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The centre of Plymouth is split into two parts, which sit in a triangle beneath the station. The top half of the triangle is the busy shopping zone, bordered by the Royal Parade. The bottom half is the more traditional part of town, including the historic Barbi-can area (the original harbour, with around 100 listed buildings). This leads to seafront attractions including Hoe Park, where you’ll find the Naval Memorial, the Royal Citadel fortress and Tinside Lido.

Driving around the outskirts of Plymouth is made relatively easy by wide A and B roads that lead to the edge of Hoe Park. And the quiet streets at either side of the park – which are lined with smart white townhouses, pretty cottages and seaside guesthouses – also make for a fairly stress-free drive. The tiny cobbled lanes of the Barbican should be avoided, however, and the shopping zone can be tricky thanks to pedestrian-only streets, bus lanes, one-way streets and heavier traffic.

The good news is that there’s plenty of parking in the city centre. The large car park at Drake Circus mall is handy for the shops, while the Theatre Royal car park has good access to both parts of the city.

The wider Plymouth area is cut in half horizontally by the Devon Expressway, a scenic stretch of the A38. Leading north from this road is the A386, which runs along the edge of Dartmoor National Park and up to the popular north Devon seaside resorts.

Dartmoor National Park

Driving time: 20 minutes

If you enjoy outdoor adventure, Dartmoor is the perfect playground. Plymouth is just 20 minutes from the southern edge of its wild, craggy landscape, and around 40 minutes from the Visitor Centre at Princetown. Walking, cycling and horse riding are all popular activities here.

Dartmouth

Driving time: One hour

This pretty seaside town sits on the River Dart, with a lovely string of colourful buildings overlooking the harbour. Set behind these is a jumble of cobbled streets lined with little galleries, boutiques, ice-cream parlours and pubs. Take the ferry to the castle and enjoy a dip in the tiny cove behind it.

Woodlands Themepark

Driving time: 45 minutes

Woodlands is a must for families with young children. It's split into several themed zones packed with funfair rides, slides, indoor play areas, sandpits, boating pools and more. There's also a mini zoo.