Road trips
South-West England road trip: castles to coastlines
)
Cornwall, Bristol, the Jurassic Coast, Lizard Point, Salisbury, Devon, Glastonbury… There are heaps of amazing reasons why a South-West England road trip is one of the best in the UK!
As # vanlife fans, we reckon that road tripping is the absolute best way to experience this spectacular region: it means you can go at your own pace and stay in beautiful and peaceful spots. So we’ve put together our very best road trip in south-west England for you to try out.
Our road trip route goes from London to the south-west and back on a 700-mile loop, with an extra couple of hundred miles added for scenic detours. We’ve designed it for seven days, but of course you can make it a 10-day or even two-week trip by adding extra days wherever you like.
We’ve also included a wide range of options so that the route is a top pick for families, couples or groups of friends. Check it out in more detail below!
Best road trip around South-West England: 7 places you can't miss
Total distance: 704 miles | Recommended duration: 7 days| Best time to travel this route: Spring or summer | View the road trip on Google Maps
1. Bournemouth (108 miles from London)
Hire a van in London and set off towards the south-west coast along the M3 (passing through Winchester and Southampton), or the A3 via the Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty; both journeys are the same length. Arrive in Bournemouth in the afternoon to give plenty of time to look around.
Bournemouth recommendations
Bournemouth Pier
Boscombe Pier
sandy seven-mile beach
award-winning tropical garden Alum Chine
Oceanarium (Bournemouth Aquarium)
land train between Bournemouth and Boscombe piers
Alternative itinerary
Set off early from London and take the M3 to arrive in Winchester by mid-morning. Spend a few hours there then drive on for another few hours’ sightseeing in Southampton. Arrive in Bournemouth by late evening to take in a show at Bournemouth International Centre or the Pavilion or Pier theatres.
Bournemouth campsite
St Leonards Farm Caravan and Camping Park
Map and location:Ringwood Road, West Moors, Bournemouth BH22 0AQ
Price: from £17 per night
Stay just a few miles from the action at this low-key caravan and holiday park with plenty of space and a relaxed vibe. Showers, toilets, chemical disposal, gas sales and a playground are all available. St Leonards is a family-friendly and dog-friendly site.
2. The Jurassic Coast and Exeter (107 miles from Bournemouth)
The second day of your south-west road trip takes in the stunning scenery of the Jurassic Coast, the name given to the UNESCO World Heritage Site running from Studland Bay just south of Bournemouth to Exmouth in east Devon. The region spans 185 million years of history and is a popular fossil hunting spot in the south-west.
Our route allows for a meander around the coast to pass Weymouth, Sidmouth, Lyme Regis and Exmouth, to spend as much of the day as possible here before driving onto Exeter in the evening.
Jurassic Coast recommendations
Durdle Door
Lulworth Cove
Lyme Regis
Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre
Studland Bay to Swanage walk (4.7 miles) on the South West Coast Path
Alternative itinerary
If you’ve already seen the Jurassic Coast, the direct drive from Bournemouth to Exeter is 86 miles. This gives time for a morning in Dorchester along the way, then an extra couple of hours in Exeter.
Exeter campsite
Haldon Forest Holiday Park
Map and location:Clapham, Exeter EX6 7YG
Price: from £26 per night
This parkland site is ideal if you have a few hours free before setting off on the road again, as it’s at the foot of the Haldon Hills and only a mile from 3,500-acre Haldon Forest Park. Facilities include a playground, laundry and heated toilet and shower blocks. Exeter is five miles away and beautiful Dawlish Warren and its nature reserve are seven miles from the park.
3. Falmouth (156 miles from Exeter)
Quite a long drive on Day 3, to take in more gorgeous coastline as well as cute seaside towns on the way to much more of the same in Cornwall – all highly recommended!
Set out from Exeter on the A380 on a leisurely five-hour drive to the southern Cornish coast, passing Torquay, Dartmouth and Plymouth to arrive in Cornwall at Fowey. From there, drive to Looe, through Truro, and skirt the Roseland Heritage Coast to arrive in Falmouth in time for a late afternoon boat trip along the River Fal.
Exeter to Falmouth recommendations
Torquay to Dartmouth boat trip
Torquay harbour speedboat trip
Paignton Sands beach
Plymouth Hoe
Fowey Aquarium
Shark fishing at Looe
Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro
Alternative itinerary
Drive direct to Falmouth from Exeter (98 miles) to allow for a few hours’ sightseeing at both, or stop off at the Eden Project at St Austell on the way to Falmouth.
Falmouth campsite
Map and location:Budock Water, Falmouth TR11 5DZ
Price: from £20 per night
Trewen Farm Campsite has been family run for generations and the team prides itself on giving all visitors a relaxing camping holiday. Under three miles from Falmouth, the farm has sea views over Falmouth Bay and St Mawes from its spacious camping field. Showers, toilets and electric hook-up are all on site.
