Southwest England for two weeks

	Summer vacation in southwestern England
	Southwest England over 16 days. Planned as a two-week trip to be taken in the early summer.

Short Summary.

Day 1	Fly from U.S. to Bristol.	Night on trans-Atlantic flight
Day 2	Day in transit. See Amsterdam briefly. Arrive in Bristol	Bristol, England
Day 3	Day in Bristol. See Bath.	Bristol, England
Day 4	Second day in Bristol. Evening train to Penzance	Penzance, Cornwall
Day 5	Day in Penzance and St Ives	St Ives, Cornwall
Day 6	Day in St Ives	St Ives, Cornwall
Day 7	St Ives to Plymouth.	Plymouth, England
Day 8	Driving in eastern Cornwall. Go to Port Isaac.	Port Isaac, Cornwall
Day 9	Day in Port Isaac	Port Isaac, Cornwall
Day 10	Tintagel, the Exmoor National Park, and Glastonbury	Salisbury, England
Day 11	Stonehenge, Winchester, Salisbury	Salisbury, England
Day 12	Salisbury and Lyme Regis	Lyme Regis, England
Day 13	Lyme Regis, Exeter, Dartmoor National Park, Plymouth	Plymouth, England
Day 14	Long train ride from Plymouth to Manchester	Manchester, England
Day 15	Day in Manchester	Manchester, England
Day 16	Return to the United States. Return flight	Home

See our list of trips.

