We're planning a two-week trip to Devon and Cornwall. We won't have a car, so we will need to rely on train and bus routes.
We're considering staying in Exeter, Plymouth, and Penzance, at least 4 nights in each location. Are these good choices for local attractions and access to day trips via bus, train, or ferry? Other towns or villages we should consider?
I can speak to Plymouth only. It’s a big and quite gritty city in parts, but the waterfront (Plymouth Hoe, the Barbican and Royal William Yard) is stunning.
Day trips: you can get to lovely Looe very easily by train (change at Liskeard), and up to the nice solid market town of Tavistock and onwards to bits of Dartmoor by bus from Plymouth.
(I think you can also do Dartmoor from Exeter)
In the summer you can catch a ferry across to the very pretty little village of Cawsand from Plymouth. [just realised you said October so this ferry service has finished but there’s a beautiful bus ride]
There is also a bus from Plymouth city centre that slowly winds east via the pleasant town of Kingsbridge eventually ending up (two hours later) in beautiful Dartmouth.
Alternatively a train from Plymouth will get you to the handsome hippie-ish town of Totnes, where - if the tides are right - you can do the Round Robin boat/bus/steam train trip to Dartmouth and Paignton.
[https://www.dartmouthrailriver.co.uk/tickets/round-robin][1]
So subject to the fact that you get a shock of slightly gritty city and Brutalist architecture when you first arrive in Plymouth, it has great transport links and a world-class waterfront and would make a great base.
These are three great places to stay.
But in Cornwall the possibilities are almost endless for places to stay at and depends very much on what you want to do.
Likewise in Devon- if you want the south coast stay on the Cornish Riviera (Torquay or Paington).
For the North Coast somewhere like Barnstaple, Ilfracombe, Bideford etc.
There are lots of little ferries, some seasonal and some gloriously little known. The fun is finding them!
For buses in Cornwall (in the right hand bar you will see the system map and system timetable)- https://www.gocornwallbus.co.uk/services
For buses in Devon see https://www.traveldevon.info/bus/
For all ferries and other boat trips around Plymouth- https://www.plymouthboattrips.co.uk/
For all ferries and boat trips around Falmouth (Cornwall)-https://www.falriver.co.uk/ferries/enterprise-boats
Various other ferries exist from other ports, too many to list here.
Thank you for these suggestions and links! We're looking forward to our trip.
I wouldn’t want to stay long in Plymouth frankly. The Luftwaffe did for most of its medieval centre. There are endless choices in Cornwall although Torquay and Paignton aren’t among them as they are in Devon not on the Cornish Riviera. Torquay is awful IMHO.
Did you say you have a car? Fowey (pronounced “Foy”), Falmouth, Penzance, Padstow….
Actually Stroudy, I was surprised just how much of the medieval centre of Plymouth survives - a lot more than I expected if you search for it. Having said that, I'm not sure I'd want to spend four nights there.
Without a car - as the OP has stated they won't have - they are going to be limited to places easily reached by public transport which also have the opportunity for exploring again by public transport.
It would be helpful if we had an idea what sort of things the OP is wanting to do/see while on ho.liday as that might help suggest places to stay.
One place I might suggest is Totnes, which is smaller than either Exreter or Plymouth. It has a ruined castle and there is the possibility foir a variety of day trips - the circular down the river to Dartmouth, Dartmouth Steam Railway to Paignton and then bus back to Totnes makes a lovely day out. Alternatively use the South Devon Railway (another preserved steam railway to Buckfastleigh and a visit to Buckfast Abbey. Catch the 164 bus from Totnes to Kingsbridge and Salcombe
This will be our first trip to Devon and Cornwall.
We're not fond of one or two night stays; we want to spend time in an area to learn more about its history and culture.
We know we would like to be in a market town. We'd like to have options for day trips to the country side, the coast, bird watching, and maybe a ferry or boat ride.
If it's more a historical market town you're after then for Cornwall you could try either Penzance or the County town of Truro.
As well as Truro's history there is the very historical town of Falmouth, reachable by train and bus.
It's also possible to go by bus down to St Mawes, by October the seasonal ferry to Place may have ended, but you can catch the ferry across to Falmouth. However if the weather is looking dodgy then do check, as that bay is deceptive. The wind whips up and ferry cancellations are not uncommon.
You may be lucky enough to get one of the fairly rare river trips up from Falmouth to Truro- timetable yet to be announced on the Fal river link.
If in Falmouth there is also the ferry across to historical Flushing- again on the Fal river link.
Another good trip is down to the Lizard peninsula- see the bus timetables link.
If in Penzance you should go to St Michael's Mount, also consider the Open top bus to Lands End- a 4 hour circular route you can break up as you wish.
Another trip you might like is the day trip to the Isles of Scilly- fly out from Lands End Airport (included bus transfer from Penzance), return on the ferry to Penzance Harbour. Again choose your day carefully - it can be a lively crossing.
In Devon I think that Barnstaple would suit your interests well. There's a good rail route up from the main line at Exeter, then a pretty good network of local bus routes to lots of interesting places.
You probably want to look at some of the smaller towns rather than Plymouth, Exeter and Penzance. Totnes would definitely fit the bill.
Falmouth in Cornwall would also be worth thinking about too. This is also on the railway so could do day trips using the train There is also the ferry across the river to St Mawes. Or catch the open top bus around Falmouth. Catch a bus to Helston and another to the Lizard...
Exeter has loads to do ( I may be biased) and would be a good base if you're interested in day trips by train around Devon, to places like Torbay and Barnstaple and Okehampton (for Dartmoor). Dawlish and Teignmouth are both lovely laid-back seaside towns.
