Verdict — yes, a car will give you much more freedom to enjoy Devon and Cornwall Why rent a car and Plymouth?
- A car is a necessity to enjoy most of Cornwall’s scenic attractions, including the various famous gardens and National trust properties.
- Let’s face it — unless you are an aficionado the 1960s urban planning, Plymouth itself really doesn’t have that much to offer.
- Pop-up and see where Drake famously played bowls, enjoy the stunning view, and then head out of town.
- If you’re planning on visiting the Scilly Isles, it is much easier to get to Land’s End St Just airport by car than it is to take the train to Penzance and get a bus transfer.
- Plymouth airport might be close to the city centre, but it isn’t served by any direct bus routes — you will have to take a 10 minute walk to nearby Derriford roundabout before catching an onward bus.
- Rent a car in Plymouth and explore Dartmoor National Park.
- Brunel’s engineering might be great (see below), but the best way to see his great rail bridge is from the neighbouring road!
Why use public transport in Plymouth?
- Plymouth city airport is situated right on the edge of Plymouth, just a short taxi ride into the city centre.
- The car rental office (Avis) in Plymouth city airport is only open for limited hours.
- The city centre is an easy walk from Plymouth station.
- The main attractions of Plymouth itself are easily walkable from the city centre.
- One of the best attractions in neighbouring Cornwall is the Eden project, and you will get discounted admission if you arrive by public transport (easier to take the train to St Austell, from where a shuttle bus is available to the Eden project site).
- Travelling by train in either direction from Plymouth offers some of the most scenic views in the UK, and makes it easy to visit places such as Exeter and Teignmouth in East, or Truro and Penzance in the West.
- Once in Penzance, easy transfers are available to the Scilly Isles by helicopter or sea.
- Brunel fans will at least have to take a short train ride across the Tamar Bridge (first stop on the other side is Saltash, look out for the Union Jack flag house on the Cornwall side).
Further information:
Verdict — no, there is plenty to see in Bristol and nearby Bath on a short break, without needing to rent a car to get around.Why rent a car in Bristol?
- A hire car will give you access to visit many more places in South West England. If you are flying in for a slightly longer break, then Bristol’s network of flight routes makes it the best arrival point for exploring Devon and Cornwall, as well as nearby Avon and Somerset.
- Public transport to and from Bristol airport really isn’t that great — apart from the half hourly express bus service to Bristol city centre, and a link with Weston-super-Mare, very few other public transport options are available. To get anywhere else, you will need to connect via Bristol Temple Meads station, or Bristol bus station first. There is no direct coach link from Bristol airport to Bath.
- Getting from Bristol airport to Cardiff by public transport is a nuisance, and there is no view to appreciate if you take the train through the Severn Tunnel. You can enjoy a much more dramatic view from either of the Severn Road Bridges. Note — if you are doing a driving tour into South Wales from Bristol, you can avoid paying the toll by driving out through Ross on Wye, and back over the Severn Bridges, as it is free to travel from Wales back into England — of course, we don’t recommend this diversion just to avoid the toll fee, but if you are heading in this direction anyway, this is the best way to go.
- A car will make it much easier to enjoy nearby Cheddar Caves and Gorge and Wookey Hole Caves.
Why use public transport in Bristol?
- Bristol was rated by Dorling Kindersley as one of the world’s top 10 city to visit in 2009 — so there is plenty to see in the city itself, without needing to venture out much further.
- Bristol is a superb city to walk around, there is no need to even use buses to enjoy most of what the city has to offer.
- Our top recommendation would be to walk out to Brunel’s Clifton suspension Bridge, and enjoy the stunning views this affords. Although you can drive across the bridge, you can appreciate it much more (and avoid the toll of course) by walking across.
- Don’t forget to visit the Clifton Observatory and caves when visiting the Clifton Suspension Bridge.
- Beautiful Bath is just a short hop from Bristol, and this is an easy and enjoyable train ride.
- Better still, why not cycle between Bristol and Bath, and enjoy the first cycle route set up by Sustrans.
