Getting Around Exeter: A Visitor's Guide
Exeter is a compact cathedral city and the county town of Devon, set on the River Exe in South West England. For a visitor, the good news is that the historic centre is small enough to explore largely on foot, while a solid network of trains, buses, coaches and taxis connects the city to the wider region and the rest of the UK. This guide explains the main options and how to use them.
Arriving by Rail
Exeter is well served by rail and is a practical gateway to the South West. The city sits on the main line from London Paddington to Penzance, with trains running roughly hourly from Paddington through most of the day; the journey typically takes around two and a half hours. National services also run to Bristol, South Wales, Birmingham, the north of England and Scotland, with the Bristol service roughly hourly. Local trains connect to Barnstaple, Exmouth and along the main lines, and the Riviera Line serves the coastal towns towards Torquay and Paignton.
There are several stations in and around the city, and which one you use affects how close you are to the centre:
- Exeter St Davids is the main station, on the western edge of the city, about a 15-minute walk or a short bus ride from the centre. Most long-distance and national services call here.
- Exeter Central is only about a five-minute walk into the city centre along Queen Street. A slower service from London Waterloo via Salisbury calls here as well as at St Davids.
- Exeter St Thomas and Exeter St James's Park are smaller local stations on the Riviera Line towards Torquay via Marsh Barton. St James's Park generally handles regional services only.
On fares, UK rail is privatised and can be relatively expensive: a return from Exeter to London is around £70, while regional trips are much cheaper — Exeter to Exmouth, for example, takes about 30 minutes and costs under £5 return. Booking in advance, travelling off-peak and using a railcard (which gives roughly a third off) can all reduce the cost. It can be more cost-effective to take the train than the bus, particularly for longer journeys around the city and the wider area. Great Western Railway operates most of the network, with South Western Railway running trains to the eastern suburbs and beyond.
Buses and Coaches
There is an extensive bus network across the city. Most buses within Exeter are operated by Stagecoach, which also runs services to most regional destinations; some regional routes are handled by smaller independent operators. Almost all bus services start and end at the bus station in the city centre on Paris Street, a few minutes' walk from the High Street and the cathedral green. Stops are also found along the High Street, outside student halls of residence, and on the university campus.
For visitors, the practical points are:
- Buses are a good way to reach attractions in and around Devon, many of which sit on popular bus routes.
- Stagecoach offers passes that can work out cheaper than paying per journey, including a 7-day pass and longer-term passes valid on Stagecoach buses in the Exeter area.
- Note that the last buses tend to run in the late evening, so after a night out you may need a taxi or to walk.
- Traveline is the go-to service for routes, times and fares, and traveldevon.info provides public transport information for Exeter and Devon, including Park & Ride and an interactive bus map.
Long-distance coaches are often the cheapest way to reach Exeter if booked in advance, with early fares starting from around £5. National Express runs services from most UK towns and cities, and Megabus offers low-cost intercity travel. National Express coaches from London Victoria run several times a day via Heathrow Airport, taking around five hours and continuing on to Bodmin, Newquay and Penzance; services also run from Birmingham via Bristol and from further north, including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Leicester, Sheffield, Derby, Newcastle, York, Leeds and Blackpool. Discounts are available: a National Express Coachcard gives roughly a third off, and Megabus offers student discounts via UNiDAYS or NUS cards.
Park & Ride
If you are driving into Exeter, the city operates Park & Ride services from three locations, with fast, frequent buses into central Exeter. There are also plenty of short- and long-stay car parks and two coach parks. Driving directly onto the High Street is not permitted, so you will need to park in a neighbouring car park; traffic in the city can be slow.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are easy to find in the centre. Taxi stands are located at the north-eastern intersection of the High Street and by Exeter St Davids station, and taxis can also be flagged down if you see one. Licensed hackney carriages are distinctive: red with the city coat of arms, an illuminated "TAXI" sign, and yellow "Hackney carriage" plates on the rear next to the licence plate.
Private hire is a separate option. There are various private hire companies in the city, the largest being Apple Taxis. Registered private hire vehicles display a green plate next to the rear licence plate, but they cannot be flagged down and do not stop at taxi stands — you must book them in advance. Uber ride-sharing is also available in the city, though taxis cannot be booked through Uber.
As a rough guide to cost, typical fares include around £5–£8 from the university campus to the town centre, and about £5 from Exeter St Davids station to the campus.
Getting Around on Foot
Walking is the simplest way to explore Exeter. The central area is fairly small and easy to navigate on foot, and the city can be traversed east-to-west in around two hours if you want to cover the whole thing. As a practical example, the city centre to the university campus is about a 20-minute walk, and most students choose to walk rather than take the bus. For cyclists, there are shared-use paths of varying quality running through the city, with the most scenic route following the canal towpath; free cycling maps are available from Cycle Devon.
Getting from the Airport into the City
Exeter Airport (EXT) sits about five miles east of the city, off the A30 near junction 29 of the M5. It handles daily international flights, with airlines including Aurigny (from Guernsey), Blue Islands (Jersey), Loganair (Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle upon Tyne and Manchester), and Ryanair and TUI Airways on Mediterranean routes; Skybus also flies from St Mary's on the Isles of Scilly between March and October, Monday to Saturday. Loganair offers free checked baggage and child discounts as standard, and international connections are possible via the Manchester and Edinburgh gateway airports with partner airlines.
To reach the city centre from the airport, the bus is the straightforward option: Stagecoach service 4A runs between the airport and Exeter city centre every 20 minutes, with a single ticket costing £3.00. A taxi is the alternative and typically costs around £10–£20.
Practical Summary
- On foot: best for the compact city centre and most central sights.
- Bus: Stagecoach dominates city and regional routes; most services hub at the Paris Street bus station.
- Train: fast and useful for longer trips and coastal towns; book ahead and travel off-peak to save.
- Coach: cheapest for long-distance travel if booked early; National Express and Megabus both serve Exeter.
- Taxi: ranks at the High Street and St Davids station; private hire must be booked, and Uber is available.
- Airport: Stagecoach 4A bus every 20 minutes for £3.00, or a taxi for around £10–£20.