Bude is a self-catering town at heart. There are a few hotels and B&Bs, but the way most people do a Bude holiday — and the way that suits the place best — is a lodge, a cottage or an apartment of their own, with a kitchen for the mornings and space to dry the wetsuits. Get the base right and the whole week falls into place around it.
A lodge is the classic Bude choice. Single-storey, often on a small holiday park or in its own plot with parking and a garden, a lodge gives families and groups room to spread out, somewhere to leave the beach kit, and the freedom to cook or not as the day dictates. For a beach holiday with children, dogs and a car full of gear, it is hard to beat.
A cottage suits those after character. A converted fisherman's cottage or a stone barn in a village behind the coast trades the convenience of a park for charm, quiet and a bit of history — lovely for couples and smaller groups who want the Cornwall of the postcards. You will likely want a car, and you will trade a few modern comforts for the atmosphere, which for many is the whole point.
In town or out of it? Staying in Bude itself puts the beaches, the sea pool and the pubs on your doorstep, walkable and easy — ideal for a car-free or first-time visit. A place in the villages or along the coast buys you peace and views at the cost of a short drive to the sand. Neither is wrong; it depends whether you want to be in the thick of the town or above it.
Whatever you choose, book early for school holidays — the good self-catering places in Bude go months ahead for July, August and half-terms — and read the recent guest reviews rather than the styled photos. A well-kept lodge or cottage with a responsive local owner is worth paying a little more for, and it is the single thing that most reliably turns a good Cornish week into a great one.