My Travel Resources Page

Full Description

Day 1	Friday	Take an afternoon or evening flight out of the United States, going to Bristol	Try to sleep on the flight to Europe.
Day 2	Saturday	Fly out of your home airport in the late afternoon, arrive in Amsterdam around 11:25 a.m., and then experience nearly five hours in a layover at the Amsterdam Airport. Allowing an hour into the city and about ninety minutes to get back from the train station in the city to your departure gate, this makes possible a trip into the city for 90 minutes or slightly more of walking around the downtown, with plenty of time to spare in getting back to the airport. This is not enough time to see a large museum or take a city tour, but enough time to catch a glimpse of the city. The Amsterdam excursion will help your fight against jet lag. The Amsterdam airport itself is quite nice. Catch a 4:20 p.m. flight from Amsterdam on to Bristol, arriving at 4:30 p.m. (a 1 hour and 10 minute flight across a time zone). Stay at either the Future Inn or the Novotel Bristol Centre.	First night in Bristol. Probably stay at the Future Inn Cabot Circus Hotel or the Novotel Bristol Centre.
Day 3	Sunday	This is a day to relax and adjust to the time differences. You might go see the Brunel's SS Great Britain. You might take a train to Bath and look around there.	2nd night in Bristol
Day 4	Monday	This is a second day in Bristol. In the afternoon take a train to Penzance. A train departs at 3:53 p.m. and arrives in Penzance at 8:40 p.m. That's a late arrival, so check into the Penrose Guest House near the train station.	1st night in Penzance. Stay at the Penrose Guest House.
Day 5	Tuesday	Day in Penzance, then take a train to St Ives (trains leave every hour on the half-hour, and with just one transfer the trip takes less than 40 minutes). Afternoon in St Ives. Perhaps visit the Leach Pottery. Or, perhaps visit the Tate St Ives and the Barbara Hepworth Museum. Stay at the Abode St Ives or Sea Breeze.	1st night in St. Ives At Abode St Ives or Sea Breeze
Day 6	Wednesday	Day to enjoy St Ives.	2nd night in St. Ives
Day 7	Thursday	Morning in St Ives. There are trains approximately every hour for the journey to Plymouth. The trip takes between 2 hours 10 minutes and 2 hours 30 minutes. One possibility is to leave St Ives at 3:33 and arrive in Plymouth at 5:58 p.m. For an earlier departure, a train at 11:33 a.m. will get you to Plymouth by 1:39 p.m. Stay at Dudley House Hotel or Rosaland Hotel.	1st night in Plymouth. Stay at Dudley Hotel or the Rosaland Hotel
Day 8	Friday	In Plymouth one might visit the Plymouth Mayflower, the Plymouth City Museum, the National Marine Aquarium, the Elizabethan House, the Merchant’s House Museum, Plymouth Dome, or the Royal Citadel. Rent a car in downtown Plymouth. This allows for driving to various spots to take a hike. Take a 3-hour hike on southern cliffs near Noss Mayo, parking at the National Trust’s Warren Clifs car park. Hike around Mouthstone Point, Gara Point, and Blackstone Point. Drive through Cornwall, stopping in Wadebridge. Go to Port Isaac. Stay at the Headlands Hotel or at the Old School Hotel.	1st night in Port Isaac Headlands Hotel or Old School Hotel.
Day 9	Saturday	Day to relax in Port Isaac. Possiby go for a 3-hour hike above Doom Bar at Pentire Point. Possibly drive up to Tintagel Head. Possibly do another hike at Boscastle Harbour.	2nd night in Port Isaac.
Day 10	Sunday	Day to drive around Cornwall, seeing Tintagel, the Exmoor National Park, and Glastonbury. Drive all the way to Salisbury for the night. Along the drive, perhaps stop for a hike around Exmoor at the Tarr Steps and Winsford Hill. It may be possible in the afternoon to stop at Longleat to tour the house and possibly the safari park, or visit the house and gardens at Stourhead. Stay at the Old Rectory B&B or Cricket Field House Hotel.	1st night in Salisbury Old Rectory B&B or Cricket Field House
Day 11	Monday	Day to explore the region around Salisbury. See Stonehenge, and the old Saxon capital of Winchester. Take a hike along the water meadows near Little Durnford. Return to Salisbury for a second night.	2nd night in Salisbury.
Day 12	Tuesday	Morning in Salisbury, then drive to Lyme Regis. Along the way stop for a hike at Hambledon Hill, stop again at Athelhampton to see the hall, and nearby see Puddletown’s church, and then see Maiden Castle in Dorchester. See museum in Lyme Regis and enjoy the little town. Stay at St Cuthbert's of Lyme or Clappentail House.	1st night at Lyme Regis At St Cuthbert's of Lyme or Clappentail House
Day 13	Wednesday	A day for driving along the south coast, seeing Exeter, Dartmoor National Park, and returning to Plymouth. In Exeter see the Cathedral and Guildhall. Some good possibilities for hikes include a walk near Silverton, a hike between Crockern Tor and Longaford Tor; and a walk in the Walkham Valley near King’s Tor and Merrivale Bridge, passing stone rows. Return the rental car. (six day rental)	Another one night stay in Plymouth Stay at Dudley Hotel or the Rosaland Hotel
Day 14	Thursday	Take the train from Plymouth to Manchester. It's a little over a five hour train ride, and it's direct, without requiring a switch of trains at any intermediary stations. You leave Plymouth at 11:50 a.m. and arrive in Manchester at Piccadilly Station at 5:00 p.m. A route costing half as much departs at 3:23 p.m. and arrives in Manchester at 9:00 p.m. Stay at the Mint Hotel Manchester or at Velvet.	1st night in Manchester. Stay at the Velvet Hotel or Mint Hotel.
Day 15	Friday	Day in Manchester	2nd night in Manchester
Day 16	Saturday	Depart Manchester in the late morning, stop in New York for a long lay-over (seven hours, allowing time to leave the airport and see something in New York). Arrive home quite late, just before midnight.	Arrive home in late at night.
Day 17	Sunday	A day to recover from jet lag before returning to work.	home

Costs. (Day, expense, Cost in 2011 U.S. Dollars, Cost in percent of median year-round full-time income)
(Thus 1,080 Myrfti is 10.8% of a median year-round full-time American income, while 230 Myrfti is 2.3% of median year-round full-time income. To convert costs into current dollars, simply multiply the costs in the far right column times the current median year-round full-time American income, and you'll have an idea of current costs. Otherwise, use a Consumer Price Inflation adjustment to 2011 with the dollar figures. The resulting cost estimates should be similar, at least if travel costs and incomes have matched inflation).
The two-person prices assume an adult couple sharing a bed, and the four-person costs assume a family of four with two children aged between 12 and 17.

