Getting to the Path by train
Travelling to the South West Coast Path by train means that you don’t have to worry about long-term parking. Frequent and fast train services from London and the north of England go through to Penzance, via Plymouth, whilst many other coastal towns can be reached via branch lines or by transferring to a bus for the final leg.
The world-famous Great Western Railway built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel's stretches down to Penzance and branch lines head off to many of the resorts along the South West Coast Path and the views out of your window are stunning.
Both ends of the South West Coast Path can be reached from London by a combination of train and bus.
To get to the Minehead end of the Path, take a train to Taunton (about 2 hours from London) and then take a bus, or bus and steam train, to Minehead (about 1¼ hours).
To reach the Poole Harbour end of the Path, take a train to Bournemouth (about 1¾ hours from London) and then two buses to South Haven Point via Sandbanks ferry (about 1 hour)
The following towns on the SWCP offer a rail service
- DEVON: Barnstaple, Plymouth, Paignton, Torquay, Dawlish, Exmouth
- CORNWALL: Newquay, Hayle, St Ives, Penzance, Falmouth, Par Looe
- DORSET: Weymouth, Swanage
For journey planning, prices and general train information, visit Great Western Railway.
Train tickets are generally much cheaper if you book them well in advance and travel outside peak times.
