Short answer: Appledore costs almost nothing to enjoy: the quay, the colour-washed streets and the galleries are free. Park at the top and walk down. The pubs on the quay are priced as pubs, and Instow across the water has a free sandy beach.
Appledore's appeal is the place itself — a fishing village of narrow streets running down to a quay where two rivers meet, with colour-washed cottages and independent galleries. None of that costs anything.
Use the car park at the top of the village and walk down. The streets are extremely narrow and driving into them is how people end up reversing back out. It is also usually the cheaper option.
Directly across the estuary, with a free sandy beach. In season a passenger ferry crosses between the two, which is a cheap way to get two places in one day without moving the car.
Reached via Instow or Bideford — flat, paved, traffic-free and free.
The single biggest saving on any Devon day out is lunch. A picnic on a free beach or in a free park turns a £50 day into a £25 one, and the money you keep pays for the one thing actually worth paying for.
The Royal George and Jack Sprats are the best dinners in Appledore and not the budget option. The Big Sheep, ten minutes away, would take most of a £50 family day on its own.
See the full Appledore guide, filtered by who's with you.
Plan your day near Appledore →