Cornwall, as many of you have undoubtedly found out, isn’t blessed with the best transportation system in the world; it takes about an hour and a half to even get out of the county if you are travelling from Penryn or Falmouth. So how on earth can you get out and see what Cornwall has to offer?
The obvious route to go down is to drive, but many students on this campus either cannot drive or don’t have a car. If you are lucky enough to own a car, arrange days out with your friends; make the most of having the easiest form of transport to get around Cornwall. The benefit of having a car is you can explore pretty much anywhere without having to get train or bus connections. Navigating the bendy roads is tough, but if you are going to get lost anywhere in the UK Cornwall is the best place because you are bound to discover something; from little cafés in the middle of nowhere to stunning secret coves.
Cornwall, as many of you have undoubtedly found out, isn’t blessed with the best transportation system in the world; it takes about an hour and a half to even get out of the county if you are travelling from Penryn or Falmouth. So how on earth can you get out and see what Cornwall has to offer?
The obvious route to go down is to drive, but many students on this campus either cannot drive or don’t have a car. If you are lucky enough to own a car, arrange days out with your friends; make the most of having the easiest form of transport to get around Cornwall. The benefit of having a car is you can explore pretty much anywhere without having to get train or bus connections. Navigating the bendy roads is tough, but if you are going to get lost anywhere in the UK Cornwall is the best place because you are bound to discover something; from little cafés in the middle of nowhere to stunning secret coves.
Not everyone has the ability to source a car, and making friend with someone just because they have a car probably isn’t the best route to go down. So what are your options?
Public transport is your friend. Being honest, the Cornish train lines and bus routes need a bit of improvement. But they can get you to nearly every main town in the county; it just takes quite some time and many different connections. The best thing you can do is plan your day out. Spontaneous trips out using public transport never really work out well. You will have to get up early if you want a substantial amount of time to spend in your destination.
Trains, whilst being the quicker option don’t give you many options, but they are perfect if you want to get to St. Ives or Newquay. The St. Ives train requires just one connection and is a relatively short journey. The Newquay train does take quite some time, but it is worth it, especially for a trip to the zoo or just to visit it’s stunning beaches.
The other option is buses. They do take a while but if with friends you can chat your time away. You can purchase an adult day ticket for £10, or alternatively if you want to get out and about regularly it may be worth buying the Fal Mussel Card which gives you unlimited bus journeys on all routes in Cornwall for £260 for the entire academic year. It also gets you travel on ferries that operate to St. Mawes, Truro (via Trelissik and Place all from Falmouth).
Another option if you really don’t want to face public transport too much, is keeping up to date with societies. A lot of societies hold trips, and even if you are not part of the society you can still take part, even if it is for a small fee. Eco Soc is perhaps the most active society for trips so if you are keen on wildlife and love the outdoors, it is perfect. Additionally, the Climbing Society and the Expedition Society give you the opportunity to visit some of Cornwall’s beautiful coastlines on weekends; a perfect way to get fresh air and to stay active!
Without the Holy Grail that is a car, you can still find many ways of getting out, even though you may not have the freedom to go wherever you want, when you want to. You can still see Cornwall; you just have to keep your eyes peeled for events and get stuck in.