If you would like to be based in a market town, Totnes is a solid choice.
Plymouth is convenient for reaching Cornwall on day trips, and while the city centre is not very attractive once you get down to the seaside there are nice pubs and shops, an aquarium and the Theatre Royal Plymouth all of which are worth your time.
In Cornwall a personal recommendation and favourite of mine is Newquay, which has beautiful beaches and an energetic atmosphere, but you'll have more time to explore other places depending on your individual interests.
Thank you all for your suggestions.
We have second thoughts about staying in Plymouth. Totnes is very appealing.
We traveled to Cornwall and Devon last September without a car and utilized trains, busses, ferry and private guides. We stayed four nights in Penzance (Chapel House Inn) and did several day trips via bus to St Ives, Marazion and St Micheal's Mount. Took trains to Bodmin Parkway and walked to Landhydrock House and stopped through Truro on the return journey. We did use a private guide for more remote locations along the north coast and stayed three nights in lovely Padstow. We ended our time with three nights in Totnes (The Bull Inn) and as mentioned above did the Round Robin trip to Dartmouth!! Lovely small town with lots of galleries, unique shops and good restaurants (The Bull Inn and Pie Street). Happy travels!
I just returned from a wonderful trip to Cornwall and Devon. I chose Penzance, Truro, Totnes, and Exeter as my bases and stayed four nights in each, using buses and trains to get around. I only had a month to plan the trip and used this Forum to help me determine the best home bases for someone without a car. I wanted to see as much of the coastal areas as possible and found the National Trust website really helpful in helping me create a wishlist identifying walks with spectacular scenery of the coast that are reachable by public transportation. When I arrived at each base, I visited the TI with my wishlist and they were very helpful with bus and train information. I simply took a photo of the bus/train schedule with my phone and made sure I knew when the last bus/train was to get me back to base to avoid getting stranded. I found this method worked far better than any of the transportation apps or websites. Maybe it’s me, but I didn’t find those apps and websites very user friendly.
Penzance – I did Mousehole, Porthcurno, Land’s End, and St. Ives. I attempted to walk to St. Michael’s Mount but had to abandon my plans when the weather turned foul and a thunderstorm was imminent. Penzance is a fantastic transport hub and home base. I stayed at the Tremont Hotel, a boutique 10-room hotel, about 20 minutes from the train/bus station, run by Mary who looked after me like a member of her own family.
Truro – I did St. Agnes and the scenic walk to St. Agnes Head (part of the Southwest Coast Path). If you enjoy nature walks, this is a great walk. The views are spectacular. There were two planned rail strikes while I was in Truro. On those days, I took the bus to Falmouth and did a circular walk in Truro suggested by the TI. Truro has a great farmer’s market on Saturdays and I was lucky my itinerary coincided with it.
Totnes – I took two buses to Brixham and walked out to Berry Head. The Guardhouse Cafe at Berry Head serves fresh, delicious seafood. I tried the hake and samphire - simply amazing! Totnes is a market town with many medieval buildings and a great little museum. It is also where you can do the Round Robin as mentioned in the post above. Jane at the Totnes TI is knowledgeable, patient, and helpful. You can email her with questions at tic@totnestowncouncil.gov.uk
Exeter – I took the bus to Sidmouth on the Jurassic Coast, and went by train to Exmouth, a seaside resort, where I had the best fish n chips from a place I happened upon. Exeter is a lively university town with a cathedral and a great museum.
This was my first time in Cornwall and Devon and I must say it was one of my favourite trips. It was a very active holiday, I was walking 9 to 13 kms/day. Everywhere, people were so helpful and kind, the Cornish pasties did not disappoint, and the coastal scenery was breathtaking. There were sights on my wishlist I didn’t get to - because of weather, rail strikes, or need for rest days, but I love this area of England and I know I’ll be back to see what I missed (St. Michael’s Mount, Tintagel, Dartmoor, and many of the quaint fishing villages). I hope you find this helpful - have a great time!
Thank you for sharing the highlights of your recent visit to Devon and Cornwall. Sounds like you had a fabulous time.
We appreciated the reminder to check in at the local TI and the links that you shared.
We've decided to stay in Exeter, Penzance, and Totnes. We can't wait!
Hi,
Penzance is where the rail line ends. So it is fairly easy to get to. It is large enough to have accommodations and restaurants., and yet small enough to be ignored.
From there you can take buses. Two very different communities close to Penzance are St Ives and St Just. St Ives is so touristed they have carparks for 600 and 900 cars outside of town. It was a famous artist community more than 50 years ago. St. Just is a community that has been mostly unaffected by the decades. Outside of St. Just is the Poldark scenery of old mine heads and coastline. Much of Cornwall has a coastal trail for walking or as people call walking these days, hiking.
This is if you want to be in the very west end of Cornwall.
wayne iNWI
I will throw in my two cents worth, as I was in Cornwall last month, for 11 days.
If you are not traveling by auto, I would base a Cornwall trip in Truro. It seems to be a good transportation hub having a convenient bus and train connections for that part of the peninsula. Truro is less touristy than St. Ives, and Falmouth and I found it a very pleasant city to wander around. Be sure to check out the cathedral if you are there.
Another post indicated the Cornwall bus schedule on line. That is also published in a magazine form and can be found at all bus stations. If you travel by bus be sure to grab a copy and figure out the bus number and schedule you need to get where you want to go. This was very useful for my journeys.
I had a wonderful time in Cornwall, hope you will, too!
Please be aware that there are substantial service revisions happening in September, including altering of route numbers in some cases.
So you need to check beforehand as part of your planning.
I always use the on line timetables, downloaded, for planning, then replace them with the paper version when I can get hold of it.