Further information:
Verdict: YES
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Verdict: YES
Simply because hiring a car at Billund airport is going to give you the widest flexibility to see different destinations, unless you really are just here to visit Legoland.
Why rent a car in Billund?
- The area around Billund is great fishing territory, and this is best accessed by car.
- Billund has no railway station, so if you don’t rent a car, you will have to take a bus to get anywhere.
- Buses from Billund are generally slow and irregular.
- Legoland might be Billund’s most famous attraction, but that will probably only keep you occupied for a day. Even though there are other summer attractions in Billund, a rental car is going to make it much easier to explore the rest of the Jutland peninsular.
- Rent a car in Billund and drive to other cities in Western Denmark, such as Aalborg, Arhus, Esjberg and Odense.
- Visit nearby Vejle, and enjoy its stunning modern architecture and shopping facilities, which include a great mix of old and new.
- Rent a car to access the many golf courses which are available around Billund.
- A car is ideal to explore the coastal areas in the West of Jutland, including Ringkobing Fjord and Nissum Fjord – although these fjords are shallow, and nothing like as spectacular as the fjords in Norway.
- Enjoy the white sandy beaches on Denmark’s west coast.
- Visit the Jelling Stones, and learn about the legend of Harald Bluetooth. Bluetooth is strongly identified with the creation of Denmark as a nation state and making warring tribes speak to each other, hence the origin of the Bluetooth mobile networking system.
- Flights to Billund are often much cheaper than flights to Copenhagen, as Billund is a major Ryanair base, and Copenhagen airport has traditionally been associated with high cost airlines, especially as Ryanair no longer operate flights into nearby Malmö, Sweden.
- Billund might not be much of an alternative to Copenhagen for a short weekend break, but flying into Billund as an alternative to Copenhagen and picking up a rental car at Billund airport will certainly give you many more options for exploring Denmark as a whole, rather than just the capital city.
- The drive from Billund to Copenhagen is 261 km, and should take just under three hours. This will include a trip across the fantastic great Belt link. If you are visiting Billund to appreciate Danish toy design, you might aswell appreciate Danish bridge design at the same time.
- Driving in Denmark is generally trouble-free — the roads are well engineered, spotlessly maintained, and traffic jams are rare.
- Hiring a car in Billund and driving to Copenhagen will probably be cheaper than taking a bus (to Vejle) and train, and you won’t have the hassle of changing.
- If you are arriving from outside Europe, and visiting the West of Denmark, save time by avoiding Copenhagen airport and flying to Billund via Amsterdam with KLM.
- English is widely spoken, so you should not have a problem with road signs or getting directions.
Reasons not to rent a car in Billund
- You are in Denmark. Public transport is well integrated, walking and cycling is a pleasure!
- There is no need at all to hire a car just to visit Legoland — Billund airport was primarily built to serve the Lego company, and is just a short bus or taxi ride from Legoland.
- Easy bus connections are available to nearby Vejle from both Billund town centre and Billund airport, taking around 45 minutes. Cost (as of November 2009) 65 Danish kroner (approximately £9).
- From Vejle, regular trains are available to Odense and Copenhagen, and also up to Arhus and Aalborg.
- Why not spend a little bit of time in Billund itself, and see how a toy has influenced the real life town. Billund is easily walkable.
- As is the case throughout Scandinavia, there are plenty of cycle paths to explore radiating out from Billund.
- If you are interested in city environments, take the bus & train to Odense, and explore the famous system of linked parks that the city offers. This is naturally best done on foot or better still on a bike – so leave the hire car at the airport!
Useful facts:
No
Obviously isn’t it really? Amsterdam’s public transport it excellent. It is also a cyclists’ paradise, and the density of the city makes walking a breeze – everything is close to everything else. And of course, it is flat, so no difficult hills to climb.
Yes
Go explore the tulip fields. Because public transport in the Netherlands is so good, the roads are well managed too – this is the advantage of an effectively managed transport policy - it makes it easy for everyone to get around, not just people who restrict themselves to one transport mode.
