We had a great trip in the middle of September. Sue was an awesome tour guide. Here is some practical information;
Weather: The daily forecast was mostly wrong everyday. We had little rain and some fabulous sunshine. Layers are necessary. Always bring you rain jacket at least on the bus.
Heathrow: can be great or can be a mess. We arrived the day after the air traffic control issues and it was a mess.
Pre stay hotel: You will need to state where you want the pre-stay to be, London or Bath. Bath is 1 hour 40 minutes from Heathrow by car. Ours was a little over two hours because the M5 was shut down for an accident. The driver said it was about 50 minutes to central London on average. If you stay in London the transport was by smaller vans leaving at 9:15 and taking about 3 hours with a stop. Other than day 4 you will have little time to explore Bath on your own. Your rooms may or may not be ready when you arrive.
Bath: Is very walkable. The Gainsborough is less than 5 minutes from the Roman Baths and Bath Abbey. Less than 10 minute walk to the train station. Sites not to miss are the Roman Baths, self guided tour audio is fantastic and the Bath Abbey but do take a tour you will get more out of it. We took the tower tour, 256 steps. We also went to the 1 Royal Crescent, Canal cruise and a ghost tour. The Jane Austen Festival was there so there were additional things to do. in 2027 it is the week of September 10. Your day 1 walking tour only goes by the attractions therefore you will need to make you own arrangements. Day four you will get back around 2 PM. You will have access to the hotel spa that afternoon from 1230 to 7 but you need to make treatment appt yourself. The Therma Spa is right next door as well. There is plenty of shopping in Bath. The M&S grocery store is less than 10 minute from the hotel across the street from the train station. We did not eat at any high end places and there are many in Bath but if you are looking for budget friendly and casual options: Beefy Boys, best burgers ever; Solina Pasta was excellent; The Oven for Pizza and for a vegan option the Green Rocket.
Day trips: There are guided options out of Bath including Oxford, Stonehenge, Wales....Just google search. We opted to take the train to Paddington Station in London to go to Westminster and Buckingham Palace which was open. Take the east wing tour which will also include the State Rooms. Note, there are no restrooms until you get to the end. If you are looking for a guide for sites in London, we used Let me show you London and it was one of the best tours we have ever had.
Driving: There are some days you will be on the bus 2 hours each way or if you are going one way up to 3 hours. They do stop every 1.5 hours or so. It is not so much the distance but the narrow roads that add time and nothing runs straight. We had a full size coach except on the Cotswolds day when we had two smaller buses going in opposite directions.
Laundry: In Fowey they will do a small to medium basket of laundry for 30 pounds. The basket is under the sink. Dry cleaning is not an option once you leave Bath. The hotel rooms have heated towel racks if you need to dry clothes. I always pack a 12 ft cord to use as a clothes line.
ATMs: After Bath your options are extremely limited.
Dinners on your own: Make reservations if there are specific establishments you wan to go to even in Bath. In Fowey you options are more limited so pre book ahead time. The day you come back from the Mount you should make it back by 6PM but make a reservation some time after that.
Activity Levels: The tour is listed as a 4/4. For pace there are long bus rides and 645 to 715 luggage pulls. Bath, Fowey and Port Issac are hilly. To get to the eating establishments in Fowey it is a moderately steep walk down and back up and there is a city shuttle from the car park next to the hotel. The day at St Michaels can be tricky depending on the tide and weather. We walk across the beach to the boats to get there and walk across the causeway back which is uneven and slippery. Going up the top on a good day is level 3 with uneven stairs, cobbles and rock with some areas having no hand rails. If it rains this is a 4 and will be slippery. If you can't walk up some slopes on uneven ground, this tour is not for you.
Luggage: You will be given luggage tags by the TD. As many as you want for the luggage you want them to handle. Typically one or two. This luggage will be under the coach and can be difficult to access if needed. If you have a bag such as a carry on you can include this in your luggage pull or bring it to the coach for storage underneath. Its is best to bring a small tote or backpack for the bus with your layers and anything you made need on the bus. We all received small personal item sized totes from Tauck prior to our departure.
Extra exercise: If you want to hike then on Day 7 in Fowey take part of the afternoon to hike the coast trail. We hike over to St Catherines Castle at the harbor entrance and would have done more but raining and slippery.
Bovey Castle: You will sign up for the activities several day ahead with the TD. You have morning and afternoon choices. We opted to make our own arrangements through the activities desk via email at Bovey Castle and had a guide hike, not a walk, up to Eadon Tor for 35 pds each. It's a 3 hour tour and is 90-100 minutes of uphill hiking to get the top. It is mostly on a narrow and sometimes rocky train. But if you are into hiking it worth it but you will need sturdy shoes, not running shoes, your rain jacket, and a small bag for water.
Meals: Many of the included meals both lunch and dinner we pre order with the TD for most of them. The day we were at the Morgan Factory we signed up for dinner reservation at the Bovey Castle with TD and the dinner at Fowey Hall you will need to make a time reservation when you arrive.
