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The practical information in this section will help you plan an excellent walk, covering every detail from what you need to do before you leave home to designing an itinerary to meet your particular preferences. More detailed information about the day-to-day walking and towns and villages along the trail can be found in Part 4.

ACCOMMODATION

There are plenty of places to stay all along the Cornwall Coast Path. It is always a good idea to book your accommodation ahead (see box p14). National holidays and any major festivals and events (see pp29-31) are likely to fill up the available accommodation quite quickly so make sure you are aware of what is taking place in the region.

Camping
Camping can be good fun; modern tents are easy to erect and light so carrying everything on your back need not be burdensome. Backpackers experience a sense of true independence by not having to rely on rules or timetables, instead being free to depend solely on themselves, arrive late, leave early, and generally behave like a free spirit. In today's modern age many of us forget how it feels to be truly independent and we can regain a sense of this self-reliance.

Most campsites are only open from Easter to October so camping in winter is not really practical. You will come across an enormous range of sites from a simple field on a farm with a toilet, shower and little else, to huge caravan and camping parks with washing machines, dryers, a small shop and a book of rules.

Prices range from £5 to about £9 per person and reach their peak in July and August when they increase to as much as £15-18. it's advisable to book ahead although there will almost always be room for a single tent. Unfortunately some sites will only take a minimum booking of one week during these months. Walkers camping alone can occasionally be at a disadvantage as prices are sometimes per pitch, which assumes two people sharing a tent.

The coast path is not really suited to wild camping. If you want to camp wild you should ask permission from whoever owns the land. Finding which farmhouse owns the field you want to camp in is no easy feat; you may find yourself trudging along miles of country lanes only to be told 'no'. Also, a lot of the coastline is owned by the National Trust who do not allow camping on their land. Having said that, there will always be independent-minded souls who put up their tent as the spirit moves them. By pitching late in the day and leaving before anyone else is up, it is unlikely that you will get noticed.

Hostels
There is a reasonable scattering of hostels along the coast path providing budget accommodation for between £9.95 and £21 per night (less for under 18s), usually in dormitories, although the demand for family accommodation in such places has led to many of them making private rooms available. Hostels come in two types: youth hostels, which are part of the Youth Hostel Association/ Hostelling International (YHA/HI; see box below), and independent hostels, also referred to as backpacker hostels, which as the name suggests are independently owned and are open to all. If you are planning to stay in hostels as often as possible you will have to make use of both types. In addition, in Penzance there is an excellent hostel run by the YMCA requiring no prior membership or affiliation of any kind.

Hostels are not just for young travellers, the young at heart will be more than welcome at most places. At YHA hostels, in particular, you'll often find more oldies than young ‘uns, in fact oldies are positively encouraged, the YHA wooing the group referred to as the ‘green greys’, that is, conservation-minded older people who are an important market sector for them. If you find large groups of young people intimidating you can always check if the hostel has any double rooms. Older walkers might consider how they feel about sharing a dorm with a group of youngsters bearing in mind the Shakespearean dictum that ‘crabbed youth and age cannot live together’. There is also the likelihood of the dorm being mixed, at least at independent hostels, and there are the pitfalls to be aware of.

One of the big advantages of staying in a hostel, aside from a cheap bed, is being able to cook your own food. Most hostels provide well-equipped kitchens and all they ask is that you clean up after yourself. The old rule of having to do a chore is a thing of the past, thankfully. There's also no need to carry a sleeping bag. Youth Hostels always provide linen and don't allow you to use a sleeping bag anyway and most independent hostels have linen available, although sometimes you have to pay an extra £1-3 for its hire. Towels are hardly ever provided so it's worth remembering to pack one in your rucksack. In some cases camping is available at YHA hostels for £7 per person per night and campers can use the hostel's facilities.

Unfortunately, hostels aren't numerous enough or well-enough spaced to provide accommodation for every night of your walk so you will inevitably have to stay in B&Bs on several nights. The long stretch between Penzance and Falmouth is particularly barren with only two hostels (Lizard and Coverack).

Most YHA hostels (but not independent hostels) close between November and April. If you are walking the coast path at this time of year you will only be able to stay in a hostel for about five nights of your walk.

Bed and breakfast (B&Bs)
B&Bs are a great British institution. For anyone unfamiliar with the concept you get a bedroom in someone's home along with a cooked breakfast the following morning; in many respects it is like being a guest of the family. It is a brilliant way to walk in Cornwall as you can travel with a light pack and gain a fascinating insight into the local culture. One night you may be staying in a suburban bungalow, the next in a cliff-top farmhouse.

