Holidays & Travel

Rail Minister Claire Perry has welcomed the first major redesign of First Great Western’s mainline timetable in Devon and Cornwall for seven years by waving off the first new 0706 retimed service.

The changes launched yesterday (15 December) see an improved service for the South West, providing an earlier morning direct service from London to Plymouth and Cornwall and shaving over 30 minutes off the current quickest journey time.

Key improvements include:

• The 0706 Paddington-Paignton service will now also call at Plymouth, and retimed to arrive 40 minutes
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Exeter Airport’s 2015 Flybe summer routes have been announced by the airline and they include the return of its sun routes to Alicante, Faro, Malaga and Palma Mallorca for another season, with choice of up to 14 outbound flights a week operated by 118-seat E195 jet aircraft.

Flybe will operate 16 routes and up to 110 flights a week across its extensive UK and Europe network from Exeter. Flybe tickets are on sale from £29.99 one way including taxes and charges and currently available for travel between 29 March and 3 September 2015.

Matt Roach, Exeter Airport’s Managing...

Tourism businesses in Exeter and the Heart of Devon enjoyed a record haul of trophies coming top in 10 of the 18 awards categories and scooping 22 accolades in all, at the Visit Devon Awards 2014.

The awards were hosted by Radio Devon’s Judi Spiers at The Palazzo at Highbullen Hotel Golf and Country Club, Umberleigh, and cover the whole county.

Altogether, Exeter and the Heart of Devon Tourism Partnership members collected 10 Gold awards, along with the prestigious Winner of Winners Award, won by the Thelma Hulbert Gallery, in Honiton.

There were also a further 12...

The family-run Ilsington Country House Hotel on Dartmoor has started work on a new spa due to open in February 2015. Guests staying while the work takes place will enjoy a 30% discount off regular room rates.

Facilities will be extensive for a 25 roomed hotel, which is the first in the South West to feature the renowned Spanish Inbeca equipment, including: a hydrotherapy pool boasting two submerged air beds, two water canons and back and leg jets plus, pool side sauna and steam room with mood lighting and sound. The existing 11m x 5m indoor pool is being refreshed with new lining...