What would yāall say if I planned to take a train from London to Cornwall to spend a few days traveling in this order without a car:
Exeter to
Plymouth to
St. Michaelās mount to
Landās End to
St. Ives to
Port Issac to
Exmoor National park to
Bath - Where we will then rent a car and head to North.
OR
We were thinking of a train from London to Brighton and from Brighton rent a car and do a road trip over to the Cornwall, stopping along the coast with the above stoppping plan once we land in Exeter.
At some point once we are ready to head North from the Bath area up through Scotland, we will rent a car.
I am researching but real world input is preferred THX!
Hi @HelloOutThere the public transport system is okay in the larger towns and cities and the urbanised areas but when you head in to the rural districts it can become a little challenging. Consequently we would suggest that you take the train from London Paddington to Exeter and then rent a car from there. Should you choose, you can take the train further West to Penzance in Cornwall. This train line to Penzance lies almost directly on the coast and you can enjoy the stunning views looking out to sea.
An example of how awkward it might be to complete just one leg of your proposed itinerary using public transport would be St Michaelās Mount to Lands End. To start with you would have to walk for 15 minutes from St Michaelās Mount to the bus stop outside the playground and take the number 15 bus towards Penzance, a journey time of 16 minutes. From the Penzance interchange you would then take the Lands End Coaster towards Lands End which would drop you off at the Lands End car park after a journey time of 55 minutes. So the total time it would take using public transport, to travel from St Michaelās Mount to Lands End would be about 1 hour and 30 minutes. If you had your own car the journey time would be 26 minutes. The legs you propose in your first itinerary are all of a similar nature to this and it would be virtually impossible to explore Exmoor National Park without your own vehicle.
It has been commented on here that driving on the opposite side of the road can be an issue but to be honest with you it is not when you are on the main roads as you just follow everyone else. The smaller roads in Devon and Cornwall can be narrow but you can plan your journey, especially around the points of interest that you have listed, to avoid long exposure to them. They require a certain amount of care to use but at an appropriately precautionary speed they are not a problem and there are plenty of passing spaces and everyone knows that they are narrow so drives accordingly. As @Peg has already mentioned here on this thread, rent a small to mid sized vehicle that you can fit your luggage in, something maybe like a Volkswagen Golf, and you will be fine.
Should you decide to take the train to Brighton, a town well worth visiting in its own right and then do a road trip along the coast and through the South of England there are a number of recommendations I could make. As you are a fan of Downton Abbey, if you were to do a road trip from Brighton to the West Country it would only be a small detour to include Highclere Castle. This was used as the location for the filming of Downton Abbey and you can pre book a guided tour hosted by Lady Carnarvon who will guide you through the Castle discussing the filming of Downton Abbey and her ancestors discovery of Tutankhamun.
Hi @Catgoddess_99 as you will be in Finningley, in South Yorkshire and Whitby is on the northeast coast without a car itās not the simplest of journeys. By car the journey would take 2 hours and 20 minutes. By public transport it would take in the region of 4 hours because to start you would need to take the number 57 bus to Doncaster, a 45 minute journey then get a train either to York, Leeds or Northallerton and from there take a train to Middlesbrough and finally from Middlesbrough you can get a train to Whitby. So as you can see itās not impossible but it just depends on how much time you have.
Hi @HelloOutThere and @Catgoddess_99 and anyone else who will be heading to Cornwall here are a few suggestions for you for places to visit and things to do. My husband and I love Cornwall and have seen some of it but still have lots more to see!
The first location that I would like to recommend as @HelloOutThere has already mentioned is St Michaelās Mount, a beautiful tidal island in Mounts Bay. The island is linked to the town of Marazion by a causeway of granite setts, passable between mid-tide and low water. At high tide during the spring/summer season you can cross to the island by boat, a great way to view the island and its idyllic charm as you motor in to the harbour. From here you can visit the ancient tidal island and explore the cobbled streets and gardens before heading in to the Castle where you will find a clock that tells you the time of the tide as well as the hour of the day and a piece of Napoleonās coat worn at the Battle of Waterloo.