What to expect For the long-distance walker tourist-board recommendations and star-rating systems have little meaning. At the end of a long day you will simply be glad of the closest place with hot water and a smiling face to welcome you. If they have somewhere to hang your wet and muddy clothes so much the better. It is these criteria that have been used for places included in this guide, rather than whether a room has tea- and coffee-making facilities, a shaver point or colour TV.

Bed and breakfast owners are often proud to boast that all rooms are en suite but this is sometimes merely a small shower and loo cubicle in the corner of the bedroom. Establishments without en suite rooms can be just as satisfactory as you may get sole use of a bathroom across the corridor and a hot bath is just what you need after a hard day on the trail. Sadly, baths are the exception, most B&Bs installing showers to tick the box marked ‘en suite’ when the Tourist Board come round to inspect. Rooms without private bathroom en suite are cheaper too. Single rooms are sometimes rather cramped ‘box’ rooms with barely enough room for the bed which can be restricting if you are travelling with quite a big pack. Twin rooms have two single beds, while a double is supposed to have one double bed, although just to confuse things, twins are sometimes called doubles because the beds can be moved together to make a ‘double’ bed. This can lead to awkward moments so it is best to specify if you prefer two single beds. Some establishments have family rooms, which sleep three or more, although to confuse matters even further, others call these triple rooms and may also have a family room sleeping four people or more.

Some B&Bs provide an evening meal, particularly if there is no pub or restaurant nearby. Others may offer you a lift to a local eatery, while some will expect you make your own arrangements. Check what the procedure is when you book.

All accommodation listed should be open year-round (unless stated otherwise). Remember, however, that B&B owners can, and do, change their minds at a moment's notice, deciding to redecorate when it's quiet, or closing the business when they want to go away on holiday. Smoking (see box p18-19) in enclosed public spaces is now banned so in effect every B&B is a non-smoking house. A tiny minority may set aside a room for smokers but few do.

Rates B&B prices are quoted either as per person per night or per room per night. Per person rates range from £24 for a simple room with a shared bathroom to over £40 for a very comfortable en suite room with all mod cons; the equivalent per room rates would be £48 and £80. In the large towns tariffs tend to drop in the low season, but in many small places they stay the same year-round. The rates quoted in the text reflect the seasonal variation.

In general B&B accommodation is cheaper if you are travelling as a pair. Since many places don't have a single room other rooms are sometimes let out on a single occupancy basis. However, for this there is often a supplement if the rate is per person or a discount on the room rate: in either case about £5-10: at peak times solo travellers may be expected to pay the full rate for two people.

Remember, many B&Bs do not take payment by credit or debit cards or even, if you turn up off the street, cheques, and you should have enough cash with you to pay your bill in the morning.

Inns and pubs
Putting up at an inn is a British tradition that goes back centuries and still appeals to many walkers. However, just because it's called an inn doesn't mean it will have old oak beams and a roaring log fire. Although there are some delightful traditional pubs, many places have been refurbished and have lost some of their character and charm. Inns tend to be more expensive than simple B&Bs with prices around £30 to £40 per person with breakfast included.

The biggest advantage of staying at an inn is convenience. Accommodation, meals and a bar are all provided under the same roof. If you've had a few too many pints of wonderful Cornish ale you don't have far to stagger at closing time. On the other hand if you want an early night you may find the noise from the bar keeps you awake.

Guesthouses
Guesthouses are often larger Victorian or Edwardian houses converted into en suite rooms, filling the gap between B&Bs and hotels. They are usually less personal and more expensive (£30-40 per person) but do offer more space and a lounge for guests. They are usually more geared to coping with holiday-makers and their owners are experienced in the hospitality trade, employing staff Ð if only young locals Ð to come in to do the bedrooms. They often take payment by credit and debit card and by cheque without quibble.

Hotels
Most hotels along the coast are classier and more expensive than B&Bs, inns or guesthouses and therefore put many walkers off. The other problem for the walker is having suitable smart clothes to wear in the evening, unless of course, you have the panache to carry off designer fleece and walking boots in the restaurant. Once in a while you may feel you deserve a treat and at the end of a long day that Jacuzzi could be well worth paying extra for!