Day 1	Flights from Midwest to Manchester, England in the summer is likely to cost between $1,050 and $1,250. Flights to London Heathrow may cost between $1,190 and $1,240. Round-trip to Gatwick costs betwen $1,160 and $1,590. Round-trip to Bristol costs only $1,200, but involves a 6:00 a.m. departure. The solution is to fly into Bristol and depart from Manchester, which allows for a ticket price of $1,140 and easy flight times.	2 persons $2,280 4 persons $4,560	2 persons 461 Myrftis 4 persons 921 Myrftis
Days 2-16	Lodging for 2 nights in Bristol, 1 night in Penzance, 2 nights in St Ives, 2 nights in Plymouth, 2 nights in Port Isaac, 2 nights in Salisbury, 1 night in Lyme Regis, 2 nights in Manchester. Rates calculated using online reservation systems or the hotel websites, using hotels listed in this travel plan, and always taking the most expensive alternative of two hotel prices to figure the high cost and the always the lowest alterative for the low cost. Prices were checked for late July or early August nights (high season).	High cost 2 persons $2,015 4 persons $3,455 Lower cost 2 persons $1,665 4 persons $2,895	High cost 2 persons 406 4 persons 698 Lower cost 2 persons 336 4 persons 406
Days 2-16	15 dinners and 15 lunches and a few breakfasts. The high cost rates were calulated assuming 7 meals at $32 (2011 dollars) per person, 11 meals at $22.40 per person, and 12 meals at $8 per person. This corresponds to 7 meals at good restaurants, 11 meals at medium-prices or low-cost restaurants, and 12 meals in a picnic style with food from grocers or else fast food. Other meals are assumed to be covered at hotels (most breakfasts included with lodging costs). The low cost estimates simply take the full cost estimate and reduce by 25% (eating less often in restaurants, eating at fewer expensive restaurants, eating more often sandwiches or fast food or foods from grocery stores).	High cost 2 persons $1,135 4 persons $2,265 Lower cost 2 persons $850 4 persons $1,700	High cost 2 persons 229 4 persons 458 Lower cost 2 persons 172 4 persons 343
Days 2-16	Total land transport costs including train tickets, car rental, car rental insurance, estimated costs for petrol, estimated taxi costs and local transit costs (in Bristol and Manchester). Includes costs of public transport (bus, subway, local rail) to get round-trip from JFK Airport to Manhattan, and from Schipol airport to Amsterdam.	2 persons $875 4 persons $1,320	2 persons 177 Myrftis 4 persons 267 Myrftis
Days 2-16	Total costs for admissions to museums, parking fees, souvineers, and various miscellaneous expenses.	2 persons $300 4 persons $550	2 persons 61 Myrftis 4 persons 111 Myrftis
Whole Trip	TOTAL ALL COSTS For two adults this trip costs between 12% and 13.3% of what a median American full-time year-round worker earns in a year. For a family with two adults and two teen-agers the trip costs between 22.3% and 24.6% of the median full-time year-round annual income. A family with one income earner making the median year-round full-time income could save 8% of their income each month and have enough saved up after three years to pay for this.	Highest cost 2 persons $6,600 4 persons $12,150 Lowest cost 2 persons $5,970 4 persons $11,020	Highest cost 2 persons 1,333 4 persons 2,455 Lowest cost 2 persons 1,206 4 persons 2,226

	To show how a family of four earning about 120% of the median income would budget to pay for a trip such as this (costing 23% of a median worker’s year-round full-time income) every three years, I offer the following household budget, using a household annual income of $59,400 (about 120% of a single worker’s income of $49,500): Housing and utilities (including gas, electric, sewer, water, rent or mortgage, homeowner or renter insurance, and home repair and maintenance budget: 28.1% ($1,391 per month) All taxes (property, sales, income taxes for local, state, tribal, or federal governments): 15.2% ($752 per month) Car expenses (ownership of cars, gas, maintainence, insurance): 12.3% ($609 per month) Groceries, food, restaurants, and household supplies: 9% ($446 per month) Savings for a trip like this every three years: 8.0% ($396 per month) Health insurance and health care expenses: 7% ($347 per month) Savings for retirement: 7% ($347 per month) Savings for children's college expenses: 4.8% ($238 per month) Charitable giving: 2.3% ($114 per month) Other entertainment, internet, travel, cable television, movies, etc.: 2.2% ($109 per month) Miscellaneous other expenses (incuding phone): 2.1% ($104 per month) Clothing: 2% ($99 per month)