Short answer: Dawlish is better in winter than summer. Waves break clean over Brunel's sea wall as the trains come through, it costs nothing, and the station sits on the seafront if it turns unpleasant.
The sea wall and the promenade, free. Dawlish is one of the few Devon towns that improves in December, because what people come for is the railway running along the beach — and in a winter swell the waves break clean over it.
Level the whole way, with the sea on one side and the trains a few feet away on the other. Watch from behind the wall rather than on top of it, and never turn your back on the water — waves are not evenly sized and the big ones arrive without warning.
Half a mile south along the sea wall — sandy, sheltered by cliffs, and empty in winter. The best beach in Dawlish and most visitors never walk that far.
Still on the stream through the middle of town, as they have been for decades. Free, two minutes, and works in any weather.
Ring before you set off. Boxing Day hours are decided late, change year to year, and are the single thing most likely to be wrong online. A two-minute call beats a wasted drive.
Dawlish station sits on the seafront, so you can step back onto the platform if the weather turns. Few places on this coast let you watch a storm from shelter — though check the timetable, because Boxing Day services are heavily reduced nationally.
If you want to eat out, book now rather than in December. The places that do serve on Boxing Day fill weeks ahead, and the ones that do not take bookings have queues instead.
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