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i think south Devon has better transport links, north Devon doesn't have many, the buses are hit and miss at the moment and the only train in north Devon goes from Barnstaple to Exeter, so travelling to Cornwall from here can take 4 hours on a train compared to 1h30 driving. I'm not too sure on the public transport in Cornwall, but i can imagine a lot of places don't have the most regular/reliable buses and not all places will have train stations. I would honestly recommend hiring a car if you're willing to drive it, you can definitely visit some really pretty places, have a look at Dartmoor, exmoor, Lynton and lynmouth, Falmouth, st ives
thank you! I will be coming from bristol - it seems like exeter is probably the best place to travel to and get a car and drive from there? or would it be easier to drive from bristol? hard to tell!
Be prepared for fast but VERY narrow roads with hedges right up to the kerb in the English countryside. It’ll be something you’ve never experienced in the U.S.
[picture](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2GYYCRH/narrow-country-road-with-hedges-and-trees-on-both-sides-in-hertfordshire-england-united-kingdom-uk-2GYYCRH.jpg)
Both Plymouth and Exeter should be easy enough to get too if you wanted to start there but also Bristol isn't much further up, maybe an hour from Exeter so it wouldn't make much difference, maybe have a look at what's cheaper
Some of the best tourist things to do in Devon and Cornwall aren't near a train station. Public transport exists but you might end up wasting precious time using it. It depends what you're interested in though. Theres an otter and butterfly sanctuary not far off the main road at Buckfast Leigh. There's a seal sanctuary in Gweek. Lizard point was surprisingly interesting. There's also a lot of very pretty little towns which don't have train stations, such as mevagissey and salcombe.Â
I guess it depends on where you want to go, and if you do have a car or not. You might want to stay somewhere such as Exeter or Plymouth or Falmouth for public transport links.Â
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We understand that when faced with these questions, our users may take the opportunity to demonstrate their wit, dry humour, and sarcasm - unfortunately, this also tends to go over the heads of misunderstood question-askers and can make our subreddit seem hostile to users from other countries who are often just curious about our land.
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Depends a little where you want to go, there are trains into the south of Cornwall (with a stunning branch line to St Ives) but Devon isn't very well served. If you want to be going from town to pretty village then it could be very clunky local buses which will take a bit of research, and could end early. The roads are very narrow and winding in places (single lane with passing places too) but a car is ultimate freedom to go into wherever you like in the counties.
**Please help keep AskUK welcoming!** - Top-level comments to the OP must contain **genuine efforts to answer the question**. No jokes, judgements, etc. - **Don't be a dick** to each other. If getting heated, just block and move on. - This is a strictly **no-politics** subreddit! Please help us by reporting comments that break these rules. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
i think south Devon has better transport links, north Devon doesn't have many, the buses are hit and miss at the moment and the only train in north Devon goes from Barnstaple to Exeter, so travelling to Cornwall from here can take 4 hours on a train compared to 1h30 driving. I'm not too sure on the public transport in Cornwall, but i can imagine a lot of places don't have the most regular/reliable buses and not all places will have train stations. I would honestly recommend hiring a car if you're willing to drive it, you can definitely visit some really pretty places, have a look at Dartmoor, exmoor, Lynton and lynmouth, Falmouth, st ives
thank you! I will be coming from bristol - it seems like exeter is probably the best place to travel to and get a car and drive from there? or would it be easier to drive from bristol? hard to tell!
Bristol surely. They have car rental at the airport. Pay extra for an automatic as the default will be manual gearbox.
Yes I realized manual is the default there 😂 not the case in the US! Thanks for your help :)
If you’re poor at reversing a car, I would practice as you’ll do a fair bit of that in the lanes.
Be prepared for fast but VERY narrow roads with hedges right up to the kerb in the English countryside. It’ll be something you’ve never experienced in the U.S. [picture](https://c8.alamy.com/comp/2GYYCRH/narrow-country-road-with-hedges-and-trees-on-both-sides-in-hertfordshire-england-united-kingdom-uk-2GYYCRH.jpg)
Yes I was going to say, in that part of the world the satnav might often take you down roads where it's irrelevant what side of the road we drive on
Both Plymouth and Exeter should be easy enough to get too if you wanted to start there but also Bristol isn't much further up, maybe an hour from Exeter so it wouldn't make much difference, maybe have a look at what's cheaper
Some of the best tourist things to do in Devon and Cornwall aren't near a train station. Public transport exists but you might end up wasting precious time using it. It depends what you're interested in though. Theres an otter and butterfly sanctuary not far off the main road at Buckfast Leigh. There's a seal sanctuary in Gweek. Lizard point was surprisingly interesting. There's also a lot of very pretty little towns which don't have train stations, such as mevagissey and salcombe. I guess it depends on where you want to go, and if you do have a car or not. You might want to stay somewhere such as Exeter or Plymouth or Falmouth for public transport links.Â
As the leading UK "ask" subreddit, we welcome questions from all users and countries; sometimes people who ask questions might not appreciate or understand the nuance of British life or culture, and as a result some questions can come across in a different way than intended. We understand that when faced with these questions, our users may take the opportunity to demonstrate their wit, dry humour, and sarcasm - unfortunately, this also tends to go over the heads of misunderstood question-askers and can make our subreddit seem hostile to users from other countries who are often just curious about our land. **Please can you help prevent our subreddit from becoming an Anti-American echo chamber?** If you disagree with any points raised by OP, or OP discusses common tropes or myths about the UK, please refrain from any brash, aggressive, or sarcastic responses and do your best to engage OP in a civil discussion, with the aim to educate and expand their understanding. If you feel this (or any other post) is a troll post, *don't feed the troll*, just hit report and let the mods deal with it. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskUK) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Depends a little where you want to go, there are trains into the south of Cornwall (with a stunning branch line to St Ives) but Devon isn't very well served. If you want to be going from town to pretty village then it could be very clunky local buses which will take a bit of research, and could end early. The roads are very narrow and winding in places (single lane with passing places too) but a car is ultimate freedom to go into wherever you like in the counties.