bawc

I would appreciate any recommendations on organizing our trip. We are renting a car in London and driving to Belstone in Dartmoor (near Exeter) where we will be horseback riding for 3 1/2 days. From there we have three days left in which to explore Cornwall before flying from Heathrow in the late afternoon of May 30.

We are taking our 11 month old son and we have arranged baby-sitting while riding. I was considering driving from Dartmoor to either Penzance or Fowey and using that as a base to explore Cornwall, but I am not sure which would be best. They are respectively 1 1/2 hour and a 2 hour drive from Belstone according to British AA. We have driven a lot with the baby, and if we time it to his naps, he is a good "car" baby.

For the last night we need to be closer to Heathrow and yet have time to relax before our 4 PM flight. So I was thinking of something about halfway between Cornwall and the airport. I was wondering if Glastonbury made sense.

TuckH

I'd suggest picking a more centralized location - maybe Truro - from which you could branch out on day-trips...west to St Ives, St Michael's Mount and Land's End; east to Mevagissey, Polperro, Looe, etc; north to Padstow and Tintagel. There's 3 days.

Coming back, I prefer Wells or Shaftesbury to Glastonbury; anyway, you can easily make it back to LHR once you're on the A303.

bawc

Thank you for your suggestions. Can you suggest any hotels near Truro or Wells? We tend to enjoy small to mid-size, moderate to better hotels (maybe 150 BP?).

TuckH

Sorry, but we don't know about hotels, much preferring the experience of staying with a family in their home (BandB). There are many of these in England.

I'd choose an area and then do an online search (hotel or BandB).

bawc

Thanks Tuck, I followed your suggestion and booked a b&b in Wells. As for Cornwall, we chose a place near Looe, basically because they offered services with the baby. We can't quite wing it like I used to when traveling with an infant...Not all b&b want children!

TuckH

That sounds good. Please allow sufficient time to savor Wells and its magnificent cathedral! Also, a correction to my recent post: I meant Sherborne, not Shaftsbury.

Another thing - if you get to Tintagel (it's beautiful!) and Boscastle and have time, Clovelly is very much worth the visit. And/or - at Padstow there's a lovely clifftop hike, looking down at the water, that you should be able to easily do with your little one.