Getting Around Cornwall

A car is the most flexible way to see Cornwall, but it is not the only way - and it can be the worst way in peak summer. Trains, buses, and a network of estuary ferries reach most of the towns visitors actually want, and the Ride Cornwall Ranger gives you the lot for a day at the price of a tank of petrol.

Trains

The Cornish Main Line runs from Plymouth to Penzance, hugging the south coast through Liskeard, Bodmin Parkway, Par, St Austell, Truro, Camborne, and St Erth. Four branch lines spur off it - all four are scenic, all four serve seaside towns, and all four are part of the regular GWR network.

The four branch lines

• St Ives Bay Line (St Erth - St Ives) - Britain's most photographed branch line. The final stretch hugs the cliff above Carbis Bay, with a view across St Ives Bay to Godrevy Lighthouse. Park at St Erth, take the train in, skip the St Ives parking nightmare entirely. Around 4 trains per hour at peak.
• Maritime Line (Truro - Falmouth) - 25 minutes through woods and along the Carrick Roads. Two trains an hour throughout the day. Stations at Penryn (for the university), Penmere, and Falmouth Town as well as Falmouth Docks.
• Atlantic Coast Line (Par - Newquay) - 30 minutes across mid Cornwall via Luxulyan and Goonbarrow. From spring 2026, a new hourly service runs the full length, with through-trains continuing to Truro and Falmouth.
• Looe Valley Line (Liskeard - Looe) - 30 minutes following the East Looe River past Sandplace. Eight services each way most days. Combined train + harbour walk + lunch is a popular day out from any south coast base.

The Night Riviera sleeper

GWR's Night Riviera runs six nights a week (not Saturdays) from London Paddington to Penzance, leaving at 23:45 and arriving around 07:45. A seated ticket is around £25 from advance booking, with cabin berths from around £84 on top of the rail fare. You arrive in Penzance with a full day ahead of you - one of the best value ways to start a Cornwall trip.

Train passes worth knowing

• Ride Cornwall Ranger - £21 adult, £10.50 child, £42 family. Unlimited rail and bus for one day across Cornwall and to/from Plymouth. Valid after 08:45 weekdays, anytime weekends. Pays for itself with one return between Penzance and Bodmin Parkway.
• Cornwall Day Travelcard (rail only) - cheaper if you only need trains, available from staffed stations and on board.
• GWR Advance fares - book 12 weeks ahead for the cheapest mainline fares to London or Bristol; cheap fares sell out fast in summer.
• 16-25, 26-30, Two Together, Family & Friends, Senior Railcards - all give a third off most rail fares. £30 for a year - earns its keep on a single trip from London to Cornwall.

Buses

Buses in Cornwall are run by Transport for Cornwall (a partnership of operators including First Bus, Go Cornwall, and Plymouth Citybus). The network is more useful than visitors expect - particularly along the north coast and across the Lizard. Live tracker apps work well; rural timetables are sparse on Sundays.

The most useful routes for visitors

• 1 / 1A - Penzance to Land's End via Newlyn, Mousehole, Sennen Cove. Coastal route with stops near most south-west tip beaches.
• 2 / 2A - Penzance to Helston via Marazion (St Michael's Mount) and the south coast.
• U1 / U4 - Falmouth-Truro and Falmouth-Penryn-Helston. Fast, frequent.
• 56 - Newquay to Padstow via Mawgan Porth, Bedruthan Steps, and Trevone. The classic north-coast scenic bus.
• 87 - Truro to Newquay, hourly during the day.
• A5 - the Atlantic Coaster, summer-only open-top from Newquay through Bedruthan and Padstow to Tintagel, Boscastle, and Bude.
• T9 / T10 - Plymouth-Liskeard-Looe, Plymouth-Saltash-Callington for east Cornwall.

Bus tickets

• Single fares - capped at £3 nationally on most routes. Cheaper short single fares still apply locally.
• Day Plus - around £8.50 adult, all-day, all-zone bus travel across the Transport for Cornwall network. Best value if you plan to make 3+ trips.
• Group Day Plus - up to 5 people for around £18.
• Apps - the First Bus and Transport for Cornwall apps both let you buy and store tickets. Contactless tap-on works on most buses too.

Ferries within Cornwall

Cornwall's estuaries are deep and narrow - well suited to ferries that save you 20-mile drives. The vehicle ferries are part of the road network in a way that is rare in England; locals use them daily. All take contactless payment.

Vehicle ferries

• King Harry Ferry (Feock to Philleigh) - £11 return per car, every 20 minutes, 10-minute crossing. The shortcut to the Roseland - saves 27 miles via Truro and Tresillian. Operates 7 days, year-round.
• Bodinnick Ferry (Fowey to Bodinnick) - around £6 single per car. Connects Fowey to Looe and Polperro without going north to Lostwithiel. Tight loading, narrow lanes either side - small cars and patient drivers preferred.
• Torpoint Ferry (Plymouth to Torpoint) - around £1.50 each way per car (charged in one direction only - confusingly, you pay leaving Cornwall, not entering). Pedestrians and bicycles cross free. Three chain ferries run constantly, day and night.

