England

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  • 35 days
  • 2025 Fall

This was our third trip to Great Britain. In 2012 we did highlights of England and Scotland. In 2022 we went to North Wales and the Lake District. This time we focused on Devon, Cornwall, and the Cotswolds. We spent a couple of days in the Cotswolds in 2012 and really enjoyed it so we went back to spend more time there. Devon and Cornwall are new to both of us.

We divided our time between the coast and the countryside, though in the smaller towns and villages we went to they blend together. We tried to do a lot of walking. We finished up in London as usual, where we revisited some favorites and explored new territory. 

Food & Beverage $49 per day*

Average per person per day. Breakfast was included during half our stay. Otherwise we got breakfast from a bakery, and ate one other meal each day.

Lodging $175-267 per night*

London was NOT our most expensive stay! Totnes was the priciest; Penzance was the cheapest. The more expensive options included breakfast. All were good value.

Transportation $977 per person*

Transportation includes our train and bus fares plus a week's local transportation in the London area. We saved by getting senior railpasses and buying tickets ahead of time.

Entertainment $316 per person*

We went to two plays, which accounts for most of our expenses. Also included are entrance or booklet fees for sights, and buses and train fare for day trips. Most sights were free.

* Costs in US dollars at time of trip

Days 1-4: Exeter

The Plan: We’ll fly into London and head for Exeter the same day. It sounds like an easy transfer and a manageable amount of travel time for our first day. It looks like there are lots of things to see and do in and around Exeter. 

The Reality: It was easy to get to Exeter our first day, via Heathrow Express and a direct train from Paddington. Patchy rain and jet lag kept us from venturing too far but we wandered Exeter and did a walk to see Dartmoor and other views.

  • Exeter Cathedral and St Nicholas Priory
  • Topsham and Exmouth
  • Sherborne
  • Dartmoor (Okehampton)

Days 5-8: Falmouth

The Plan: Cornwall is relatively small but since we won’t have a car we’ll have two bases there to cut down on public transport transfers. For all the that Great Britain is an island we’ve spent little time actually on the coast.  

The Reality: Rain continued to discourage outdoor activities. We did a couple of local walks (with rain gear) to see the coast.

  • Pendennis Castle
  • Eden Project or other garden
  • St Mawes
  • Truro by river?

Days 9-15: Penzance

The Plan: Penzance sounded like a better base for us than St Ives. We’ll visit St Ives on a day trip. We’ll do some other day trips and take some time to just relax and enjoy the seaside. 

The Reality: We chose wisely in staying in Penzance. We didn’t spend any time ON the beach though we enjoyed walking along the promenade next to it.

  • St Ives
  • Land’s End bus trip
  • St Michael’s Mount
  • Beach time
  • Nearby walks

Days 16-18: Totnes

The Plan: I know this is close to Exeter, but it seemed like a long trip to get from Penzance to our next stop, and Totnes itself sounds interesting. So we’ll spend another couple of days exploring the area from here. What we see and do will depend on what we do while in Exeter.  

The Reality: We got a peek at Dartmoor while in Exeter. On our first local walk here we spotted a mandarin duck so we went back the next day to get a better look rather than do the Round Robin. 

  • Totnes
  • Dartmoor?
  • Round Robin trip to Dartmouth

The costume museum in Totnes that I was looking forward to has closed. (It sounds like they might be relocating to Falmouth.)

Days 19-23: Cheltenham

The Plan: We spent a couple of nights in Chipping Campden on our first trip to Great Britain and really enjoyed it. If the B&B we’d stayed at was still open we’d have gone back. Since it isn’t, we’ll use Cheltenham as our base for the northern Cotswolds.

The Reality: We did three day trips using the convenient local buses. It would have been easy to visit other towns and villages too. 

  • Cheltenham
  • Painswick
  • Winchcombe
  • Broadway? Stow-on-the Wold

Days 24-27: Cirencester

The Plan: Public transportation is patchy in the Cotswolds. To cut down on transfers we’ll use Cirencester as our southern base. I have a fascination with things William Morris so I’d like to get over to Kelmscott Manor if we can. 

The Reality: Kelmscott Manor was too difficult via public transportation and buses weren’t running to Bibury due to roadwork. We found lots to see in Cirencester itself. 

  • Cirencester
  • Bibury
  • Kelmscott Manor?

Days 28-35: London

The Plan: I can’t visit England without spending time in my favorite city. We may have to revisit St Paul’s now that we’ve seen more cathedrals for comparison. I’d like to do a day trip or two; maybe find another neighborhood to explore, a different museum. Or just more of the British Museum? Definitely some theatre!

The Reality: We did revisit St Paul’s and the British Museum. We also went to five new museums, including the National Gallery and the William Morris Gallery out in Walthamstowe (easier to reach than Kelmscott). And saw two Shakespeare plays. Next time we may have to go for three nights out. 

  • Hampstead Heath or another park: St James’s and Regent’s parks
  • Day trip(s) to Rye? Cambridge? Dover?
  • Law courts?
  • A new museum? 5 new museums and one revisit
  • Explore a new neighborhood or two? Walthamstowe and Marylebone
  • Street market(s) Marylebone High Street
  • Theatre

Resources

  • We used Lonely Planet England as our main resource.
  • Great Scenic Railways was a great resource for traveling Devon and Cornwall by train. We followed their guide to the East Hill walk in Okehampton, and it helped us choose that particular walk.
  • Visit Dartmoor had lots of info, including a guide to The Middle Dart Valley walk that we took. 
  • The South West Coast Path site was a good source for walks around Falmouth and Penzance.
  • Explore the Cotswolds had a page on visiting without a car, which was very useful for finding the right bus and choosing places to visit. 

Christmas Ornaments

The queen died the day we arrived so a queen ornament seemed appropriate. The train is a model of a heritage steam engine. The snitch speaks for itself. 

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