How to get to Newquay – car, plane, coach or train?

Are you wondering how to get to Newquay? This Cornish town is the surfing capital of the UK, home to Fistral Beach and Towan Beach, as well as attractions like Trenance Gardens and the beautiful Newquay Harbour. It’s one of the most popular places to visit in Cornwall – and for good reason.

This guide will show you how to travel to Newquay via train, bus, road, or even plane. We’ve included driving times and where to stop, so don’t worry – it’s all covered!

How to get to Newquay: different modes of transport

Driving to Newquay

Whether you’re an international traveller driving to Cornwall from one of England’s airport or going on a Cornwall staycation, you’ll approach the county from the east.

Cornwall does not have any motorways, so to reach Newquay, most travellers drive to the end of the M5 (near Exeter) or the end of the A303 and take the A30 across Cornwall. Newquay is well signposted on this road. 

Drive time and road distance to Newquay from major cities is listed below:

City	Distance (miles)	Time
London	250	5 hours
Bristol	172	3 hours
Exeter	90	2 hours
Plymouth	50	1 hour 15 mins
Birmingham	250	4 hours 15 mins
Nottingham	295	5 hours
Manchester	323	5 hours 30 mins
Leeds	365	6 hours
Newcastle	450	7 hours 30 mins

Please note, if you are not used to driving in the UK, these times are a very generous estimate. Traffic is a big problem on UK motorways, especially around London, and it is likely that your journey will take longer. 

Does Newquay have a train station?

Yes, Newquay has a train station, although it doesn’t serve all that many stations. There are only direct trains from London, Northern England and the Scottish Lowlands during the peak summer months.

Outside of these times, you’ll need to change trains elsewhere in Cornwall, normally at Par (Newquay is the terminus of the Atlantic coast train route from Par). See my guide on how to get to Cornwall for more information.

You can take a train from London Paddington or Bristol Temple Meads to reach Par, from here, it is just under an hour to reach Newquay. 

You can even take the Night Riviera sleeper train to Par, which gets to the station around 06:41 am. Then, you can take the train to Newquay – although the first one doesn’t leave until 08:18 am, so you’ll have a bit of waiting around!

You could also take a train to Bodmin Parkway and then a taxi to Newquay.

You can purchase your tickets at a ticket office or ticket machine in the station, but you will likely get cheaper deals and guaranteed seats if you buy online. I recommend Trainline for affordable fares. 

Note: You will be fined if you board a train without a valid ticket in the UK. Make sure that you have one before starting your journey!

Coach service to Newquay

National Express and Megabus operate coach services to Newquay, although these are seasonal and can vary year to year. Typically, they run coaches from London, Exeter and Plymouth to destinations in Cornwall, including Newquay.

In my experience, I have found National Express to be the best coaches that serve Cornwall. The coaches are typically more spacious, often with free WiFi. They also offer accessible coaches for disabled passengers. See National Express coaches here. 

Which UK airports fly to Newquay? 

If you’re wondering ‘can I fly to Cornwall?’ the answer is a resounding YES!

It’s a little known secret that you can actually fly to Newquay. Cornwall Airport Newquay is the only airport in the county!

Planes fly from London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Leeds/ Bradford, Edinburgh, Dublin and Manchester year-round.

The journey to Newquay via road and rail can be long, but I guarantee it will feel like the quickest flight you’ve ever been on! 

In the summer, there are extra services, including Faro, Alicante, Jersey, Cork, and Glasgow. The airport is served by airlines like British Airways, EasyJet, Ryanair, and Eurowings. 

Search flights from your local airport via Skyscanner. 

How to get from Newquay Airport to Newquay

It’s easy to get from Cornwall Newquay Airport to Newquay town centre – simply take the 56 bus, which takes less than 20 minutes. Alternatively, a taxi from Newquay airport to Newquay will cost around £15 and take 10 minutes. 

Travelling from London to Newquay

If you are wondering how to get to Newquay from London and aren’t sure about the best option, check out this FAQ. 

What is the fastest way to get from London to Newquay?

The fastest way is definitely by flying to Newquay Cornwall Airport, which is just an hour and 10 minutes. However, remember that you also need to factor in getting to the airport, checking in, and collecting your bags on the other side. 

The next fastest, and probably most convenient, way to get from London to Newquay is by driving. It takes around 5 hours if you don’t get any traffic. For the smoothest journey, leave as early as possible in the morning or drive late at night.

How far is it from London to Newquay?

It is around 250 miles (400 km) from London to Newquay, depending on where exactly in London you are leaving from.

How do I travel from London to Newquay without a car?

If you don’t have a car and don’t want to fly, you can take the train or coach. Usually, you will need to take a train from London Paddington and change in Par, but you might be lucky and find a direct service from Paddington or another station, such as London Waterloo.

I find Trainline is the best ticket booking website for getting cheap tickets to Newquay.

Alternatively, try National Express for coaches. Coaches leave London Victoria Coach Station. Click here for time schedules and tickets. 

How long does it take to get from London to Newquay?

Here is a table comparing how long it takes to get from London to Newquay: 

Transport	Time
Car	5 hours
Train	1 hour 10 minutes
Coach	5 hours
Plane	7 hours

Where do you stop when driving from London to Cornwall? 

If you want to break the journey up, there are lots of places in South West England where you can stop between London and Cornwall! Some of my ideas include: 

• Stonehenge: the famous neolithic stone circle in Wiltshire
• Bath: an ancient spa city
• Bristol: my personal favourite city in the world (it’s where I live, so I’m biased!)
• Exmouth: a fun beach town on the end of the Jurassic Coast
• Plymouth: Britain’s Ocean city with attractions like the South West Coast Path

Travelling to Newquay from elsewhere in Cornwall

If you are travelling around Cornwall, Newquay may be just one destination on a list of longer places! 

Travel from Truro to Newquay

Truro is Cornwall’s only city and has train links to Devon and other destinations in England. The 93 and 87 buses connect Newquay with Truro

Travel from Bodmin to Newquay

Bodmin is the gateway to Bodmin Moor, Cornwall’s biggest, and eerie attractions like Bodmin Gaol and ex-smuggling house Jamaica Inn. To reach Bodmin from Newquay Bus Station, take the 93 and 89 bus. 

Visiting St Austell from Newquay

St Austell is close to famous Cornwall attractions like the Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan; the 21 bus connects the two towns.

Is there a bus from Newquay to St Ives?

St Ives is another popular Cornwall holiday destination. There is, unfortunately, no bus service connecting Newquay and St Ives. To reach St Ives from Newquay, you will need to take the T2 and then the 88 bus – total journey time is around 2 hours. During the summer, some coach services operate private coaches between the two towns. 

Planning a trip to Newquay

I hope that this how to get to Newquay guide has shown you some of the ways that you can travel to Newquay from elsewhere in the UK.

I’ve got other Newquay guides to help you make the most out of your trip – check out things to do in Newquay, things to do near Newquay and where to stay in Newquay for more!