Corners of Cornwall — Self-Launched
8 days · Cornwall & South West England
Blue-Roads Touring charges £2,600
No-markup version: ~£1,120 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An independent 8-day loop from London through the West Country, covering the same ground as Blue-Roads Touring's "Corners of Cornwall" coach tour — Wells Cathedral, Dartmoor, Port Isaac and Padstow, St Michael's Mount and St Ives, the Tregothnan tea estate, Charlestown and the Eden Project, the Jurassic Coast at Lyme Regis, and Salisbury Cathedral — but using the UK's excellent rail and bus network plus self-bookable tours instead of a guided coach. You'll stay in hostels, guesthouses and budget B&Bs, eat in pubs and cafés, and move at your own pace. Costs are approximate per person, based on budget-to-midrange backpacker rates in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive London — markets, street art and a riverside wander
London
Settle into a hostel in Zone 1–2 (Clink78, YHA London St Pancras or Generator are all solid budget picks) and spend the afternoon exploring on foot. Walk the South Bank from the London Eye past Big Ben and Westminster, then head east to Shoreditch and Brick Lane for street art, pop-up galleries and a cheap curry or bagel dinner. Load an Oyster card or use contactless — daily caps run about £8.50 in Zones 1–2.
🚌Arrive by tube/rail from the airport (approx £6–12); walk and tube around London (approx £8.50 daily cap)
🛏Hostel dorm in central London (£25–35)
- →South Bank and Westminster walk
- →Big Ben and Houses of Parliament exteriors
- →Shoreditch and Brick Lane street art
- →Borough Market food stalls
London to Wells and into Dartmoor
Wells & Dartmoor
Take a train from London Paddington to Castle Cary or Bath Spa (approx £25–45 if booked ahead), then a local bus or train onwards to Wells. Spend a couple of hours at Wells Cathedral — the west front, the astronomical clock and the Jesse Window are the highlights. Continue by bus/train via Taunton or Exeter to Dartmoor, basing yourself in Moretonhampstead or Princetown. Take an evening stroll onto the moor to spot the semi-wild ponies.
🚌Train Paddington to Castle Cary/Bath (approx £25–45 advance), local bus to Wells and onwards to Dartmoor (approx £12–18 total)
🛏Dartmoor guesthouse or YHA Dartmoor bunkhouse (£28–40)
- →Wells Cathedral entry (donation, approx £6 suggested)
- →Wells medieval streets and bishop's palace
- →Dartmoor National Park pony spotting
Dartmoor to Port Isaac, Padstow and Falmouth
Port Isaac, Padstow & Falmouth
An early bus to Exeter, then the scenic rail line west to Bodmin Parkway and a local bus to Port Isaac — the harbour village used as 'Portwenn' in Doc Martin. Grab a fresh crab sandwich before heading to Padstow by bus for a cream tea or a look at the harbour. Continue by train from Bodmin Parkway to Falmouth (via Truro), your base for the next two nights. Fish and chips on Falmouth's Events Square to finish.
🚌Bus to Exeter, train Exeter–Bodmin Parkway–Truro–Falmouth (approx £25–35 with a railcard or advance ticket), plus local buses to Port Isaac and Padstow (approx £10)
🛏Falmouth hostel or budget guesthouse (£25–35)
- →Port Isaac harbour and Doc Martin filming spots
- →Padstow harbour and cream tea
- →Falmouth town and waterfront
St Michael's Mount and St Ives
Marazion & St Ives
Take the train from Falmouth to Penzance (approx £10, 45 mins), then the short bus or coastal walk to Marazion. Cross the causeway to St Michael's Mount at low tide (free to walk; castle entry approx £14 if you go in — book on the National Trust site). In the afternoon, hop the scenic St Erth–St Ives branch line (one of the UK's prettiest rail journeys, approx £6 return) for the Tate St Ives (approx £12) and a pint at the Sloop Inn. Back to Falmouth in the evening.
