South West England holiday guide: Cornwall, Devon, Dorset & Somerset

T By Thomas · Updated 21 October 2026 · 3 min read

Airports

Bristol (BRS), Exeter (EXT) and Newquay (NQY); trains from London Paddington reach Bristol in about 1h40 and Penzance in about 5h

Best time to go

May-June and September for good weather with fewer crowds; July-August for school holidays, but book early

Type

Region

South West England is the long peninsula that reaches out into the Atlantic, and it is where much of England goes on holiday. It takes in Cornwall and Devon at its tip, the fossil cliffs of Dorset, the levels and hills of Somerset, and the southern edge of the Cotswolds, plus the cities of Bristol and Bath.

The mild climate, more than 600 miles of coast path and two national parks (Dartmoor and Exmoor) mean there is something for every type of trip, from surfing to cream teas. For the rest of the country, see our England guide.

Things to do

1. Walk the South West Coast Path – England's longest national trail, with easy sections near towns and wild ones on the north Cornish coast.
2. Explore the Jurassic Coast – Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove and fossil hunting at Lyme Regis and Charmouth.
3. Cornish beaches and harbours – St Ives, Padstow, Falmouth and the Lizard.
4. Dartmoor and Exmoor – wild moorland, tors, ponies and stone villages.
5. City breaks – Bristol's harbourside and street art, and the Roman Baths and Georgian crescents of Bath.
6. Glastonbury and Wells – England's smallest cathedral city and the mystical Tor in Somerset.
7. Gardens – the Eden Project, the Lost Gardens of Heligan and Stourhead are all worth a detour.

A suggested week

Spend two nights in Bristol or Bath for the cities, then head down the M5 to Dorset or south Devon for two nights of coast walking, before finishing with three nights in west Cornwall around St Ives or Falmouth. Without a car, a rail-based version works well: Bath, Exeter, then Penzance or St Ives, using local buses for the coast. If you only have a long weekend, pick one area rather than trying to cover the whole peninsula; the distances are longer than they look on a map.

Food and drink

Expect Cornish pasties, cream teas (jam first in Cornwall, cream first in Devon), Somerset cider and Cheddar, and superb seafood from Newlyn, Brixham and Lyme Bay. Many harbour towns have excellent fish restaurants; book ahead in summer.

Where to stay

• Cornwall – St Ives, Padstow or Falmouth for coast; inland cottages are often better value.
• South Devon – Salcombe, Dartmouth and Torbay for sheltered beaches and sailing.
• Dorset – Lyme Regis, Weymouth or the Purbeck villages for the Jurassic Coast.
• Bristol or Bath – for a city base with day trips by train or car.

Getting there

From London, trains from Paddington run to Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance; the Night Riviera sleeper runs to Cornwall. Waterloo serves Dorset (Bournemouth, Weymouth). By car, the M4 and M5 are the main routes, but the A303 past Stonehenge and the M5 near Exeter clog on summer Saturdays. You can fly to Newquay, Exeter or Bristol from some UK airports, which suits travellers from Scotland and the north.

Best time to visit

May, June and September are the sweet spot: warm enough for the beach, with quieter roads and lower prices. August is busiest. Winter is mild but wet and windy, and good for storm-watching, cosy pubs and walking.

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