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Minehead to Westward Ho! - South West Coast Path

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  • View our UK travel routes map if you need to see how to reach the South West and Wales from the rest of the UK or from main air and sea ports
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Getting to and from the South West Coast Path - Minehead and Westward Ho!

If you ask us for a quote we will include public transport or parking information to suit your walking holiday and for those booking we advise and assist in helping you to work out and book the best travel options for your walk.

This route is works best by public transport and if you can try to arrive by train and bus  it will save you having to arrange parking and travel back to your car after walking.

SW Coast Path Minehead arrival by TrainTrain Arrival  -  Fast direct trains run from London, the Midlands and the North to Taunton station taking between 1.5 and 2.5 hours depending on the service used. From Taunton regular buses straight to Minehead take one hour. As an interesting alternative you can use the superb West Somerset Steam Railway from just outside Taunton on a 1.5 hour journey to Minehead by steam train through some of the stunning countryside on route. Regular departures throughout the day ask us for deatails on including this as a perfect start to the holiday.

Train Departure -  Regular buses from Westward Ho! take around 1 hour to reach Barnstaple Station from where you take the stunning North Devon branchline to Exeter to join the mainline trains to London and the East. We can advise on or arrnage transfers from Westward Ho! to the station at Barnstaple if you prefer.  Time from Barnstaple to London is 3.5 to 4 hours on the train. The coast path route does pass through Barnstaple on its way to Westward Ho! so you can of course finish the walk here and depart directly by train - ask for options.

Parking and Driving Information for the South Western Coast Path MineheadCar -  Free car parking in the residential streets of Minehead is easy to find and we can advise on this. At Westward Ho! several of our accomodation options offer free or low charge long stay parking and again there are unrestricted parking options in the streets.

To get back to your car by public transport you cantake a bus (or transfer) to Barnstaple Station. Train via Exeter to Taunton and then a bus back to Minehead. This can take a good four hours though there are other options by bus via Tiverton so do ask for help.

We can quote for private transfers from door to door if you prefer which take around 1.5 hours. There is also the option to take the scenic Exmoor bus route back to Minehead in the summer months which follows the coast path route from Barnstaple via Ilfracombe to Minehead. This is a very pleasant way of getting back but there are generally only one or two options a day so you need to be flexible and allow the best part of the day to do this.

Public Transport Information for The South West Coast Path minehead Coach Arrival -  National Express Coaches run directly to Minehead from London with connections from other parts of the UK.

Coach Departure - National Express Coaches also run a limited servcie from Westward Ho! with more options from nearby Barnstaple ( 1 hour local bus to connect)

South West Coast Path Holidays arriving from Overseas MineheadArriving from Overseas - Those arriving from overseas will usually arrive in the UK at London Gatwick or London Heathrow airport from where you can catch direct trains Taunton (see the train information above). Those arriving at London Heathrow will usually take a 1/2 hour underground train / overland train service into London Paddington to catch the fast inter city trains to Devon and Cornwall. Bristol and Exeter airports are very close to the walk and also have a number of international flights

Internal Flights -  The regional airport at Exeter is very useful if flights fit for you. From Exeter you can take the train to Taunton (around 40 mins) and then hourly bus (or steam train see above) to Minehead.  On your return from Westward Ho! its an easy 1 hour bus ride to Barnstaple station and then the branch line into Exeter taking around 1 hour 20 mins.

Minehead can be reached from Bristol airport in around 3 hours via the train to Taunton and bus or Steam Railway to Minehead.

 

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