Short answer: Almost everything worth doing in Dawlish is free. The sea wall walk, the trains passing a few feet away, and Coryton Cove half a mile south cost nothing. Dawlish Warren's amusements are where the money goes.
Dawlish's main attraction is Brunel's railway running along the beach, and watching it costs nothing. The sea wall promenade is free, level and runs both directions, with trains passing a few feet away and waves breaking over the wall in a swell.
Coryton Cove, half a mile south along the sea wall, is the best beach in Dawlish — sandy, sheltered by cliffs, gently shelving, with rock pools at low tide. Free, and the walk there is the other free attraction.
Two miles north, a long sandy spit with fairground rides, a go-kart track, amusements and takeaways at the entrance, and a nature reserve at the far end. The beach and the reserve are free; the rides are where the budget goes. Set a limit before you arrive.
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 Smugglers Inn on the hill towards Teignmouth does a daily carvery in three portion sizes, which is the best-value meal around here. Sola Bar & Kitchen at the Warren has pizzas people rate as the best in the area.
Free and slightly surreal — Dawlish has black swans on the stream through the middle of town, and they have been there for decades.
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