Cornwall by public transport-help with where to stay

[StrikesCornwall]

We are hoping to go to Cornwall for a week in the summer. Last time we did a couple of nights in Hayle and then Wadebridge but this time we want to get a cottage/apartment for the full week. We will be on public transport which I know isn't great down there. We had funs and games last time but it's doable with planning.
Must go places are St Ives, Lands End, St Mawes and anywhere else recommended to us.
Any help and tips much appreciated.
There are 3 of us: a teen, a child age 10 and me as the only adult. We love St Ives so happy to be based there but open to other suggestions.

I wouldn't base myself in St Ives - it will be really busy, no supermarket (if self catering), restaurants often full/need booking ahead. Maybe Penzance? Easy train to St Ives, walk to shops, generally cheaper. Mousehole, Sennen, Marazion all nice places. Or Falmouth?

Good points there, thank you. It doesn't help that we don't know Cornwall well at all.

I've done two separate trips to Cornwall car-free, both times based in Penzance. Great bus and rail connections around the region (St Ives, Land's End), plus I actually really like the town itself! And you can do a lovely coastal walk to Mousehole and back.

I grew up in St Ives and I reckon it’s pretty easy by public transport (change trains at St Erth). It always had good bus links from the main bus station (the Malakoff), but Falmouth/St Mawes is probably best done by train. I don’t think the supermarket situation is an issue - plenty of online food deliveries going on when we stayed. We were last there in July, it was busy but fine. As a town it tends to be popular with day trippers so you see the best of it morning and evening.

Could you hire a car when there?
Have you checked bus routes and timetables?
One thing I wasn't anticipating in Cornwall, was the steepness of the roads/paths to get down to the sea. I too would think Penzance would be a good base. More to see/do that say St Ives.

I don't drive at all so we are on buses trains and taxis.

Do Waitrose deliver to St Ives?

I’d go for Penzance too. You’ve got the train station and the big double decker buses from there. It’s a really great location for visiting Mousehole, Marazion, Lands End etc.

I think you need to be on the train line.
St Mawes will be do-able if you get the train to Falmouth and then the ferry across to St Mawes. Otherwise, you do need to stick to a relatively contained area as the buses are infrequent and take quite circuitous routes.

Yes they do! Though I found it quite ridiculous as the Waitrose is in Truro so it’s quite a long journey. There are branches of Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda closer and all deliver.

Marazion/Penzance area is good to stay for St Ives and Landsend. Lots of public transport - buses and trains - plus taxis.

I'm not sure what expectations you have re Landsend but as a sightseeing attraction it's even more underwhelming than The Eden Project.

If you want to stay near surfing or bodyboarding places somewhere like Newquay or Perranporth could work.

We have been up a dozen times by train. Favourite places to arrive by train are Par and Penzance.

I think we are pretty sold on St Ives. There's buses to Truro and the coastal bus and of course the train. The beaches are great for sea glass. Waitrose delivering solves the issue of a supermarket.

Sounds good op just as long as there is any good accommodation still available to book. There are lots of buses and you should be fine in the area. But check routes first if you are out of St Ives town

There's a place with great sea views smack bang in the centre of St Ives. I've never booked a cottage before and feel nervous! It's part of being a single parent I think with no other adult to check in with about things. It's why I post here a lot! I've seen it in cottages.com which I think is a reputable site?

Oh that's good. We stayed in a pub hotel in the centre. It was very nice (long time ago) but fairly noisy

i tend to use local agents, so Cottage Boutique, Lanhams, St Ives Holidays, and So St Ives have all been good to us over the years. I tend to look for somewhere in ‘downalong’ so towards the island, between the harbour and Porthmeor. I’m less fussed about a sea view, and wouldn’t want a harbour view as likely to be busy. Enjoy St Ives, I think it’s your best option as a non-driver. We park up for the week and generally don’t go near the car until we pack to go home! There are a couple of branches of co-op in the town, and a medium sized Tesco just out of the town at Treloyhan, on the bus route. I hope you have a lovely time!

St Ives has special family significance and the dc and I visited for the first time last July. We loved it so much and wished we had more time there. We stayed in Hayle at a premier inn and it was a Pita to get to places from there. We'd happily spend days in St Ives exploring. We spent hours searching for sea glass and have a good haul. The veggie food options weren't great on the front but I'd rather cook most meals anyway as we are a ND household that's rather fussy about food. We lived on pizza and chips and ice cream last year on holiday so not great. We are still amazed at how clear the water is. It's a stunning place.

I’d also say Penzance. I love St Ives but it would do my head in to be there for a week

Slightly feel the same. We also love Marazion and Longrock as they are on bus routes and there are numerous supermarkets near Penzance. We usually get a Sainsbury delivery.

We'd use St Ives as a main base and spend most of our time there but want to visit lands end, St Michael's Mount and wherever else we fancy.

It’s probably easier to have Penzance as a base though

Check reviews for the property you are going to- tripadvisor/booking.com, google reviews etc. We stayed in St Ives a few years ago. Although I did check reviews, pics looked lovely etc the accomodation was up a very long, steep hill! If you can find the details of the accomodation, its often cheaper to ring and book directly with them- rather than going through a 3rd party site.

I recall a small, indoor market when we were there. More antiques, bric-a-brac, books etc than fresh veg, but it was lovely to potter about and I bought a lovely necklace as a memento.