Another spot you will not want to miss is the Minack Theatre in Porthcurno. This amazing architectural masterpiece of a theatre, built in to the cliffs above the sea was the brainchild of Rowena Cade. She moved to Cornwall after the First World War, bought the land at Minack Point for Ā£100 and then went on to build a house for herself and her mother. Rowena became involved in her local theatrical group and held many performances in her back garden. This inspired her to build the theatre that you see there today with the help of her gardeners Billy Rawlings and Charles Angove, she shaped the theatre seating and stage from the rock starting the work in 1930. The first play to be performed here was William Shakespearesās The Tempest in 1932. Although you can just purchase tickets here to look around the theatre I highly recommend if you can, to watch a show here. This is a truly memorable experience and if you are lucky you can spot maybe a dolphin or two in the sea behind!
Moving towards the North you have the beautiful St Ives, a picturesque fishing harbour and seaside town with a quartet of golden beaches, known for its surf and art scene. The seafront Tate St Ives gallery has rotating modern art exhibitions, focusing on British artists. The town boasts a plethora of beautiful restaurants but one of our favourites is Porthminster Beach Cafe which sits right on the beach itself thus giving you wonderful views of the beach.
Only a few minutes from St Ives is the beautiful Carbis Bay with the Carbis Bay Hotel and Estate, which was the location for the G7 Summit in June 2021. We have been fortunate enough to stay at this beautiful hotel in the past and can highly recommend having Afternoon Tea here. You will enjoy stunning views across the bay and may even see a seal or two following the swimmers in the waves!
An unexpected bonus of Visiting Cornwall these days is the presence of up and coming Vineyards. Two of these that we particularly like and have visited are the vineyards of Camel Valley and Trevibban Mill which are both located near Padstow. Camel Valley has been producing award winning world class wines since 1989 and Trevibban Mill was established in 2008. A visit to either is a great way to spend a leisurely afternoon sampling some fine English wines with some cheese and other nibbles.
That sounds too complicated. Would any of the West Yorkshire coastal villages be more accessible? Iāve been doing research, but it always helps to have expert advice such as yourself
We will be in doing an inn to inn walk in Cornwall (St Ives to Penzance) followed by a housesit in the Lizard area Aug/Sep timeframe. We researched it alot before planning it and I think your route looks great! There is alot to see on the Brighton side of the coast as well. Feel like you canāt go wrong either way.
@Catgoddess_99 there are bus services that connect Leeds and York with the towns on the Yorkshire coast (West Yorkshire has no coast, the Yorkshire Coast is in North and East Yorkshire.
This is a regular service bus that stops in many villages on the way.
You could get to Whitby on it, Scarborough would probably be a shorter journey.
Hi @Catgoddess_99 as @Debbie mentioned there is no coast on the West side of Yorkshire. Her suggestion of getting the Coastliner 840 bus is probably the best way to see some of the Yorkshire countryside, the Moors and to get to Whitby. Whitby really is worth the effort if you can. Your best option would be to make the 1 hour 30 minute journey to York from Finningley and then take the bus from there.
Hi @Peg whilst you are on your sit on the Lizard Peninsula you might like to try a couple of places that we really like. @HelloOutThere and @Catgoddess_99 you may find this of interest too. The first qualifies as Britainās most Southerly cafe, the Polpeor Cafe, this is a cliff top cafe perched high above the sea with a terrace overlooking the water. It doesnāt look much from the outside but the cream teas are divine and this is not the only thing that they do!
Another favourite of ours is the Polurrian in Mullion. The Polurrian is a hotel in Mullion that is well known for its beautiful glass fronted dining room and outdoor terrace that directly overlooks the sea. We like this establishment because it offers a selection of both sweet and savoury cream teas and afternoon teas. You can choose from freshly baked plain, fruit and cheese scones, and a selection of trimmings after which you can sit down in the dining room or the terrace, weather dependant, and enjoy your scones whilst admiring the beautiful views.
Hidden away on the other side of the Lizard, on the East Coast in the quintessential Cornish fishing harbour of Coverack, you will find the Old Lifeboat House. At the front of the building you will find a fish and chip takeaway service that you can enjoy at their outdoor tables or upon the sun trapped harbour walls. To the rear of the building is a bright and airy restaurant with a more extensive menu. Here you can enjoy a superb meal whilst taking in a view over the old lifeboat slipway across the bay towards the Manacles. This restaurant is also dog friendly.
Hereās what i think, Iāve been in Toronto Canada a month, oddly Canada for some reason has links blocked as a friend on fb sent a link and I was unable to access. Apparently Canada is having issues with some tech companies and blocking certain things.
THX!