4. Newquay: the Cornish coast (118 miles from Falmouth)
Make this as long a day as you can: there are only 118 miles to put on the clock but there’s heaps to see and do. Start early from Falmouth on a coastal route along the A394 and A3083 to Newquay, taking your pick of famous Cornwall destinations on the way. Lizard Point, Sennen Cove, Godrevy and Porthtowan are all perfect stopping places for ice cream, fish and chips or a Cornish cream tea.
Cornish coast recommendations
Lizard Point, the most southerly place in Britain
Kynance Cove
the open-air seawater Jubilee Bathing Pool at Penzance
Tate St Ives and the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden
Penhale Sands (dunes at Perran Beach)
Newquay Zoo
Newquay surfing
Newquay campsite
Map and location:Trencreek Road, Newquay TR8 4NS
Price: from £19.50 per night: serviced pitches £6.50pn; vehicles £1.50pn; adults/over-14s £5.60pn; children £2.80pn.
Another family-run campsite, four-star Trencreek is under a mile from Newquay town centre and a few minutes’ walk from a well-stocked farm shop. It’s a quiet site for families and couples only, with an excellent range of facilities including fishing ponds, a clubhouse, a heated outdoor pool and a play area.
5. Glastonbury (176 miles from Newquay)
Your final day in Cornwall follows the A39 just inland from the county’s west coast, arriving in Devon at Bude and driving on past Hartland and Barnstaple to the Devon surfing town of Ilfracombe. The second leg of the journey passes south of Exmoor and the Quantock Hills of Outstanding Natural Beauty to arrive in Glastonbury mid-afternoon.
Newquay to Glastonbury recommendations
Camel Cycle Trail at Wadebridge
Summerleaze, Crooklets and Sandymouth beaches at Bude
wildlife watching at Hartland and the North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Pannier Market, Barnstaple
Landmark Theatre, Ilfracombe
Glastonbury Abbey
Glastonbury Tor
Alternative itineraries Spend longer on the west Cornwall coast by taking in Padstow and Tintagel on the way to Ilfracombe, for a total journey distance of 190 miles (four hours and 45 minutes’ driving time).
Or, to spend extra time in Glastonbury, drive on a direct cross-country route from Newquay, along the northern edge of Dartmoor and past Taunton and the Blackdown Hills. This route is 142 miles and should take about 2.5 hours.
Glastonbury campsite
Glastonbury Camping and Caravanning
Map and location:Higher Edgarley House, Glastonbury BA6 8LB
Price: from £20 per night
Stay right at the foot of Glastonbury Tor at this peaceful family-friendly park only a mile from town. Also known as Glastonbury Cottages and Caravanning, the park has a spacious pitching area, a campers’ kitchen, a heated shower block and views of Glastonbury Tor.
6. Bristol and Bath (40 miles from Glastonbury)
From Glastonbury, make the 27-mile drive north for a morning’s sightseeing around lively Bristol, where options include the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery, the M Shed and the many Banksy artworks around the city.
In the afternoon, drive to Bath (13 miles) to see the Roman Baths, Bath Abbey, the Fashion Museum and the Jane Austen Centre.
Glastonbury to Bath recommendations
Wells
Wookey Hole Caves
The Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Bath campsite
Bath Waterside & Marina and Caravan Park
Map and location:Bath Waterside & Marina, Brassmill Ln, Bath BA1 3JT
Price: from £28 per night
A peaceful caravan park set alongside a marina, under two miles from the centre of Bath and the edge of the Cotswolds. Pitches are hardstanding and come with electric hook-up. Toilets, showers, a shop, a launderette, water points and chemical toilet disposal are all on site.
Alternative itinerary
Harry Potter fan? Bypass Bath to drive from Bristol to Gloucester Cathedral (36 miles): the cathedral cloisters formed part of the set for several Hogwarts-based films.
7. Stonehenge and Salisbury (43 miles from Bath)
Salisbury is only 40 miles from Bath, so there’s plenty of time on this final day to spend an extra couple of hours in Bath if you like. Or make an early start for a lengthy morning at ancient and world-famous Stonehenge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Either option should land you at Salisbury in the early afternoon, where our top picks include Salisbury Cathedral, Salisbury Racecourse and Tuesday and Saturday market days.
It’s about two hours’ drive from Salisbury back to London on a direct route between the North Wessex Downs and the South Downs National Park (M3), or on the A3 via Newbury and Slough. Epic south-west England road trip – completed!
Organise your South-West England road trip with Camplify
Whatever your budget, no matter what type of holiday you want, you’ll find a van to suit your adventure on Camplify! We’ve got plenty ofvans available for hire in London and tips onholidaying in South West England.
Or maybe you’d prefer to focus on just one south-west county for your holiday? Our Cornwall road trip itinerary has everything you need.
Why Camplify?
We are proud to be the UK's fastest-growing private caravan, campervan and motorhome sharing community. When you hire a van through our platform, it comes with lots of advantages:
Comprehensive hire insurance
24/7 RAC nationwide breakdown cover
Dedicated customer support
All members are verified
By hiring with Camplify, you are also helping local families who share their van on our platform and supporting many local companies across the UK in addition to ours. So we are very grateful to you.
Sign up if you want to join our beloved community of van life lovers and receive our most recent news and offers.