Getting Around, Torbay Travel, Transport and Car Rental
(Brixham / Paignton / Torquay - Torbay, Devon, England, UK)
Being made up of three neighbouring towns, the public transport available in Torbay is good, meaning that Brixham, Paignton and Torquay are all just a short bus journey away from each other. Buses are the most affordable way to travel around Torbay and operate at frequent intervals between all of the towns and surrounding villages, as well as to the nearby cities of
Exeter and
Plymouth (X80), with double decker buses offering scenic routes along the way.
Once you have arrived in your chosen town, most people choose to simply use their feet to travel along the shopping streets and to the beaches. The town centres are quite compact and generally very easy to navigate, with sea views providing a good point of reference. Those in Torbay looking to reach Dartmouth will find that the most direct journey is via the ferry transport available at Kingswear, near Brixham. These small car / passenger ferries regularly ply the River Dart and this short, direct journey saves considerable time.
Airports / Arriving by Air
Until the end of 2011 there are two important airports within the Torbay region,
Exeter International Airport (EXE) and Plymouth City Airport (PLH). Unfortunately, Plymouth City Airport, which was approximately 63 km / 39 miles from Torquay and 49 km / 31 miles west of Paignton, and served some 150,000 passengers annually was officially closed in December 2011. Exeter International Airport, the larger of the two, handles more than one million passengers each year, and is located just over 40 km / 25 miles to the north-east of Torquay.
Car Rental
Close to the A385 and the A38, Torbay is also near to the M5 motorway, which can be picked up on the outskirts of Exeter and heads in a northerly direction, passing by
Weston Super Mare,
Bristol, Gloucester,
Cheltenham and Worcester, before finally reaching
Birmingham. Driving your own car is certainly the easiest way to properly explore Torbay, particularly if you are planning day trips to Plymouth and the
Dartmoor National Park, or simply looking to hop between the attractions of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham - best reached by using the A3022. To travel to the Babbacombe and St. Marychurch districts of Torquay, use the A379 to Teignmouth.
Buses and Coaches
There are several main bus routes in Torbay, which are run by Stagecoach Devon and provide a cheap way to travel around. The 'Bayline' no. 12 service connects Brixham with Newton Abbot, while the X46 links Paignton with Exeter. Also of note is bus no. 120, which travels between Torquay and Paignton, and then onto Kingswear, suiting those headed for the Dartmouth ferry. For Exeter, there are also a multitude of First Group coach services, which travel to and from destinations such as Bude, Camelford, Holsworthy, Launceston,
Newquay, Okehampton, Tavistock and Wadebridge.
Trains
There are two train stations located in Torquay, with the main station being located near to the seafront and the Torre Abbey Sands. The secondary Torre railway station is to be found slightly inland and just off the road to Newton Abbey.
The Paignton railway station enjoys a central location and is near to the beachfront and Torbay Road. Next door is the Queen's Park Station, where you can take a trip along the popular
Dartmouth Steam Railway.
Taxis
Taxi transport is perfect for short journeys between the towns and their respective places of interest. Those arriving by Virgin or First Great Western trains and destined for Brixham will find that this line ends at Paignton, and so one of the waiting taxis is certainly the easiest way to reach this destination. The taxi ranks tend to be based outside the bus and train stations, although if you are dining out and in need of a late-night taxi to take you back to the hotel, most restaurants will be happy to organise this on your behalf.
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