Cornwall guide ‘worth every cent’

Two friends and I flew on Flybe airline from Gatwick Airport to Newquay, Cornwall, southwestern England, where we took a taxi to the Atlantic Hotel (Dane Road, Newquay; phone +44 1637 872 244, atlantichotelnewquay.co.uk).

We arrived the afternoon of Sept. 6, 2018, and left Sept. 11. Our rooms were large and comfortable and had spectacular views of the ocean. A double room cost £270 (near $353) per night.

We had the most marvelous luck in having Tim Uff of Tour Cornwall (Greenacres, Trenance, Mawgan Porth, Cornwall; phone +44 1637 840 046, www.tourcornwall.com) as our driver/guide. I had tried searching for a "driver" online but was coming up with nothing; I should have searched for a "guide/driver." When I posted a query on Fodor's forum, however, someone responded with Tim's name.

I contacted Tim on Feb. 12, informing him that we weren't interested in a set tour, as we had a list of the places we wanted to see. He made suggestions, and we tweaked the itinerary, adding and dropping a few places.

Tim picked us up at 9 each morning and dropped us off at 5 p.m. after touring. Cornwall is small, so we were able to travel to the south and far southwest easily. He took us to amazing places we would never have found on our own.

Though he planned to raise his (low) rates in 2019, Tim was charging £250 a day. He was worth every cent. We had full 8-hour days and logged many miles, plus his knowledge of the area was amazing.

SHARON DOUGHERTY

St. Louis, MO