The Open Road Travel

A road trip from London to Cornwall takes you through the charming, rural Southwest of England, home to beautiful national parks and historic sites.

If you want to plan your own road trip from London to Cornwall, or more specifically Truro, then I suggest reading on.

There are a couple of routes to Cornwall from London, most of which are around a 5-hour journey. The exact route for a road trip from London to Cornwall, as well as the distance, depends on whereabouts in the capital you are starting from.

As a reference, the distance to Truro in Cornwall is 250-280 miles from the start of the M4 in Chiswick, London.

The best route for a road trip from London to Cornwall will see you begin picking up the M4 where it begins in Chiswick and staying on it until getting on the M25 at junction 4B. Once you merge on to the M25, you will remain on it for around 6 miles, until you reach junction 12.

Here you will join the M3 towards Southampton. Stay on the M3 for around 32 miles and then, at junction 8, take the A303 exit towards Andover and Salisbury.

Stay on the A303 and eventually it will merge on to the A30, which you will stay on for about 19 miles, before joining the M5 towards Plymouth and Torquay. At junction 31, you will be re-joining the A30 and, after 40 miles, you will enter Cornwall.

For those who are going a little further and aiming to complete a road trip from London to Truro, remain on the A30 for around another 40 miles.

You will not be travelling on any more motorways from here using this route as, interestingly, Cornwall is one of the few English counties that has no motorways.

At Carland Cross, take the 2nd exit on the roundabout on to the A39/Newquay Road. Continue until you reach Tregolls Road/A390 and turn right here. This will then take you the remaining 2 miles into Truro.

The best time for a road trip from London to Cornwall is either June or September.

While July and August generally have the highest temperatures, Cornwall tends to get packed with tourists during this time.

For this reason, June is a lot quieter and so is the best time to go to avoid the crowds, while still having a high chance of great weather.

Meanwhile, September allows you to enjoy pleasant weather and you should have missed the crowds by then.

At around 5 hours, a road trip from London to Cornwall can easily be completed in a single sitting. However, you may want to take a more casual drive and make a stop along the way to break up the journey.

My suggestion below is a great destination to visit and one you may want to consider spending a night at during your trip.

The ancient city of Exeter is a must visit location if you are planning a road trip from London to Cornwall. Situated on the River Exe in the beautiful county of Devon, Exeter is a small city but is the capital of Devon.

What the city lacks in size, it makes up for in vibrancy and fascinating visitor attractions. Pre-dating the arrival of the Romans in AD 50, Exeter has a long and rich history, meaning there is plenty to do and see if you’re a history buff.

Home to Devon's most iconic building, which dominates the skyline of the city, Exeter Cathedral is a must-visit site and has been around for nearly a thousand years.

Exeter's Historic Quayside is one of the most attractive parts of the city. It is home to lots of bars, cafes, and independent shops, and is popular with locals and visitors alike.

Not only does Exeter have a lot of history, but it also has a varied cultural scene and is renowned in the southwest for its independent arts scene.

This recently converted 200-year-old original mill house offers stylish accommodation right in the heart of Exeter. The historic building is not only a spectacular pub in a beautiful location but also offers lovely accommodation.

The mill boasts en-suite rooms full of character, with modern facilities including free Wi-Fi, a flat-screen smart TV, luxury beds, a coffee machine, complimentary toiletries, hairdryers, and ironing facilities.

Mill on the Exe is, as the name suggests, located on the banks of the River Exe and some rooms offer beautiful river and garden views.

Downstairs, the pub serves delicious dishes that go perfectly with the award-winning beers on offer.

The 2-storey red-brick building with beamed ceilings and waterside gardens is just over a 10-minute walk from the iconic Exeter Cathedral and also offers free parking.

To make the most of your journey, you will want to make a few stops along the way. There are countless locations to visit on a road trip from London to Cornwall, and you can easily fill your journey with some of the best natural and historical attractions in England.

I’m going to give you a few options of places you can visit on your way, so that you can make the most of your road trip to Cornwall.

Sat by the River Thames, Windsor is a popular destination to visit, and the town caters to tourists with its many gift shops and restaurants.

The historic destination makes the perfect first stop on your road trip from London to Cornwall and has a rich mix of history, culture, and heritage, so you won’t run out of things to see in Windsor.

The historic market town of Windsor is home to the famous Windsor Castle, a residence of the British Royal Family. The castle is open to visitors throughout the year, and ticketed tours give you access to several rooms, as well as special exhibitions.

Not only is the town itself a must-see but there are a few beautiful and tranquil gardens nearby if you want to enjoy a quiet stroll.

Old Sarum is one of the most historically important sites in southern England and an English Heritage property which is open to the public.

Situated on a hill about 2 miles north of modern-day Salisbury is the deserted site of the earliest settlement of Salisbury. Once a thriving town, the settlement appears in some of the earliest records in the country but is now just ruins.

Visitors can discover over 2000 years of history and stand in the footprint of Salisbury's original cathedral and royal castle within an Iron Age fortification, while enjoying a 360-degree view of the beautiful Wiltshire countryside.

