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By Air |
There are airports in both Exeter and Plymouth. Exeter has a lot of charter flights to popular tourist destinations, but many can only be used when booked with a holiday, and are meant for a holiday from rather than to the UK. Scheduled services connect Exeter with Alicante, Belfast, Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Guernsey, Jersey, Malaga, Murcia and St Marys (Isles of Scilly). These scheduled flights are operated by British European, who are based at the airport and Skybus.
Plymouth airport has regional flights to and from London Gatwick and Newquay, operated by Air Southwest who will also be flying from Plymouth to Manchester and Bristol from the 1st Match 2004. Air Wales also fly between Plymouth and Jersey, Cork, Dublin and Swansea.
Bus services operate from Exeter Airport to the city centre and Exmouth. From Plymouth there are frequent bus services to the city centre and Tavistock. In general, these buses do not allow you to take heavy or bulky luggage on board - the alternative is a Taxi.
If you're travelling from one of the London Airports, there are good connections to the South West. From Heathrow, take the Rail Air coach link to Reading station, from here you can get frequent trains to Exeter and Plymouth. From Gatwick Airport, take a train to Reading, then a train from Reading to Exeter or Plymouth. Both of these trains run roughly every hour. From Luton Airport, take a Thameslink train to Kings Cross Thameslink, then follow the signs to the underground station. From there take a Circle or Hammersmith and City Line train to Paddington, from where there are frequent trains to Exeter and Plymouth . From Stansted Airport, take a Stansted Express train to London Liverpool Street. Then take a Hammersmith and City or Circle line train from the underground station to Paddington, from where there are frquent trains to Exeter and Plymouth.
By Bus |
Megabus operate a low-cost bus service from London to Exeter and Plymouth, with fares from just £2.50 (including booking fee) for a single journey. The service is basic, with no on-board toilets, but it is the cheapest way of getting from London to Devon.
By Coach |
National Express run a long distance coach service which has coaches from various parts of the UK to many parts of the South Devon coast, including Brixham, Budleigh Salterton, Dawlish, Exmouth, Paignton, Plymouth, Starcross, Teignmouth and Torquay, Tickets can be booked on-line.
By Car |
South Devon has excellent road access to the rest of the UK. The M5 Motorway runs to just outside Exeter, which then connects into major roads to East Devon and Exmouth, and the A38, which has good access to the coast. From the east, the A303 has good access to parts of East Devon and Exeter. The M5 can get very congested in summer however, especially around weekends so it may be worth finding alternate routes. The A303 also changes between dual and single carriageway and so there can be congesion when the dual carriage way becomes a single carriageway. The AA have a good route planner and also information on traffic problems.
By Sea |
There is a ferry terminal at Plymouth, with boats to Roscoff, St Malo and Cherbourg in France and Santander in Spain. Ferries are run by Brittany Ferries.
By Train |
South Devon has excellent rail access, especially between Starcross and Paignton, where the railway line runs along the coast. The West of England line from London Waterloo and Salisbury to Exeter has good connections for bus services to East Devon. There is a branch line from Exeter to Exmouth. Stations of use are Axminster (for buses to Lyme Regis and Seaton), Honiton (for buses to Sidmouth), Exeter St Davids (for local services to Exmouth), Starcross, Dawlish Warren, Dawlish, Teignmouth, Torquay, Paignton and Plymouth. Most of these stations have direct services from London. The larger stations of Exeter St Davids and Plymouth have excellent rail links with the rest of the country, with daily services running to London, Bristol, Cardiff, The Midlands, The North and Scotland. Train services on the West of England line are operated by South West Trains. Local and long distance services to Exeter and Plymouth (and the smaller stations on the coast), are run by First Great Western, South West Trains, Wessex Trains, Arriva Trains Wales and Virgin Trains. The branch line service to Exmouth is operated by Wessex Trains, with a frequent service from Exeter St Davids and Exeter Central.
Tickets can be booked on-line, at The Trainline and QJump.