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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Paignton
Give Paignton 2 nights as a Torbay base: beach and pier are free, the zoo and the steam railway each eat half a day, and Torquay or Brixham is 20–30 min by bus.
Paignton is the family end of Torbay: a sandy beach, a pleasure pier, a zoo and the Dartmouth Steam Railway, all within a 20-minute walk of the station. It is smaller and cheaper than Torquay and quieter than Brixham. Two nights covers the town; three or four lets you add the coast path, Greenway and a day on the water. A car helps for Greenway and the South Hams, but the Riviera Line and Stagecoach buses cover the bay without one.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug school holidays (crowds, peak room rates); Nov–Feb (many attractions shut)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- GBP
- Money
- Currency is the pound sterling (GBP, £). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere; some places are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget £45–75 excl. bed · Mid £75–130 excl. bed · High £130+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EE, Vodafone (merged with Three in 2025) and O2 run the networks; prepaid SIMs sell in supermarkets, phone shops and airport vending machines, no registration needed.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 999 · Police non-urgent 101 · NHS non-urgent 111
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Three-pin Type G only; European, US and Australian plugs need an adapter. Bathrooms have two-pin shaver sockets only.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–12.5% if no service charge is on the bill; check before adding more.; Pub or bar: Not expected; 'and one for yourself' offers the bartender a drink.; Taxi: Round up or 10%.; Hotel porter: £1–2 per bag.; Tour guide: £5–10 per person for a day tour; free walking tours expect £10–15.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere. Free refills are common; restaurants will bring tap water if you ask.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are scarce and some charge 50p–£1 or are card-only. Stations, museums, department stores and pubs (if you buy a drink) are the fallback.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | £3–4.50 |
| Fish and chips | £10–16 |
| Pint of beer | £4.50–6 |
| Bus fare within Torbay | £2–3 (check) |
| Taxi across town | £6–10 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | £10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- EXT · Exeter
- About 45 min by train to Paignton via Exeter St Davids; check connections.
- BRS · Bristol
- About 2 h by road; rail via Exeter takes longer.
- LHR · London Heathrow
- About 3 h 30 min by rail via London Paddington and Exeter; check times.
Typical fares
- Paignton → Torquay, bus 12
- about £2–3, 20–30 min (check)
- Paignton → Dartmouth, steam railway plus ferry
- about £22.50 adult return, 1 h 30 min (check)
- Paignton → Exeter, train
- about £8–12, 45–60 min (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre, beach, pier and station are walkable in 20 minutes. Stagecoach 12 links Newton Abbot, Torquay, Paignton and Brixham; the 80 runs to Totnes and Plymouth. The Riviera Line train serves Exeter, Dawlish, Teignmouth, Newton Abbot and Torquay. Buses are the practical way between the three Torbay towns.
See and do
Known for
- Paignton Zoo
- Paignton Pier and beach
- Dartmouth Steam Railway
- Goodrington Sands
- Agatha Christie's Greenway
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Torquay | Stagecoach 12 bus, or train on the Riviera Line | 20–30 min |
| Brixham | Stagecoach 12 bus | About 30 min |
| Dartmouth | Dartmouth Steam Railway to Kingswear, then the ferry | About 1 h 30 min |
| Totnes | Stagecoach 80 bus, or train via Newton Abbot | About 40 min |
| Teignmouth | Riviera Line train | About 30 min |
| Dawlish | Riviera Line train | About 40 min |
Sleep
- Seafront and Esplanade
- Hotels and guesthouses facing the beach and pier; 5–10 min walk to the station.
- Goodrington Sands
- Quieter, near the waterpark and the Inn on the Quay; 25–30 min walk or a short bus ride from the centre.
- Town centre and Torbay Road
- Cheapest beds and the bus and rail stations; a few minutes from the beach.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Single / return to Torquay, please | Single / return to Torquay, please |
| Two fish and chips, please | Two fish and chips, please |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the beach? | Where is the beach? |
| Is this seat free? | Is this seat free? |
| Thanks very much | Thanks very much |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake at first meeting; 'hi' and first names quickly; avoid: Cheek kisses with strangers
- Conversation: Weather is a safe opener; understatement and self-deprecating humour; avoid: Asking about salary or class
- Queues: Join at the back; avoid: Pushing onto buses or trains before others get off
- Apologies: 'Sorry' is said constantly, even when not at fault; avoid: Taking it as an admission of blame
- Pubs: Buy rounds in a group; wait at the bar without waving money; avoid: Clicking fingers at staff
- Nations: Call Scots Scottish and Welsh Welsh; avoid: Calling the whole UK 'England'
Scams and watch-outs
- Seafront parking and beach car parks fill by mid-morning in summer; arrive early or use the train.
- Greenway car parking must be booked in advance and it is not directly on a bus route; there are walking routes.
- Some attractions and guesthouses close or run weekends only from November to March: check before you travel.
- Swim between the red and yellow flags where lifeguards patrol in summer; the sea is cold even in August.
A low-risk seaside town; the real issues are summer crowds, cold water and the usual night-time behaviour around the seafront bars.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Paignton yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Paignton Zoo
- Paignton Pier and beach
- Dartmouth Steam Railway
- Goodrington Sands
- Agatha Christie's Greenway
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Devon — Paignton: www.visitdevon.co.uk/explore/cities-towns-and-villages/paignton/
- Paignton Zoo: www.paigntonzoo.org.uk/
- Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Boat Company: www.dartmouthrailriver.co.uk/
- National Trust — Greenway: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/greenway
- English Heritage — Kirkham House: www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/kirkham-house-paignton/
- Enjoy Torbay — Goodrington Sands: www.enjoytorbay.co.uk/beaches/goodrington-sands/
- Stagecoach South West — route 12: www.stagecoachbus.com/routes/south-west/12/newton-abbot-brixham/xdbo012.o
- National Rail — Paignton station: www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/PGN.aspx
- Wikivoyage: Paignton, revision 5241269 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5241269
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Paignton
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Paignton; the US consulate-general is in London, and most countries keep embassies in London.
Tipping: 10–12.5% in restaurants if no service charge is added; not expected in pubs.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/paignton). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.