May 24, with an early start to the day we were ready to continue our journey south from Cardiff, Wales to St. Ives, England. We had originally planned to stop in Bath along the way but were informed there was a service interruption – not a problem, as the beauty of traveling with a BritRail Pass is that you can be flexible and change your route on the go.
One of the reasons we wanted to venture to St. Ives was for the scenic journey along England’s Riviera Line from Exeter station onwards, where the train runs along the coast. From our seats we enjoyed stunning vistas of the ocean! If you have time to stop, I would recommend getting off at Dawlish station and strolling along the Oceanside walkway, which hugs the coast throughout the most scenic stretch.
As we were already covering quite a bit of ground in one day, we opted to continue right through to St. Ives, due to arrive at 4pm. After St. Erth station, look out your window on the right side of the train and you’ll see large expanses of white beach, blue water and palm trees! Welcome to St. Ives, one of England’s favourite beach towns.
After hopping off the train and wheeling our way through the parking lot, we spotted Pedn Olva Hotel, which couldn’t be more ideal for people arriving by train as it’s literally a few steps away. It also has the nicest spot on the coast, built high up on a rocky point between Porthminster Beach and The Harbour, our room had huge windows with 180 degrees of oceanfront views. With our flip flops on, we were at the beach in no time!
For more information on planning your trip to St. Ives: Visit Cornwall
By: Angela Guezen
Photos by: Jen Crane
It’s such fun to tag along daily with your adventure, and share all the sights, sounds and tastes. It certainly whets the travel bug and makes me want to plan our next trip, maybe even to visit some of the wonderful places you describe. Hope you have a safe and fun end to your journey.
Ex Brit ! St. Ives is beautiful & Cornish, the New Tate Gallery was interesting & worth a visit if you have time. Hope you have a safe journey & a very enjoyable holiday.