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Newquay

sharonov

10+ Posts
We'll want to go to Cornwall as soon as we get to England, but the thought of either wasting a day resting in London or spending 5 1/2 hours on a train right away is daunting. So....here is my plan. Please, anyone, tell me what you think.

We're taking the early AA flight and will arrive at Heathrow at 10:45pm. We've taken this flight before, and since it's dark when we arrive (and we will have gotten up at about 4 am) it is easy to sleep. Instead of going into London, we'll stay near the airport, and in the morning we'll go to Gatwick. The flights to Newquay leave in the afternoon, so I guess we'll be wasting a day after all, but at least not trapped in a transport conveyance.

Is Newquay worth a few days? If not, we can hop on a bus to St. Ives or elsewhere in Cornwall right away.

I'd appreciate it if anyone can point out flaws in the plan. We have lots of time to change. It's been snowing for several days here, and I'm trying to think of nice places instead of snowy ones!
 
I've never been to Newquay, other than to the airport, but I think of it as a family beach town.

But instead of hanging around an airport hotel, traveling to Gatwick, dealing with airport security etc, why not take the train? On the morning after your arrival, you could take the Heathrow Express train to London Paddington and then the train to Penzance. There's a direct train at 10:03 and you'll be at Penzance at 3:11 pm. If you can get a good fare, splurge on first class. Buy a lunch at the station to enjoy on the train.

I've done this trip a couple of times (and will do it again in April) and really like it... it's long enough so you can really relax, you can nap or read, and the scenery along the coast is fabulous... very exciting. You could break the journey an hour or so west of Penzance to go someplace like Falmouth for a few days, which might be more interesting than Newquay. Or stay overnight in St. Austell and take a taxi o visit the Eden Project.

Just a thought...

Kathy
 
Skip Newquay. It is not a nice town. We spent a week near there a few years ago. It is tacky, all arcades and chip shops. Nothing like the other Cornwall towns.

The Sofitel at Heathrow is very nice and attached to the airport at terminal 5. The Premier Inn is also attached. All the others are a bus ride away. There is another hotel at one of the other terminals.

I agree with Kathy, take the train. There is a train company run bus from Heathrow to Reading that lets you avoid going into London - RailAir. We have used it several times. I have info on the Cotswolder site. http://www.cotswolder.com/planning/london-airports.php
 
That's why I love this forum! Thanks so much, I think we will be taking the train after all. I thought it left from Victoria rather than Paddington--don't know where I got that idea. When I went into the BritishRail site it seemed to indicate that you had to transfer at least once if you left from Paddington. We try to avoid transfers as much as possible since many stations require carrying luggage up stairs.

Pauline, thanks so much for the info about the bus to Reading, that's super helpful. So the train that goes along the coast to Penzance goes through Reading? Now I have some solid information to go by.

Your Cotswolder site is extremely helpful, and I used it for all four of our stays there. I wish I could get my husband to go back.
 
@sharonov there are direct trains from Paddington (or Reading) to Penzance that don't require changing, but some schedules do include a change.

Are you still going to base in St. Ives? If so, I would recommend going all the way to Penzance with your luggage and then taking a taxi from the station to your accommodation in St. Ives. It's just a 30 minute drive. If you get off the train at St. Erth, you'll have to climb stairs to cross over the tracks to get the train to St. Ives. We did this last year with luggage and it was tough. And then when you get to St. Ives, you'll have to walk through a parking lot and up a hill with your luggage to get to the street where you can get a taxi.
 
Actually I’m now considering either Penzance or Falmouth. Both sound like bases that would make it easy to bus or train to other places

I have this sneaky feeling that once we’re in Cornwall for a few days we’ll find the optimum spot and wish that we had chosen it instead of the place we’ve actually chose and paid for. Oh well, that’s the purpose of these forums, I guess.

Almost 10 years ago we did a self-guided walking tour of the Cotswolds. Since we had walked to and through so many villages and towns, when we returned a few years later we knew exactly where we wanted to stay—not only the town, but the location within the town. Sadly, we are no longer capable of a walking tour of Cornwall, with its sharp and steep ups and downs.

Thanks again for all the advice. And.........what do you think of Penzance vs Falmouth vs St.Ives? I did find a place in Penzance that is a 15 minute walk from the train and 5 min walk to a supermarket. Falmouth also has a couple of promising car-free options.
 
One idea would be to make a list of the things you really want to see and do during your time in Cornwall. Circle these on a map. This might guide you to where you'd rather stay, as Penzance is in the far west of Cornwall and Falmouth is further east, about an hour's drive.

