How to travel from Swanage to Fort William, United Kingdom

The distance between Swanage and Fort William is around 821km (510 miles) and the quickest way to get there is to take the train, then fly and then take the bus which takes around 5h 55m.

8 routes found

We've found 8 different ways to get from Swanage 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 WilliamSwanage if you're planning a return trip.

🚀 Fastest
1
train
+
plane
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bus
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Train, Plane and Bus

Take the train to Southampton Airport Parkway then fly from Southampton (SOU) to Glasgow (GLA) then take the bus to Bus Station.

  • Duration5h 55m
  • Flight time1h 20m
  • Typical cost
    £245($290)
Operated by

Multiple operators

3 similiar routes

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

2
3 x train
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Train

Take the train to London Waterloo then Glasgow Central and then to Fort William.

  • Duration11hrs
  • Departs5 times a week
  • Typical cost
    £305($360)
Operated by

Multiple train operators

3
4 x bus
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Bus

Take the bus to Cardiff University, Abington then Buchanan Bus Station and then to Bus Station.

  • Duration11h 20m
  • Departsonce a week
  • Typical cost
    £74($88)
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 50m
  • Distance881km (547 miles)
Get turn-by-turn directions

Frequently asked questionsabout travel between Swanage and Fort William

There are several options for getting from Swanage to Fort William by train, bus, car and plane. The cheapest option is to take the bus which costs around £49 ($58) and will take around 17h 15m. If you need to get there more quickly, you can take the train, then fly and then take the bus and arrive in approximately 5h 55m, though it is a bit more costly at approximately £245 ($290).

The distance between Swanage and Fort William is around 821km (510 miles). In a direct line (as the crow flies), the distance is 721km (448 miles)

It takes around 11hrs to get from Swanage and Fort William by train. If you are travelling by car it will take around 9h 50m to drive there.

The quickest way to get from Swanage to Fort William is to take the train, then fly and then take the bus which takes around 5h 55m and will set you back approx £245 ($290).

The cheapest way to travel between Swanage and Fort William, if you exclude driving, is to take the bus which will typically cost around £49 ($58) for a standard one-way ticket.

Train travel

Yes there is a train service that runs between Swanage and Fort William. It typically takes around 11hrs and departs 5 times a week.

There are no direct train services that runs from Swanage to Fort William. However, you can instead can take several connecting trains with a changeover in Bournemouth, London Waterloo, Euston station, 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 11hrs.

South Western Railway, Avanti West Coast and First ScotRail Service run train services between Swanage and Fort William. Trains depart 5 times a week and will take around 11hrs, 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 Swanage and Fort William. It typically takes around 11h 20m and departs once a week.

There are no direct bus services that runs from Swanage to Fort William. However, you can instead can take several connecting buses with changeovers in Poole Bus Station, Cardiff University, Abington and Buchanan Bus Station. These services run once a week and will take a minimum of 11h 20m.

Megabus UK, Stagecoach West Scotland, Scottish Citylink and National Express run regular bus services between Swanage and Fort William. Buses run once a week and take around 11h 20m on average but will vary depending on you book with.

Flights and Airlines

It doesn't look like you can fly directly from Swanage to Fort William. We recommend that you take the train to Southampton Airport Parkway then fly from Southampton (SOU) to Glasgow (GLA) then take the bus to Bus Station. instead which will take 5h 55m.

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 Swanage and Fort William. The distance is around 881km (547 miles) by road and it will take around 9h 50m in normal traffic conditons.

If you don't have a car, the easiest way to get from Swanage to Fort William is to take the train which takes, on average, 11hrs and will usually cost around £305 ($360).

How do I get from Swanage to Fort William

Compare travel optionsbetween Swanage and Fort William

Transport options from Swanage to Fort William
Transport optionDurationCostFrequencyDistance
Train, Plane and Bus + 3 similar
5h 55m
£245($290)
twice daily821km (510 miles)
Train to Woking, plane and bus7h 30m
£260($305)
twice daily902km (560 miles)
Train to Southampton Central, plane and bus7h 40m
£140($165)
twice daily878km (546 miles)
Train to Southampton Airport Parkway, plane and bus7h 45m
£260($305)
5 times a week899km (559 miles)
Train
11hrs
£305($360)
5 times a week1,045km (649 miles)
Bus + 1 similar
11h 20m
£74($88)
once a week1,014km (630 miles)
Bus via Birmingham Coach Station, Digbeth17h 15m
£49($58)
once daily985km (612 miles)
Drive
9h 50m
£150($180)
on demand881km (547 miles)

Top Carriersoperating between Swanage and Fort William

Train operators

Bus companies

Airlines

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