If you’re planning a trip to Exeter, you’re in for a treat! This vibrant city in the heart of Devon is as renowned for its historical charm as it is for its natural beauty and buzzing nightlife. Exeter welcomes 1000s of visitors every month and no matter the reason for the visit, travellers tend to fall in love with it. Lots of businesspeople visit Exeter regularly thanks to its thriving commerce – and the Science Park and Exeter University both welcome some of the world’s brightest talent through their doors. Tourists looking for a city break are also equally as well represented, with plenty to keep them occupied once they arrive.
No matter the reason for visiting Exeter, one of your most important decisions is where you are going to stay. There are plenty of amazing and diverse options on offer, so many in fact that it can be difficult to land on a decision! And because Exeter is so popular with so many people, the best accommodation in Exeter can get booked up quite far in advance. So, unless you are lucky and can snap up somebody else’s last-minute cancellation, it’s wise to book as far ahead in advance as possible. Here we take you through three of the most popular accommodation choices in Exeter –Airbnbs, hotels, and camping and caravanning. Whatever your personal preference, you’ll find a wealth of options to suit – Exeter really does have it all!
Hotels
Exeter offers a wide range of hotels to suit pretty much every pocket. Those travelling on a budget might like to look at budget options such as the Travelodge. While cheaper hotels such as this offer unrivalled prices, you will often find that you’re staying out of town. If this is a deal-breaker for you and you’d like to be within walking distance of the train station and city centre, then you will need to be prepared to spend a little extra. Up at the higher end of the hotel options you’ll find hotels such as Southernhay House Hotel, the Jurys Inn Hotel and the Mercure Exeter Rougemont Hotel. If the water is calling you, you’ll love the Headweir Mill House, overlooking a beautiful weir on the River Exe – or the Mill on the Exe is an excellent choice too.
For some people though, hotel accommodation is too restrictive. They’d prefer to find something self-catering so they can have more flexibility with their stay. In this case, services apartments can be an excellent choice. You get all the luxury of a hotel stay (including a daily room clean!) but it feels a little more like ‘home’.
Airbnb
Are you looking for something a little different? Perhaps you’d like your accommodation to be unique, memorable and something that stands out from the crowd. If this is the case for you, you’ll be on to a winner if you search the huge range of Airbnb accommodation in Exeter. Alongside the more standard offerings such as serviced apartment rentals, rooms in shared houses and private annexes to rent, you’ll also find accommodation that is slightly more ‘out there’ – think gypsy caravans, boats and even treehouses! Airbnb Exeter is a great way to find the perfect accommodation to suit both your needs and your budget, and you’ll find plenty of friendly property owners on there who will be only too pleased to help answer your questions along the way. Don’t forget to check the reviews before booking!
Self-catering accommodation in Exeter is plentiful, and Airbnb is a great way of sifting through them all, using the filters to arrive at the perfect solution in no time at all. You’ll find that most, if not all traditional B&Bs and pubs that offer accommodation all list themselves on Airbnb these days, so this is by far the quickest way to assess your options according to your personal holiday wish list!
Camping and caravanning
Some people just feel happier under canvas! If that’s the case for you, you’re in for a treat. Devon is famous for its campsites, and Exeter offers a wealth of them. Many of them are equipped with all the mod cons including clean toilets, showers and laundry facilities, so there’s absolutely no compromise on comfort. Exeter View Stables, West Town Farm and Haldon Forest Holiday Park are excellent places to start looking, and they all offer a range of camping and glamping experiences to suit every budget. If you’re towing a caravan to Devon or travelling by campervan then you’ll find plenty of places to park up – with or without electric hook-ups. A word of warning though – campsites can get booked up during peak periods such as in school holidays, so always be sure to call in advance to book a slot and avoid disappointment.
The downside with camping and caravanning is, of course, that you will naturally find yourself a little further out of town. That’s a small price to pay when you consider the outstanding natural beauty that you will be surrounded by, but you should also factor in the best public transport options if you won’t have a car or bike with you to get around. A trip into the city centre of Exeter will be rewarded with excellent shopping, a huge variety of restaurants and some really interesting music and nightlife on offer, too.
Wherever you plan to stay when you visit Exeter, you can be sure that you’ll fall in love with the people and the place, and it won’t be long before you’re planning a return visit. What are your favourite Exeter accommodation tips? We’d love to hear them!
