How to get to North Cornwall

Better roads and new cycleways, direct rail services and daily flights, and a network of bus routes all mean that travelling to North Cornwall is easier than ever before at all times of the year. During the summer visitors are advised to come early, stay long, leave late. by planning your journey times and setting off early you not only get extra hours to enjoy the beauty of North Cornwall, you'll also beat the traffic. Go home late and you'll travel when the roads are quiet. Better still, leave the car behind, and travel by train, coach or even a low-cost flight, and hire a car when you get here. You'll be turning travelling time into holiday time!

Travelling by car...

Improved motorway links have put North Cornwall within easy reach. The A30 is dual carriageway from the M5 to Bodmin, with fast roads connecting to Bude, Camelford, Wadebridge and Padstow. Or opt for the A39 Atlantic Highway to Bude, which you can join at Junction 27 on the M5. See below for more information on the Atlantic Highway. Visit www.rac.co.uk and www.theaa.com for route-planning and traffic news.

By train...

North Cornwall's railway station is at Bodmin Parkway on the Penzance to Paddington line, with direct services from most parts of the country. There are bus connections to the Bude and North Tamar area from Plymouth and Exeter railway stations. For train times and fares contact National Rail Enquiries 0845 748 4950 www.nationalrail.co.uk For bus information in North Cornwall Traveline: 0870 608 2 608 www.traveline.org.uk Western Greyhound 01637 871871 www.westerngreyhound.com

By coach...

The National Express coach network connects most British cities with Exeter, Bodmin and Wadebridge. There are direct services from London (Victoria), the South-East, the Midlands, Yorkshire and Scotland. From Bodmin, Wadebridge and Exeter, local services connect with most towns in North Cornwall. National Express Enquiries 08705 808080 www.nationalexpress.com

By air...

North Cornwall is served by Newquay Airport, about 7 miles from Padstow. Air Southwest, Cornwall's own low-fare airline, operates four flights a day from London Gatwick, plus frequent flights from Manchester, Leeds, Bradford, Dublin and Bristol, for as little as £19 incl. taxes. Ryanair also operates daily services to London Stansted. Air Southwest: 0870 241 8202 www.airsouthwest.com Ryanair: 0871 246 0016 www.ryanair.com

By bike...

Just follow the West Country Way, along quiet roads from Bristol or Bath to Padstow. http://www.sustrans.org.uk

The Atlantic Highway A39.

The next time you're heading down to North Cornwall on the M5, why not leave the motorway at Junction 27, and turn on to the A361 North Devon Link Road? In only 30 miles you'll reach the ancient borough of Barnstaple, and the beginning of the A39 Atlantic Highway, which runs parallel to the coast all the way to Wadebridge and beyond. This alternative route is surprisingly fast: the AA calculates that the journey from Bristol to Wadebridge is only 10 minutes longer than via the M5 and A30. The trouble is, you'll be tempted to stop at all the villages and towns en route! At Bideford, for example, you might want to explore the narrow town streets and the bustling tree-lined quay, while further down the road you'll be tempted to call in at cobble-stoned Clovelly and its tiny fishing harbour, before crossing into North Cornwall to reach Kilkhampton, Stratton and Bude. Passing through rolling fields and wooded hills, historic hamlets and ancient ports, past wide river estuaries, fishing coves and sandy bays, the A39 Atlantic Highway isn't just an easy route to the west - it's a holiday in itself!