving London early- Bath is 90 minutes by train from London Paddington. The first train of the day from Paddington arrives at Bath at 0645, and the last back is at 11pm. They are every 30 minutes.

There is only one direct train a day from Cornwall to Bath (and none the other way)- the rest of the time you change at Bristol.

If you do drive to Marazion be very careful of the car parks, as the payment methods catches a lot of people out.

If you use the Night Riviera sleeper train it is best taken FROM Cornwall to London as it leaves Penzance at around 9pm.

If you use the Night Riviera sleeper train it is best taken FROM Cornwall to London as it leaves Penzance at around 9pm.

Unless you prefer to do it the the other way round in which case leaving Paddington at 2345 is best. Obviously.

Of course all passengers can join the westbound Sleeper at 2230 at Paddington, or earlier.

Last time I was on it we were called for boarding at just after 2200. I had come in to Paddington from Bath (started at Wells after Evensong at the Cathedral) leaving Bath at about 2000 and barely had time to use the Sleeper Lounge (the former Queen Victoria's waiting room) before the early boarding- which I was very glad for after an extremely long day.

Devon and Cornwall are very busy , with loads of heavy traffic, don't try renting a car and drive.

I don't think it will be terrible in September. There might be some areas that have heavier traffic, but I had no problem renting a car and driving around through both Devon and Cornwall when I was there. You'll save time if you're driving as opposed to using public transportation.

I agree with Cat that you should skip Bath. Bath is nice, but you really need more than a day to see it. I have a feeling that once you're there, you will want to come back to England anyway, so you can always save it for another visit. Cornwall is really a lovely place to visit, and if you really want to see where your ancestors lived in, it will take time to drive between the various areas. There will be a lot of single-track roads, so while I doubt that there will be too heavy traffic, you still will need to be going slower than you're probably used to.

In a nutshell, if you've got 8 days, I would spend 3 days in London, 1 day to travel from London to Cornwall, another 3 full days in Cornwall, then one day to head back to London to fly out (unless of course, your 8 days do not include travel time at the beginning and end, and in that case, I would tack on another day to Cornwall).

EDIT: One last note I just thought of: you said you have 8 days. Generally on this forum, travelers tend to count nights rather than days because you get a more accurate idea of how much time you have. For example, 5 nights = 4 full days. A lot of times you'll have some time on the first and the last day, but mostly it's going to be eaten up by travel time, hotel check-ins, hotel check-outs, getting to the train station, and so on. So if you're looking to have 8 full days, you will need to spend 9 nights in England. Eight nights only gives you 7 full days.

Another option that would allow you to at least see each of the three areas you are interested in, would be to get a train to Bath after you land and clear Customs. This would allow you to travel towards Cornwall, have a somewhat easier day as you adjust to jetlag, and at least lay eyes on Bath's beautiful architecture.

After a night (or two?) in Bath, you could rent a car and drive to Wadebridge, enjoy a couple of nights in Cornwall, return the car in Truro, and take a train to London. That would leave about 3 nights in London. Yes, there will be sites you wished to see that you miss, but that's always the case. It just means you have a reason to return:)

I visited Cornwall in September 2024 and did not experience heavy traffic. You would have major highways for the drive from Bath to Wadebridge, which I find less stressful when driving on the left. You may have narrow country roads for other parts of your Cornwall adventures, and as noted by a previous commentor, these can mean it takes longer to get between than points than you would expect. I also find narrow roads to be mentally taxing, so I need frequent breaks.

Hope you have a lovely trip!

As a local from Devon, (Spending winters in FL,) the areas of Cornwall and adjoining Devon. Are truly beautiful and you will need time to explore as there is SO much to see. However September is still really busy and do not underestimate the narrow lanes, which can be difficult when you’re in a vehicle that you’re not used too. Adding many tourists in camper vans unwilling to reverse due to their size.
A car however, is the very BEST way to explore these two beautiful counties. In my opinion there’s not much to Bodmin. However Padstow is gorgeous, stay in Wadebridge if you have a car and drive to Padstow, taking the Ferry to Rock ( a small but trendy village) or walk the coastal path to Polzeath. All beautiful

Bath is really lovely, but a day there is fine. True England is the partly the Southwest in my opinion.

Get out and explore, it’s truly gorgeous. Particularly if the weather cooperates and September is a good bet.
Enjoy!