The Cornwall/Devon area is hurting my brain! Need help with driving issues.

I think you’re going in March? So the roads will be relatively quiet. Cornwall is fine. Just go slow and be prepared to back up. If you come to a passing place, slow down and see if anything is coming so you can pull in easily. A lot of the roads are fine but there are definitely some narrow bits. Check your route as google maps can be bad in places like Cornwall for sending you on the shortest route mileage wise which can mean avoiding the best roads. Sticking to better roads is going to be quicker in most cases.

What time of year will you be going?

I've driven in Cornwall and Devon in December/January and it was alright. Our home-base was near Fowey, an area full of one lane roads with high hedges on either side. But since it was a quiet time of year it wasn't too stressful and when meeting a car coming the other direction there was always plenty of room for one of us to back up to allow the other to pass. I've heard the area is completely different in the summer months, packed with people and I wouldn't want to drive there then. Not every road in the region is narrow with high hedges, so if you do drive there are plenty of divided, two lane roads and highways too.

If public transit will work for part of your trip, go for it, especially if you'll be there during the height of tourist season. If you'll be there in the quieter, shoulder seasons, I'd say you'll probably be fine (I too drove in Scotland and elsewhere in England before driving in Cornwall). One thing that helped me was studying Google Streetview of any roads I knew I would be driving frequently before I left so I had an idea of what I was going to face.

And lastly, we turned in our rental car (rented from Enterprise, once out of Plymouth and once out of Bodmin) with mud and dirt all along the sides from brushing up against hedges when edging past other cars, and they didn't blink an eye.

Helen, yes, towards the end of March. And I didn't even think about the fact that there won't be the huge crowds there that summer probably has.

That's a really good idea about checking the routes, too. In fact, I was think about getting one of the really good road maps to use with Google. That's what I had last time in the UK (pre-Google GPS) and it worked out well. I could just map my route the night before and use Google to keep me on it.

Thanks so much! I feel better already! 😊I

Angella, I'm getting there around March 25th and will be there for about 10 days. So it won't be as crowded as the summer. Thanks for telling me of your experience - that makes me feel much calmer about it. :) And that's a good idea about using Streetview - I use it sometimes but probably not enough.

I have to say, that made me laugh about hearing you turn in your rental car. The same thing happened to me in Scotland. I had driven the car for 16 days and it was filthy dirty with dried mud all over the bottom and the tires, and Arnold Clark didn't say a word. I had been sweating it a little bit, too. Good to know that happens in Cornwall also! Thank you!

There's no doubt you could do Cornwall by train and bus but the transfer train station to bus station at Truro is funny- they are not close to each other. The obvious alternative of the bus from Falmouth to Truro I find very tedious as you creep round Penryn for ever then round the University before finally getting moving.

You won't cover half the ground- any journey will likely take you twice as long at least.

I can get to anywhere I need to go in the County with comparative ease by train/bus/ferry combos. I have even done Newquay to Lands End and back the long way round by bus in the day, and can do Newquay to Tintagel or even Bude on the bus. But it takes a while. I even did Tintagel from Newquay using the Padstow Harbour Ferry to make it more fun or more complicated or more idiotic depending on your point of view. On a blazing hot day.

The difference is I can always come back tomorrow if I miss out something, you can't.

There is a daily integrated ticket called Ride Cornwall which is all buses (all day) and all trains west of Plymouth (only after 0900 on a weekday) for £18 a day.

Cornwall does have some interesting roads- those between Falmouth and Helston via the estuary (not the excellent main road) are prime examples. And one of Rick's tour routes seems to come down from Padstow to Newquay- that road can be very exciting in parts.

But most of the main roads are normal good highways.

Where you are (near Gyllngvase beach) to and from the station could get tedious with the hills. We don't know that the Falmouth Coaster bus will be running on it's less than wonderful timetable, and the alternative minibus 67 town route is only hourly, daytime, weekdays.

I'm not sure you would be able to cover the ground you need/want to cover by train/bus. The Royal Duchy is great with a car, by public transport I remain to be convinced.

Many people say the roads in Devon are the really narrow roads. But you are doing Exmoor, Dartmoor and Torbay basically so you will mainly be on the good roads in Devon.

I think you would be better off with the car. You took Scotland with care, even on the day you shot from Arran to Oban it wasn't at lunatic pace. If you do the same again and as Helen says read the road and know how to reverse I think you'll be fine. The worst tourists in the Lake District are those who don't know what reverse gear is or are incapable of reversing in a straight line. You're a pro at all that after the Highlands.

I have driven in Cornwall in summer, and although there are many narrow country lanes, there were always places where you could pass oncoming cars, and people who drive those lanes are aware of the need to be courteous and cooperative. There are so many back lanes that most were quiet. The only traffic/narrow lane problems I had were at Land’s End, where I just gave up and turned back, and I’m sure you won’t have that problem in March.

Stuart, thank you so much for your vote of confidence - that makes me feel much better. And I did laugh when you wrote about me driving to Oban - I do remember that drive! And I am capable of reversing in a straight line, too, lol! I think that settles it - I went through a momentary freak-out and now I feel much better. And I do know how polite the British drivers are - much more polite than Americans, imo. :)

Amanda, thanks for letting me know of your experience - it helps a lot! I really don't have any desire to go to Lands End, so hopefully won't run into that problem. And I keep forgetting that I won't be there in the summer with all the traffic.

Thanks to all of you - your words really helped and I'm feeling much better about this!