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Arriving in Penzance

Travel distances

St Ives to Penzance

St Ives to Penzance on the map

Start and finish

Open this route in Google Maps ↗ for live traffic and turn-by-turn directions.

Distance

10 miles

by road

By car

About 20 minutes

in normal traffic

By bike

About 1 hour

steady pace

By foot

About 3 hours 20 minutes

estimated at a 3mph walking pace

Which way to go

The fastest route

The quickest route follows the A3074 from St Ives to Lelant, then the A30 south to Penzance. The whole journey is under 20 minutes in normal traffic and the road is straightforward throughout.

The scenic route

For a far more rewarding trip, take the St Ives branch railway line from St Ives station to St Erth and then connect to the main line train to Penzance. The branch line is one of the most scenic short railway journeys in England, following the shoreline of St Ives Bay with views across to Godrevy Lighthouse. Total rail journey is around 30 minutes.

Caravans and motorhomes

The A30 is wide and well-suited to caravans for the full length of this short route. It is the main trunk road west and handles all sizes of vehicle. No concerns for towing.

Stops along the way

  1. Start

    St Ives

  2. Carbis Bay

    Carbis Bay sits between St Ives and Lelant on the branch railway line. The south-facing beach is one of the safest in West Cornwall for young children, sheltered from the prevailing Atlantic swell.

  3. Marazion

    Marazion lies just east of Penzance and is the access point for St Michael's Mount, the tidal island topped by a medieval castle and subtropical gardens. The ferry runs at high tide; at low tide you can walk across the causeway.

  4. Arrive

    Penzance

Practical information

Parking

Penzance is well served by car parks, with the main long-stay options at the railway station and along the promenade. For St Ives, the park-and-ride at Lelant Saltings station is by far the easiest option: leave your car, buy a combined parking-and-rail ticket, and ride the branch line into town.

Train and bus

The St Ives branch railway line runs up to two trains an hour in summer, connecting St Ives to St Erth where the main line runs to Penzance. The whole rail journey takes around 30 minutes and is one of the finest short train rides in Britain. First Kernow buses also cover the route, taking around 40 minutes.

The best time to travel

This short journey is worth making at any time of year. The branch railway is at its most atmospheric in winter, when the bay is dramatic and the train is quiet. In summer the line is busy and booking ahead for busy weekend services is advisable.

About the St Ives to Penzance journey

At just 10 miles, the journey from St Ives to Penzance is the shortest of the St Ives routes and one of the most rewarding, particularly by train. The two towns bookend the far western tip of Cornwall and have been rivals as well as neighbours for centuries. The branch railway between them, opened in 1877, runs along the very edge of St Ives Bay, so close to the water at some points that spray reaches the windows in rough weather.

What to do in Penzance

Penzance is the westernmost mainline railway station in Britain. The town's Egyptian House on Chapel Street is an extraordinary Regency-era facade. The Penlee House Gallery and Museum holds the best collection of Newlyn School paintings. The Jubilee Pool, the Art Deco seawater lido on the promenade, is a Grade II listed building and one of the finest outdoor swimming pools in the country.

Read the Penzance guide

Going the other way: Penzance to St Ives

Returning from Penzance to St Ives, the branch railway is the obvious choice for the same reasons it works in the other direction. If driving, the A30 is fast and direct. The view of St Ives from the hill above Carbis Bay, the town and its harbour appearing suddenly as the road crests the rise, is one of the classic Cornwall moments.

Related journeys

St Ives to Truro25 miles

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St Ives to Truro is 25 miles by road, about 40 minutes by car via the A30. Find the fastest route, scenic alternatives, parking and public transport options.

St Ives to Falmouth36 miles

St Ives to Falmouth

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St Ives to Falmouth is 36 miles by road, about 55 minutes by car. Find the fastest route, scenic alternatives, parking, and public transport options.

Truro to Penzance26 miles

Truro to Penzance

40 mins by car (About 40 minutes)2hr 45mins by bike (About 2 hours 45 minutes)

Truro to Penzance is 26 miles and about 40 minutes by car, or 35 minutes by direct train. Routes, the Marazion approach, parking and where to stop.

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Article Sources
  1. Project OSRM (no date). Open Source Routing Machine: route shape and detour calculations [online]. Available at: https://project-osrm.org Project OSRM
  2. Ordnance Survey (no date). National Grid references used to position each place on the route map [online]. Available at: https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk Ordnance Survey
  3. Google (no date). Google Maps: live traffic and turn-by-turn directions [online]. Available at: https://www.google.com/maps Google Maps