Travel Info

Nearest airports

Exeter is in the South West of England. We recommend the following airports:

Exeter international airport: Our local airport services UK, Ireland and mainland Europe. Taxis from the airport into town will cost about £16.00 with Apple Taxi. Taxi’s can be ordered in person at the airport or by phoning  01392 666666.

Bristol international airport: Bristol offers many more options for flights. There are two main options to get between Bristol and Exeter. The Falcon bus service is a good option. Open return tickets can be purchased on the bus for £16. Here is their website for their timetable. The bus does not drop you into town. We recommend getting off at the Honiton Road park and ride. From there you can get a local bus service or a taxi (price into town would be about £10 with Apple Taxi). Another option from the airport is to get the A1 bus from the airport to Bristol Temple Meads (among other options) . Then a train from Temple Meads to Exeter (see below for more information about the trains).

Gatwick airport (London): Gatwick is a common airport for budget airlines and will have many more flights than Bristol or Exeter). You can get a Mega Bus or National Express bus between the airport and Exeter. However, we recommend getting the trains as they are much faster. Trains depart from Gatwick southern terminal (there is a shuttle between the North and South terminals free of charge) and change at Reading for an Exeter service (see below for more information about the trains).

Heathrow airport (London):  This is most likely where international participants will be flying to. There are a few options on how to get to Exeter. We recommend getting a bus from Heathrow Bus” to Reading and then getting the train to Exeter (these can be purchased together on the trains website). Another option is to get the Heathrow express into London and then getting a train from Paddington Station to Exeter. You can get a Mega Bus or National Express bus as well however these are slow (but cheap).

Trains

If you are traveling from mainland Europe by train then the Eurostar into London is likely your best option.

Domestic train travel can be expensive. We recommend using the National Rail website to book UK trains. Ideally you want to purchase your tickets 2-3 months before travel. The best tickets you can buy are called ‘advanced’ tickets. These are limited and when they sell out the price gradually gets higher.

Exeter’s main station is Exeter St. Davids (EXD). If you are staying at Holland Hall this is your closest station. If you are staying in town you may want to consider getting a train to Exeter Central or St James Park (both require a change at Exeter St Davids). There are two taxi services that operate from the Exeter St. Davids train station: Apple Taxi (cheaper option, has a store front outside the station) or the taxi rank has a row of black cabs outside the station.

Transport within Exeter

Bus to the Met Office: If your staying at Holland Hall, then we have organsied a daily return bus for you to the Met Office. If you are staying on town, the two bus options to get to the Met Office are the “Red” bus which is a park and ride service to Honiton Park and Ride or the #56.

Taxi to the Met Office: You could also get an Apple Taxi for about £15 from town.

Local bus services are operated by Stage Coach. Google maps works well in our area (though not all services are live and some are timetable only).

 

All of the above information is based on Penny’s local experience. We make no guarantees and provide this information as a general guide to help you organise your travel.