Interestingly, many of the stones from the original cathedral were re-used in the construction of the new Salisbury Cathedral, built between 1220 and 1258.

The medieval cathedral city of Salisbury is located in the county of Wiltshire.

Salisbury Cathedral, is at the heart of the city and has attracted visitors for centuries. It is considered by many to be one of Britain's most beautiful buildings. The cathedral is even home to one of the most celebrated documents in English history, the Magna Carta.

The Magna Carta is a royal charter of rights agreed to by King John of England in 1215 and Salisbury Cathedral holds one of the only four remaining original documents.

With a population of just over 40,000, Salisbury is a peaceful city and certainly worth a visit while on your road trip. It has retained much of its medieval centre and has traditional streets filled with shops, plus a charming market square.

Salisbury is just 9 miles south of the iconic prehistoric stone circle at Stonehenge, which takes us on to our next location.

The journey from London To Cornwall will give you the opportunity to see one of England’s most famous landmarks from the road. However, given its iconic status, Stonehenge is worth taking the time to view up close.

Situated on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, Stonehenge is believed to have been constructed by the Neolithic people from 3000 BC to 2000 BC.

Myths and legends surround the man-made stone circle but there is no definite evidence as to the purpose of Stonehenge. That said, it was presumably a religious site and a destination for religious pilgrims.

The prehistoric monument attracts visitors from across the globe, and every year thousands of people gather at Stonehenge to celebrate the Summer Solstice.

Cranborne Chase is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which covers 380 square miles of countryside, overlapping Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, and Somerset.

Stretch your legs and experience beautiful rural England. Enjoy the diverse landscape of the area with its chalk grassland, ancient woodlands, and wild, open spaces.

Not only does Cranborne Chase offer stunning natural attractions and rich flora and fauna, but it is also home to picturesque villages and charming country pubs, so you can take a break after exploring the area.

In the heart of Cranborne Chase and sat beside a lake is the 14th Century castle ruins, which are great to explore and provide a relaxed day out for people of all ages.

While not directly on the route used in this article, Cheddar Gorge is still a great location to visit if you’re planning a road trip from London to Cornwall. One of the top attractions in Somerset, it is definitely worth the detour.

Cheddar Gorge is a limestone gorge nestled in the Mendip Hills, near the village of Cheddar, and is an iconic, natural gem.

The gorge is not only the site of the Cheddar show caves but is also where Britain's oldest complete human skeleton was found. Nicknamed ‘Cheddar Man’, the skeleton was estimated to be around 9,000 years old.

The drive through the gorge is fascinating, as the road winds between towering limestone cliffs on either side. You can enjoy the views from the car but there are a few different walks to do, as well as tours that take you in to the caves if you fancy making a day of it.

While in the area, the village itself has some nice, quaint shops that you may want to visit to buy souvenirs, gifts, or even some cheddar cheese!

Dartmoor National Park is a vast moorland in Devon. Made up of heather-covered moors, peaty bogs, rugged tors, deep river valleys, and waterfalls, Dartmoor is a beautiful area with a rich history and rare wildlife.

With 450 miles of paths to walk or cycle on and many archaeological sites to discover, Dartmoor is an incredible place to explore for everyone.

Dartmoor is one of the most important sites for Bronze Age archaeology in western Europe and the area is home to Bronze Age stone circles as well as Neolithic tombs and old abandoned farmhouses.

Dartmoor ponies, the native pony breed of Devon, roam the wild and inhospitable moors of Dartmoor. They are a hardy breed of pony and thrive in the area, despite the harsh weather and poor vegetation.

Princetown, a village within Dartmoor National Park, is home to Dartmoor Prison, a place once incarcerating some of the UK's most dangerous criminals.

You can visit the nearby Dartmoor Prison Museum, where you can learn about the long and fascinating history of the notorious jail.

Bodmin is a town in Cornwall famous for its mythical beast (The Beast of Bodmin) and its beautiful, wild moors.

Bodmin town itself has plenty of attractions for you to enjoy, including a few museums. This is handy if the weather isn’t as pleasant as you’d hoped.

Like the previous location mentioned, Bodmin also has a historic prison. Bodmin Jail closed in 1927 and is now a popular tourist attraction, with parts of the prison open to visit.

Learn about how life was behind bars for an 18th-century prisoner and unlock the secrets of Cornwall’s past. More recently, a large part of the jail was converted into a luxury hotel.

If you’d rather be outdoors, why not explore the moors? One of Cornwall's designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Bodmin Moor is a heather-covered, granite moorland that you will actually be driving through on your trip to Truro.

To make the most of this incredible area, I would suggest taking a stroll along one of the walking tracks, so that you can discover historic sites surrounded by beautiful scenery.

So, that’s our guide to planning the perfect road trip from London to Cornwall (Truro). Hopefully, you now have some ideas of where you want to visit on the way there, so that you can plan your perfect route and travel itinerary.

To make sure every minute of your journey is filled with exciting things to see and do, now is the time to start getting everything booked, so that you can start counting down the days to your road trip from London to Cornwall.