Short answer: Paignton has a mainline station a short, level walk from the seafront, which makes it one of the easiest car-free seaside days in Devon. The Dartmouth Steam Railway starts here too, and Torquay and Brixham are a short bus away.
Paignton is on the railway, and the station is a short, flat walk from the seafront. For a car-free day out that is about as good as Devon gets — no parking, no hills, straight onto the sand.
The Dartmouth Steam Railway runs from Paignton along the coast to Kingswear, where the passenger ferry crosses into Dartmouth. Train, steam train and boat — the best car-free day on the south coast of Devon.
Torquay and Brixham are a short bus ride round Torbay. Torquay has Kents Cavern, Cockington and the cliff railway; Brixham has the breakwater and Berry Head.
Bus timetables in Devon thin out sharply from October and differ between summer and winter. Check the operator's current timetable before building a day around a connection, and check the last bus back before you settle in.
Costero Lounge by the Festival Theatre, the Hyde Dendy on the Esplanade and Harbour Light on the harbour are all within an easy walk.
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