Independent stays in the South West

Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset: coastline, moorland, and some of the country's most independent-minded hospitality, in towns and villages that have never much cared for chain hotels. This is the region most associated with the classic British seaside holiday, and still delivers on it: surfing beaches, fishing villages, and genuinely wild moorland a short drive from the coast. The distances are bigger than they look on a map, so it rewards picking one corner of the region rather than trying to cross all of it in one trip.

Stonehenge sits on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, one of the best-known prehistoric monuments anywhere in the world.
Bath's Roman Baths, in Somerset, are among the best-preserved Roman remains in Britain.
Cornish pasties and a proper cream tea. Devon and Cornwall still disagree on whether the jam or the cream goes on first.

Official tourist information

What's on, attractions and getting around South West, from the official tourist boards.

VisitEngland visitengland.com
Visit Bath visitbath.co.uk
Visit Bristol visitbristol.co.uk
Visit Cornwall visitcornwall.com
Visit Devon visitdevon.co.uk
Visit Dorset visit-dorset.com
Visit Somerset visitsomerset.co.uk
Visit Wiltshire visitwiltshire.co.uk

Before you go

The emergency number across the whole of the UK, including every region here, is 999.

NHS healthcare is available region-wide. For anything non-urgent, most areas also have NHS 111 for advice over the phone.

Queueing is taken seriously nationwide, and a service charge or a rounded-up bill (roughly 10-12.5%) is the norm at sit-down restaurants, though never compulsory.

Independent stays in the South West

South West in pictures

Official tourist information