Hello gallivanters! I haven’t posted a new itinerary in a while. I’ve been busy traveling and have not been writing. Let me make it up to you in the coming months. This article will talk you through solo traveling around Cornwall using public transportation. Read through my Blog!
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Here is another one of my do-it-yourself travel itinerary. I journeyed across the country and found myself some hidden gems in Cornwall. Those who have traveled in Europe can attest to the fact that holidays spent outside the UK are less expensive than spending it in the country. The UK doesn’t have enough sunshine or beaches. Also, the weather is constantly changing and I’m not even exaggerating. All these issues are what we tend to consider for a holiday destination especially if you don’t have a car. However, if you plan ahead, there’s a good chance that you end up with the best UK holiday. I’m here to help you with that. Here is a Cornwall solo travel itinerary that you should definitely look into.
Itinerary
| Date | Activities | Budget |
| Day 1 | September 23 2024 (Monday) 08:03- 13:07 Train travel from London Paddington to Penzance. One- way ticket cost using 26-30 railcard | £44 |
| Accommodation for one person for three nights with breakfast included (The Longboat Inn) | £280 | |
| Walk along Penzance Promenade Penzance Harbour Light House Long Rock Beach | Free | |
| Day 2 | Buses to Minack Theatre, Porthcurno Beach, and Land’s End using a Day-Adult-Ticket | £7 |
| Day 3 | Bus from accommodation to St. Michael’s Mount to St. Ives using a Day- Adult Ticket | £7 |
| From 12:00 Half-Day trip to St. Ives: Bus from Penzance to St. Ives Explore St. Ives on foot or take a dip at Porthminster Beach Spend for food and souvenirs | £ 20 | |
| Day 4 | *Bonus day: You can either go back home to London or transfer accommodation to Newquay if you have more free days. Public Transport from Penzance to Newquay takes about 2 hours and costs £9.15. See next Blog for this. | |
| * | From 13:00 Penzance to London Paddington | £42 |
| TOTAL EXPENSES per person (approximate amount) | £400 |
Transportation
There are direct trains from London Paddington to Penzance Train Station. There is only one train station so you won’t get lost. I booked my ticket using the trip app. You can also use the Trainline app to book but I have accumulated Trip coins that I wanted to use. I will write more about Trainline versus Trip in my next articles. There’s a train almost every hour but some are not direct travel if you don’t mind changing trains.
I booked my trip a month in advance to get cheaper tickets. You can also get cheap tickets if you travel with friends so you can avail of group discounts. I have a 26-30 railcard which was very helpful in cutting down the cost when traveling solo. The travel time is about 5 hours so I made sure I bring some entertainment packs. Don’t forget your books, gaming gadgets and music!
Accommodation
The cheapest hotel I can find for solo travellers at the time of booking was The LongBoat Inn. There are plenty of other hotels. I chose this accommodation based on the following criteria:
- Proximity to the town centre so I could easily buy the essential stuff
- 8-minute walk to the train and bus main stations- I will be using a lot of buses during this holiday.
- Excellent sea view
Day 1
I arrived at Penzance Train Station around 2 o’clock in the afternoon. It was June and still cold. An all-weather jacket is all I need and luckily I brought mine with me. The train station is just in front of the sea. I walked towards the accommodation I booked and left my luggage there. The beach is just about 5 minutes walk away. I walked along the Penzance Promenade. The sea view is just very relaxing. If you don’t mind the long walk, then I suggest you walk along the Penzance Promenade and see these attractions:
- Penzance Harbour with the Penzance Harbour Lighthouse
- St. Anthony Gardens
- Jubilee Pool
- Alexandra Play Park and the View Point
If you prefer not to walk because you are tired from the trip then go for dinner before sleep. There are a lot of nice and cozy restaurants along the harbour. I’ve been to this quirky, pirate-themed restaurant called Admiral Benbow.
Day 2
I spent this day traveling to the must-see attractions in Cornwall. I had breakfast at the inn and head down to the bus station. The bus station is adjacent to the train station. Before reaching the bus station, I bought some light snacks for the trip. I bought a day ticket for unlimited bus travel around Cornwall. If you are staying for 5 days, you can buy the 5-day ticket. You can buy online or through the bus driver. If buying online, here is the link: Go Cornwall Bus Tickets. You should create an account with the app to securely store your tickets.
