Location and Transport

Plymouth can be reached by a variety of transport links. Some journeys may require a multitude of these transport links to get here.

Road

By car most routes from around the UK will bring you onto the M5, which eventually merges to become the A38 just after Exeter (junction 31) bringing you directly to Plymouth.

Drive time from:

  • London is approximately 4 hours
  • Manchester is approximately 4.5 hours
  • Cardiff is approximately 2.5 hours

Train

There are a wide range of services running from a variety of locations within the UK, some services may require a change or two. On arrival at Plymouth train station there are black cab taxi’s available for hire. Alternatively it is a short 5 minute walk into the town centre.

Airport

There are two main airports to access Plymouth; Bristol airport and Exeter airport.

To reach Plymouth from Bristol airport you have the following options:

  • To travel by train, you need to catch the A1 bus from the Airport Terminal (west bound) which will then take you to Bristol Temple Meads rail station in around 30 minutes. From Bristol Temple Meads station you can get a direct train to Plymouth taking approx. 2 hours 30 minutes.
  • To travel by coach you can catch the Stagecoach service which will pick you up from Bristol Airport and bring you to Plymouth within 2 hours 50 minutes.
  • If you are travelling from Bristol Airport to Plymouth by car, it is a direct route south on the M5 motorway which merges to become the A38 just past Exeter. This journey is approx. 108 miles, taking just under 2 hours.

To reach Plymouth from Bristol airport you have the following options:

  • To travel by train you will need to get a taxi (which will be waiting outside the airport) to either Exeter St Davids or Exeter Central, both approx 6 miles away. There you can get a direct train to Plymouth which takes between 1 hour and 1 hour 15 minutes.
  • To travel by coach National Express offers a service which will pick you up from Exeter Airport and bring you to the Plymouth Bus Station, taking approximately 2 hours, 10 minutes.
  • If you are travelling from Exeter Airport by car, they have plenty of car rental services within the airport for you to choose from. Once on the road, you need to follow signs for the A38 which will take you directly straight down to Plymouth, taking approx. 50 minutes.