London to Cornwall to Cambridge

You can go to Cornwall by train. You would need to go from Heathrow to either London Paddington or Reading (on the Elizabeth Line or Reading can be done on the Rail Link Coach) then train to Cornwall. It's a full day journey for about 400 miles.

I would suggest Newquay for the weekend, which is a change of train at Par.

There are also several coaches from Heathrow to Newquay (and many other places in Cornwall) on National Express- all but 1 of which is change at Plymouth Coach Station. That is the easiest way to make the journey. The 1500 journey gets you to Newquay direct (no change) at 2220- that allows plenty of time at LHR for any flight delays.

The reason for that is it is a really lovely part of Cornwall, with lots of walking opportunities easily accessible by local bus (and Rick Stein at Padstow if you are into that)- even Tintagel is easy to get to on the Saturday and day rover bus tickets for all of Cornwall are only £5, way cheaper than car hire, petrol and parking, and way more enjoyable.

Newquay is also of course famous for surfing.

You could have almost three full days there, because there are 3 flights a day back from Newquay Airport to London Gatwick (the last at 1700 arriving at 1815) on Eastern Airways, then a direct train from Gatwick to Cambridge which takes about 2 hours- operated by Thameslink. So you are only about 4 hours from Newquay Airport to Cambridge.

If you went to say Penzance (for Lands End) for the weekend you would have a full day train journey back to London on the 27 March as Newquay is the only airport in Cornwall.

On 24 March there are flights from Heathrow to Newquay on FlyBe but the timings are not good connections with a transatlantic flight.

It does feel a bit odd to go such a long way west then come back on yourself but that seems the best way to do it.

It may be easier on yourself to think about say going to East Anglia (Norfolk/Suffolk/Essex) for the weekend then you are in the right geographical area to transfer easily and gently to Cambridge on 27 March. Lots of nice places there for a bit of walking.

In March the weather anywhere in the UK could do absolutely anything. The benefit of Cornwall in March is that the best of any good weather is more likely to be there.

While Cornwall is lovely for sure, it is in the opposite direction to Cambridge. Is there a reason you need to go to Cornwall? March can be a tricky month for good weather and the countryside is often wet and muddy. Driving from Cornwall back across to Cambridge is about a 7-8 hour drive.
I agree, Cornwall is an odd choice considering how far apart the two places are. There are plenty of lovely places around Cambridge to explore especially if you are looking for country walks. While public transportation is great to get to cities and towns in England, the countryside is indeed best with a car. You could train to Stansted or bus (National Express) from Heathrow, rent a car and then explore East Anglia. Alternatively, if you must go west, then Bath and the Cotswolds area may be of interest to you and not as far to go as Cornwall.

You can fly from Newquay to Stansted using Ryanair. Stansted Airport is only 25 miles from Cambridge. There is a flight leaving on March 26. That would be much better than flying to Heathrow or Gatwick.

I don’t like Newquay very much as a town although the area around it is lovely and it probably does have the best transport connections. I’ve had some fantastic stays at Watergate Bay which is not far. If you can afford the hotel of the same name (it is pretty expensive) I would highly recommend it. It’s right on a gorgeous beach and the coast path for walking.

I have had fantastic weather in Cornwall in March but it really is hit and miss. The week before we went it rained heavily every day. I much prefer visiting Cornwall out of season.

Any particular reason why you have chosen Cornwall? It’s not convenient for Cambridge.

Personally, I would head to north Norfolk and enjoy some stunning coastal walks. There’s a much better chance of drier weather (it can rain a lot in Cornwall) and it’s much easier to get to Cambridge. Head to Norwich for the day if it rains.

Thank-you all. And I do see the distance to Cornwall is great and I would rather not have to bother with a flight to get to Cambridge. I will look forward to Cornwall another time. A new itinerary will benefit us. The draw to Cornwall was the beauty , the coastal landscape. I do agree It may be nice to keep it more convenient this trip. I have been to Bath and the Cotswolds. I'll check out East Anglia . Any thoughts on Norfolk or Norwich as a base since both were mentioned? Are there convenient trains from London to this area?

Norfolk is the county, Norwich is the city. The north Norfolk coast is fabulous with everything from seal watching boats to beaches (Suffolk, the next county down and to the east) is no slouch in coastal beauty either, and Essex holds its own) and great walking experiences. Sandringham, the royal winter residence is in the west of Norfolk, near Kings Lynn. The whole county as well as Suffolk and Cambridgeshire is a bird watcher paradise.

Plenty to do in Norwich for young and old. Trains to Norwich and Kings Lynn from London Liverpool Street station, London to Cambridge from Kings Cross station or Liverpool Street station (slower), trains from Norwich to Cambridge in only an hour and a quarter, either direct or with a change in the beautiful city of Ely.

As was said earlier you have a much better chance of a dry March day in East Anglia. (no fens or broads in Cornwall)

I would stay in Cromer, right on the coast, but I always drive there - it has a rail station. Norwich is a city but with a smaller town feel, with plenty to keep you occupied if the weather isn’t great.

I think Cromer or Sheringham on the Coast would suit you. If it's wet you can always go into Norwich or take a bus ride along the coast to Kings Lynn or Sandringham.
Catch the Elizabeth Line every 15 minutes direct to Liverpool Street station- 45 minute journey. From there a train runs to Norwich every 30 minutes, and there is an hourly connection on to Cromer/Sheringham which takes about an hour. The advance fare on every train is £10 to Norwich/£12 to Sheringham until the 1400 then more expensive gradually due to the afternoon/evening peak.
This website about the Norfolk Coast might wet your appetite.
https://www.explorenorfolkuk.co.uk/coastal-walks.html
Linear walks are very easy using the coastal bus from your Coastal base- see this website.
https://lovenorfolk.co.uk/norfolk-coastliner-coasthopper/
Until the end of March all bus fares in England are capped at £2 per single journey.

On the Monday its £21 train fare to Cambridge from Cromer/Sheringham or Norwich. No advance fares on that route.

After Cambridge you are best off getting an advance fare from Cambridge to Liverpool Street, for the Elizabeth line connection to LHR.

This web site details a 1 or 3 day East Anglian Rail Rover you can buy if it feels right or suitable for you.
https://www.greateranglia.co.uk/tickets-fares/discounts/rangers-rovers/anglia-plus

I'd disagree about going from Cambridge to Liverpool Street for the Elizabeth Line to Heathrow.

The Anglia trains to Liverpool Street stop along the way and are slower albeit a little cheaper. Once you are off the train there is the station concourse to navigate before heading down to the Elizabeth Line.

I do agree on the use of the Elizabeth Line but I would suggest a fast Thameslink train via St Pancras, stay on one more stop to Farringdon and change there for the Elizabeth Line to Heathrow. Or an even faster non-stop Great Northern train from Cambridge to Kings Cross, walk across the road, get a snack in St Pancras, then downstairs for the one stop to Farringdon. It will still be faster than Anglia.