Cornwall!!

[P0larexpress]

why do people pay stupid amounts to holiday here?
I nearly spat my coffee out in work today. A co worker has paid £1600 for a week in st Ives, last week of June!

she showed me it! It’s a pretty basic, one bedroomed cottage. Wtf!!

i have booked flights and an Airbnb in greece for just over £1000. I’ll admit I never holiday in the uk, because it just doesn’t feel like a proper holiday to me, but if I do it’s always a deal/ bargain Airbnb type thing.

what’s the attraction of Cornwall?
By all accounts it’s overcrowded cost a fortune to park , and eat out, and a pretty mediocre experience all round!

Cornwall is only beautiful when the weather is nice. And that's rare. Who wants so spend a holiday mooching round an average town or grey beach in the rain and wind? The locals don't want you there either.

I’m going to Cornwall in June but only because I can stay with my sister for free! The train ticket alone (advance fare, cheapest I could get) is £120. I’ve flown to several places in Europe for less than that (and got there faster!). But I am mainly going to see my sister, rather than it being a holiday.

I wouldn’t spend £££ for a week in Cornwall, it’s not that special to me. But there are places I have fallen in love with that very well might not appeal to others. So I wouldn’t pass comment on what other people choose as holidays. We all like different things.

We have had some lovely holidays in Cornwall but after two or three consecutive years when it rained constantly, we started going abroad when the kids were young. We never went back as a family. . Renting a villa in France with a pool was a far better option.

YANBU to have an opinion, but obviously plenty of people disagree, given that the prices will be set by demand. Which is obviously really high, esp post-covid.
We went to Cornwall for the first time last year, having always gone abroad, and thought it was beautiful, the Minack Theatre in particular was amazing. It was a little crowded, even in early July, but I imagine that was due in part to travel restrictions keeping people in the U.K.

We likely won’t go back (we never holiday in the same place twice) but I’m glad we went, and I can absolutely see why people go there annually. Also, the residents were lovely, we didn’t hear a single “fuck off” the entire time 😀.

@interferringma - that sounds brilliant & right up DS's street. Thank you.

Cornwall is beautiful but, imo, no more so than many other parts of costal UK.

We went to Cornwall for a fortnight last summer - drove down, 3 or 4 hotels, moved around, explored. But it was so expensive and so busy, and the weather is really hit and miss even in the summer.

It cost us more for 2 of us for the fortnight than it did for 3 of us to go to France and Germany the summer before.

Infact we cut the holiday short by 2 nights and came home as we got a bit fed up in the busyness and the temperamental weather.

I doubt we will return until we can go out if school holidays, so after retirement. It just wasn't worth the cost and bustle.

May half term (the same year) in the west coast of Scotland however - stunning, beautiful and really warm! Still not cheap however, and limited accommodation options - but will definitely return.

Dh is Cornish and we go every August with the dc. Last summer was the pits, the weather was cold and rainy and I sat in the beach on one of the gloomy days and decided not to go again over summer. We paid a small fortune and it was rammed full of people and shite weather. I’ve told dh we’ll visit my family in the Mediterranean and get guaranteed sunshine —and for half the price—

We've been a few times over the last few years while DS was young. It's a lovely place, generally good weather in summer and not too difficult to get to.

However, I looked for this year or next and I am shocked at the prices now.

We are staying home this summer and have booked Austria for next year - lovely hotel with all food included plus a special card that gets you into various attractions free and the hotel has a pool/play area and animals for DS. Much better value.

Those obsessed with flying miles etc in relation to climate control etc I totally get the point and if China and India and even the US to some extent were fully onboard and making massive reductions and not expanding then I 100% see the point- until they are though I do feel a lot of the huge efforts made by other places (and we have been living in Denmarkcwhich is very eco) are effectively pissing in the wind given the size of the places plus population size, and their lack of seeming to give much of a shit. It seems to be a bit you all did this for years, it's our turn now.

I live in Kent, about an hour’s drive from Whistable, Broadstairs and Hastings. I love visiting all three but they are nothing like Cornwall or St Ives.

Whistable and Hastings is all pebbles, Broadstairs has a sandy beach but the town itself is tired and rundown. Cornwall coast line also has a sub-tropical climate which makes a huge difference.

No problem when it rains. That's the time to go to the Tate or the Barbara Hepworth museum, or a National Trust place, or the Telegraph Museum, or the Farmer's market, or the shops ...

There's a good train service to Cornwall

I find the dull grey weather gets me down but on the days when the sun shines there is no where else I want to be. There are some beautiful but quieter places in Cornwall away from the busy towns. I grew up near St Agnes and still love walking on the rugged cliffs.

Whatever you think of Cornwall generally, or whatever your preferred style of holiday, Cornwall is stuffed with amazing restaurants. From local cafes to Michelin star chefs and everything in between.

Each to their own OP. Personally I think Cornwall is one of the most beautiful places in the world

I like to be by the sea rain or shine. I really can't be arsed with the faff of flying abroad anymore.

There is no better feeling than brackish air in one's nostrils, whilst keeping the chill at bay and an eye on the dogs. Be it in Kent, Cornwall or France. Many beaches are perfect whatever the weather for prepping a horse for the going and getting a feel for their strengths on the course.

It depends where you are coming from.
It takes a long time and is very expensive from here in Sheffield.

Dd went to a festival and her and her friends flew as it was so much cheaper, took far less time and was less hassle.

We have used the trains within Cornwall itself. Once in the county the trains are much less frequent and often require a lot of changing. They are, however, cheap to use. It took us 3 trains, 2 lots of waiting around at change over stations and a lot of time to get from Newquay to Falmouth when we flew down one holiday. We also needed taxis either side to get to the final destination and airports.

I'd imagine the trains are less expensive, take less time and are more direct if you live much closer, but from here it's a long old expensive trek!

I love Cornwall but I refuse to pay the inflated prices to stay there. We went just before covid and paid £600 for a week a tiny one bed holiday cottage in a lovely setting. The same cottage is now being let for £2000. Utter madness.

I love Cornwall. I would move there in a heartbeat if I could. The only downside is the travelling there in the car, the traffic in the day really is awful and we try to leave home at about 2am so we miss the worst of the traffic. I havent been able to afford to go this year, I think last time we went it was about £2k for 2 weeks for the accomodation, this was in peak time though. A lot of money, but some lovely memories and would pay it again.

There’s nothing mediocre about St. Ives. On a sunny day, there’s nowhere else we’d rather be. (We’re Cornish, so maybe biased 😁)

you’re right about prices mad. Demand’s there though so it will just get worse.

Yes I adored my holidays in Port Talbot, Newport and Grangemouth.

Scotland and Wales are not counties - they are diverse countries. Many parts are beautiful, many aren't. Lumping them in like English counties is what makes the Scottish and Welsh so endlessly exasperated and chippy.