Getting to Padstow
How to reach Padstow by train, bus, taxi, car, or bicycle.
Nearest railway stations
Padstow has no railway station. Its own line opened on 27 March 1899 and closed to passengers on 30 January 1967, and the track bed is now the Camel Trail. By road from the harbour, the nearest stations are St Columb Road (about 18km), Roche (about 21km), Newquay (about 22km) and Bodmin Parkway (about 31km), which is the farthest of the four. The tourist office says Google names Roche or St Columb Road as nearest, but those are small stations on the Par to Newquay branch and are not easily reached by public transport. Bodmin Parkway, on the Great Western main line, is the one with a direct bus: Go Cornwall Bus route 57 runs Bodmin Parkway to Padstow via Bodmin and Wadebridge, and the bus stop named for the station is about 50 metres from the station building, measured from the stop's published coordinates. Bodmin Parkway is step-free to the Penzance-bound platform only; the Plymouth-bound platform is reached by footbridge.
- Nearest by road
- St Columb Road, about 18km / 11 miles, roughly 19 minutes' drive (Par to Newquay branch)
- Then
- Roche, about 21km; Newquay, about 22km; both on the same branch
- With a direct bus
- Bodmin Parkway (CRS BOD), about 31km by road, roughly 32 minutes' drive; Great Western Railway
- Bus from Bodmin Parkway
- Go Cornwall Bus 57 to Padstow via Bodmin and Wadebridge, about 70 minutes on the published timetable
- Bus stop at the station
- The 57 stop, Bodmin Parkway Station, is roughly 50 metres from the station building
- In Padstow
- No station. Station House at the bottom of Station Road now holds Padstow Museum, and the Railway Car Park keeps the name.
Tips
- •The 57 runs roughly hourly through the day on the published timetable; evenings, Sundays and bank holidays are thinner, so check Go Cornwall Bus before you buy a train ticket.
- •There is no through ticket covering the train and the bus.
- •Transport for Cornwall posts service updates on the timetable page; check them before you travel, as roadworks can divert the 57.
Buses
Two Go Cornwall Bus routes serve Padstow: the 57 to Wadebridge, Bodmin and Bodmin Parkway station, and the 56 to Newquay by way of Constantine, Porthcothan, Newquay Cornwall Airport and Watergate Bay. The tourist office also lists local bus 11 for the Main Road car park. The area north of the estuary, Polzeath and Port Isaac, is reached by taking the 57 to Wadebridge and changing to the 96, or by taking the ferry to Rock and walking about 20 minutes to the stop at Clock Garage. The tourist office says buses are now provided by several companies and points you to Go Cornwall Bus for times; the National Lobster Hatchery's own page still names a former operator, so trust the Transport for Cornwall timetables.
- 11
- Local bus listed by the tourist office as an alternative to walking from the Main Road car park
- 56
- Newquay to Padstow via Watergate Bay, Newquay Cornwall Airport and Constantine; a handful of journeys a day, not hourly
- 57
- Bodmin Parkway to Padstow via Bodmin Community Hospital and Wadebridge; roughly hourly on the published timetable
- 96
- From Wadebridge to Polzeath and Port Isaac (per the tourist office)
- Payment
- Timetables and tickets through Transport for Cornwall and the Go Cornwall app
Tips
- •For the ferry and water taxi across to Rock, see the Padstow to Rock Ferry activity.
- •The 56 to Newquay diverts around Newquay's Cliff Road one-way system on buses into town; check the timetable page for the current diversion.
- •The Town Council's Railway Car Park is beside the bus stop and the start of the Camel Trail.
Taxis
The tourist office lists two firms it recommends, both of which advise booking ahead. Mid Cornwall Taxis handles airport and station transfers and a luggage-forwarding service for coast path walkers. Coastline Travel is based at Newquay Airport and has an accessible vehicle with a ramp. The tourist office's transport page lists no rank.
- Mid Cornwall Taxis
- 07785 233 777; airport and station transfers, luggage transfer, dog friendly
- Coastline Travel
- 01637 860006; based at Newquay Airport; wheelchair accessible vehicle with ramp
Tips
- •Ask any taxi firm for the leg from Bodmin Parkway, Roche or St Columb Road stations by name; they are not near a bus stop that helps.
- •Book the return leg at the same time as the outbound one if you are catching a specific train.
Driving and parking
The National Lobster Hatchery's own directions are the simplest: from the A30 leave at Indian Queens, follow the A39 to Winnard's Perch, and turn left at the roundabout signposted to Padstow, then follow the road all the way in. In peak times a park and ride operates beyond the rugby ground, and the tourist office says the roads in the town are too narrow to leave a car on the street. The town has four main car parks: the Padstow Harbour Commissioners' Harbour car park, nearest the water; the Town Council's Railway and Lawns car parks; and Cornwall Council's Link Road car park, plus the Main Road car park on the A389 (Easter to the end of October), about a 10 minute walk away. Measured by road, Padstow is about 400km (250 miles) from central London and about 21km from Newquay Cornwall Airport.
