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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

Penzance

41 replies

qwertyasdfgzxcv · 22/01/2025 21:06

Im thinking of taking my two children to Penzance this summer. I won't have a car as we are going on the train. Once I get to Penzance, will I be able to use local buses to get to a few nice beaches? I also plan to do a night in Scilly.

I would appreciate any local advice. Thank you.

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AlphaApple · 22/01/2025 21:10

Yes, it will be more limited than having a car but Marazion, St Ives and Sennen are all within reach by bus or train.

Scillies are amazing, your accommodation options may be limited if you're only booking for one night.

crackofdoom · 22/01/2025 21:11

Yes, PZ is a great location for a car free holiday. Train wise, you can get to a lot of places: St Ives (it's a lovely branch line), Falmouth, St Austell for the Eden Project etc. And there are also regular Land's End Coaster buses all round the Land's End Peninsula, so you can get to Porthcurno, Mousehole, Sennen etc pretty easily. You can do a day trip to the Scillies on the Scillonian- I think they have cheap deals.

Original poster
qwertyasdfgzxcv · 22/01/2025 21:15

I'd like to do Scillies for longer but £££ and complexity of having a 3 year old with me having done the night sleeper from London

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crackofdoom · 22/01/2025 21:16

There's also a safe cycle path (unusual in Cornwall!) all the way from Marazion (for St Michael's Mount) along the Penzance Prom, through Newlyn to Mousehole if you like cycling and can bring your bikes or rent some.

crackofdoom · 22/01/2025 21:18

Oh, and PZ does have its own beach, albeit a rather scuzzy one at the PZ end. It goes all the way to Marazion, gradually getting nicer.

Original poster
qwertyasdfgzxcv · 22/01/2025 21:19

Car hire is possible in theory but they won't hire out a car seat and I don't want to bring one all the way so embracing car free! My transport obsessed son will love it

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Original poster
qwertyasdfgzxcv · 22/01/2025 21:20

Also being car free means we can get a holiday cottage central in Penzance and not need worry about parking

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Souredgrapes · 22/01/2025 21:21

I would be more inclined to stay in Hayle which also has good train links . Better beach. Stunning in fact.

crackofdoom · 22/01/2025 21:23

qwertyasdfgzxcv · 22/01/2025 21:20

Also being car free means we can get a holiday cottage central in Penzance and not need worry about parking

To be honest, a car can be as much of a hindrance as a help in Cornwall in the summer anyway! 😬 Yes, on street parking in PZ is not easy, and you will probably enjoy the schadenfreude of watching drivers sweating as they try to navigate St Ives or Mousehole and then try to find a space in a crowded expensive car park!

AlphaApple · 22/01/2025 21:27

Agree a car can be a hindrance, you definitely don't want to go anywhere near St Ives in a car in the summer holidays!

AlphaApple · 22/01/2025 21:28

Also, the lido in Pz is fab.

Original poster
qwertyasdfgzxcv · 22/01/2025 21:33

Souredgrapes · 22/01/2025 21:21

I would be more inclined to stay in Hayle which also has good train links . Better beach. Stunning in fact.

I will look at this but I am going from my home destination to London then the sleeper train to Penzance and one child is 3! Just me as the adult too but certainly welcome alternatives.

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Tomatocutwithazigzagedge · 22/01/2025 21:36

I took my 3 yo on the Sleeper to Penzance. We had to share a single bed as they wouldn't open the upper one. I barely slept a wink. Then you arrive obscenely early with the possibility of not being able to check into a hotel for 8 hours. Not trying to put you off op, just be prepared!

CornishPorsche · 22/01/2025 21:43

Hayle isn't better located for public transport than Pz though?

If you're staying in Pz, highly recommend a trip to the Jubilee Pool in lieu of a beach one day. Theres also the new heated section but you have to pay a bit more for that. I practically grew up in that pool!

If you haven't booked the IoS yet, get on it, it can book up very early in the year and there's not much accommodation.

Over to Marazion for the day. Have a Philps pasty. St Michael's Mount is not cheap and you need to book in advance. Check the website to see if you can enter the village without a ticket as it depends on the dates.

Don't bother with Lands End, it's a dump IMO but if it's something you want to tick off use the coastal bus for £2 and don't pay for the attractions, just go for a walk around then it's free. The tickets are megabucks for bugger all.

If you want an unusual place for a drink pop into the Admiral Benbow pub on Chapel Street.

