How to travel from Barnstaple to Fort William, United Kingdom

The distance between Barnstaple and Fort William is around 809km (503 miles) and the quickest way to get there is to take the train, then fly and then take the bus which takes around 6hrs.

10 routes found

We've found 10 different ways to get from Barnstaple to Fort William by train, bus, car and plane. The recommended routes, which include information on duration, ticket price, and level of difficulty, can be found below.

👋 Also check out Fort WilliamBarnstaple if you're planning a return trip.

🚀 Fastest
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train
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plane
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bus
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Train to Exeter St Davids, plane and bus

Take the train to Exeter St Davids then fly from Exeter (EXT) to Glasgow (GLA) then take the bus to Bus Station.

  • Duration6hrs
  • Flight time1h 25m
  • Typical cost
    £260($310)
Operated by

Multiple operators

4 similiar routes

We’ve grouped similar routes together, click the arrows to see the other options.

2
5 x train
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Train

Take the train to Exeter St Davids, Birmingham New Street, Preston then Glasgow Central and then to Fort William.

  • Duration11h 25m
  • Departs5 times a week
  • Typical cost
    £245($285)
Operated by

Multiple train operators

1 similiar route

We’ve grouped similar routes together, click the arrows to see the other options.

3
4 x bus
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Bus

Take the bus to Bristol Bond St, Dunbar Asda Spott Rd then Edinburgh Princes Street and then to Bus Station.

  • Duration13h 55m
  • Departstwice a week
  • Typical cost
    £79($95)
Operated by

Multiple bus operators

1 similiar route

We’ve grouped similar routes together, click the arrows to see the other options.

4
car
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Drive

Drive to Fort William.

  • Duration9h 40m
  • Distance907km (564 miles)
Get turn-by-turn directions

Frequently asked questionsabout travel between Barnstaple and Fort William

There are several options for getting from Barnstaple to Fort William by train, bus, car and plane. The cheapest option is to take the bus which costs around £48 ($57) and will take around 16hrs. If you need to get there more quickly, you can take the train, then fly and then take the bus and arrive in approximately 6hrs, though it is a bit more costly at approximately £260 ($310).

The distance between Barnstaple and Fort William is around 809km (503 miles). In a direct line (as the crow flies), the distance is 642km (399 miles)

It takes around 11h 25m to get from Barnstaple and Fort William by train. If you are travelling by car it will take around 9h 40m to drive there.

The quickest way to get from Barnstaple to Fort William is to take the train, then fly and then take the bus which takes around 6hrs and will set you back approx £260 ($310).

The cheapest way to travel between Barnstaple and Fort William, if you exclude driving, is to take the bus which will typically cost around £48 ($57) for a standard one-way ticket.

Train travel

Yes there is a train service that runs between Barnstaple and Fort William. It typically takes around 11h 25m and departs 5 times a week.

There are no direct train services that runs from Barnstaple to Fort William. However, you can instead can take several connecting trains with a changeover in Exeter St Davids, Birmingham New Street, Preston, Glasgow Central, St Enoch SPT Subway Station and Buchanan Street SPT Subway Station. These services run 5 times a week and will take a minimum of 11h 25m.

Great Western Railway, CrossCountry, Avanti West Coast, TransPennine Express Service, First ScotRail Service and Caledonian Sleeper run train services between Barnstaple and Fort William. Trains depart 5 times a week and will take around 11h 25m, however, this may vary depending on the particular service and whether it runs express or stops all stations.

Bus travel

Yes there is a bus that runs regularly from Barnstaple and Fort William. It typically takes around 13h 55m and departs twice a week.

There are no direct bus services that runs from Barnstaple to Fort William. However, you can instead can take several connecting buses with changeovers in Bristol Bond St, Dunbar Asda Spott Rd and Edinburgh Princes Street. These services run twice a week and will take a minimum of 13h 55m.

Megabus UK, East Coast Buses, Scottish Citylink and National Express run regular bus services between Barnstaple and Fort William. Buses run twice a week and take around 13h 55m on average but will vary depending on you book with.

Flights and Airlines

It doesn't look like you can fly directly from Barnstaple to Fort William. We recommend that you take the train to Exeter St Davids and then to Bristol Temple Meads then fly from Bristol (BRS) to Glasgow (GLA) then take the bus to Bus Station. instead which will take 6h 30m.

The closest major airport to Fort William is Inverness Airport (INV) (INV) which is approximately 102km (63 miles) from Fort William. Tiree Airport (TRE) (TRE) and Glasgow Airport (GLA) (GLA) are also nearby and might be a better alternative airport depending on where you are flying from.

Drive yourself

Yes it is possible to drive from Barnstaple and Fort William. The distance is around 907km (564 miles) by road and it will take around 9h 40m in normal traffic conditons.

If you don't have a car, the easiest way to get from Barnstaple to Fort William is to take the train which takes, on average, 11h 25m and will usually cost around £245 ($285).

How do I get from Barnstaple to Fort William

Compare travel optionsbetween Barnstaple and Fort William

Transport options from Barnstaple to Fort William
Transport optionDurationCostFrequencyDistance
Train to Exeter St Davids, plane and bus + 4 similar
6hrs
£260($310)
5 times a week809km (503 miles)
Train to Exeter St Davids, plane and bus6h 25m
£245($285)
5 times a day1,008km (626 miles)
Train, Plane and Bus6h 30m
£155($185)
twice daily867km (539 miles)
Train to Exeter St Davids, plane and bus7h 50m
£310($365)
5 times a week904km (562 miles)
Train to Exeter St Davids, plane and bus8h 25m
£185($220)
5 times a week955km (594 miles)
Train + 1 similar
11h 25m
£245($285)
5 times a week986km (613 miles)
Train via Exeter St Davids13h 50m
£270($315)
6 times a week1,134km (704 miles)
Bus + 1 similar
13h 55m
£79($95)
twice a week1,074km (668 miles)
Bus via Bristol Bus & Coach Station16hrs
£48($57)
once daily972km (604 miles)
Drive
9h 40m
£155($185)
on demand907km (564 miles)

Top Carriersoperating between Barnstaple and Fort William

Train operators

Bus companies

Airports near Fort William

The following major airports near Fort William offer regular flights to various popular destinations within United Kingdom and internationally.

INV
Inverness Airport (INV)
International Airport
Distance
102km (63 miles) from Fort William
TRE
Tiree Airport (TRE)
Domestic Airport
Distance
113km (70 miles) from Fort William
GLA
Glasgow Airport (GLA)
International Airport
Distance
114km (71 miles) from Fort William