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London to Cornwall to Carlisle and Rental Car/Train

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We will be staying in London for 9 days in late June and then traveling to Cornwall for 5 days. We plan to rent a car (for Cornwall) to give us flexibility. Any thoughts on best location to pick up the car? I was thinking Heathrow but thought I'd check here.

After Cornwall we will be traveling North to Carlisle to visit friends. I was thinking we'd return the car to London Heathrow and switch to a train for the trip north.

The timing and order of our itinerary is set based on a variety of factors. Just looking for thoughts on most efficient travel between regions. Thank you.

Posted by
318 posts

Personally, I would not recommend driving to Cornwall, especially in high season like June. I would get the train to where you want to go in Cornwall and then rent a car once you got there. You can then return it to the same place and get a train from Cornwall to Carlisle. In general, for long distances especially between major cities, train is usually easiest and fastest. Good luck with your planning!

Posted by
685 posts

Get the train to Cornwall. Or fly to Newquay from Gatwick or Southend and rent a car at Newquay Airport. Return the car there and fly to Manchester with Logan Air. Then rent a car in Manchester or train to Carlisle.

Posted by
9293 posts

Rent a car at the Rail stations in either Penzance or Truro and take the overnight sleeper train from London to Cornwall to use time efficiently.
Easy jet also fly from Newquay to Manchester, and Loganair also fly to Newcastle (closer than Manchester).
There is an hourly train from Manchester Airport to Carlisle and two an hour from Newcastle to Carlisle.
On the train from Manchester to Carlisle buy an Airport Advance Single ticket. That is flexible to cover for flight delays. The train is faster than driving.

I hope your friend has warned you of the chaos we currently have in the centre of Carlisle with two major construction projects ongoing.

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