Passenger ferries

• Padstow to Rock - £3 each way, runs every 20 minutes from around 7.50am to dusk. Saves a 14-mile drive around the Camel Estuary. Tide-dependent: at low water, the ferry leaves from a different beach (Padstow) or sandbar (Rock), well signposted.
• Falmouth to St Mawes (Fal River Cornwall) - around £8 single. Year-round, 30-minute crossing. The St Mawes side connects with the St Mawes-Place ferry for walkers heading onto the Roseland coast path.
• Falmouth to Helford Passage - seasonal (Easter to October), around £8 single. The walking gateway to the Helford River and Frenchman's Creek.
• Looe Town to Looe Island and Fowey to Polruan - small local ferries, summer-heavy schedules. Pay on board.

Park & Ride

Three Park & Ride sites get you out of Cornwall's parking-disaster towns. All three are properly signposted from the main approach roads.

• Truro - two sites: Tregurra (off the A39 east) and Langarth (off the A390 west). £2.70 adult, £5.40 family for parking + return bus. Buses every 12-15 minutes Mon-Sat, 6.30am to about 8.30pm. Closed Sundays.
• Falmouth - seasonal Park & Float at Ponsharden (May to September). Around £5 per car including the boat into Custom House Quay. Skips the Falmouth one-way system entirely.
• St Ives - park at St Erth station and take the branch line in. Around £5 day parking plus train fare. The only practical way to visit St Ives in July or August.

Cycling

Cornwall has three flagship traffic-free cycle routes, all on disused railways and all rideable by anyone with a bike. None require road riding.

• Camel Trail - 18 miles, Wenfordbridge to Padstow via Bodmin and Wadebridge. Flat, fully surfaced, suitable for any bike including buggies and trailers. The Wadebridge to Padstow section (5.5 miles) is the most popular - estuary views, pubs at both ends, cycle hire from Bridge Bike Hire and Camel Trail Cycle Hire in Wadebridge, Padstow Cycle Hire in Padstow, and at the Old Station in Bodmin.
• Mineral Tramways (Coast to Coast) - 11 miles, Portreath (north coast) to Devoran (south coast) via Carn Brea. Crosses the historic mining landscape, mostly traffic-free, mixed surface. Ride hire at Bissoe Bike Hire near Devoran.
• Clay Trails - around 7 miles of routes around the china clay country east of St Austell, linking Wheal Martyn, Eden Project, and Pentewan. Quieter than the Camel Trail in summer.

Sustrans National Cycle Route 3 (the West Country Way) runs the length of Cornwall on a mix of quiet lanes, paths, and cycle tracks - more demanding but suitable for confident riders. Bike racks on Cross Country and GWR mainline trains take 4-6 bikes per train (free, but reservation required).

Taxis and ride-hailing

Uber works in Truro, Newquay, and Plymouth but is patchy elsewhere - in much of Cornwall you book by phone or app with a local firm. Most towns have a single 24-hour taxi rank at the main bus or train station. Rural taxi rates run £2 - £3 per mile. Save your cottage's local taxi number when you arrive - it is worth it on a rainy evening.

Walking

Cornwall is a walking county. The South West Coast Path runs 296 miles around the Cornish coast alone (part of the 630-mile national trail), with public transport at most major stops - meaning linear walks are practical, not just circular routes. Local buses connect points like Sennen Cove to St Ives, Boscastle to Tintagel, or Cawsand to Plymouth, so you can walk one way and ride back.

Baggage transfer services (Luggage Mules, Coast to Coast Packhorse, Encounter Walking) move your bag between B&Bs while you walk - around £8-12 per bag per stage. Worth it for multi-day Coast Path walks.

Visiting without a car

St Ives, Falmouth, Padstow, Newquay, Penzance, Truro, Looe, and Fowey are all genuinely doable without a car - all have train or bus links, walkable centres, and beaches within walking distance. Good no-car bases combine a branch-line town with bus links to nearby beaches. From Falmouth you can reach Maenporth, Swanpool, Gyllyngvase, Helford Passage, St Mawes, and the Lizard north coast all without a car.

Tougher without a car: the Roseland (south of St Mawes), the Lizard south coast, Bodmin Moor, and most clifftop villages between coastal towns. For these, an e-bike from a cycle hire shop, a day bus pass, or a single half-day taxi gets you out and back.

FAQs

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Last reviewed 2026-04-30. Fares, timetables, and routes change. Always check the operator before travelling - links above go direct to the source.