Original poster
qwertyasdfgzxcv · 22/01/2025 21:45

Tomatocutwithazigzagedge · 22/01/2025 21:36

I took my 3 yo on the Sleeper to Penzance. We had to share a single bed as they wouldn't open the upper one. I barely slept a wink. Then you arrive obscenely early with the possibility of not being able to check into a hotel for 8 hours. Not trying to put you off op, just be prepared!

Confused oh no! I know that I can't get a ticket for him and if I do I have to pay full price. Maybe I should wait! The early arrival will be a killer

OP posts:
crackofdoom · 22/01/2025 21:51

qwertyasdfgzxcv · 22/01/2025 21:33

I will look at this but I am going from my home destination to London then the sleeper train to Penzance and one child is 3! Just me as the adult too but certainly welcome alternatives.

Show quote history

I mean, I'd definitely go for Penzance myself, but it depends what you're looking for. Hayle is a perfectly nice small town, but the beach is pretty much all there is (oh, and Paradise Park wildlife park on the outskirts). But it could work well if you just want to be on the beach all day everyday. I'm not sure what the bus situation is there, although it does have a mainline train station. But the Night Riviera does stop there too!

Penzance is definitely more of a transport hub though, and does have a lot more going on as a town (but yes, not much of a beach). Chapel St, the Lido, Morrab Gardens, the Prom, which is ideal for people and boat watching and bimbling around with small children of an evening. There's a nice little park behind the prom, and of course oodles more restaurants, pubs, shops etc. I'd say it's better suited to mini adventures in all directions- Marazion for St Michael's Mount, Tremenheere Sculpture Garden at Gulval, Mousehole with a stop on the way back to look at the fishing boats in Newlyn, the Land's End Coaster (which is an open top double decker!) all the way around the Land's End Peninsula (seeing as you have a 3 year old I might even venture to suggest Land's End itself, which I wouldn't normally, but they do have a little farm geared at kids and it's a good way to see a spectacular bit of coast without walking too far). Etc etc

(frustrated tour guide here 😆)

crackofdoom · 22/01/2025 21:55

Also....(completely info dumping, sorry!) yes....the Night Riviera isn't always what I call good value- tends to be lots of £££ for not much zzz!! If it was me I'd take the day train and give your LO the gift of unlimited screen time for the journey.

ladygindiva · 22/01/2025 21:57

Souredgrapes · 22/01/2025 21:21

I would be more inclined to stay in Hayle which also has good train links . Better beach. Stunning in fact.

This is correct. I live in Cornwall.

crackofdoom · 22/01/2025 21:59

ladygindiva · 22/01/2025 21:57

This is correct. I live in Cornwall.

Show quote history

So do I 😉

3rdtimeinflorida · 22/01/2025 22:00

Another vote for Hayle!

TakeMeToKernow · 22/01/2025 22:01

The bus to St Michael’s Mount/Marazion is a lovely short trip (open top) and the beach at St Michael’s is gorgeous. I’ve not travelled the other way, to Lands End. Depends how much you enjoy a bus.
Penzance itself has some amusements for little ones. And some nicer things for adults. And there’s a bit of the harbour that loads of kids pile into. I’ll see if I can attach a map…

Feelingstrange2 · 22/01/2025 22:03

Scillies are often booked up summer to summer by the same people! We managed to get a week's holiday accommodation because it was a new one without any booking history.

One night might be impossible in summer. You'll have to research. It's also quite expensive for the return travel to do one night and the boat trip, the cheapest option, is notoriously bumpy!

TakeMeToKernow · 22/01/2025 22:03

Red pin drop.

Penzance
Original poster
qwertyasdfgzxcv · 22/01/2025 22:07

Yes I think whoever said don't do the sleeper is right- it takes as long on the sleeper as it does from where I live all the way to Penzance. It's £270 return for me and the children (one is under 5) but I'm going to check railcards. Also that's for an april rather than July date as trains don't go thay far ahead.

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Original poster
qwertyasdfgzxcv · 22/01/2025 22:07

Feelingstrange2 · 22/01/2025 22:03

Scillies are often booked up summer to summer by the same people! We managed to get a week's holiday accommodation because it was a new one without any booking history.

One night might be impossible in summer. You'll have to research. It's also quite expensive for the return travel to do one night and the boat trip, the cheapest option, is notoriously bumpy!

I wonder if a day trip is a possibility? Or maybe this year I just give it a kiss

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