In general, hotels do not pay walkers any particular attention. They are simply one more guest who, if anything, requires rather more than the average guest when they arrive with pack, heavy boots and sometimes wet gear. Facilities for drying clothes will be minimal Ð one walker of my acquaintance was given a hair-dryer when asking if there was anywhere he could dry his soaking wet clothes.

Self-catering holiday cottages
It is possible to walk a considerable amount of the coast path from a fixed base using the excellent public transport to get to and from the trail each day; see box p31 for more information and ideas.

Renting a self-catering cottage makes a lot of sense for a group of walkers as it will work out a lot cheaper than staying in B&Bs and you won't have the headache of booking accommodation for lots of people. Holiday cottages are normally let on a weekly basis but short breaks are often possible. Cottages haven't been listed in this book; search on the internet or contact the tourist information centre in the area you want to stay for further details (see p40).

Alternatively, contact the Landmark Trust (information Tel 01628-825920, booking Tel 01628-825925, : www.landmarktrust.org.uk) or the National Trust (Tel 0844-800 2070, : www.nationaltrustcottages.co.uk), both of which have several properties in Cornwall.

WHEN TO GO

The decision of when to go may be out of your hands. However, if you are in a position to choose which time of the year to come, make your plans carefully. Do you prefer the vibrant colours of springtime wildflowers, or the rich tones of autumnal foliage and heather? Do you want weather warm enough for swimming? Do you like the buzz of big crowds, or do you prefer to walk in solitude? The following information should help you decide when is best for you.

SEASONS

Spring and early summer
April, May and June are possibly the best months to go walking in Cornwall. The weather is warm enough without being too hot, the days are getting longer, the holiday crowds have yet to arrive and this is the driest time of the year. Perhaps the most beautiful advantage is the abundance of wild flowers which reach their height in May. Cornwall starts to get busier in June as by now the sun is making an average appearance of seven hours a day.

Summer
July and August are the hottest months and also the busiest. This is the time of the school summer holidays when families and holidaymakers flock in their thousands to Cornwall. Demand for accommodation is high and many B&B owners and some campsites will only take weekly bookings. Surprisingly most of the coast path itself is not that busy, but you'll encounter the crowds at beaches, car parks and in towns, especially if the sun is out. The weather is generally good in July, although during particularly settled periods it can be too hot for walking. August can be wetter and overcast. August 2008 was the wettest on record.

Autumn
September is often a wonderful month for walking. The days are still long, the temperature has not dropped noticeably and the summer crowds have long disappeared.

The first signs of winter will be felt in October but there's nothing really to deter the walker. In fact there's still much to entice you, such as the colours of the heathland, which come into their own in autumn; a magnificent blaze of brilliant purples and pinks, splashed with the yellow flowers of gorse.

Winter
November can bring crisp clear days which are ideal for walking, although you'll definitely feel the chill when you stop on the cliff tops for a break. Winter temperatures rarely fall below freezing but the incidence of gales and storms definitely increases.

You need to be fairly hardy to walk in December and January and you may have to alter your plans because of the weather. By February the daffodils and primroses are already appearing but even into March it can still be decidedly chilly if the sun is not out.

While winter is definitely the low season with many places closed, this can be more of an advantage than a disadvantage. Very few people walk at this time of year, giving you long stretches of the trail to yourself. When you do stumble across other walkers they are as happy as you to stop and chat. Finding B&B accommodation is easier as you will rarely have to book more than a night ahead (though it is still worth checking in advance as some B&Bs close out of season), but if you are camping, or on a small budget, you will find places to stay much more limited. Few campsites bother to stay open all year and many hostels will be closed.

WEATHER

The Cornish climate is considerably milder than in the rest of Britain because of its southerly location and the influence of the Gulf Stream.

Winter temperatures rarely fall below freezing and the mean maximum in summer is around 19°C. Sea temperatures range from about 9°C in February to about 17°C in August.

Rainfall is highest in the winter due to the regular procession of weather fronts moving east across the Atlantic. In the summer these fronts are weaker, less frequent and take a more northerly track.

Mean wind speeds are force 3-4 in summer and 4-5 in winter. Gales can be expected around ten days per month between December and February and less than one day per month from May to August.

Daylight hours
If you are walking in autumn, winter or early spring you must take into account how far you can walk in the available light. It may not be possible to cover as many miles as you would in the summer.

The sunrise and sunset times in the table (see opposite) are based on information for the town of Penzance on the 15th of each month. This gives a rough picture for the rest of Cornwall. Please also bear in mind that you will get a further 30-45 minutes of usable light before sunrise and after sunset depending on the weather.