Local Essentials
The practical stuff most travel sites skip. Everything you need to know before visiting Padstow, from parking to pharmacies.
Accessibility
Harbour
The Railway Car Park has level access to the town and the Camel Trail (Padstow Town Council), and the harbour itself is flat. Most of the rest of the town is a steep valley: the Lawns Car Park is described as a 10 minute downhill walk to town.
Toilets
The council's three public toilets are free. Its disabled toilets use the National Key Scheme (a Radar key).
Parking
There are disabled spaces in all the public car parks (chargeable), four free blue badge spaces limited to 3 hours on Broad Street PL28 8BS, and limited-waiting bays outside Boots in Market Street, per the tourist office.
Station
Bodmin Parkway, the nearest station for the direct bus, is step-free to the Penzance-bound platform only; the Plymouth-bound platform is reached by footbridge (Great Western Railway station page).
Contact venues directly for door widths. The ferry boards from a pontoon at high water and from a beach landing at low water, which changes how you board.
Bike Rental
Padstow Cycle Hire
At the start of the Camel Trail, established 1996, 160 bikes or more, online booking.
Trail Bike Hire
Also at the start of the trail, online booking; both Padstow shops rent trailers, child seats and dog trailers.
Emergency Services
General Emergency
999 or 112
Coast Guard
999, ask for the Coastguard. The RNLI lifeboat station is at Trevose Head (Mother Iveys Bay), about five miles from town, PL28 8SL, station phone 01841 520667; the RNLI says it is not currently open to visitors, and its Wednesday evening training launch (about 6pm) is the thing to watch for.
Police Station
No police front counter in Padstow could be verified. Call 101 for non-emergencies and 999 in an emergency; Devon and Cornwall Police list their enquiry offices on their own site; check it before travelling to a counter.
Royal Cornwall Hospital (Treliske), Truro TR1 3LQ, open 24 hours for accident and emergency, about 47km and 40 minutes by road from Padstow harbour. For minor injuries, Bodmin Hospital's Minor Injuries Unit, Boundary Road, Bodmin PL31 2QT (01208 251577) is listed by the NHS as open 7 days, 8am to 10pm, about 25km away.
01872 250000Petroc Group Practice, Padstow
The town's GP practice. Its NHS profile lists Monday to Friday 8.30am to 1pm and 2pm to 6pm and says it is accepting new patients. Visitors can ask about temporary registration; for urgent care out of hours ring NHS 111.
Padstow Harbour Commissioners run the harbour office on 01841 532239 (VHF channel 12). The hospital number is the Royal Cornwall Hospitals switchboard.
Parking
Padstow Harbour Car Park
Rate: Charges vary; check the machine
The car park nearest the harbour, run by Padstow Harbour Commissioners. The tourist office says you can pay by cash, card or RingGo.
Railway Car Park
Rate: Charges vary; RingGo location code 2849
At the bottom of Station Road, PL28 8DA, run by Padstow Town Council, with level access to the town and to the Camel Trail. Padstow Cycle Hire says the machine takes coins only.
Lawns Car Park
Rate: Charges vary; RingGo location code 2848
Opposite the Old School on School Hill, PL28 8EB, run by Padstow Town Council; the council describes it as roughly a 10 minute downhill walk into town.
Link Road Car Park
Rate: Charges vary; JustPark location 8227
By the fire station, run by Cornwall Council.
Padstow Main Road Car Park
Rate: Listed by the tourist office as £1.60 up to 1 hour, £4.50 up to 3 hours and £7.20 all day
Capacity: Open Easter to the end of October, weather permitting
On the A389, PL28 8EX, about a 10 minute walk to the harbour; the tourist office says local buses 11 and 56 also run into town. Tariffs are as listed by the tourist office, check the board.
Trevethan Farm, Sarah's Lane
Rate: Listed by the tourist office from £3.50 a day or £26 a week
Longer-stay parking for coast path walkers, entered from Sarah's Lane just after Tesco. Phone 07909 661395.
Pet-Friendly Info
Ferry
Dogs are welcome on the Rock ferry, according to the Padstow Harbour Commissioners' ferry page.
Camel Trail
Dogs are allowed on the Camel Trail on a lead, and the hire shops rent enclosed dog trailers to go behind a comfort bike.
Restaurants
Policies differ by venue: the Golden Lion does not take dogs in its rooms, Prawn on the Lawn takes two small dogs at a time if you say when you book, and Rick Stein's own site lists Rick Stein's Cafe and St Petroc's Bistro as dog friendly.
Pharmacies
Boots
8-10 Market Street, Padstow, Cornwall PL28 8AL
The pharmacy in the centre of town, listed with this phone number and these hours on its own NHS profile. Hours can change over bank holidays; ring ahead.
Taxis & Rideshare
Mid Cornwall Taxis
Listed by the tourist office; airport and station transfers and a luggage-forwarding service for coast path walkers. Book ahead.
Coastline Travel
Listed by the tourist office; based at Newquay Airport, with an accessible vehicle with a ramp. Book ahead.