Make the journey count: Family road trip to Cornwall
From unmissable stop-off spots to screen-free car games and audio gold, here’s how to turn the journey to into a fun-packed space to connect, unwind, and get some quality time together.
It’s not just the destination, it’s about the journey too – right?
If you weren’t sure the saying applies to the long drive to Cornwall – it does, trust us.
Because coming to SeaSpace isn’t just about being here – it’s about making memories before your feet hit the beach. Here’s how…
Pit stops with family perks
Limp sandwiches and bumper-to-bumper queues? Not our style. Switch motorway services for these family-friendly stops en-route to SeaSpace.
Pick up gourmet supplies while the kids and four-legged family members run wild in the orchard at this farm-to-fork foodie pitstop.
📍 5 mins off the A303 at Sparkford – best if coming from South and East routes (eg London, Hampshire, Kent).
Not your average services – expect wildflower roofs, farm shop fare and lakeside leg-stretching. Yes, really.
📍 M5, J11A–12 – ideal for: travellers from the North West and Midlands.
Skip Exeter Services and head to this dog-friendly farm shop instead. Refuel with artisan food, roam open spaces, and stock up for your stay.
📍 8 mins off M5, J30 – best for South West routes from Bristol, Somerset, and Devon.
Need a cool down before the beach? Follow the giant orange elephant sign to handmade ice-cream scoops, slides, swings, and a maize maze.
📍 5 mins from M5, J31. Best for the motorway route into Cornwall.
Kids bouncing off the car walls? Unleash the energy with zip wires, an aqua park and axe throwing – so you can fully relax when you arrive at SeaSpace.
📍 Just off the A38, 50 mins from SeaSpace.
Are We Nearly There Yet?
Keep the backseat bickering at bay with games that don’t need a signal (or a screen). Here are our faves:
Spot cars in rainbow order – with a red one between each colour. Pink and purple get bonus bragging rights.
Someone says a word, next person says one linked to it: Beach > Towel > Sandcastle. Up the stakes with each new word starting with the letter of the last one.
An oldie but a goodie. Pick something you can actually see (not passed five minutes ago!)
Make your own or we love this one from National Geographic. Winner gets the first pick of beds.
Turn the drive to SeaSpace into a treasure hunt to find:
A wind turbine
A brown tourist sign with a castle on it
A ‘Welcome to Cornwall’ sign
A surfboard on the roof or van
A stone monument
Cornwall’s ‘nearly home trees’ (If you know, you know. If you don’t you will by the time you get here.)
Family road trip audio picks
Ditch the screens and keep the car journey buzzing with podcasts, stories, and tunes that everyone will love.
Supergreat Kids’ Stories – all ages from 4+
Everything Under the Sun – Q&As from curious kids
Smash Boom Best – fun family debates
No Such Thing As A Fish– for older kids and grownups
The Nothing to See Here Hotel by Steven Butler – laugh-out-loud fantasy (7-11 year-olds)
The Explorer by Katherine Rundell – jungle adventure with depth (8-12 year-olds)
Mythos by Stephen Fry – from Zeus to Athena with Fry’s humour (for older listeners)
Soundtrack Shuffle
Each person takes turns picking a song for the “SeaSpace Roadtrip playlist.” Bonus points if it matches the landscape you're passing through.
SeaSpace roadtrip playlist coming soon.
Start your own Cornwall road trip playlist now on Spotify– we’d love to know what’s on it.
You’re stuck in a car together for hours. So use it. This is rare, golden time – the perfect moment to spark big chats from small prompts. Here are some starters:
Would you rather…?
… Surf in a storm or swim in a sea of jelly?
… Eat ice cream for breakfast or chips for dessert?
… Have a dolphin as a pet or a sandcastle as a house?
If you could teleport anywhere in Cornwall, where would you go?
What’s your bucket (and spade) list of things to do on this trip?
If you opened a beach café, what would it be called and what would you serve?