Introduction
When to visit
How to get there
Where to stay
Hiring a car

Barnstaple travel guide

Barnstaple Tourism | Barnstaple Guide

You're Going to Love Barnstaple

With a population of 32.532, Barnstaple is a must-see destination in England, United Kingdom. Consider staying at least one whole day in Barnstaple to see all of its attractions.

When to visit Barnstaple

Barnstaple in March
Estimated hotel price
€68
1 night at 3-star hotel
Barnstaple in March
Estimated hotel price
€68
1 night at 3-star hotel

How to Get to Barnstaple

Plane

Although Barnstaple doesn’t have its own airport, you can fly to Cardiff Airport (CWL), which is located 61 km from Barnstaple. Bristol Airport is the most popular, with regular flights from Ryanair, British Airways, Aer Lingus and other airlines departing from Ireland. The shortest flight to Barnstaple from Ireland departs from Dublin and takes around 1h.

Train

AccesRail is the only carrier operating train routes to Barnstaple. The train journey from Barnstaple to London takes 3h 15m and costs around €58 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Edinburgh, expect to pay about €321 for a 9h 08m trip. The train station in Barnstaple is called Barnstaple, and is located 0.8 km from the city centre.

Car

Another option to get to Barnstaple is to pick up a car hire from London, which is about 277 km from Barnstaple. You’ll find branches of U-Save and keddy by Europcar, among others, in London.

Bus

You can travel by bus to Barnstaple using National Express or FlixBus. From Bristol, the bus ride to Barnstaple takes 113 km and will cost you around €9. From London, the ticket costs about €13 for a journey of 306 km. Barnstaple’s bus station is located 0.2 km from the city centre.

Plane

Although Barnstaple doesn’t have its own airport, you can fly to Cardiff Airport (CWL), which is located 61 km from Barnstaple. Bristol Airport is the most popular, with regular flights from Ryanair, British Airways, Aer Lingus and other airlines departing from Ireland. The shortest flight to Barnstaple from Ireland departs from Dublin and takes around 1h.

Train

AccesRail is the only carrier operating train routes to Barnstaple. The train journey from Barnstaple to London takes 3h 15m and costs around €58 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Edinburgh, expect to pay about €321 for a 9h 08m trip. The train station in Barnstaple is called Barnstaple, and is located 0.8 km from the city centre.

Car

Another option to get to Barnstaple is to pick up a car hire from London, which is about 277 km from Barnstaple. You’ll find branches of U-Save and keddy by Europcar, among others, in London.

Bus

You can travel by bus to Barnstaple using National Express or FlixBus. From Bristol, the bus ride to Barnstaple takes 113 km and will cost you around €9. From London, the ticket costs about €13 for a journey of 306 km. Barnstaple’s bus station is located 0.2 km from the city centre.

Airports near Barnstaple

BRSBristol
NQYCornwall Newquay
CWLCardiff Wales

Airlines serving Barnstaple

KLM
Good (1,513 reviews)
British Airways
Good (7,962 reviews)
Delta
Good (8,457 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,937 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,585 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,729 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,434 reviews)
Ryanair
Good (5,371 reviews)
Ethiopian Air
Good (999 reviews)
Aer Lingus
Good (1,551 reviews)
easyJet
Good (1,900 reviews)
Eurowings
Good (293 reviews)
GOL
Good (1,215 reviews)
Pegasus Airlines
Good (640 reviews)
Vueling
Good (1,271 reviews)
Kenya Airways
Good (305 reviews)
Virgin Atlantic
Good (688 reviews)
WestJet
Good (3,332 reviews)
Jet2
Excellent (186 reviews)
IndiGo
Good (559 reviews)
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Where to stay in popular areas of Barnstaple

Most booked hotels in Barnstaple

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The Park Hotel
4 stars
Excellent (8.8, Excellent reviews)
€95+
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The Imperial Hotel
4 stars
Excellent (8.8, Excellent reviews)
€113+
View
Yeo Dale Hotel
4 stars
Excellent (8.7, Excellent reviews)
€112+
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The Barnstaple Hotel
3 stars
Excellent (8.6, Excellent reviews)
€99+
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The Royal & Fortescue Hotel
3 stars
Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)
€90+
View
The Cedars Inn by Greene King Inns
3 stars
Excellent (8.3, Excellent reviews)
€91+
View

Hiring a car in Barnstaple

Expect to pay €1.81 per litre in Barnstaple (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between €21.63 and €28.84. Full-size (Opel Vivaro or similar) is the most popular car type to hire in Barnstaple, while also 39% cheaper than other types, on average.

Expect to pay €1.81 per litre in Barnstaple (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between €21.63 and €28.84. Full-size (Opel Vivaro or similar) is the most popular car type to hire in Barnstaple, while also 39% cheaper than other types, on average.

Find car hire in Barnstaple