On Devon’s sunlit sweep of Torbay, palm-lined promenades and pleasure boats share the stage with 400 million years of geological drama — and a cast ranging from Agatha Christie to Isambard Kingdom Brunel. Here, Phil Hopkins, takes us on his coach journey to Torquay:

Daish's Holidays is a very British institution, and, whilst Groucho Marx may have quipped, "...but who wants to live in an institution?”, this 47-year-old company remains a firm favourite amongst thousands of Northerners as well as those a little further south and to sides of God’s own country!

But, despite offering a tried and tested, if somewhat formulaic, offering that runs smoother than Stephenson’s Rocket, one thing that can never be anticipated are the characters you are guaranteed to meet en route to your destination, in the hotel dining room or at the evening bingo!

So, having already visited several of the company’s numerous hotel properties from Blackpool to the Lake District and Weymouth to Bournemouth, I steeled myself for the 9-hour marathon drive to Torquay and The English Riviera, with Mrs H and 93-year-old Auntie Pat in tow, along with sandwiches, a flask, airline neck cushion and two Netflix films on my phone!

And it went like a breeze! “It can take up to 10 hours on a bad day,” said our driver Ryan, as we pulled out of Nelson Street, Bradford, on the stroke of 8.30am, with pick-ups ahead in Leeds, Denby Dale near Wakefield, and Sheffield.

But, within a couple of hours, we were fully loaded and pushing south with our first break at Tibshelf Services and a second a few hours later.

By 5.30pm The Devonshire Hotel was firmly in our sights, and, with just enough time to check in and dump our bags, we were down for the ‘communal dining’ evening meal at 6pm. The next day we’d start to explore the place that I had last visited as an 18-year-old cub reporter!

Looking at the town from atop the beautiful Royal Terrace Gardens, set high up on the cliff side, Torquay arranges itself like a seaside stage set. Below, white boats turn on their moorings, Princess Pier reaches into the water, and the curve of Torbay recedes towards Berry Head.

The gardens may have a Mediterranean feel, but the exposed rock is the real clue: this resort is built on far older foundations than its Victorian villas suggest.

Torquay, Paignton and Brixham together form the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark, designated in 2007. Across 22 miles of coastline, its rocks record some 400 million years of history.

However, Torquay’s most enjoyable introduction begins at the harbour. Fishing craft, excursion boats and sleek marina yachts share the sheltered water, while cafés occupy the waterfront.

By day...

...by night

Princess Pier, opened in 1890, offers the simplest pleasure: walking far enough out to look back at the town. Beside it, Princess Gardens provides lawns, flowerbeds and a level promenade between the marina and the ornate Pavilion, currently closed for refurbishment.

Princess Gardens

A walk on the pier

Looking back across Torbay Road, Royal Terrace Gardens — known locally as Rock Walk — climb Waldon Hill in a sequence of planted paths and steps. The reward is the bay’s best urban panorama.

At times, Torquay’s polished marina can feel almost continental, but working ropes, lobster pots and the cry of gulls keep the scene firmly Devonian. The promenade also reveals how compact the centre is. Harbour, pier and gardens flow naturally into one another, allowing visitors to alternate between sea-level bustle and the quieter benches above Rock Walk without needing a car.
We’d bumped into fellow traveller, Barry, from Leeds and were soon howling as he recounted his son’s job as a food delivery man for Asda.

“He doesn’t half meet some funny b*****s in ‘is job,” regaled our resident raconteur. “The other week he dropped a couple of bags of shopping off at a house in Leeds and, can you believe it, the bloke inside came to door dressed in a bloody Darth Vader outfit.” His audience of three exploded in laughter as a more elaborate explanation ensued.

But, Barry’s tale telling was in good company.

Crime writer supreme, Agatha Christie was born in Torquay in 1890, and the town wears the connection lightly but proudly. A bronze statue by local sculptor Elisabeth Hadley now seats the author near the harbourside, book in hand and her dog beside her.

It makes an amiable counterpoint to the most baffling episode of Christie’s own life. In December 1926 she disappeared for 11 days, prompting a nationwide search, before being recognised at the Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, where she had registered under another name. The mystery has inspired endless theories but no definitive solution.

For a change of pace, the Torquay Land Train trundles from the Strand around a circular route linking the seafront, hotels, shopping streets and Torre Abbey.

It may look like a children’s amusement, yet it is a practical way to understand the town’s contours — and to save tired legs.

You can hop off at Torre Abbey, founded in 1196 and now a museum set among gardens.

Its Spanish Barn recalls 1588, when 397 men from the captured Armada ship Nuestra Señora del Rosario were held here after the vessel surrendered to Sir Francis Drake.

The wider area has always attracted larger-than-life characters. The Rev John “Jack” Russell, born in Dartmouth, developed the working terriers that bear his name and became a founding member of the Kennel Club.

Historic Torre Abbey...

