What is a Driver Guide in Devon?
A private driver guide in Devon combines expert local knowledge with comfortable, personalised transport. You travel with your guide in a luxury vehicle — exploring Dartmoor, the English Riviera, South Hams, and Plymouth at your own pace, with no fixed group timetables and no shared coaches. Every day is designed around your interests and shaped as it unfolds.
Michelle McHale, a Devon & Cornwall Blue Badge Guide and Plymouth Green Badge Guide, has spent over 20 years exploring every corner of Devon. She knows the places behind the postcard and the hidden ones that don't appear on any map.
Devon: A County Worth Exploring Slowly
Devon is one of England's most varied counties — bordered by two coastlines, divided by wild moorland, and threaded with ancient lanes connecting market towns, fishing harbours, and estate villages. It rewards unhurried discovery.
As your driver guide, I can take you off the main roads, find the quiet coves and tucked-away villages, and bring the landscape to life with stories, context, and local knowledge that a guidebook simply cannot replicate. Explore our full range of tour itineraries for ideas on what Devon has to offer.
Dartmoor National Park
Dartmoor is Devon's wild heart — a vast upland plateau of granite tors, ancient stone circles, Bronze Age settlements, and open moorland stretching towards the horizon. It can feel remote and austere in winter weather; luminous and timeless on a clear summer morning.
Tours exploring Dartmoor typically include Hay Tor or Hound Tor, the village of Widecombe-in-the-Moor, the ancient clapper bridge at Postbridge, and quieter corners that most visitors never find. Dartmoor is one of the last wild places in southern England and one of Devon's most rewarding experiences.
The English Riviera & Agatha Christie Country
Torbay — Torquay, Paignton, and Brixham — sits along one of Devon's most sheltered coastlines and was once dubbed the English Riviera for its mild climate and elegant Edwardian seafront. It is also the birthplace of Agatha Christie, the world's best-selling crime novelist.
A driver-guided day here can combine Christie's Torquay connections, her beloved holiday home Greenway above the River Dart, the bustling working harbour at Brixham, and the drama of Berry Pomeroy Castle. See the Agatha Christie Country itineraryfor a full picture.
South Hams, Plymouth & the Sea
South Devon's South Hams is one of the most beautiful parts of England — a mosaic of deep estuaries, wooded valleys, and wide golden beaches. Plymouth, Devon's maritime city, has a remarkable seafaring history: the Mayflower Steps, Drake's game of bowls on the Hoe, the Royal Citadel, and a panoramic view of one of England's finest natural harbours.
Cruise passengers arriving at Plymouth have a wealth of Devon experiences within easy reach — from the serenity of the South Hams to the wild edges of Dartmoor. See our cruise shore excursionspage for more detail on Plymouth-based touring.
Gardens of Devon
Devon's gardens range from the grand to the intimate. RHS Rosemoor in Torrington, Dartington Hall's wooded estate, Coleton Fishacre's Arts and Crafts garden above the sea, and the walled kitchen gardens of great houses — Devon is a gardener's paradise. A guided gardens day can take in two or three in a single unhurried round. See our fees pagefor half-day and full-day pricing.
Shore Excursions from Plymouth
Cruise passengers arriving at Plymouth are perfectly positioned for private guided touring across Devon. I collect directly from the cruise terminal, manage all timings around your ship's schedule, and return you comfortably before all-aboard. Whether you want Dartmoor's moorland drama, the Agatha Christie landscape of Torbay, or the quiet beauty of the South Hams, Plymouth is an ideal base for a remarkable day ashore.
Credentials & Qualifications
Michelle holds the Blue Badge qualification for Devon and Cornwall — the highest award for a tourist guide in the UK, granted by the Institute of Tourist Guiding after rigorous independent examination. She also holds the Green Badge for Plymouth. Read more on the about page.
She is also a fluent Spanish speaker, guiding entirely in Spanish for guests who prefer it.