I spent five days in Cornwall with my lady, balancing Cornish pasties, ice creams, seafood and cider with refreshing swims in the Atlantic and coastal walks with spectacular views. Our trip was at August, so Cornwall was bustling with fellow tourists and, like much of Europe, it's per month you'll pay greater than average prices. We got lucky with pre-trip expenses, borrowing my dad's car and remaining in my parents' holiday lodge totally free, saving us precious pennies on accommodation and transport (minus petrol).
Pre-trip spending
Train: lb91.30 for 2 return tickets from London to my hometown in Somerset, bought with 26-30 railcards saving another on the cost. Within my hometown we picked up my dad's car and hit the road.
Snacks: It wouldn't be a road trip without snacks. We stopped off en route and purchased two coffees, Wine Gums and Twirl Bites for lb8.20.
On the ground
Saturday
2pm: We found its way to Cornwall early afternoon and, even though it rained the whole journey, the sun's rays decided to come out just in time. We headed straight to Crantock beach, a few minutes' drive away, for any walk along with a swim in the sea. As National Trust members, parking was free.
6pm: We headed to the lodge to freshen up for that evening, after which ventured out to a captivating little restaurant called The Boathouse. It's in a quaint little harbour in Newquay and serves fresh fish and seafood, that is a must when visiting Cornwall. We shared seabass croquettes to start (lb12.50) and, once we were around the coast also it was our first night, we splashed out on a Fruits de Mer platter for the main, composed of mussels, crab, lobster and monkfish, with skinny fries and bread for dipping. The main came to lb50 and with wine the entire bill was lb88.50. The other side of the harbour is a stretch of beach with long waves ideal for surfing. We watched people surf until sunset before making our long ago to the lodge.
9pm: On our way home, we stopped off for a pint of Cornish cider in a pub merely a stone's throw away from the lodge, which found lb7.50.
Sunday
10am: After a morning run along a coastal path near Crantock, and breakfast at the lodge in the well stocked fridge, we were prepared to head out for a day trip to St Ives.
11am: We drove to some small village called St Erth, parked for free in the train station and caught a train into St Ives for lb5.30 for two return tickets. It's only 15 minutes around the train, with stunning coastal scenery and sea views, and saves the hassle of driving into this very popular town. It was a tip we received from a nearby also it repaid massively.
1pm: After we arrived in St Ives, we headed from the stop towards the town centre and mooched going to get our bearings, before grabbing a Cornish pasty (lb3.50 each) to eat inside a park near St Nicholas Chapel, which had panoramic views from the town and also the ocean. With full bellies, i was ready to have an afternoon of culture, and purchased two combined tickets to visit Tate St Ives and also the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, for lb14.50 per ticket. A special afternoon drew to some close with a Cornish cream tea, that is a scone with cream and jam and coffees, coming to lb8.50 as a whole. Much more Rome!
6pm: We stopped at Healey's Cornish Cyder Farm in route home and acquired some Rattler ciders – lb10 for 8 bottles – to stock up the fridge. That evening we went to a nearby pub called the Bowgie Inn that has gorgeous views of Crantock beach. I'd homemade lasagne and a shandy (I had been driving), Andrew had fish and chips along with a glass of vino, and we watched the sun go down, all for lb35.90.
Monday
9am: Taking advantage of the blue sky, we started your day with an energising swim within the sea in a beach called Polly Joke, a ten minute drive away, and paid lb1 for parking. Afterwards we headed back to the lodge and cooked eggs and bacon (which were left within the fridge for all of us) in the morning. We grabbed two coffees plus some biscuits from the local shop for lb5.55, before heading out on another day trip, this time to Land's End. Parking cost lb6 in the end assimilated the dramatic scenery; we had the wild Atlantic ocean, deep blue in colour, crash into beautiful cliffs and even caught a glimpse of the Isles of Scilly within the distance. Tourism has transformed Land's End also it now feels a bit like a theme park, however, the natural beauty is outstanding.
2pm: Next stop, Porthcurno beach, that is a 20 minute drive across the coast. We parked within the beach carpark for lb2.10, acquired two Cornish pasties for lb9, and sat around the beach and watched the waves roll in. You cannot visit Cornwall without eating Kelly's Cornish frozen treats and on our way back to the car we each had one: mint choc chip for Andrew and salted caramel for me, for any total of lb5.
8pm: After heading to the lodge and having a Rattler cider, we decided to possess a slightly fancier dinner than the previous night. We went to a restaurant called Lewinick Lodge, nestled on cliffs overlooking the ocean and Newquay's Fistral beach. Both of us had tempura fish with samphire and curried mayo to begin (lb7.50 each). I'd Cornish crab linguine for main (lb18.50), Andrew had crispy panko monkfish (lb19.50), and that we washed it down having a carafe of rosé. The bill found lb72.50.
Tuesday
6pm: After consuming the past three nights, Andrew volunteered to cook us dinner in the lodge, therefore we went home through the supermarket Morrisons and bought two sea bass fillets, peas, corn on the cob, a lemon and new potatoes. It wouldn't be considered a holiday without wine, so we acquired a bottle of rosé and headed back for a cosy last night in. The shop found lb19.30.
Wednesday
9am: It had been sadly here we are at our Cornish bubble to come to a finish, although not before heading to the beach one further time. Parking at Crantock beach was free as it's a National Trust beach. It had been windy and drizzly therefore we chosen a stroll rather than a swim, and acquired two coffees on our way back towards the car (lb5.60). We used up the last of the fridge supplies for our breakfast and managed to make two ham and cheese sandwiches for that journey too.
12pm: After packing up and waving goodbye to the lodge, we headed to a petrol station to fill up the vehicle ready for the drive home. This found lb50.10. Once in my hometown, we used our return train tickets back to London.
Notes:
This was the all inclusive costs for two people for a five-day trip to Cornwall, so works out just over lb249 per person. Although we were very lucky to reduce accommodation and borrow an automobile for the trip, we did enjoy some extravagant dinners and may have been more budget conscious.
