Haven't been on the bus for years couldn't make it up the hill bus 27, driver 4837 helped us out…read moreshowed us how it worked and was a credit to yur company Top job

Love 'em or hate 'em, it doesn't matter. First Great Western, you continue to exist no matter what…read morewe, your passengers, think of you. Perhaps I don't ride your rails as often as Mathew O., who buys monthly tickets, and I haven't had a calamity nearly as bad as Leon C, who was delayed several hours. But in the last few months, I feel that I've gotten to know you just a bit. Riding from Reading into London/Paddington at least twice a month in the last six months, a few "short" journeys from Reading to West Drayton and a vacation trip out to Bath, I've been able to contrast and compare the long runs to the short runs, the Mark 3 coaches to the Class 165's. A shout out to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Great_Western! Consistently, the trains are as clean as you can expect for something in heavy use. The stations are well maintained and clean (though the lack of rubbish bins drives me nuts). The ticket barriers usually work, though not consistently enough that I can skip buying a ticket. The crews are polite and deferential when they pass through checking tickets. But the most important requirements of any train system are timeliness. scheduling and comfort: - On timeliness, I award you a B+, as my 60 or so trips have never been delayed more than a few minutes. Even in the rain, my longest run was never more than 15 minutes late (though on a 25 mile trip, that's saying something). - On comfort, I award a B. While the seats are clean, on the 165's, they are usually too close together for a 6 foot tall American to sit comfortably and I end up at an angle taking up two seats. On the class 3's, I usually do okay at least for the shorter journeys. - On schedule, I award an A-. The London to Reading routes are very popular and there are *always* trains. We are fortunate to never have a "last train of the night" as they run out to Swansea and Cardiff and Weston-super-Mare all day and all night. I have, however, been stuck on the "local" at midnight, a journey that usually takes 25 minutes that was extended to 52 minutes for stops at all and sundry between London and Reading. So for you, FGW, I award three stars. You are A-OK and we Readingers (Readingites? Readingees? Readers?) are fortunate to have you.

In my travels west of. London and Heathrow then back, FGW is the line of choice. Ive not attempted…read morea sleeper car or first class but the normal/average rider spaces are ok. It's a bit on the worn, older side but it suffices. Some cars there's no space for luggage so you just have to hold it tight. Definitely beats paying way more for a taxi or cab if time isnt of the most critical importance.

My stay here was fine. I slept well in a very comfortable bed, in a room that had all the important…read morethings right (even had sky sports 1, amongst an unusual selection of channels). The hotel has a slightly older feel to it, which I like as it reminds me of staying in hotels on holiday as a child. The location is handy for the train station and for shopping, but is a bit of a trek from the Barbican. But I actually went out of my way to book a hotel with a gym on this occasion (don't ask me why. Misguided good intentions?). And even though their fitness centre is still advertised on their website (a couple of months after I stayed at the hotel), it is in fact no more. All the signs to it on the walls have been recently covered up. This annoyed me as I already know a lovely hotel in Plymouth (http://www.qype.co.uk/place/286915-Grosvenor-Hotel-Plymouth) and the only reason I didn't stay there this time was the will to work out a little.

This is listed as a 4 star hotel. Well all I can say is the star rating need amending, this is not…read moreworthy of 3 never mind 4. The room we had was small and hot, even with the ceiling fan on it didn't seem to help. OK it was clean but not a place I will be in a rush to get back to. The receptionist was however pleasant and helpful in advising us of local places to visit all in all I would recommend you look elsewhere.

Paignton Station is a really quaint little station, the train crosses the main Torbay Road before…read moreentering the station and you normally feel like waving to the children on the level crossing who are waving at your. It is a lovely way to enter the town. The station is small but it has everything you need, a ticket machine, ticket office with lots of information leaflets, toilets, cycle storage and a great little cafe. I can recommend the bacon baps and a hot mug of tea. When you leave the station there is a taxi rank at the front and the bus station is just across the road. If you don't have too much luggage you can easily walk to the central hotels and B & B's. If you have just come for the day the beach is less than 5 minutes away.

Had really good day in Plymouth from Paignton, travelled on GWR, Staff where really helpful with…read moretime, platforms and changes. The staff in charge of refreshments where so nice and informative about delays if any, and one obviously impatient man~who for some reason swore & stomped off! Don't know why! There was a couple of people waiting but we were all quite happy chatting away to each other and if he had waited he would've been next! HE was the only thing wrong with the journey & HE was the only one who was at fault! The young girl behind the counter was very efficient and polite. On the return journey the staff with the refreshments ~ where so friendly and funny. These staff both at Paignton station & on the trains are an asset to your name~ well done guys! The train and the station where both clean & well kept~ a little old maybe but that just adds to the quaint charm it has. Unfortunately my partner lost his phone either on the return journey or in the taxi we had outside to go back to Brixham. It is only a one touch mobile not worth a great deal but as you know, all contacts and information is kept on it and he is quite lost without it! If by chance anyone has come across it or handed it in, we would be grateful if you could email me at: alyathome@gmail.com and I will arrange to pick it up. many thanks and thankyou for a great day out.

Last night about 8 people had booked a taxi from the London-Plymouth train. As the train was 20 min…read moredelayed (arrival time 00:50 am) we had all phoned the taxi company to warn them. Not a problem, they said. We came in 25 min late instead at 00:55. All but two taxis just left instead of waiting for 5 min for a train they knew had not arrived yet. The lady next to me saw her taxi drive away when she walked out of the station door. We all rebooked our taxis. The lady and I had decided to share her Taxi First taxi as mine was showing as booked but no driver was assigned. We could see hers was on the way. The driver refused to take me. He left me stranded. It was now 1:10 in the morning. I phoned Taxi First back and they told me they had no drivers. Thankfully, an unbooked taxi turned up who took me home. I arrived home at 1:30 in the morning instead of 1 am with First Taxi. I will NEVER use them again. Don't recommend them to women who need to get home at night!

