Your Journey West
Your island holiday starts at your front door and driving down to the south-west is a popular way of making your way to an airport or Penzance Harbour. It’s always worth giving yourself plenty of time to travel down and factoring in regular rest breaks, as well as delays.
Many visitors to Scilly opt to enjoy a stopover in Devon or Cornwall on their way to or from the islands. If you’re thinking of a two-centred break, then let us help you find great places to put your feet up close to Scilly’s gateways and beyond.
Once you arrive at your departure point, you’ll find secure parking at all of Scilly’s airport gateways – Land's End, Penzance, Newquay and Exeter.
If you are travelling by Scillonian there are two secure parking options in Penzance:
Scilly Parking and Isles of Scilly Travel Park & Ride
Leave your car at home; come by train
Remember, taking your car to Scilly is not an option; nor will you need it, so you could leave it at home and start your journey to Scilly by train. Both Exeter, Newquay and Penzance (for Land's End, too) are well served by public transport options.
Travel with Great Western Railway (GWR) on the Night Riviera Sleeper between London Paddington and Penzance.
Imagine falling asleep and leaving London behind, waking up in Cornwall and arriving on Scilly by lunchtime. Yes, you can make it from the capital to the most south-westerly point of the UK in 12 hours. Most of which you can spend asleep!
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Their comfortable cabins have everything you need for a good night’s sleep including USB points, a sink with tabletop and waste bin, a wardrobe, plus storage space under the bottom bunk. If you would like to relax before turning in for night, the bottom bunk converts into a sofa.
When you book a cabin, you can make use of GWR’s First Class lounges at Paddington or Penzance. Sit back, relax, and help yourself to a range of drinks and snacks. Their lounges have shower rooms if you would like to freshen up too.
Once you’ve got on the train, their on-board lounge bar is open for drinks and snacks throughout your journey. If you fancy a quiet night in, you can always order room service.
If you have booked a cabin, you can use our First-Class lounge on Platform 1 from 21:00 and board the train from 22:30.
Once you arrive at Penzance Railway Station you have several options to consider:
Your first option is to transfer to the Scillonian III passenger ferry for the 2 and half to 3-hour sailing that will get you into St. Mary’s by lunchtime.
Penzance Harbour is in sight of the Railway Station and only a 10-minute walk away. If you do have a few bags you may wish to consider taking a taxi to the harbour, which are normally on standby outside the station. The passenger vessel makes the journey to the islands between mid-March and the 1st week of November. The recommended check-in time for the Scillonian III is 1 hour before the scheduled time of departure. (Check-in for the Scillonian III closes 30 minutes before the scheduled time of departure.)
Please note that sometimes the departure times of the Scillonian III doesn’t match up with the arrival of the Night Riviera Sleeper. This is normally due to overnight railway maintenance or the Scillonian III departing earlier than usual - normally due to the tides. Full details can be found on Isles of Scilly Travel’s website.
Land’s End airport is a short 15–20-minute car journey away. Transfers to the airport are provided by Isles of Scilly Travel from the train station and will take you straight up over the glorious Land’s End headland.
Once you arrive at the airport you will have around an hour to check-in and grab a coffee before you board the aircraft and take the 15-minute flight to the main island of St. Mary’s.
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The recommended check-in time for Skybus flights is 1 hour before departure. Check-in for Skybus flights close 30 minutes before the scheduled time of departure. Full details can be found on Isles of Scilly Travel’s website.
There is an inclusive Isles of Scilly Travel package available which includes GWR train travel to Penzance Railway Station and return ferry or flights to the Isles of Scilly. You can save money by booking your inclusive Isles of Scilly Travel package direct with GWR. Travel is available from most train stations. Further information is available by calling their booking line.
The most recent method of transport over to Scilly is by helicopter with Penzance Helicopters. Flights depart from the new Heliport on the outskirts of Penzance which is just one mile away from the Railway Station.
Their electric shuttle can pick you up take you to the Heliport in just 5 minutes. From there you have a choice of destinations. Fly to the main hub and heart of Scilly on St. Mary’s or direct to Tresco. Flights to either island take only 15 minutes.
Check-in for flights closes 45 minutes prior to departure. Full details can be found on Penzance Helicopters website.
Island Transfers will be waiting to whisk you off to your accommodation or to St. Mary’s Quay where tripper or jet boats will take you across to an off island (St. Agnes, St. Martin's, Tresco or Bryher).
Ready to make a booking aboard the Night Riviera Sleepter?
The Great Western Railway booking line for the Isles of Scilly is 03457 000125. From there you need option 3, followed by option 4.
Check here for more information about Great Western Railway including the Night Riviera Sleeper Service.
If you’re travelling from further afield domestically or internationally Exeter International and Cornwall Airport Newquay service a wide variety of locations in the UK and Europe.
UK air connections:
Aberdeen, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Guernsey, Jersey, Manchester, Newcastle, Norwich
Aberdeen, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Jersey, Leeds Bradford, London Gatwick, Manchester, Newcastle, Teeside.
European air connections
Alicante, Chambery, Corfu, Crete, Cyprus (Paphos), Dublin, Gran Canaria, Ibiza, Lanzarote, Lapland, Majorca, Malaga, Menorca, Rhodes, Tenerife, Turkey (Antalya), Turkey (Dalaman), Zante
Alicante, Dublin, Dusseldorf, Faro
Please check with the airline before booking your travel to the Isles of Scilly to ensure your chosen connecting flight is available.
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© Islands' Partnership
