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Original poster

Cornwall holiday by public transport with baby - ideas please!

29 replies

hoorayforharoldlloyd · 04/05/2019 17:58

Thinking of going to cornwall for a week in early july with baby who will be 3.5 months and without a car. Any ideas on where is best to do this with public transport and some nice easy walks by the sea?

OP posts:
reefedsail · 04/05/2019 18:08

I'd get the train into Newquay and just stay there.

Newquay is not my favourite place in Cornwall, but I think it would be the most do-able without a car, and Fistral is lovely.

bouncealeen · 04/05/2019 18:11

St Ives or Looe. You can reach both by train easily.

thesunwillout · 04/05/2019 18:15

St Ives

PaperHead · 04/05/2019 18:21

St Ives. Train to St Erth, change to the little branch line for St Ives, which is lovely with a baby, because of the beaches in the town. We went there a lot when DS was a baby and toddler.

WitsEnding · 04/05/2019 18:24

Looe, unless you want surf. St Ives is lovely but further away and pricey.

Smallfacesfan · 04/05/2019 19:14

Fly, it’s the easiest way to get there and not that expensive. Depending where you are in the U.K. it’s under an hour and much cheaper than the train.

Kez200 · 04/05/2019 20:06

You could do Looe with a buggy. If you stay on Station Road, town centre /beach, West Looe Quay Road or Hannafore. Thats all relatively flat.

Not much public transport but buses will get you to Polperro and Plymouth. Train to Plymouth and even further afield. However, you can spend a week in Looe if you dont mind short walks and using the beach.

Kez200 · 04/05/2019 20:07

Just check you can get a pram buggy easily into the accommodation (i. e not too many steps)

Still18atheart · 04/05/2019 20:18

Falmouth is another option as you can change at Truro.
Or another vote for st ives

Still18atheart · 04/05/2019 20:30

Problem with the airport is it’s very awkward to get to also flights can get cancelled at v short notice

MockerstheFeManist · 04/05/2019 20:36

Ride Cornwall Ranger ticket, unlimited travel on Cornish public tranport, £13 for one day:

www.railrover.org/pages/ride-cornwall-ranger.html

KindergartenKop · 04/05/2019 20:43

Newquay is great. You can fly there or get the train. There's a lovely zoo and great beaches.

Fallulah · 04/05/2019 20:45

You could go for Bodmin. In itself not a very nice town but the links from the rest of the country (not sure where you are) to Bodmin Parkway are good and then from there you can get trains to Falmouth, St Ives, Truro etc. It also tends to have better bus links than the smaller towns.
Newquay would be another option - again not so nice in itself (although it has lovely beaches that Bodmin doesn’t have) but central for other places.

Cathpot · 04/05/2019 20:50

St ives is lovely to pootle about in and is better without a car in fact as the parking is traumatic in summer. Falmouth has 3 little branch train stations and is about 20 mins from Truro. It has 3 smallish beaches in walking distance of town and you can get the ferry across the water to do very pretty walks there. Both St Ives and Falmouth are good options - depends what you want to do and how many days you need to fill .

Kez200 · 04/05/2019 21:43

Bodmin Parkway station is way out of the town centre.

SparklingXmas · 04/05/2019 22:25

St ives- love it! Porthminster beach- next to the train station and walking around st ives is just magical!

Original poster
hoorayforharoldlloyd · 05/05/2019 06:12

Thanks all, really helpful. Think we're going to go for st ives as lots of bus options and things right in town.

Any thoughts on whether st ives will be horribly busy first week of july?

OP posts:
Wellandtrulyoutnumbered · 05/05/2019 06:20

St Ives won't be horrendous first week in July. However make sure you are in St Ives if that's what you want otherwise you end up staying in one's that are called St Ives but actually Lelant/Hayle.

Falmouth is also a branch line from main line and would be good place to look at.

Personally I hate Newquay - town is so run down but there are alot of easy walks with buggy and the Zoo etc. Another place accessible from Par on branch line.

Shantotto · 05/05/2019 06:41

We got the train from London to Penzance. We found loads of good things to do in easy walking distance - St Michaels Mount, Mousehole. We took the train to St Ives for a day and caught the bus to an amazing cliffside theatre then on to Lands End. We were close to lovely beaches too.

Surfskatefamily · 05/05/2019 07:09

St ives will be busy at the weekend but as it wont be school holidays yet it shouldnt be horrendous

Its easier walking than driving in st ives anyway and porthmeor beach is lovely

PancakePatti · 05/05/2019 07:24

GWR to Truro and by time we got on the train it was jam packed, we had to leave our cases with a pile of luggage that was blocking the corridor as there was no where else to put it and a nasty man refused to move from one of our pre-booked seats and even the guard was frightened of him. Bloody nightmare!

PancakePatti · 05/05/2019 08:59

Don’t book on the first cheap rate fare train of the day as it will be packed - book on a later one. Book accommodation that can provide baby stuff so you don’t have to bring it with you. GW train tickets are exorbitantly expensive - try split ticketing or SW trains for some of the route, or try to time booking get cheaper tickets.

Original poster
hoorayforharoldlloyd · 05/05/2019 10:38

Thanks for excellent train tips.

Have just been alarmed at cost of self catering but think it makes more sense than a hotel with a baby. Any thoughts?

OP posts:
ForalltheSaints · 05/05/2019 11:13

St Ives would be my choice, though expensive. Self catering means you don't have a holiday from cooking to an extent, so unless you think a hotel would be difficult (such as arranging any feeding for the baby if not breastfeeding), I'd suggest a hotel.

Kez200 · 05/05/2019 11:37

St Ives, if staying in there, excellent choice.