Best of Devon and Cornwall — Self-Launched
6 days · Devon & Cornwall, England
Trafalgar charges £1,207
No-markup version: ~£529 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 6-day run through the West Country covering the same ground as Trafalgar's fully guided coach tour — Windsor and Stonehenge, the Eden Project and St Ives, Plymouth and Dartmoor, Port Isaac and Tintagel, Exmoor and Lynmouth, ending at Bath. Instead of a 20-50 person coach with 7am bag-calls, you travel by train, bus and the odd shared taxi, staying in hostels and budget guesthouses in Paignton, Bideford and Bath. Grab a £30 South West England Rover or Day Explorer where it helps, book attractions individually via GetYourGuide or directly, and keep total costs realistically under £600 per person.
Day-by-day
Windsor, Stonehenge and down to Paignton
Windsor / Stonehenge / Paignton
Start in Windsor — arrive early by train from London Paddington (direct to Windsor & Eton Central, ~£12 return if you buy an off-peak return, 30 mins). If you want inside Windsor Castle, pre-book a timed entry (£30, book direct on the Royal Collection Trust site or via GetYourGuide) and allow 2 hours. Then train back to London Waterloo and take a Salisbury-bound service, changing at Salisbury for the Stonehenge Tour shuttle bus (£15 return, hop-on bus from Salisbury station, English Heritage entry ~£25 if not a member — book direct at english-heritage.org.uk). Late afternoon, take the train from Salisbury to Exeter St Davids (~£25 off-peak, 2 hrs) then a local Great Western service to Paignton (~£9, 40 mins). Check into a budget room in Paignton (seafront guesthouses and the local YHA-run options run £30-45/night). Fish and chips on the seafront for dinner, £9-12.
🚌Train London Paddington–Windsor (~£12 rtn); train to Salisbury + Stonehenge Tour bus (~£15); train Salisbury–Exeter–Paignton (~£34)
🛏Budget guesthouse / hostel in Paignton (seafront, twin/dorm from £30pp)
- →Windsor Castle timed entry
- →Stonehenge shuttle + megalith walk
- →Paignton seafront orientation
Eden Project and St Ives
St Austell / St Ives
Take the early Great Western train from Paignton to Par (~£8, 1h 20m) then the Eden Project shuttle or a shared taxi (the Eden Project runs a seasonal bus from St Austell station, £3-5). Book Eden Project entry online in advance — around £34 for an adult day ticket, cheaper if you pre-book a timed slot on the Eden Project website or via GetYourGuide. Give the biomes 4 hours: the Rainforest Biome, the Mediterranean Biome and the outdoor gardens. Mid-afternoon, head to St Ives — train or bus from St Austell to St Erth, then the scenic St Erth–St Ives branch line (£5, 15 mins, one of England's prettiest rail journeys). Wander the harbour, Porthmeor Beach and the narrow streets; Tate St Ives is ~£12 if you fancy it. Return to Paignton for the night (last trains are around 20:00, so plan the day's end carefully or overnight in St Ives hostels at £35-45pp if you'd rather stay on the coast).
🚌Train Paignton–Par (~£8); Eden shuttle (£3-5); train St Erth–St Ives (~£5)
🛏Budget guesthouse / hostel in Paignton (day 2 of 3)
- →Eden Project biomes and outdoor gardens
- →St Ives harbour and beaches
- →St Erth–St Ives scenic branch line
- →Optional Tate St Ives
Plymouth, Buckfast Abbey and Dartmoor
Plymouth / Buckfastleigh / Dartmoor
Train from Paignton to Plymouth (~£9, 50 mins). Walk the Barbican and the Mayflower Steps, then take a Plymouth Boat Trips harbour cruise (£14, book at the kiosk or online) around the Hoe and the Sound. Early afternoon, take the train back up the line to Totnes (~£6) and a local bus/shared taxi up to Buckfast Abbey (£5-7) — free entry, and the abbey tea rooms do a decent cream tea for £6. If you're keen on Dartmoor, the 113/171 buses from Totnes or Plymouth run into the national park; alternatively hire a moorland guide for the day via GetYourGuide (~£45pp for a small-group walk). Evening back in Paignton — try a village pub in nearby Stoke Gabriel or Churston for a proper Devonshire dinner (£14-18).
