Torquay -suggestions

[nightingalegirl]

We will be there for a day in April. Any suggestions for activities and places to visit?

Prefer to do tours or activities privately or with CC group.

[John Bull]

Torquay (relatively quiet and up-market) and Paignton (arcades & kiss-me-quick-hats) and Brixham (historic fishing port) are the three towns of Torbay, collectively-known as the English Riviera because of the mild climate. Also the village of Cockington, with its quaint cottages and forge. And Babbacombe with its model village and little cliff railway.

Longest bus ride from one end of Torbay to the other is about 45 minutes (25 minutes by car)

So make a start by googling those places.

These places are quintessentially "English", but in a holiday area - so dare I say to a small extent a little contrived. Perhaps England how you always imagined it to be, and not typical of more mundane modern England.

 

Subject to your time available, consider a very scenic steam railway ride plus riverboat cruise on the River Dart down to Dartmouth. 

The train starts at Paignton, and there are various tour options, including bus pick-up / drop-off in Torquay.

https://www.dartmouthrailriver.co.uk/explore

 

More ideas at

https://www.englishriviera.co.uk/things-to-do/excursions-trips-and-tours

 

Or Plymouth is only about an hour by road, 90 minutes by train.

 

JB 

[Bob++]

We were in Devon earlier this year and did the train-plus-boat cruise from Paignton. I highly recommend it as a relaxing way to see some English countryside - you might even get to talk to some English people...:)

[nightingalegirl]

Thank you for both these posts. Good to hear from you again John Bull!

This should help in our explorations in this area of England. 

Any ther hints would be very helpful.

 

Thanks again.

Avril

[John Bull]

1 hour ago, nightingalegirl said:

 

Any other hints would be very helpful.

 

Thanks again.

Avril

 

 

Don't ask for a Dorset cream tea.

Don't ask for a Cornish pastie.

Don't ask for a Somerset cider.

(Devon has its own equivalents ).

 

Say  "me dearie" or "me 'ansome" quite a lot.

And "that's proper ansum" if you like something.

Get the accent right & mebbe they won't even know that you're a grockle.

 

JB 

[nightingalegirl]

4 minutes ago, John Bull said:

 

 

Don't ask for a Dorset cream tea.

Don't ask for a Cornish pastie.

Don't ask for a Somerset cider.

(Devon has its own equivalents ).

 

Say  "me dearie" or "me 'ansome" quite a lot.

And "that's proper ansum" if you like something.

Get the accent right & mebbe they won't even know that you're a grockle.

 

JB 

Thanks for the heads up! 

[MAVIP]

On 12/30/2019 at 5:44 AM, John Bull said:

T

 

Subject to your time available, consider a very scenic steam railway ride plus riverboat cruise on the River Dart down to Dartmouth. 

The train starts at Paignton, and there are various tour options, including bus pick-up / drop-off in Torquay.

https://www.dartmouthrailriver.co.uk/explore

 

JB 

O yes I fully agree: the Round Robin. And keep your fingers crossed the weather will be nice, because the trip over the Dart river will be extra beautifull with a bit of sunshine. All connections of bus/train/boat/ferry are very easy to find and always close to each other. Reserve in advance and pick up your tickets at the kiosk (5-10 minutes walk from the terminal).