Cornwall or Paris?
 

Friends of mine have been to Paris twice and would return in a moment but have always wanted to see Land's End and that area. They are ready to plan but can't decide between the two.

Any pros/cons for their next trip? I've copied the most recent Cornwall discussion to her.

What would make you choose one over the other, please?

They are completely different trips. Cornwall is nothing like Paris, any more than Acadia National Park is like New York. I love both, but if I wanted an urban trip I would go to Paris, and if I wanted an outdoor trip with great coastal scenery and some cute small towns I would go to Cornwall.

No-one can make that kind of decision for someone else. Tell them to flip a coin. If they don't like the result they will know they should do the opposite.

not even apples and oranges.

No way to compare the two -- sort of like asking Yosemite or New York City . . . who would turn down either one.

Opps -- I didn't see thursdaysd's post. Same-o/same-o :)

Oops - that should be >>Oops<< :)

oh -- and there is no reason they couldn't do both -- one can fly from Paris to the SW UK like Bristol or Exeter, or a bit farther - Southampton)

Cornwall is lovely, but Lands End is to be avoided. The National Trust tired to buy it but sadly they failed. It is now a tatty ripoffery. I seem to remember paying a fiver to park and it went downhill from ten on

Agree about Lands End, but you should be able to park one cove north and walk along the cliffs. Or just enjoy the view from nearby.

Oh -- yes -- there is no reason to go to Land's End (unless simply to tick off a bucket list of some sort).

But the rest of Cornwall (and Devon) are glorious.

This may seem silly but, the older we get , the less comfortable we are driving on the left , esp manual transmission. Our reflexes just are not what they were even 10 years ago.

They may want to consider driving trips, esp UK, while they still can do so. Paris will always be an option, Cornwall may not.

The cove just to the north of Lands End is called Cornwall Cove ( I think :) ) It was once considered the most western point. A much more pleasant spot than the overly touristy Lands End. Devon and Cornwall are beautiful but the complete opposite of Paris.

What about Penzance?

What about it? It's a pleasant place, and fine for a couple of nights, but it's no Paris and it's way down the end of the county.

See: http://wikitravel.org/en/Penzance

http://www.visitcornwall.com/places/penzance

What do your friends want from their trip???

In my original post I queried: What would make you choose one over the other, please?

Perhaps I should have asked what's in the Cornwall area that interest them enough to go there instead of a return trip to Paris?

Sorry if I didn't make myself clear.

We are not communicating. These are two completely different trips. What is it about Paris that they think they can find in Cornwall?

People go to Cornwall to spend a week or two at the beach with their kids.

People go to Cornwall to hike across the moors or along the coast to admire the scenery and/or commune with nature.

People go to Cornwall to drive between little villages and small towns and beautiful coves.

Do your friends go to Paris for any of that?

True, there is a cathedral at Exeter, art galleries at St. Ives, St. Michael's Mount, assorted country houses, an outdoor theater at Minack and the Eden Project, but those aren't the reasons people go to Cornwall, they're nice additions to the basic menu.

Look, the person who should be answering this is annhig, who lives in Cornwall, but she probably thought the title was so bizarre she didn't read the thread, I suggest you repost, asking what there is in Cornwall of interest (and specify your friends' interests), and leave Paris out of it.

Below is what I will report to my friends from your post, thursday:

People go to Cornwall to spend a week or two at the beach with their kids;

To hike across the moors or along the coast to admire the scenery and/or commune with nature;

To drive between little villages and small towns and beautiful coves.

Also, there is a cathedral at Exeter, art galleries at St. Ives, St. Michael's Mount, assorted country houses, an outdoor theater at Minack and the Eden Project.

It's tough being misunderstood and bizarre...

>>It's tough being misunderstood and bizarre…<<

Ditto. You obviously didn't understand a thing any of us posted. They are BOTH wonderful, they are BOTH worth visiting . . . and they are TOTALLY different.

There is no way one can tell someone >>Do Paris, it is better than Cornwall<< OR >>Do Cornwall, it is better than Paris<<

People travel from all over the world to visit each place.

You are asking us to compare Orangutangs and Strawberry shortcake.

That is WHY I posted >>like asking Yosemite or New York City<<

Or . . . Yellowstone or London . . . The Great Wall of China or San Francisco . . . None of these are "Better' than the other.

But not as bad as being redundant and snarky.

If you ask a silly question you shouldn't complain about the responses.

Sorry to be redundant -- just trying to find <i>some</i> analogy that would work - since none of anything else we tried seemed to work.

I wasn't being snarky - honest. The caps were just to stress why your question is ultimately unanswerable.

or unkind.

My 'unkind' was directed to thursday, janisj.

But it's not unanswerable. I've listed comparisons before. Wish I'd taken janis' advice and just asked "What's special in Cornwall?".

>>"What's special in Cornwall?"<<

Hundreds of things. Amazing coastal scenery, castles, beautiful gardens, some of the best seafood in the world, beautiful fishing villages (think Doc Martin), world famous art galleries . . . could go on and on.

Is it "Better" than Paris? That depends on what one is looking for.

'Better' was never a word I used, janisj.

Thanks, I will add your list to that of thursday's. I presume they have googled already for specifics:

<i>People go to Cornwall to spend a week or two at the beach with their kids;

To hike across the moors or along the coast to admire the scenery and/or commune with nature;

To drive between little villages and small towns and beautiful coves.

