This is what I’m using to drive to North Devon from London, together with my girlfriend. It’s 4.5h - 5 hours on the road, 350 km, mostly motorways. The car has an engine smaller than my old motorbike but it’s supringsly comfortable, quiet, and fun to drive. The only draw-back is that it’s pretty hard to carry a surf board on the roof… But I’m happy to rent, for now.
I’m just back from a weekend in Saunton, North Devon. This time I stayed at super-nice little cottage in the village of Braunton - review here: Bloomsfield Bed and Breakfast, Braunton.
The surf was OK, but not great. Sunday was clean but the waves really small. I recognized most of the locals in the lineup this time, and there are some great longboarders hanging out in Saunton. But the vibe is chilled and friendly.
I spent Thursday and Friday in Saunton, North Devon. I arrived with bus from London late on Wednesday evening, tired and hungry. Woke up early on Thursday to maximize my exposure to the waves, but almosted started to cry when I saw the weather - rainy, windy, no waves.
I went out anyway - 2 h in the morning, 2 h in the afternoon. Happy just to get wet and catch some small messy waves.
And then, when the evening came, the wind dropped, the tide came back in, and all of a sudden it was paradise. Saunton is amazing for longboarding, absolutely amazing, and I had the best time ever (well not ever, but it was GOOD). Friday morning was even better, so when I went back to London (7 hour in a bus…) I had a big fat smile on my face.
I wrote a review of the place I stayed: Saunton Sands Hotel.
Here’s a pic from the road just above the hotel:
