Travel and Transport
It won't take long to get to paradise, just choose your way to get here! With a network of local busses, ferries, and scenic railway lines, you don't have to rely on a car to explore Cornwall. Travel from end to end, coast to coast, and experience stunning landscapes and coastal treasures without resorting to sat-nav!
Train
Great Western Railway (GWR) operate high speed train services frequently from London Paddington station including the Night Riviera Sleeper service to Penzance. There are also direct trains daily from Bristol and beyond using Cross-Country.
Once in Cornwall, there's a great rail network for getting around the county, perfect for those car-free breaks. Explore the corners of Cornwall from St Ives to Looe, sit back and enjoy the scenery on the Tamar Valley Line or head to the beach at Newquay or Falmouth.
Park-and-ride schemes are in place at Liskeard (for Looe) and St Erth (for St. Ives).
Night Riviera Sleeper Service
The Night Riviera Sleeper service runs between London Paddington and Penzance. The comfortable cabins have everything you need, including USB and plug sockets, a wardrobe, a sink, and storage space.
The on-board lounge bar is open for drinks and snacks throughout the journey, and you can even order room service!
Road
It takes less than five hours to get from London to the heart of Cornwall by either train or car. Drive along the M4 motorway from London, or M6 from Manchester, and then the M5 to Exeter and finally either the A30, that is mostly dual carriageway, or the A38 passing Plymouth and Saltash into South East Cornwall. Alternatively if you enter Cornwall from North Devon, there is the scenic A39 Atlantic Highway running through Bude, which you can join from Junction 27 on the M5.
There can be a high volume of traffic during peak season, school holidays, and on weekends. Travelling overnight or outside peak rush hours is recommended to avoid long delays.
To plan your journey, use the AA Route Planner for a tailor made travel plan with timings and mileage - just click on the link below.
Please be aware that Sat-Navs can lead you to some wonderful places in Cornwall, many of them down narrow country lanes with high hedges and few reversing points. Please follow local road signage to help get you to your destination.
Coaches
National Express operate a full service into Cornwall as far as Penzance, Megabus also go to a few towns including Newquay and Falmouth.
Coach travel times from London or Birmingham to the city of Truro are around 7-8 hours
Many tour operators offer coach holidays to Cornwall, contact your local travel agent for details.
Let someone else do the driving
Cornwall is covered by a huge network on bus routes, meaning you can park the car and enjoy the roads without worrying about getting lost! What's more, there's usually a special offer out there to encourage you onto the bus!
For example, In 2023 you can travel as far as you like on a single journey ticket for £2. This will continue until the end of October half-term.
You can head to the beach or an attraction for a big day out, or jump on one of the Adventures by Bus scenic routes and take in the sights. Whatever you fancy doing you’ll be saving money, helping to reduce congestion, and supporting Cornwall to stay greener and cleaner.
Air
Flying to Cornwall can offer an attractive and shorter alternative to the journey by train or car.
Newquay Airport is served by a variety of routes from across the UK and beyond. For more information, please visit the Cornwall Airport Newquay Website or call 01637 860600 or e-mail info@newquaycornwallairport.com
The Airport offers year-round onward connectivity to the Isles of Scilly with Skybus.
Exeter Airport is also withing easy reach of Cornwall via the A30 and A38.
On the water
Plymouth is the closest ferry port to Cornwall, being just across the River Tamar. Brittany Ferries offer services from Roscoff in France and Santander in Northern Spain into Plymouth as well as further services from France and Spain into Portsmouth and Poole.
Sometimes in Cornwall you will come across a large river (usually on the south coast). If driving these will mean a long diversion up river to a bridge, adding many miles to your route.
To get around this there are a number of ferries that can be used. There's the King Harry, linking Truro and Falmouth with the Roseland Peninsular, The Bodinnick Ferry, linking Fowey with south east Cornwall and the historic villages of Polperro and Looe, and at Torpoint three ferries cross 24 hours a day linking Cornwall with Plymouth.
There are also passenger ferries (many of which take bikes) in and around the Fal estuary, going to places like St Mawes, Place, Trelissick, Flushing and Malpas from Falmouth.
On the Fowey there's also a ferry that goes back and forth to the village of Polruan on the opposite bank. At Looe, when the tide permits, small boats criss-cross the river, and at Newquay a ferry crosses the Gannel Estuary, again, when the tide is in.
A longer trip can be taken from Penzance where the Scillonian sails to the Isles of Scilly once a day.
