Serviced Apartments in Torquay

Discover the best activities and attractions Torquay has to offer, and find out what makes this city a vibrant and exciting place to live or visit.

Torre Abbey & Gardens
Torre Abbey is a historic coastal priory dating from the 12th century that now houses galleries, local-history exhibits and regularly changing art displays, set within attractive ornamental gardens. It’s a cultural hub for Torquay — drawing tourists, school groups and local visitors for exhibitions, concerts and community events — which supports jobs in hospitality, guides and retail while boosting footfall for nearby businesses.

Kents Cavern Prehistoric Caves
Kents Cavern is one of Britain’s most significant prehistoric cave sites, open to the public for guided tours that showcase dramatic caverns, fossil finds and the story of early human occupation. The attraction is popular for its educational value and “wow” factor, bringing families, school visits and archaeology enthusiasts to Torquay and contributing to the local tourism economy through admissions, gift-shop sales and linked hospitality spending.

Babbacombe Model Village & Cliff Railway
Babbacombe Model Village is a renowned family attraction featuring detailed miniature scenes and landscapes; paired with the nearby Babbacombe Cliff Railway (a steep funicular linking to Oddicombe Beach), it offers a classic seaside day out. These sites are special for their nostalgia and accessibility — they keep visitors in the area longer, support seasonal employment and feed customers into local cafés, shops and accommodation providers.

Torquay Harbour, Marina and Fleet Street
Torquay’s harbour and marina form the town’s lively waterfront hub, with boat trips, fishing excursions, waterfront restaurants and a mix of independent boutiques and cafés along Fleet Street and nearby shopping areas. The combination of maritime activities, dining experiences and shopping makes the harbour a focal point for both day-trippers and longer-stay tourists, generating steady income for restaurateurs, tour operators and retail outlets.

English Riviera Food Festival & Torquay Cultural Events
Torquay hosts regular cultural highlights — notably the English Riviera Food Festival and summer carnivals and markets — which showcase local seafood, produce, live music and family entertainment across venues and public spaces. These events are popular because they celebrate regional identity and local producers, drawing large crowds that provide a major seasonal boost to hotels, restaurants, street traders and cultural organisations while strengthening community pride and year-round visitor appeal.

Explore the diverse transport options available in Torquay, from efficient public transportation systems to convenient road networks. Whether you're commuting to work or exploring the city, this section will give you an overall look at the available transportation systems.

Public Transit System
- Rail (Riviera Line — Great Western Railway and other operators) - Regular local and regional rail services connect Torquay (Torquay and Torre stations) with Paignton, Newton Abbot and Exeter; some longer-distance services link on to Plymouth, Bristol and London (frequency and direct services vary by time of day and season). Stations provide connections to local buses and taxis.
- Local buses (Stagecoach and local operators) - A comprehensive bus network serves Torquay and the Torbay area with frequent services along the seafront, between Torquay/Paignton/Brixham and to Newton Abbot and Exeter; buses cover commuter, shopper and tourist routes and operate year-round with enhanced services in summer.
- Coaches (National/long‑distance coach services) - Intercity coach operators provide longer-distance links to London and major regional centres (stopping at Paignton/nearby coach stops), useful for lower‑cost travel beyond the county.
- Harbour & sightseeing boats (seasonal) - Seasonal passenger boats and pleasure/cruise services operate from Torquay harbour and the seafront offering trips around Tor Bay (including calls or cruises to Brixham, Paignton and Dartmouth) and leisure excursions.
- Taxis & ride‑hailing - Local taxi firms and app-based ride services operate in Torquay; availability is generally good in town and at stations but can be more limited late at night or in outlying areas.
- Community transport & accessible services - Community minibuses, Dial‑a‑Ride and volunteer driver schemes provide transport for older or mobility‑impaired residents; demand‑responsive services and social transport initiatives operate alongside mainstream public transit.

Major Highways
- A380 - Primary trunk road north from Torquay to Newton Abbot and onwards to the A38/M5, key for car access to the wider South West and national motorway network.
- A38 - Major arterial route across South Devon linking to Exeter, Plymouth and the M5; accessible from the A380/Newton Abbot for longer-distance travel.
- M5 - Main motorway corridor north to Bristol and the Midlands; reached from Torquay via the A380/A38 (important for access to national motorway network and airports).
- A3022 - Local primary route running along Torquay’s seafront and through Paignton/Babbacombe, used heavily for local traffic and access to coastal attractions.
- A379 - Coastal route serving parts of South Devon and offering alternative local connections east/west of the bay and toward Teignmouth/Dartmouth areas.

Cycling Infrastructure
- Bike lanes and cycle routes - Torquay/ Torbay has a mix of on‑road cycle lanes (particularly along the seafront), shared‑use promenades and traffic‑calmed streets plus promoted local cycling routes and Sustrans/greenway links; coverage is uneven because of steep, hilly terrain and some missing links, but active‑travel improvements, cycle hire options (seasonal) and community route maps support leisure and commuter cycling.

Recent and Upcoming Improvements
- A380 and junction upgrades - Recent and ongoing works to improve capacity and safety on the A380 corridor and key junctions around Newton Abbot/Torbay to reduce congestion and improve reliability for road commuters.
- Bus fleet modernisation and priority measures - Introduction of lower‑emission and electric buses on some routes, plus targeted bus priority and real‑time passenger information rollouts to improve service reliability and passenger experience.
- Station and rail service enhancements - Incremental station accessibility and passenger‑facility upgrades and timetable/service improvements on the Riviera Line (local/regional partnership projects to support better connectivity and punctuality).
- Active travel and walking/cycling schemes - Government and local funding (Active Travel/Levelling Up/Coastal funds and Torbay Council projects) targeted at improved cycle/pedestrian routes, safer junctions, and modal shift measures within the bay.
- Seafront, harbour and public‑realm regeneration - Seafront and harbour improvement projects that upgrade pedestrian routes, coach/boat interchanges and visitor access, helping intermodal connections for tourists and residents.
- Expansion of EV charging and low‑emission infrastructure - Growing public EV charging network across Torbay, together with initiatives encouraging low‑emission vehicle use and parking/charging provision.
- Tourism‑season capacity measures and demand management - Seasonal measures (additional bus/boat services, parking management and temporary traffic arrangements) implemented or planned to cope with peak visitor demand and improve the visitor/commuter experience.