This is stupidly unprofessional. I used the app (because I was asked to) to prebook a cab for…read more19:30. I did this at 14:00. 19:30 comes around, no cab, 19:45 comes around, no cab so I call them their excuse is we're busy. I thought the whole purpose of having people prebook was so that they could jump to the head of the queue. So I was told. Yet this is now the forth time that this has happened. I don't recommend them at all. They're useless and they're cabs smell.

Excellent boat hire outfit. Extremely friendly. Nice boats in good condition for hire hourly, daily…read morefor longer if you're staying somewhere with your own moorings. We hired a "picarooner" for the day, and took in most of the estuary area up to Smugglers Cottage, round to St Mawes and across to Falmouth itself. Will hire from them again if back in the area.

Zoe on reception was lovely and helpful...very impressive spa…read more Friends had stayed in the early part of 2026 and suggested that we should visit as we like a decent hotel and spa. The place did not disappoint.... We booked to take our dog in a courtyard room but as the second heatwave of the year hit we decided to leave her at home and upgrade to a wellness room as these had a/c. Best £135 we have spent for many months! The bedroom was well equipped and the bed very comfortable and the a/c worked a treat. Even the in-room tub was well designed and being former hospitality owners we know often these items have design over substance. Also for a visit we heard no canoodling, talking or other clients which was wonderful asset. We ate at the hotel one evening and the food was well presented, tasty and served by a group of happy servers. The breakfast buffet was very good and again the staff who were totally over dressed for the weather (note to management...spa hotel clients won't be offended if your staff wear shorts and polo shirts in the warmer months...) offered lovely tasty choices as well as a decent cold spread. Hot food all cooked to order.... The spa is impressive if perhaps a victim of its own success. As the temperate as in the mid 30c the outside relaxing area came into play....on a cold day there are only about 12 beds to use inside. But the point of a spa is not to sit, drink wine and talk loudly on your speaker phone (yup some folks need to be more considerate...) but to use the sauna, steam rooms and pool all of which were in decent condition, very clean and for a midweek visit coped with the quantity of clients. We will return....can't hope for more than that can you?

Boringdon Hall is an historic Country House Hotel with a beautifully equipped spa, located on the…read moreoutskirts of Plymouth. The house itself has a colourful history: a 16th Century Tudor Manor House that once hosted the likes of Sir Walter Raleigh, it was remodelled in the 17th Century. The owners - the Parker family - moved permanently to nearby Saltram House in the 18th Century and the house, let to farmers, slowly deteriorated. It was partly demolished around 1800, but continued to be occupied until shortly after World War II. It was restored and rebuilt as a hotel 1986-7 and restored again after a fire in 1989. The Spa is a very recent addition. It's hard to describe as a hotel without the description sounding like that of a country house. The exterior has two splendid square towers, a smaller tower enclosing the large 17th staircase, and a wealth of Tudor doorways and windows. Inside, old doors abound, but the most impressive room by far is the lounge bar, located in the Great Hall. This has an original doorway and a restored fireplace dated 1640, with the Royal Arms of Ling Charles and two huge plaster caryatids (statues) representing peace and plenty. The decorated plaster ceiling is actually a modern pastiche, as is the panelling, but the staircase incorporates genuine 17th Century fragments. Off the bar are the Brasserie restaurant (where we ate) and the first floor gallery is used for both fine dining and breakfast. There's a "secret" bar accessed through a hidden door, and a quiet rear lounge. It's all furnished with large, traditional sofas and chairs. Rooms are scattered throughout the main house, and the former outbuildings and barns. In the main house, some are large and splendid in the four poster style, other spacious and modern (in the annex), but ours, in the east wing, was a more standard modern double, as you might find in a Marriott or Holiday Inn, albeit with two foot thick stone walls. Overall, we had a very comfortable stay. The bed was fabulous, and the room had nice touches such as a jar of locally baked shortbread with the tea/coffee facilities, fresh milk, water from the hotel's own artesian well. The toiletries were lovely if strongly scented. The breakfast was a mixture of cold buffet and hot food cooked to order, with vegetarian options. Both breakfast and dinner were fine, if not outstanding. (Dinner around £60 for two with a glass of wine.) Otherwise staff (mostly in their 20s) were lovely, ever present, and eager to please. The highlight, though, is the Spa. This includes a 20m swimming pool; a large hot water pool with an outdoor jacuzzi and several different water features; a well-equipped gym; two saunas, two steam rooms and a lapidarium, all with various treatments available. It's fitted to a high standard and free to hotel guests. We spent a couple of hours there before dinner every day. Practicalities: there are three car parks, the house bring accessed by a narrow drive, off a minor road on the edge of the sprawling suburb of Plympton. A car is pretty much essential, as it's up a steep hill and some way from public transport (it's about 5 miles from Plymouth station). It's well located to drive into southern Dartmoor, or the beautiful Saltram House and it's park (National Trust).

I wanted to take a Torre of this railway station so I came along and self-guided myself around…read more It's a little Suburban Railway Station close to Torquay and Torbay, and you can find it in the spectacular and touristy coastal region of the Southeastern portion of the county. It's close to the final station which is Torquay on this line, a place where the station cafe makes great food, and is right on Newton Road which is the road that goes to Newton Abbot. There are some Suburban stores right next to it, and it's old and pretty and features a really lovely tower at the entrance. The tower is reminiscent of something totally different from somewhere totally different.