Penzance to Porthcurno Beach
The Land’s End Coaster leaves Penzance every hour. You can use the Adult-Day Ticket to ride this bus. I used google maps to navigate so that I don’t miss my stop. The ride takes about 45 minutes and you have to press stop nearing the Minack Theatre Car Park. I hope there’s also a lot of tourists when you visit there. It was June when I went there. It helped me not miss my stop when a lot of the tourists also disembarked from the bus. The attractions are far and buses are infrequent. There are also very rare taxis or uber around.
From the Minack Theatre Car Park Bus stop, there are directional signs that leads you to the beach. You have to walk a few minutes to get a sight of the beach. Porthcurno beach is located in between two hills so it looked hidden but also enchanting. The golden sands and beautiful blue ocean makes it very inviting to take a dip.
Porthcurno Beach to Minack Theatre
From Porthcurno Beach, you can already see the Minack Theatre high on the cliffs. There is a pathway going up the hill to reach the Theatre entrance. I wouldn’t recommend this for those who have fear of heights or those who do not like steep climbs.
Another way to get to Minack Theatre is to return to the Minack Theatre Car Park. From there, you just have to follow the road that leads to the entrance. Don’t worry, there are directional signs on the way. It takes about 15 minutes to walk up to the entrance from the car park.
The Minack Theatre to Land’s End
From Minack Theatre Car Park, the Land’s End Coaster leaves every 30 minutes towards Land’s End. It is only a 30- minute bus ride.
There’s a lot to explore at Land’s End. Children and adults will both enjoy the views, entertainments, cafés, gift shops, and the walking paths. Points of interest includes:
- Land’s End Playground
- Model Village
- Giant Morph Statue
- Aardman presents: A grand experience
- First and Last Postbox
- Penwith House
- Land’s End Sign
- First and Last House
- Dr. Syntax Head
- Goose Slade Point
Land’s End to Sennen Cove
If you still have time, I suggest you proceed towards Sennen Cove. It has a beautiful beach suitable for surfing.
You can choose to walk or ride a bus to get there. If you choose to walk, follow the path along the First and Last House. Depending on your speed, the walk takes about 30 minutes. Alternately, take the Land’s End Coaster towards Sennen Cove. The bus leaves every 1.5 hours so make sure to check the time.
Land’s End or Sennen Cove Back to Penzance Main Bus Station
If you decide to stop at Land’s End, you can take the same Land’s End Coaster back to Penzance. If you have reached Sennen Cove, you can also take the same bus going back to Penzance.
It was almost dark when I returned to the hotel. My day was full and I enjoyed the experience
Day 3
On the fourth day, I visited St. Michael’s Mount. The bus from Penzance Bus Station leaves every 10 minutes towards Marazion Beach and takes about 15 minutes. You can take the U4, Land’s End Coaster or the Number 15 bus for this.
St. Michael’s Mount is a tidal island which is accessible by foot only during low tides. You can check their website to see when the causeway is accessible by foot or by boat. Here is the link to the ticket prices: St. Michael’s Mount Ticket Prices. It is free to walk the causeway. You have to purchase a ticket online of you want to enter the castle grounds, ride the boat or have an afternoon tea. This causeway is usually open from 09:45 am in the summer. Sometimes, the island is only accessible by boat until midday. Be sure to check their website.
I was lucky during my visit that I got to spend my morning on the island. I was there for the views and the photos.
In the afternoon, I went to St. Ives. The bus from Marazion Beach leaves every 10 minutes back to Penzance Bus Station. From Penzance Bus Station, you can either take a train or a bus towards St. Ives. I took the bus since I bought a Day- Travel ticket already that I can use for unlimited bus travel.
Penzance to St. Ives
I took the bus towards St. Ives. You can take bus 16 or 17 and it takes about 40 minutes to get there.
I would definitely recommend going to St. Ives. I think it has one of the best beaches in the UK. The Penzance Bus Station is near Porthminster Beach. I spent the whole afternoon just strolling around the town.
St. Ives also has great restaurants serving classic British cuisine. You can have lunch with a view of the beach too if you prefer. There are some nice restaurants and snack bar at the beach. If you want to take a dip, there are designated shower areas to rinse off seawater. Toilets are located close by. I took the bus to Penzance accommodation in the evening.
Day 4
The last day was for travelling back to London. I have spent 4 days in total for this vacation.
If you have plenty of time to spend, I highly recommend that you continue your journey towards Newquay. Curious how?
I’ll write it on my next article so watch out for it!
I hope you enjoy reading. Comment your thoughts below!