Whether you are travelling to Looe by car, train, bus, coach or ferry, here is some advice to help you plan your journey.
Looe is less than 5 hours from London and 40 minutes from Plymouth so your seaside getaway is closer than you think!
The roads into Cornwall can be very busy during the summer months so we suggest travelling overnight or outside the peak rush hours to avoid the delays. Looe is also a perfect base to explore the magic of Cornwall.
Lizard point, the most southerly place in Britain, is less than 2 hours away; the magic of either Newquay or Padstow is only 1 hour’s drive away and you could be experiencing the wonder of the Eden Project in less than 40 minutes.
We recommend planning your journey ahead and using the Traffic watch updates provided by the Devon and Cornwall Police to help you avoid any delays…
We have EV charging points which you can find here…
Looe has its own train station and GWR operate frequent high speed train services from across the country, including a regular service from London Paddington station.
Many services end in Penzance (PNZ) and you can change at Liskeard (LSK) to travel to Looe (LOO).
If you are looking to explore Cornwall by rail, there are some wonderful choices including the Looe Valley Line that links Looe and Liskeard and other Great Scenic Railways journeys.
Looe is easily reached by train. Take the Looe Valley Line from Liskeard station, an easy change from the Cornwall mainline. The train journey passes through a wooded valley teeming with wildlife. Customers can expect beautiful views from the window and bird watchers will love it.
When you travel by train you can save on your train fare with these few tips:
• You could save over 50% when you book the advance purchase fare. (Available on longer distance journeys).
• Travel off-peak.
• You can save a 1/3 with a railcard. A selection of railcards are available whether you are between 16 and 30 years of age (16 – 25, 26 – 30 Railcards), travelling with family and/or friends (Family and Friends Railcard), travelling in a pair (Two Together Railcard) or over 65 (Senior Railcard) and that is not all of them.
• If you are travelling with children – Children aged five to fifteen inclusive get a 50% discount on most tickets. In addition, children under five can travel free with a fare paying customer.
• Groupsave is a discount for small groups. If you are travelling in a group of between 3 and 9 adults, you can get a 1/3 off Standard Off-Peak tickets when travelling together
Taking the train already helps tackle climate change – it cuts carbon emissions by two thirds compared to traveling by car. A single car removes up to 500 cars off the roads.
Travel overnight on the Night Riviera Sleeper from London Paddington to Cornwall and wake up in the tranquil county away from the hustle and bustle.
The Night Riviera Sleeper is a unique experience. It’s a hotel on wheels so if you have lots to squeeze in while in Cornwall, this is the ideal transport solution.
Purchase a cabin ‘add on’ alongside your train ticket and enjoy your own bed. Book now at GWR.com/Sleeper
Did you know that as well as Looe, St Ives, Falmouth, and Newquay are all accessible by train? Take a look at the GWR network map and explore all the great places you can visit.
A Ride Cornwall ticket allows unlimited off-peak travel for one day throughout Cornwall on all rail, and most buses, within Cornwall for just £18.00.
Photo by Neil Richardson
Trainline wish to help visitors plan their rail journey and get live train running times, accessibility, and facility information.
Trainline is Europe’s leading train and coach app. They work with 270 rail and coach companies to offer customers travel to thousands of destinations in and across 45 countries in Europe. Click on the links below for further information:
National Express coaches pass through Plymouth and Liskeard, allowing you to connect with buses to Looe and other towns and villages in South East Cornwall.
Many tour operators offer coach holidays to Looe with the travel time between Birmingham and Looe being around 4 hours. Contact your travel agent for details.
Public transport information on travel within the UK to Cornwall can be obtained from Traveline.
Newquay and Exeter are the airports closest to Looe.
Plymouth is the closest ferry port to Looe. Brittany Ferries offer services into Plymouth from across the Channel along with services into Portsmouth and Poole.
Alternatively, the drive from the Channel Tunnel terminal in Folkestone to Looe will take just over 5 hours.
We now have two EV charging points in Looe, in the Millpool Car Park. There are also a few in the surrounding area. Click the link and search for ‘Looe’ using the search bar on the web page.