🚌Falmouth–Penzance train (approx £10), bus to Marazion (approx £4), St Erth–St Ives branch line (approx £6 return), return to Falmouth (approx £10)
🛏Falmouth hostel or budget guesthouse (£25–35)
- →St Michael's Mount causeway crossing (castle approx £14 optional)
- →St Ives beaches and harbour
- →Tate St Ives (approx £12)
- →Sloop Inn pub
Tregothnan tea estate and into St Austell Bay
Tregothnan & St Austell Bay
Book a private garden and tea-plantation tour at Tregothnan Estate directly (the only tea grown in England — tours run on selected days and book up, so reserve well ahead; approx £35–45 including tea tasting and cream tea). Local buses from Truro connect to the estate gate. Afterwards continue by train or bus to St Austell and on to Charlestown or Carlyon Bay for two nights, with dinner at a harbour pub.
🚌Local bus Falmouth–Truro (approx £5), estate transfer (approx £5), train/bus Truro–St Austell (approx £7)
🛏Charlestown or St Austell budget guesthouse (£30–40)
- →Tregothnan Estate garden and plantation tour with tea tasting (approx £40, book direct)
Charlestown, Poldark and the Eden Project
Charlestown & St Austell Bay
Walk to Charlestown harbour in the morning — tall ships, the Shipwreck and Heritage Centre (approx £8) and handmade dairy ice cream, plus plenty of Poldark filming locations. In the afternoon take the bus to the Eden Project (entry approx £35, book ahead on the Eden website for the best price) and give the rainforest and Mediterranean biomes a good three hours. Optional extra: the Lost Gardens of Heligan nearby.
🚌Local buses around St Austell Bay (approx £8 day rider)
🛏Charlestown or St Austell budget guesthouse (£30–40)
- →Charlestown harbour and tall ships
- →Shipwreck and Heritage Centre (approx £8)
- →Eden Project tropical biomes (approx £35)
- →Lost Gardens of Heligan (optional, approx £18)
Devon and the Jurassic Coast to Salisbury
Buckfast Abbey, Lyme Regis & Salisbury
Train from St Austell to Newton Abbot (approx £12), then a local bus to Buckfast Abbey — a working Benedictine monastery with free entry. Continue east by train to Axminster and bus down to Lyme Regis for the afternoon: fossil hunting on the beach below the Cobb (Monmouth Beach is best), a walk along the Jurassic Coast path, and a pasty or seafood lunch. End the day with a train to Salisbury (approx £12–18) and a final dinner in a city pub.
🚌Train St Austell–Newton Abbot (approx £12), bus to Buckfast Abbey (approx £4), train to Axminster and bus to Lyme Regis (approx £10), train Axminster–Salisbury (approx £12)
🛏Salisbury hostel or budget B&B (£30–40)
- →Buckfast Abbey (free entry)
- →Lyme Regis Cobb and fossil hunting
- →Jurassic Coast walk
- →Museum at Lyme Regis (optional, approx £5)
Salisbury Cathedral and back to London
Salisbury & London
Morning at Salisbury Cathedral — the tallest spire in the UK, the best-preserved original Magna Carta on display, and the water meadows walk from Harnham. Entry is by donation (approx £10 suggested). Then take a direct train from Salisbury to London Waterloo (approx £20–35, 1h25). The tour finishes back in London.
🚌Salisbury Cathedral donation (approx £10), train Salisbury–London Waterloo (approx £25)
🛏Not included (onward travel or book a final London night, £25–35)
- →Salisbury Cathedral and spire
- →Magna Carta viewing
- →Water meadows walk
Self-launched vs. Blue-Roads Touring
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Blue-Roads Touring | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,120 | £2,600 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,480 per person (57%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Blue-Roads Touring-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,120
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Corners of Cornwall — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,120 per person for 8 days in Cornwall & South West England. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Blue-Roads Touring?+
Yes — Blue-Roads Touring charges around £2,600 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,120 — a saving of roughly £1,480 (57%) per person.
How long is the Cornwall & South West England trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Cornwall & South West England.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, slow-travel, budget trip through Cornwall & South West England, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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