Falmouth
AberfalThe spirit of the sea
Falmouth has been shaped and influenced by its strong connection to the sea. Combining a fascinating maritime heritage and modern creativity, Falmouth is building a name for itself as one of the South West’s leading cultural and festival destinations.
Falmouth thriving harbour
Based around a thriving harbour Falmouth is gateway to the beautiful Fal River which runs through an Area Of Natural Beauty. The town is famous for its creative buzz with many art galleries displaying contemporary works and venues showcasing independent films and live bands. The many reasons to visit include, the fascinating maritime heritage; the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty along the Helford and Fal Rivers – perfect for walking and family days out; watersports; boat trips running from the pier and quay; and plenty of family friendly attractions. Falmouth is surrounded by several fantastic family friendly beaches and is known for its year round events calendar.
Reasons to visit
Fascinating maritime heritage, world-class beaches, great festivals and events calendar all year round, a creative buzz, and freshly caught seafood are only a few reasons to visit Falmouth.
Explore the Fal estuary on the ferries that criss-cross the water connecting Falmouth with the charming harbour town of St Mawes and the city of Truro. The ferry runs all year round but do check timetables for up to date information.
Explore the Fal estuary on the ferries that criss-cross the water connecting Falmouth with the charming harbour town of St Mawes and the city of Truro.
Things to do in Falmouth
Prussia Cove
A pretty cove shrouded in an aura of mystery and romance, Prussia Cove has a certain rugged feel that is sure to ignite the sense of adventure within you.
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Porthgwarra Beach
Porthgwarra Beach is a picturesque inlet located right at the bottom of West Cornwall.
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Family Fun in Cornwall
From beautiful beaches and charming villages to exciting attractions and traditional days out, Cornwall has it all.
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St Michaels Resort
Set in sub-tropical gardens, our luxury south facing beachside hotel is all about Cornish wellness, with airy rooms by the idyllic Gylly Beach.
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Falmouth Inspires
It has done so for countless artists, sailors, explorers, musicians and boatbuilders for centuries. From Robin Knox- Johnston and Remy, to Ellen Macarthur and Henry Moore, many have sought solace, inspiration, sanctuary and escape among the inlets and creeks of the Fal estuary and the coves and cliffs of the stunning Cornish coastline.
Falmouth has the world’s third largest natural deep-water harbour and is the country’s first and last port. It is framed by Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) along the Helford and Fal Rivers and Roseland Peninsula, located on the outstanding South West Coast Path, a magnet for walkers, picnickers and families alike and is renowned as the one of the UK’s premier day sailing destinations.
Plan your trip
Everything you need to plan your perfect trip to Falmouth
The M4, M5 and M6 motorways have made travel to Cornwall simple and straightforward, while within Cornwall itself, the A30 and A38 continue to improve with fast dual carriageways. Follow the M5 to Exeter, and join the A30 to Truro, then follow the signs to Falmouth via the A39.
Falmouth has long stay car parks located at either end of the town, and coach parking at Gyllyngvase Beach.
National Express serves Falmouth from destinations throughout the UK. Connecting services to Cornwall are available from Bristol, Birmingham and London. The coach drop off point is to the centre of Falmouth, just above the Moor.
Great Western Railways operate high speed services from London Paddington, South Wales and the Cotswolds to Cornwall, including sleeper services from London Paddington. Cross Country Trains (Arriva Trains) operate services into Cornwall from the Midlands, the North and Scotland. Falmouth is lcoated on a branch line from Truro and has three platforms which serve the town, Penmere, Falmouth Town & Falmouth Docks. Trains run regularly and connect with mainline trains at Truro.
From attractions like the award-winning Maritime Museum, Falmouth Art Gallery and Cornwall's largest fortress Pendennis Castle, to great waterside activities, there's loads to experience and do in Falmouth!
FAQs
View allDogs are allowed on Castle Beach, Gyllyngnvase Beach, Swanpool Beach & Meanporth all year except from 1st July - 31st August when then are not allowed between 10am - 6pm.
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Travel to Cornwall by train
GWR operate high speed train services frequently from London Paddington station including the Night Riviera Sleeper Service to Penzance. There are also direct trains daily from Bristol and beyond. More info from: nationalrail.co.uk
Once in Cornwall, there's a great rail network for getting around the county, ideal for when the roads are busy in the summer. Give the driver a rest and grab a cheap day return to St Ives or Looe. Sit back and enjoy the scenery on the Tamar Valley Line or head to the beach at Newquay or Falmouth. For more info, go to Great Scenic Railways
For National Rail enquiries telephone 08457 484950
The First Group co-ordinate bus services from many Cornish stations.
Park-and-ride schemes run in season at Liskeard (for Looe) and St Erth (for St. Ives).
Travel to Cornwall by road
It takes less than five hours to get from London to the heart of Cornwall by either train or car. Drive along the M4 motorway from London, or M6 from Manchester, and then the M5 to Exeter and finally either the A30, that is mostly dual carriageway, or the A38 passing Plymouth and Saltash into South East Cornwall. Alternatively if you enter Cornwall from North Devon, there is the scenic A39 Atlantic Highway running through Bude, which you can join from Junction 27 on the M5. Due to the high volume of traffic on Cornwall's roads during the summer months the main routes can become congested especially at weekends. Travelling overnight or outside peak rush hours is recommended to avoid long delays.
- To plan your journey use the AA Route Planner for a tailor made travel plan with timings and mileage
- For information on possible delays or roadwork's throughout the UK or in Cornwall visit Traffic Watch
- Travelling to Cornwall with a caravan? Check out our Caravan Towing guide
PLEASE BE AWARE. Sat-Navs can lead you to some wonderful places in Cornwall, many of them down narrow country lanes with high hedges and few reversing points. If you are not sure...don't go on. Better to turn around and find another route than end up lost in the middle of nowhere.
Travel to Cornwall by coach and bus
National Express operate a full service into Cornwall as far as Penzance, Megabuss also go to a few towns including Newquay and Falmouth.
Coach travel times from London or Birmingham to the city of Truro are around 7-8 hours
Many tour operators offer coach holidays to Cornwall, contact your local travel agent for details.
For information on public transport, including local bus timetables, once you are in Cornwall, Click here.
To plan your journey in advance, journey planning websites such as Traveline South West can be useful.
If you are bringing a coach to Cornwall, did you know Cornwall Council now offers a weekly coach rover ticket. This is available for all car parks where coaches are permitted and costs £15 for 24 hours or £50 for 7 days and £35 for 4 days. These can be obtained by creating an account to use the ZatPermit system.
Travel to Cornwall by air
Flying to Cornwall can offer an attractive alternative to the long and sometimes frustrating journey by train or car.
Newquay Airport is served by a variety of routes from across the UK and beyond. For more information, please visit the Cornwall Airport Newquay Website or call +44 (0)1637 860600 or e-mail Info@newquaycornwallairport.com
The Airport offers year-round onward connectivity to the Isles of Scilly with Skybus.
Exeter Airport is also withing easy reach of Cornwall via the A30 and A38.
Travel to Cornwall by ferry Travelling across the Channel from France to the UK can take as little time as 35 minutes on the Eurotunnel from Calais to Folkestone and just 1 hour and 20 minutes on one of the ferry services between France and Dover.
Plymouth is the closest ferry port to Cornwall, being just across the River Tamar. Brittany Ferries offer services from Roscoff in France and Santander in Northern Spain into Plymouth as well as further services from France and Spain into Portsmouth and Poole.
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