🚌Train Paignton–Plymouth (~£9); train Plymouth–Totnes (~£6); bus to Buckfast Abbey (~£6)
🛏Budget guesthouse / hostel in Paignton (day 3 of 3)
- →Plymouth Barbican and Mayflower Steps
- →Plymouth harbour cruise
- →Buckfast Abbey visit
- →Optional Dartmoor small-group walk
Port Isaac, Tintagel and Bideford
Port Isaac / Tintagel / Bideford
Check out of Paignton and travel north. Take the train Paignton–Exeter St Davids (~£6) then the Tarka Line to Barnstaple (~£7) and a bus to Bideford (~£6, 40 mins) — leave your bag at the Bideford guesthouse or the station's luggage point. From Bideford, bus 95/96 to Port Isaac (~£7, 1h 15m) for the harbour, the narrow streets and Doc Martin territory. Then hop the bus to Tintagel (~£4) — walk down to the castle viewpoint or pay £18 to cross the footbridge to the ruins (book English Heritage in advance for a discount). Return to Bideford for the night — the Durrant House area has budget B&Bs from £35pp, and there's a good pub menu on the quay for £12-16.
🚌Train Paignton–Exeter–Barnstaple (~£13); bus to Bideford (~£6); bus to Port Isaac and Tintagel (~£11)
🛏Budget B&B / guesthouse in Bideford (from £35pp)
- →Port Isaac harbour and village walk
- →Tintagel Castle viewpoint / entry
- →Bideford quay evening
Dunster, Exmoor National Park and Lynmouth
Dunster / Exmoor / Lynmouth
Bus from Bideford to Barnstaple (~£5), then the 309/310 to Minehead and a change to Dunster (~£10 total, 2 hrs). Explore Dunster's medieval yarn market and castle (English Heritage, ~£14 entry, or free for members) — the Victorian kitchens and servants' quarters are worth the stop. Then head up into Exmoor: the 300 open-top moorland bus runs seasonally from Minehead through Porlock and on to Lynmouth (£8 day ticket) and is the cheap way to get the scenery the coach tour sees from the window. At Lynmouth, walk the harbour, the East Lyn river path and the cliff railway (£4 return). If you'd rather not navigate the moor by bus, a shared taxi from Minehead to Lynmouth runs around £45-55 split between travellers. Sleep in Lynmouth/Barnstaple (hostels and B&Bs £35-50pp) or take the evening bus back toward Bideford if you've kept your room there.
🚌Bus Bideford–Barnstaple–Minehead–Dunster (~£15); Exmoor Coaster day ticket (~£8); Lynmouth cliff railway (£4)
🛏Budget B&B / hostel in Lynmouth or Barnstaple (from £35pp)
- →Dunster village and castle
- →Exmoor National Park moorland bus
- →Lynmouth harbour and cliff railway
- →Exmoor riverside walk
Bath and home to London
Bath / London
Travel back east: bus Lynmouth–Minehead (~£5), train Minehead/West Somerset steam connection or bus to Taunton (~£7), then the Great Western mainline to Bath Spa (~£15, 1h 15m). Drop your bag in the station left luggage (£6) and see Bath on foot: Pulteney Bridge, Bath Abbey (free entry, £6-8 for the tower) and the Roman Baths — pre-book a timed ticket online (£27 adult, or £34 with the audio guide; book direct at romanbaths.co.uk). For the Stowford Manor Farm cream tea experience in Farleigh Hungerford, either take the 267/268 bus toward Trowbridge (~£5) or book a small-group West Country food-and-farm tour via GetYourGuide (~£45, includes the farm stop and scones) — it's the self-launched equivalent of the Be My Guest visit with Mr and Mrs Bryant. Then the last train Bath Spa–London Paddington (~£30 off-peak advance, 1h 25m).
🚌Bus Lynmouth–Minehead (~£5); bus to Taunton (~£7); train Taunton–Bath Spa (~£15); bus to Stowford Manor Farm (~£5); train Bath Spa–London Paddington (~£30)
🛏Not included — book a London hostel (£30-45pp) or head straight home
- →Bath Roman Baths (pre-booked)
- →Pulteney Bridge and Bath Abbey
- →Stowford Manor Farm cream tea (farmer visit)
- →Optional West Country food and farm small-group tour
Self-launched vs. Trafalgar
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Trafalgar | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£529 | £1,207 |
| Duration | 6 days | 6 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £678 per person (56%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Trafalgar-style trips? Check them out here.~£529
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 Best of Devon and Cornwall — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £529 per person for 6 days in Devon & Cornwall, 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 Trafalgar?+
Yes — Trafalgar charges around £1,207 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £529 — a saving of roughly £678 (56%) per person.
How long is the Devon & Cornwall, England trip?+
This itinerary runs 6 days, covering 6 day-by-day stops through Devon & Cornwall, 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 Devon & Cornwall, 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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