Oh my! St Ives is absolutely stunning isn’t it!

[imaginethemdragons]

Just watching the news all about G7, lots of shots of St Ives that looks like it could be abroad it is so utterly gorgeous!
I’ve never been to that neck of the woods, but my goodness, no wonder people say that Blackpool is a hole, when you compare the two!
I expect it’s an absolute fortune to visit for a holiday. But would absolutely love to go there.
Any one been? Was it a fortune?

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Im staying in Hayle in August. Do I book lunch and train it in? Or do I go elsewhere and give St lives a swerve? I don't know if my 7yo and 10yo boys would thank me for dragging them to a hot crowded place!!

There isn't a direct train from Hayle - I think you'd need to get the bus. In August it will undoubtedly be very crowded in the daytime, unless it's chucking down.

We went every year in the 70s and 80s, and it really felt like a hidden gem back then. But now it is so expensive and rammed and sadly we only go for a daytrip now.

It’s beautiful without the crowds but a different story when it’s busy. The streets are just not designed for all those people and cars.

Sorry to jump on this thread but we have been meaning to go to Cornwall since my eldest was born 10 years ago but the drive down from Scotland always put us off.

Well now you can fly so I absolutely must get booked and experience it next year while the kids are still young. Although I imagine it’s great for teens too if they can try surfing etc!

So for a family of four, flying from Scotland (car hire a possibility) where is the absolute best place to stay? Our main activity would be beaches, mooching round the shops and going for walks. We’d probably book first week in July once the schools stop here.

Thank you and again sorry to be cheeky and jump on.

That's quite a question! Cornwall is beautiful and really quite different across the county. DP is from Cornwall so we've spent a fair bit of time there.

Bude was lovely. St Austell - there is a lot to do and iirc fairly close access to the Eden Project if you're thinking of going. Mousehole was lovely and quiet. Depends what you like! Do a bit of research, you may find it's cheaper to stay in Devon rather than Cornwall.

@Malteser71

My thoughts exactly , went to a few functions there in the 1990’s. Service was poor. Rooms felt a bit tatty even though I think it was fairly newly refurbished. We viewed it in the day time as our potential wedding venue but it looked a bit grubby in the day light and smelled of school dinners.

Mousehole is not quiet unless out of season folks ! If I had to absolutely had to go to either st Ives or mousehole during the day during July-sept I would go to st Ives and that’s saying something !

@ZenNudist You can get a train from st erth which is one stop down from hayle. Hayle (and get the train to st erth from hayle). Trains run until 10 so you could go in the evening if you are worried about the crowds/heat.

@HeronLanyon

Mousehole is not quiet unless out of season folks ! If I had to absolutely had to go to either st Ives or mousehole during the day during July-sept I would go to st Ives and that’s saying something !

Does June count as out of season?

Omg Mousehole is not quiet in the summer

We must have been lucky!!

Zen nudist

You book them into surf school and book yourself into a restaurant.

I live in ( north) Cornwall and am 😮 at the "sea too rough for swimming" comment. The sea here is not for swimming, it's for surfing!

@Yayayaya20 If you want to stay in St Ives, have a look at Aspects holidays Cornwall, they have some lovely self catering properties all around that area and further afield . This one is nice, 2 minute walk to the beach, 5 to the surf beach where you can have lessons, 2 minute walk to the harbour side and 5 to the main shopping street.
Park up at the top of the hill at the leisure centre ( great view of the town) , you can get a taxi to collect you and your luggage and drop you at the cottage, or you could try your chances at Island carpark as you will be going slightly out of season. There is a regular bus service that runs up to the carpark if you don't fancy the schlep back up the hill to get the car. I used to go and get the car and then drive down and pick everyone up from the carpark behind The Sloop as it is easy to get out of town from there.

www.aspects-holidays.co.uk/cornwall/west-cornwall/st-ives/downalong/p/2-st-eia-street?year=2022

Or look at one of a number of agencies and choose something with parking.

Getting a taxi to bring you to your accommodation? Blimey no thanks! Plus you have to schelp back up to the leisure centre to retrieve your car if you want to go anywhere.

I agree aspects are good, but there are other agencies:

St Ives holidays
Cherished cottages
Cornish riviera holidays
Orange roofs
So st Ives
Carbis bay holidays
Cornish gems

@Yayayaya20

Sorry to jump on this thread but we have been meaning to go to Cornwall since my eldest was born 10 years ago but the drive down from Scotland always put us off.

Well now you can fly so I absolutely must get booked and experience it next year while the kids are still young. Although I imagine it’s great for teens too if they can try surfing etc!

So for a family of four, flying from Scotland (car hire a possibility) where is the absolute best place to stay? Our main activity would be beaches, mooching round the shops and going for walks. We’d probably book first week in July once the schools stop here.

Thank you and again sorry to be cheeky and jump on.

I live on the south coast and think it's far superior to the crushed honeypot that is St Ives! The Lizard is lovely, and so is the Helford area, as are spots further up like Fowey (although if you're flying into Newquay you've got to schlep up a bit to reach SE Cornwall). So many lovely places that aren't as commercial as St Ives.

Depends what you want though. I agree the lizard is lovely, kynance cove especially.

The thing about st Ives is that it has everything in one place. I can’t think of many places that have five white sand beaches, a harbour, restaurants, etc etc all within such a small place. It’s a honeypot for a reason.

orangjuicer June used to be much quieter than it has been for the last 10 years or so. Right now things are heaving. This year is a bit an anomaly obvs but june is busy now most places and mousehole certainly in a normal year.

I grew up near St Erth station, I used to get the train from there to school in Penzance. I can count on one hand the times I’ve been to St Ives! I think when something is always just there, it’s not that special.

DSis still lives near that area so I get free accommodation when I go back. Can’t imagine paying £££ to stay somewhere I grew up! But then I do go just to see DSis, oh and eat pasty’s! Philps in Hayle do the best.

@Malteser71 , I used to use my walk to the get the bus back up to carpark as an opportunity to have a quick unfettered by children browse in the shops , DH never did it, so didn't realise it only took 20 minutes to get to the car park in reality

Thanks for the names of the other places that do holiday lets, will have a look at them today for next year's pilgrimage

Sounds lovely

Cabris bay OMG

Beautiful

it took us so long to drive to cornwall, the roads in cornwall were so small and bendy, i was too scared to go back, dd had a muffin taken from her hand by a great swooping seagull, and then it rained.
i would not want to go back.

i did go back to Falmouth to look at the uni and i did like it but i have been scarred for life to holiday there