I will be interested in Pauline's input too, as she recently spent some time in Penzance. It has the feeling more of a "working town" and certainly much bigger than St. Ives. The Promenade along the coast is a wide, flat paved track, really nice for walks, and there are beautiful views across Mount's Bay to St. Michael's Mount.

The main town is uphill with lots of practical shops and services along the main street (Market Jew Street). We've only been there in the day time (though several times) but it's a busy place... I think the commercial center for the many villages in that area. I might say it's a little bit "gritty," but it's got a life beyond just tourism.

We spent a day with Pauline and Steve back in the fall in the area up above Penzance, visiting Trengwainton Garden and the ruins of the ancient village of Chysauster. There are some other gardens near Penzance and some interesting prehistoric stones you can visit. If you end up staying there, maybe the Tourist Office can tell you how best to visit or perhaps you could hire a private driver for a day to visit some interesting places you can't get to by bus.

Falmouth is a university town, and has a younger vibe. It's set on the River Fal and has a flat main street with a variety of shops and eating places. There are some pretty beaches on the western side of the peninsula. You could do some boat trips from Falmouth, which would be interesting - to St. Mawes and I think around to the Helford River and Frenchman's Creek, even at the right time of day to Truro. And there are beautiful gardens near Falmouth too, like Glendurgan and Trebah.

We did a 100 mile walk on the Southwest Coast path last fall and walked from St. Ives to Falmouth (passing through Penzance), and had been in this area several times before. I think there would be plenty to see and do wherever you base.
 
Thanks so much Kathy. I like how you put it, that Penzance is more a "working town." I much prefer working towns to towns that exist mainly for the tourist trade. So that's it--we'll either choose Falmouth for the possibility of boat rides (which we love) or Penzance for the "working town" atmosphere. It will boil down to which has the kind of accommodation we seek (self-catering, comfy living room with several comfy seating options, two bedrooms (for when he snores), and proximity to supermarkets! It's fun to search, and I've already found possibilities in each of those two towns.
 
I wouldn’t pick Penzance. I understand that you want a non-tourist town but Cornwall is all about tourists. It is a big British tourist destination. It has charming towns and villages. Penzance just isn’t that charming. Do you know Stroud in the southern Cotswolds? I would compare it to Stroud.

I don’t know Falmouth but have heard good things about it.
 
Maybe you've found a good rental in Penzance, but I wouldn't choose Penzance either. I do understand why you're considering it as more of a transportation hub. since you don't plan to have a car. There are smaller villages nearby (Mousehole, Marazion) which have a different feel. We've stayed twice in both of those villages but didn't need to use public transportation. They both have small village shops and access to Penzance by bus. There are big supermarkets on the Marazion side of Penzance.

Remind me (since there have been several conversations about this trip)... what time of year are you going and how long are you staying? If you have two weeks, maybe you should split your stay so you can easily reach different parts of Cornwall without the public transportation chewing up too much of your time.

St. Ives is more of a village (population 11,000) vs. Penzance and Falmouth which both have about 22,000 people (plus students in Falmouth). St. Ives is on the north coast. Penzance on the south coast on the English channel. Falmouth on a river on the south coast. St. Ives does have a strong connection to the arts with the Tate Museum and the Barbara Hepworth sculpture garden and many artist galleries. That to me makes it much more than just a beach destination.

Sorry if we're confusing your decision-making... I know it's tough to decide when you don't know the area well and balancing many considerations.
 
Kathy, you and Pauline have not confused me at all. Your posts have been invaluable. Based on your opinions, I've found what seems to be a lovely place in Falmouth, and have booked for a week. We may end up staying longer, if we love the area (and can find another decent rental that meets all our criteria!)

We're not going until September, so you probably think I'm crazy to book so far in advance, but you'd be surprised at how difficult it can be to find a place meeting that criteria if we wait. I remember the glory days of my youth, when we'd always rent a car (we bought one in Schiphol and drove around Europe and Britain for 6 weeks in 1969), stopping when and where we wanted and never caring where we stayed. But this time of life is good too, it just requires more research and more planning.

Thank you again. Every bit of information from people who know the area is helpful! BTW, I also went on TripAdvisor and found a similar thread, and everyone agrees that Falmouth is the best for someone without a car.
 
We're not going until September, so you probably think I'm crazy to book so far in advance

Not at all. Cornwall is popular and you need to book well ahead. Otherwise you have limited selection. I left it too late booking for last October and the places recommended by a friend who knows the area well were all booked. We ended up in an excellent house, but I got lucky.
 

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