One week in St Ives in mid September

Just a heads up- we were in St. Ives from September 14th to 19th a few years ago. We loved it but it was very, very crowded. There is a festival during that time for one thing. Also, I would not want to drive in St. Ives, narrow streets, no parking, the pedestrians pedestrianize the streets (which I have no argument with) so we saw cars sitting waiting behind walkers. The Balcony Bar & Kitchen is a fabulous place to people-watch. They have bar seating along the upstairs windows.

Assuming this is St Ives in Cornwall not St Ives in Cambridgeshire you absolutely do not want to drive in St Ives if you can avoid it. But if not accommodation with parking is a priority and hard to find. It’s still going to be busy in September. It’s 4 miles from us and we only go there October - May.

Check www.nationaltrust.org.uk for Cornish/Cornwall locations to visit. Look under Holidays for accommodations, which I would book as early as possible.They have maps that show sites to visit, etc. I would stay in one of the many charming inland villages, and then drive to spend some time at various beaches. Use Google Earth Maps to see the Satelite lay of the land. I agree that St. Ives is very busy with Day Trippers, even in September. There may be still be a train you can take into St. Ives. There is a train stop at Penzance which is nearest to St. Michael's.

Thanks all. Incredibly helpful. Any recommendations on a nearby town or village to stay in? We love the ocean and the ability to walk from our front door, but you've convinced me to look beyond St. Ives (Cornwall).

We did a Rabbies tour of Devon and Cornwall last year and loved the area and the tour.
St. Ives was interesting, but by far the MOST crowded place that we visited. Frankly, I would not want to stay there because of that.

Porthleven is a lovely coastal town. It’s a long way down on the Lizard and that part of Cornwall is much quieter as a result. Beautiful walks and beaches nearby plus good places to eat.

St Ives is beautiful and a very magical place but it does get busy.

Parking is difficult in many of the most attractive places in Cornwall.
Use, eg, Booking.com to check accommodation with parking, Having had a week there last September, parking anywhere was a complete nightmare and we were pleased we had a parking space at our St Ives B&B - 27 The Terrace, thoroughly recommended.

There may be still be a train you can take into St. Ives. There was also a train stop at St. Michaels.

The train to St Ives leaves from St Erth which is on the Penzance - London Paddington Line. There is no railway or station at St Michael’s Mount. Penzance is the nearest.