Also, there is a cathedral at Exeter, art galleries at St. Ives, St. Michael's Mount, assorted country houses, an outdoor theater at Minack and the Eden Project.

Amazing coastal scenery, castles, beautiful gardens, some of the best seafood in the world, beautiful fishing villages (think Doc Martin), world famous art galleries . . . could go on and on.</i>

My friends enjoy fresh seafood very much. That might compel them to give the area a try for their next trip instead of returning to Paris.

This is an amazingly interesting thread. I'll throw in St Just in Roseland as great place to visit in Cornwall. Very very pretty.

Thanks, tuscan, I'll pass this along to them as well.

I love driving slowly along narrow country lanes through green fields and tall hedgerows. I love stopping in at picturesque fishing villages and wandering around, soaking in the atmosphere. I love rugged coastlines, old castles, caves, desolate moors and wild ponies. I spent 2 weeks doing just that in Devon and Cornwall and loved every minute of it. I would not have missed it for the world. On the other hand, Paris is probably the most beautiful city in the world (well, in my opinion anyway). However, since your friends have been to Paris twice and have never been to Cornwall, perhaps it is time for a change of scene?

Lovely info, Yelpir and, along with tuscan's, just what I had envisioned for this post!

>>'Better' was never a word I used, janisj.<<

Never said it was -- it is a word <B>I</B> used. The quotes weren't 'quoting' anyone, but asking the question.

Touchy today?

Annoyed would be a better word, janisj. Annoyed with people who don't take the time to help before they make judgmental, unkind statements or make an attempt to help the OP clarify.

I hope you will look at the difference between yours and thursday's responses when compared to Yelpir and tuscan's and try to understand how unhelpful you were.

Anyone who DID get what I was asking the first time can jump in anytime with positive thoughts.

>>Amazing coastal scenery, castles, beautiful gardens, some of the best seafood in the world, beautiful fishing villages (think Doc Martin), world famous art galleries . . . could go on and on.<<

Yes, I can certainly see how unhelpful I was.

To add to the Cornwall list, the Minack Theatre would be at the top of my list of places to see in Cornwall. The theatre was built by Rowena Cade who worked on the project well into her 80's, along with two of her gardeners. I was very impressed. It's located near Porthcurno about 4 miles from Lands End. An amazing effort in a beautiful location.For more information www.minack.com Polperro is a lovely little fishing village. I will also add that,IMO, Exeter Cathedral is the one of the least interesting cathedrals in the UK.

Also worthy of a visit is Tintagel Castle, Boscastle etc.etc...

In response to your original question, I would visit Cornwall but,then, I've been to Paris about a dozen times and only twice to Cornwall.

I don't know how much time your friends will have on this trip. If it is only 3 or 4 days, Paris might be a better choice. To do Cornwall justice needs at least a week and the longer the better. In my view, to see Cornwall properly you do need to keep moving. If your friends prefer to stay in one hotel for the whole duration, again Paris might be the better choice. On the other hand, if they don't mind packing up and moving on every couple of days, Cornwall would be an excellent choice. Of course, I'm not saying that you couldn't pick a central spot in Cornwall and radiate outwards on a daily basis but that would probably increase driving time considerably, given that the main attractions are fairly well spread.
Personally, I would do a one way trip, starting somewhere around Bideford (yes, I know that's in Devon :)) and travelling south down the west coast and then, if they have more time, east along the south coast until they run out of time.
Places to visit along the way:
Appledore - Nice fishing harbour and narrow streets
Buck's Mills - A pretty little village
Clovelly - A lovely coastal village
Bude
Boscastle - Lovely harbour
Tintagel - Ruined castle, cliffs, Merlin's Cave
Port Isaac - Lovely village and harbour (Doc Martin)
St Ives - Truly beautiful village.
More worthwhile than Land's End, in my opinion, would be the helicopter trip from Penzance to the Isles of Scilly. I went to Tresco for the Tresco Abbey Gardens. You can also do it by ferry if you don't fancy the helicopter.

Hope this helps :)

Again, the Scillies are beautiful, but you need time for them. Btw, there is no longer a helicopter service. You get there by plane or ferry. Unless you are a good sailor, air is the best bet

gosh TD - i just found this. sorry the thread seems to have gone "off piste" - don't let that put you/ your friends off coming to Cornwall.

We have many visitors who stay for a whole fortnight and still go home saying how much they have missed. Even a few days are good, but IMO you need at least a week to really see something of the county and absorb its unique atmosphere. you can fly into Bristol, Exeter or even Newquay, or get a direct train from many parts of the UK including London Paddington.

as for what there is to see, there are many excellent ideas above, I'll just throw in that no-one needs to go to Land's End [thoroughly agree about that], Sennen Cove is the place just north of there which is much nicer, Cape Cornwall is the most westerly point in the British Isles and the Lizard is the most southerly. All three easily visited in one day.

any questions and I'll be glad to try to answer them.

Thanks historytraveler, Yelpir, MissPrism, and annhig. I've passed along your info and will report back if my friends have any further questions.

ANNHIG, glad you jumped in for TDuette on the subject of Cornwall...

The response to this request was timely. We are spending a week in Cornwall and a week in Paris the last two weeks of September. This information will be useful in planning our time in both places. Thank you!

JANETMCG, hope you share a trip report with us on your adventures in Paris and Cornwall...

How ironic is that, janetmcg! Will is be a first trip?

Will THIS be...