Travel to Cornwall by car
It takes less than five hours to get from London or Birmingham to the heart of Cornwall by car.
Drive along the M4 motorway from London, or M6 from Manchester, and then the M5 to Exeter and finally either the A30, that is mostly dual carriageway, or the A38 passing Plymouth and Saltash into South East Cornwall.
Alternatively if you enter Cornwall from North Devon, there is the scenic A39 Atlantic Highway running through Bude, which you can join from Junction 27 on the M5.
Due to the high volume of traffic on Cornwall's roads during the summer months the main routes can become congested especially at weekends. Travelling overnight or outside peak rush hours is recommended to avoid long delays.
- To plan your journey use the AA Route Planner for a tailor made travel plan with timings and mileage
- For information on possible delays or roadwork's throughout the UK or in Cornwall visit Traffic Watch
- Travelling to Cornwall with a caravan? Check out this Caravan Towing guide
Travel to Cornwall by coach and bus
National Express operate a full service into Cornwall as far as Penzance, Megabuss also go to a few towns including Newquay and Falmouth.
Coach travel times from London or Birmingham to the city of Truro are around 7-8 hours
Many tour operators offer coach holidays to Cornwall, contact your local travel agent for details.
For information on public transport, including local bus timetables, once you are in Cornwall [click here].(https://www.firstbus.co.uk/cornwall/plan-journey/timetables).
If you are bringing a coach to Cornwall, did you know Cornwall Council now offers a weekly coach rover ticket. This is available for all car parks where coaches are permitted and costs £16.60 for 24 hours or £55.35 for 7 days and £38.75 for 4 days.
You can drive via either the M4 and M5 to Exeter and then take either the A30 or A38 depending on where in Cornwall you are heading.
You can also use the M3 and A303 from west London.
Both National Express and Megabus operate coach's into Cornwall
Trains to Cornwall leave from Paddington Station
You can fly to Cornwall from both Gatwick and Heathrow (Jan 2023)
The North coast of Cornwall is a wonderful place to come for a holiday. A very family-friendly area, it has long attracted visitors looking for a traditional “bucket-and-spade” holiday, as well as surfers, walkers and those seeking the more relaxed pace of life.
From Bude down to Sennen Cove, there are loads of long sandy beaches, including the popular ones at Newquay and St Ives, but there are also sections of high cliffs, great for walking or just watching the summer sunsets.
Cornwall's south coast tends to be quieter than the north with its vast sandy beaches and great surf. Instead you will find picturesque fishing villages, and the occasional sandy cove. Families can still enjoy a traditional “bucket-and-spade” holiday at places like Looe or Pentewan, whilst others might prefer the yachting meccas of Fowey, Falmouth or St Mawes.
With beautiful scenery around every corner and vibrant towns and villages full of great places to eat and drink, we are sure you will want to return again and again to the south coast of Cornwall.
Avoid the traffic jams, the arguments when the GPS sends you the wrong way and the general hassle of having to drive great distances...
GWR operate high speed train services frequently from London Paddington station including the Night Riviera Sleeper Service to Penzance. There are also direct trains daily from Bristol and beyond. More info from: nationalrail.co.uk
Once in Cornwall, there's a great rail network for getting around the county, ideal for when the roads are busy in the summer. Give the driver a rest and grab a cheap day return to St Ives or Looe. Sit back and enjoy the scenery on the Tamar Valley Line or head to the beach at Newquay or Falmouth. For more info, go to Great Scenic Railways
For National Rail enquiries telephone 08457 484950
The First Group co-ordinate bus services from many Cornish stations.
Park-and-ride schemes run in season at Liskeard (for Looe) and St Erth (for St. Ives).
- Find out more
The King Harry Ferry was established in 1888, and connects St Mawes and the Roseland Peninsula with Feock, Truro and Falmouth by avoiding the alternative 27 mile route through Truro & Tresillian.
Each year the King Harry Ferry saves 5 million car miles, 1.7 million kg of CO2 and ¾ of a million litres of fuel. It carries 300,000 cars every single year.
Yes, there is a good service with most busses passing through or starting from Helston.
- Tamar Valley Line
The Tamar Valley is served by its own branch line which runs out of Plymouth. Called the Tamar Valley Line it stops at Bere Ferres and Bere Alston on the Devon side, before crossing over the river to Calstock. From here it continues to its final destination, Gunnislake.
You can also use the main line to access the station at St Germans on the Lynher River.
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