Best way to travel from London to Cornwall

Travelling from London to Cornwall

Encompassing golden beaches, rugged moorland and craggy cliffs, Cornwall is one of the most beautiful counties in the UK. Located in the southwestern corner of England, Cornwall’s picturesque harbours and charming villages make it the ideal place for a family holiday.  

Considering a trip from London to Cornwall? We’re here to help! There are lots of modes of transport to choose from, including train, plane, coach and car. With so many options to choose from, it can be a little overwhelming. But there’s no need to panic, we’re here to give you all the information you need!  

From the sandy beaches of St Ives to the cobbled streets of Padstow, there are plenty of places to visit in Cornwall. When deciding how to travel, the best mode of transport depends on where you want to visit. In order to compare each mode of transport fairly, we’re going to focus on the journey from London to Bodmin. Located in the heart of Cornwall, Bodmin is the perfect hub from which to explore the county’s most popular locations.  

When travelling from London to Cornwall, you’ll travel through at least 200 miles of English countryside. There’s a lot of things to take into consideration when deciding how to travel from London to Cornwall, including price, journey time, CO₂ emissions and more.    

If you'd like to find out more, keep reading for our guide on the best way to travel from London to Cornwall. 

What's in this guide?

• Comparing travel from London to Cornwall
• Modes of transport
  • Train
  • Plane
  • Coach
  • Car
• What is the best way to get from London to Cornwall?
• Things to do in Cornwall
• Frequently asked questions
• Other relevant information

Hoping to travel from London to Cornwall and looking for an easy, cost-efficient and convenient mode of transport? Take the train! Not only is train travel more relaxing, it’s also significantly better for the environment than other transport types, such as plane and car. In fact – a single journey from London to Cornwall by train emits 70% less CO₂ than by car and 86% less than by plane.  

On this route, the quickest high-speed services will take you from London to Cornwall in just 4 hours and 48 minutes. As there are direct trains available on this route every day, you can make yourself comfortable as you don’t need to worry about making any changes during your journey.  

If you’re travelling on this route, you’ll board a Great Western Railway (GWR) train at London Paddington station. Once you’ve settled in your seat, you can start to look forward to your Cornish getaway. Then, you can begin to take advantage of all the positives of travelling by train. Use the power sockets to charge your devices and the free WiFi to catch up on some work, watch your favourite TV show or chat to your friends on social media. For a more relaxing journey, you could read a book or newspaper, or simply enjoy the unparalleled views of the English countryside.  

Unlike flying by plane, taking the train from London to Cornwall gives you the opportunity to sit back and enjoy the scenery. During your journey, your train will sweep you through the outskirts of London, through southwest England and into Cornwall. If you decide to travel by train, make sure you book a window seat, so you can take advantage of the best views.  

If you prefer to travel in style, why not upgrade to GWR First Class? You’ll enjoy all the onboard amenities of Standard Class, as well as some additional benefits, such as more legroom, reclining seats and complimentary food and drink. Not only that, but prior to your journey you can relax in the GWR First Class Lounge at London Paddington station. Here you’ll find drinks and snacks, WiFi, power sockets and live TV.  

Whether you travel in Standard or First Class, your train will arrive in Cornwall in no time. One of the best things about taking the train, is that you can get off at whichever station is closest to your accommodation. With GWR, you can take the train from London to Newquay, Penzance, Truro, St Ives, St Austell, Bodmin Parkway, Falmouth and more.  

Travel from London to Cornwall on the Night Riviera sleeper train  

If you’d like to maximise your time in Cornwall, you could travel on the Night Riviera sleeper train. Running six nights a week, the Night Riviera service takes you from London Paddington station to several stations in Cornwall, including Bodmin Parkway, St Austell, Truro, Penzance and more. Travelling on a sleeper train is a unique experience, as you go to sleep in London and wake up feeling refreshed in Cornwall.  

 

If you want a fuss-free, cheap way to travel from London to Cornwall, you could take the coach. Coach travel is technically the most environmentally friendly way to travel from London to Cornwall, however it takes almost twice as long as the same journey by train. 

On average, the journey from London to Cornwall by coach takes around 7 hours and 50 minutes. Although, the quickest services will take you there in just 7 hours and 5 minutes. However, it’s worth remembering that journey times vary depending on traffic conditions.  

On this route, you’ll jump on a National Express coach at London Victoria Coach Station. As soon as you’ve found your seat, you can sit back and relax as you don’t need to make any changes along the way. In just over 7 hours, your coach will arrive at Newquay Bus Station. On the way, your coach will stop at various points, such as Exeter, Plymouth and more. Onboard all National Express coaches, you will enjoy amenities such as WiFi, air conditioning, power sockets, luggage storage and toilets.  

 

There’s no doubt about it – the best way to get from London to Cornwall is by train!

Train travel is not only relaxing, cheap and simple, but it’s also significantly more environmentally friendly than other modes of transport, such as plane and car. In fact, research shows that travelling by train to Cornwall emits around 15.9kg in CO₂, whereas the car emits 52.4kg and the plane emits an enormous 110.8g in CO₂. Although coach emits less CO₂ than train, the journey is almost twice as long.

If you’re travelling from London to Cornwall and want to choose a sustainable option, choose train!

Fact: By choosing to travel from London to Cornwall by train instead of car or plane, you save a whopping 67% and 86% of CO₂ respectively. We think that's pretty amazing!