If you’re looking for an easy way to access St Ives without the hassle of trying to find a parking spot in one of the busiest towns in Cornwall then read on. Here’s our St Erth Park and Ride review with lots of helpful information to plan your journey.
It’s also one of the best coastal train rides in the whole of Britain with stunning scenery. I’ll share some photos below so you can see the type of amazing coastal views to expect!
St Erth Park and Ride review
I don’t know about you, but usually when I think of a park and ride service, I think of a bus! The St Erth Park and Ride service to St Ives is actually a train journey! It also happens to be one of the most beautiful train journeys in the UK according to many reviews online.
I can’t say I’ve been on that many coastal train rides in the UK to compare, but it was stunning and I can see why people say this. (The only other similar train ride I can think I’ve been on is the coastal train ride in Snowdonia to Harlech Castle which was also amazing and very scenic).
If you love beautiful coastal scenery then you’ll get your fill on this short train ride. The train journey is not long at all, around 10-15 minutes, and it’s filled with coastal views.
It makes for a great entrance to St Ives, a beautiful start to the day if you are visiting. It also saves the hassle of trying to drive into St Ives and park which I wouldn’t recommend during the summer season as it gets packed, way too packed!
Where do you catch the train to St Ives?
The best place to catch the train to St Ives is from St Erth Park and Ride at St Erth Station (SER).
The address is:
St Erth station
Station Approach
St Erth
Cornwall
TR27 6JW
According to the National Rail there are 550 parking spaces.
How much is parking at St Erth station?
Any weekday Monday to Friday is £4.10 all day.
Saturday or Sunday is £2.90 all day.
There’s a machine to pay by coins or car, as well as a pay by phone option with the APCOA Parking app or you can call them and pay over the phone.
How much is the train ride from St Erth to St Ives?
Single journey off-peak tickets are £3.
Off-peak day return tickets are £4.
You can purchase tickets in advance online using websites such as the Trainline where you can also get some cashback if you book via TopCashback.
How long is the train journey from St Erth to St Ives?
It’s less than 15 minutes! The average ride is around 12 minutes!
How often do trains run from St Erth to St Ives?
The trains run every single day from St Erth to St Ives, starting at around 7am in the morning and until 10.30pm in the evening.
There are usually two trains per hour, at approximately 20 past the hour and 10 to the hour at the time of writing.
There are approximately 28 trains per day.
How far is St Ives train station from the beach?
The train station in St Ives is pretty much in the heart of it all. It’s only a short walk to the town centre and harbour beach, say 10 minutes max, or a few minutes walk to Porthminster Beach.
St Erth to St Ives train coastal views out the window
Here are some of the great coastal views from the train window.
Final word
We loved getting the train Park and Ride to St Ives! It was fun for the kids and the views were fantastic. It was the start of the summer holidays and was packed, so we’ll go again in the autumn when things have calmed down a bit in Cornwall to try and make the most of some window seats there and back with fewer people!
It’s 100% worth getting this train ride to save trying to park in St Ives and to see all the lovely views from another perspective.
After arriving at St Ives, we took the Land’s End Coaster to Land’s End!