Plymouth is further from London than people expect and closer to Cornwall than they realise. Here is how to get here, and what to do with the car once you arrive.
Plymouth is on the main Great Western line. Direct services run from London Paddington in around three and a half hours, from Bristol Temple Meads in about two, and from Exeter St Davids in an hour. CrossCountry services connect Birmingham, the North and Scotland. The station is a fifteen-minute walk or a short bus ride from the city centre; taxis wait outside.
National Express runs long-distance services into Plymouth Coach Station at Bretonside, right in the city centre next to Drake Circus. Journeys take longer than the train but fares booked in advance are consistently cheaper.
The A38 Devon Expressway links Plymouth to the M5 at Exeter, which is the route most visitors take. From Cornwall, the A38 crosses the Tamar Bridge — note the eastbound toll. Allow extra time on summer Saturdays, when the A38 and M5 carry heavy holiday traffic.
The main city-centre multi-storeys are at Drake Circus, Mayflower East and West near the Barbican, and Theatre Royal. The Barbican and Royal William Yard both have paid car parks that fill early on sunny weekends and event days. Park and ride sites at Coypool, Milehouse and George Junction are the cheapest option if you are staying in the city all day.
Brittany Ferries sails to Roscoff in France and Santander in Spain from Millbay, which is walkable from the city centre. Within the city, the Cremyll ferry crosses to Mount Edgcumbe in Cornwall and the Mount Batten ferry runs from the Barbican.
For the British Firework Championships and other major Hoe events, city-centre car parks fill hours ahead and roads around the waterfront close. Public transport, or parking further out and walking in, saves a great deal of frustration.
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