I actually mentioned in a blog post a month or so ago my love for Travelodge. Little did I know they’d get in touch to collaborate with me as part of their #SeaAndTheCity campaign! Sometimes you do need to book a last minute staycation and escape the stresses of a big city. Here is my round up…
The Journey
A four-hour train journey is some people’s idea of hell, as they’d want to get to their destination as fast as possible. When you’re figuring out ways to get down to St Austell from London, the train is the quickest option if you don’t drive. It may not be as cheap as the coach but it is definitely more comfortable and you don’t need to worry about the faff of airport security either. Your journey will only feel long if you’re bored, so I’d recommend bringing a tablet, book or a pillow and catching up on some sleep. Or you can just stare out the window, never have I seen so much green, so many beautiful forests and cows lazing about. If I’m honest, the concrete jungle of London has jaded me in some respect. Nothing is as beautiful as a natural landscape, no matter how high a skyscraper you build, there is beauty in the unsymmetrical tundra’s nature throws at you.
*four hours later*
The Hotel… St Austell Travelodge
The hotel is about a 10-minute walk from the station but down a very steep hill and on a narrow pavement. I’d strongly advise holding on to your suitcase and making eye contact with drivers when attempting to cross the road. Unlike London, they’re pretty friendly to pedestrians and we didn’t have much trouble wheeling our suitcases along… only until we got to the double roundabout a short walk away from the hotel.
Once you see a McDonald’s and KFC, you have arrived.
Checking into Travelodge is a fairly straightforward process, there probably isn’t anything as easy when it comes to hotels, all you need to do is provide your booking information and off you go to your room. We were originally given a room on the ground floor but I asked to change it to a higher floor and this wasn’t an issue. We were given our room key cards and off we were to charge our phones, recuperate for a moment and before heading on our for some dinner.
If you’ve stayed in a Travelodge before, all rooms are a pretty good size with a standard layout. On this occasion we were given a family room, meaning we had plenty of space to get ready and not feel like we were on top of each other. One comment we both made about the room was that it was a little hot, but luckily, a fan was provided, so we plugged this in, opened the window and all our London problems melted away.
Finding the pub
I do love a pub I do. Not wanting to end up at KFC or McDonald’s for dinner, we found that the Western Inn pub was a short stroll away. Emma, assisted by Google Maps (because CityMapper only works in cities), mapped out the route and guided us to the local village pub. We hadn’t really eaten since we’d got on the train and that accompanied with a walk, built up an appetite. We ordered a bottle of Prosecco, fish, and chips and sat in the outdoor area of the pub. The barmaid and the punters were absolutely lovely, if there is anything to say about Cornwall is that Southern hospitality truly exists.
I couldn’t stop comparing everything to London. At 6 pm on a Friday, finding a table in an outdoor area of a pub or bar is an absolute myth. In Cornwall, it’s reality. Obviously, the two places are different in size and lifestyle, but it was SO strange to experience the exact opposite of what we’re used to.
The fish and chips were pretty good, albeit a little dry, but it did fill the hungry hole we had. After catching up for a few hours, we decided to head back before it got too dark and frankly because we bring out each other’s grandma. On the walk back and we came across this little stream and the portal to Hogwarts…
I always thought Hogwarts was in Scotland but never mind, maybe we just needed a…
A good night’s sleep
If it’s one thing we noticed from being in Cornwall was how quiet it was. The only noise came from the occasional seagull and that was pretty much it. No double-decker buses, no street racers, no one fighting on the street or throwing up at 6 am. Just pure silence. It’s only when you remove yourself from your surroundings you realise the differences in destinations.
Listening to seagulls this morning instead of people fighting and throwing up outside my window is BLISS #SeaAndTheCity
— Char ✈️✨🤠 (@char_x0) July 9, 2017
We threw on some facemasks and slowly slinked into bed before 10 pm. My perfect Friday night.
You can check out what we got up to with my ‘Exploring Charlestown’ post here. A huge thank you to Travelodge for this brilliant opportunity! If you would like to book your affordable stay at Travelodge, download the app or check them out here.
Char xo
My stay at Travelodge St. Austell was complimentary, but all views are my own.
Eleanor May says
This looks like such a lovely staycation! I love the Travelodge too
Kay says
I actually almost lived in St Austell! We were viewing a flat there once, but ended up going elsewhere instead. Really enjoyed my visit whilst I was there, it was a lovely little place! xoxo
Kay
http://shoesandglitter.com
memoirsmusings says
How funny! Such a small place on the map of the UK but crazy you have a connection there! Xxx
Ashley says
Just by reading this I had fun! I would love to experience a travelodge in the future. The long train ride seems relaxing. I love taking a moment to look at nature, it’s very soothing!
~Ashley
piecesofashley.blogspot.com