- Route
- A30 to Indian Queens, A39 to Winnard's Perch, then the road signposted to Padstow (the A389)
- From London
- About 400km / 250 miles by road, roughly 5 hours without traffic (routing estimate)
- From Newquay Cornwall Airport
- About 21km / 13 miles, roughly 24 minutes
- Harbour Car Park
- Padstow Harbour Commissioners; cash, card or RingGo
- Railway Car Park
- Station Road, PL28 8DA; Padstow Town Council; RingGo location 2849
- Lawns Car Park
- School Hill, PL28 8EB; Padstow Town Council; RingGo location 2848; about 10 minutes downhill from the town
- Link Road Car Park
- By the fire station; Cornwall Council; JustPark location 8227
- Main Road Car Park
- A389, PL28 8EX; open Easter to the end of October; listed by the tourist office at £1.60 up to 1 hour, £4.50 up to 3 hours, £7.20 all day
Tips
- •On 1 May the roads in the old town close; the council's 2025 order ran from 8am to 10pm, and its Railway and Lawns car parks stayed open as usual.
- •Trevethan Farm (Sarah's Lane, after Tesco) offers overnight and weekly parking for coast path walkers, listed from £3.50 a day.
Cycling
The Camel Trail is the cycling route: level, traffic free and easy to ride to Wadebridge. Padstow Cycle Hire (established 1996, more than 160 bikes) and Trail Bike Hire are both at the start of the trail, and both take online bookings. The tourist office says the trail carries about 350,000 users a year, so book ahead in summer. Padstow to Wadebridge is about 5 to 5.5 miles, and Padstow Cycle Hire gives 45 minutes to an hour each way; the trail runs on to Bodmin and Wenfordbridge, about 18 miles in total. The Padstow to Rock ferry takes bicycles for £3.
- Route
- Camel Trail, Padstow to Wadebridge, Bodmin and Wenfordbridge
- Distance
- About 5 to 5.5 miles to Wadebridge; about 18 miles in total to Wenfordbridge
- Hire
- Padstow Cycle Hire (01841 533533) and Trail Bike Hire, both at the start of the trail; Bridge Bike Hire and Camel Trail Cycle Hire in Wadebridge
- Ferry
- Bicycles £3 on the Padstow to Rock ferry (harbour commissioners' page)
- Toilets
- Public toilets in Padstow, Wadebridge and Bodmin only
Tips
- •Padstow Cycle Hire says it can arrange to leave a bike in Wadebridge for a one-way ride; that does not include tandems, trailers, electric bikes or tag-alongs.
- •Padstow Cycle Hire opens 9am to 5pm daily all year, with evening rides in summer.
- •The Wadebridge to Bodmin section starts after about five minutes on the road through Wadebridge.
Useful Links
From the Airport
Live options for reaching the village from the nearest airports. Times and fares are a guide and can change with traffic or operator schedules.
Newquay Cornwall AirportNQY
21 km away- Duration
- About 25 minutes
- Cost
- Fuel and parking
The nearest airport by a wide margin.
- Duration
- Check the timetable
- Cost
- Bus fares
A handful of journeys a day rather than an hourly service; check the timetable before relying on it for a flight.
Operator: Go Cornwall Bus
- Duration
- About 25 minutes
- Cost
- Quoted by the firm
Coastline Travel is based at the airport.
Operator: Coastline Travel or Mid Cornwall Taxis
Exeter AirportEXT
135 km away- Duration
- About 1 hour 45 minutes
- Cost
- Fuel and parking
Measured by road from Padstow harbour.
- Duration
- Check the timetables
- Cost
- Rail and bus fares
Two changes, and no through ticket covering the bus.
EV & Essentials
Practical infrastructure on the ground: charging, water, and accessibility facilities worth knowing about before you arrive.
Accessibility Facilities
Railway public toilets
Accessible toilet · Railway Car Park, Station Road
Free, opens 8am daily, National Key Scheme (Radar key).
North Quay public toilets
Accessible toilet · North Quay
Free, opens 8am daily, National Key Scheme (Radar key).
Broad Street blue badge bays
Blue badge parking · Broad Street, PL28 8BS
Four spaces (three on the right, one above the loading bay), free, limited to 3 hours.
Parking
Parking options in and around Padstow. On busy weekends, arriving early is recommended.
Padstow Harbour Car Park
Charges vary; check the machine. The car park nearest the harbour, run by Padstow Harbour Commissioners. The tourist office says you can pay by cash, card or RingGo.
Railway Car Park
Charges vary; RingGo location code 2849. At the bottom of Station Road, PL28 8DA, run by Padstow Town Council, with level access to the town and to the Camel Trail. Padstow Cycle Hire says the machine takes coins only.
Lawns Car Park
Charges vary; RingGo location code 2848. Opposite the Old School on School Hill, PL28 8EB, run by Padstow Town Council; the council describes it as roughly a 10 minute downhill walk into town.
Link Road Car Park
Charges vary; JustPark location 8227. By the fire station, run by Cornwall Council.
Padstow Main Road Car Park
Listed by the tourist office as £1.60 up to 1 hour, £4.50 up to 3 hours and £7.20 all day. On the A389, PL28 8EX, about a 10 minute walk to the harbour; the tourist office says local buses 11 and 56 also run into town. Tariffs are as listed by the tourist office, check the board.
Trevethan Farm, Sarah's Lane
Listed by the tourist office from £3.50 a day or £26 a week. Longer-stay parking for coast path walkers, entered from Sarah's Lane just after Tesco. Phone 07909 661395.
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