...with its Francis Drake connection

In the railway age, Isambard Kingdom Brunel engineered the broad-gauge South Devon Railway and its infrastructure towards Torquay, whilst at Brixham, the Rev Henry Francis Lyte served at All Saints’ Church and wrote the words of “Abide with Me”, forever associated with sunset, remembrance and the FA Cup Final.

And, not far from the centre, the Devon village of Cockington promises narrow lanes lined with thatched cottages and timeless charm that is quintessentially English.

Picturesque Cockington village...

...an Agatha Christie favourite

Steeped in history, Cockington is home to a working forge, a historic water mill and a cricket green that was once a medieval deer park.

Back at the hotel we contemplated a dip in the outside swimming pool but thought better of it, despite soaring temperatures. Our double room was simple, clean and spacious whilst Auntie Pat had nothing but praise for her single room next door.

We’d had a good day meandering the town – just a five-minute ride down from the hotel on either the number 62 or 64 bus – and were ready for our evening meal, another chance to say hello to some of our table neighbours.

John had been a rugby player with Featherstone Rovers and recounted how, after retiring from the game, he’d bought a horse for his daughter.

“We paid £2,000 for it and, several years later, sold it for £336,000 after it jumped everything in its path and became a champion! Then, we did it again with a horse bought for £50 from the auctions, sold it for £10,000 and, subsequently, it was traded for a staggering £160,000, again after winning everything in competition!”

These were tales you couldn’t make up and the ‘real’ people around us were wonderful.

Waitress Cheraleigh served our very British fare extremely efficiently and it was always hot.

At the end of the evening meal, tick box orders were taken for breakfast – kippers, boiled eggs with soldiers or just a smattering of sardonic wit! - ensuring that everything was always ready promptly the following morning.

Next day we had the option of a day trip to Portsmouth but decided to do our own thing, opting for a full day in Dartmouth, which begins with a half hour bus journey to Paignton.

Steaming out of Paignton

All aboard the Dartmouth ferry

From Paignton, the Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company runs a journey that feels engineered for anticipation: a steam train follows the Torbay coast and wooded slopes to Kingswear, then a passenger ferry crosses the River Dart into town.

The train takes about half an hour and the crossing only minutes, but together they transform arrival into an event. Timetables vary, so booking and checking connections in advance is sensible.

Dartmouth rises steeply from one of England’s great natural harbours, its lanes squeezed between water and hillside. Naval history is unavoidable, yet the town’s smaller details are just as rewarding: timbered façades, waterside inns and boats nudging the quay.

Dartmouth Museum occupies a merchant’s house in the historic Butterwalk, where displays trace the port’s maritime and social life. The building itself is an exhibit, with a fine plaster ceiling and a room associated with Charles II’s enforced stay during a storm in 1671.

Desirable

Delectable

Dartmouth!

There is also a gentler literary link. Christopher Robin Milne — the real child behind the character in his father A. A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh stories — moved nearby and, with his wife Lesley, opened Dartmouth’s Harbour Bookshop in 1951.

The shop closed in 2011, but the connection adds another layer to a town already rich in narratives.

If there was one frustration about our stay, it was that it wasn’t long enough!

Torquay has so much to offer, and, despite being a budget offering, Daish’s Holidays are wonderful at accessing people into the far reaches of the UK at an affordable price.

Auntie Pat locked herself out of her room at midnight one night, as she was putting her case out for the journey home, but she was rapidly sorted by bemused staff within minutes. “Fear not,” they said, “it happens all the time!” A duplicate key was produced instantly.

A wonderfully mad five days and four nights ‘with discounts and offers throughout the year!' Keep your eyes peeled or check out the Fact Box below for booking details. Enter the spirit of a coaching holiday and you’ll have a great time. Dubai it ain’t, great fun; it is!



FACT BOX:
Devonshire Hotel, Park Hill Road, Torquay, Devon, TQ1 2DY
Telephone: 01202 638840
www.daishs.com/
www.facebook.com/daishs

Devonshire Hotel in Torquay, open year round, is part of the independent family-owned coach holiday group Daish’s Holidays. The 76-bedroom hotel, complete with lounges and garden terraces, occupies a 1900's building set atop a hill overlooking the Tor Bay and its own gardens. It also hosts a programme of live entertainment every evening which includes cabaret and dancing, bingo, quizzes and games. There is also the option to book excursions and day trips via the hotel.

Package inclusions:
Luxury coach travel or free hotel guest parking on-site
Convenient pickup and drop-off along popular routes
Breakfast and three-course evening meal every day
On-site entertainment

Tariff 2026 (as of July 2026), based on two people sharing a standard room *based on brochure price: Price from £284 to £599 self-drive and £304 to £619 for the coach.

Plus Four Loyalty (take three holidays in one calendar year and get the fourth holiday that year for half the brochure price) and Kid’s Go Free discounts also apply. T&Cs for both apply.

About Daish’s Holidays
Daish’s Holidays, with its head office in Bournemouth, is a family-owned and operated business that has 11 hotels, located in nine popular tourist destinations across England and Wales. The company also has its own fleet of luxury coaches.