Newton Abbot to Exeter bus with National Express

Buses from Newton Abbot to Exeter

You can catch a bus from Newton Abbot to Exeter several times a day, at intervals of 2h from early in the morning till late at night. The two cities aren’t far apart, so these only take an average of about 1h 23min. There is one exception every day, an express bus that runs just after midnight. This only takes around 30min to get to Exeter.

Newton Abbot to Exeter Bus Time: Daily Departures

With two bus operators operating services from Newton Abbot to Exeter throughout the day you’ll be able to catch a bus every 2h from very early morning through till just after midnight. In addition to these are the express buses that travel the route four times a day. The first buses leave at around 5:00 a.m. and the last one at 00:30 a.m.

How long is the journey by bus from Newton Abbot to Exeter?

In most cases the bus journey from Newton Abbot to Exeter will take about 1h 25min. These are direct trips, so you won’t make any stops or have to change buses on the way. The express bus service that’s operated by a different bus company is a far shorter trip, and will cut off at least an hour, getting you to Exeter in about 30min.

Exeter Village District. Source: Shutterstock

What are the departure and arrival stations for buses from Newton Abbot to Exeter?

Departure bus station: All buses to Exeter depart from Newton Abbot Station in Sherborne Road. It’s about 4min from the centre of town, taking the No. 12 bus, which is trip of about 0.6 miles (1 km). You can also catch a taxi, have someone drop you off, or drive there yourself, in which case it will take about 2min. If you’re travelling light, given how nearby Exeter is, you can walk to the station in just under 15min. The bus stop is just that, so it doesn’t offer any particular facilities for travellers, besides shelter from the elements.

Arrival bus station: You’ll arrive after your bus trip from Newton Abbot to Exeter at Exeter City Centre Bus Station. This was completely revamped in around 2020, and now offers more passenger facilities in a thoroughly modern travel hub. There are food and drink vending machines, and fully covered waiting areas and boarding points. The local radio station provides entertainment, broadcasting from the terminal, and the building itself is among the top 25% of commercial buildings in the UK in terms of sustainability.

Which bus companies travel from Newton Abbot to Exeter?

Two bus companies serve the route from Newton Abbot to Exeter. National Express, offers 4 buses in a 24-hour cycle. These are the faster trips that take around 30min, many of them travelling after midnight. They are all direct trips, leaving Newton Abbot Sherborne Road and taking you to Exeter Central Station in Sidwell Street. Stagecoach South West operates the remainder of the trips, leaving once every 2h. These trips take around 1h 25min, making several stops along the way. They leave from Newton Abbot Sherborne Road bus stop and head to Exeter City Centre Bus Station near St. Leonard’s on St. Luke’s Campus.

National Express buses from Newton Abbot to Exeter

National Express has one of the largest footprints of all UK bus companies, connecting most cities and towns in England, Scotland and Wales with each other, as well as offering bus and ferry combinations to and from Ireland and Northern Island.

The buses don’t all make express trips, but in this case you will truly travel express from Newton Abbot to Exeter, in a matter of 30min. These leave four times a day. The quickest trips depart at around 00:30 a.m., arriving in Exeter at about 1:00 am. It’s a nice quiet way to travel, outside of commuter rush hours, making for a quick and relaxed journey.

Stagecoach South West buses from Newton Abbot to Exeter

The Stagecoach South West buses take longer to make the trip to Exeter from Newton Abbot, as they stop quite a few times on the way. These are the more usual commuter buses between the cities, and they leave from Newton Abbot once every 2h. Stops in-between are in some pretty little small towns, including Rydon, Sandygate, Bishopsteignton, Kingsteignton, Teignmouth and Dawlish. While the stops are plentiful, the total travel time is only about 1h 25min, allowing you to sightsee through the window as you travel. The No. 2 buses are the most frequent, so look for those on the station’s schedule board.

Bus Newton Abbot to Exeter: Services on board

You’ll enjoy a comfortable trip on National Express, even though it’s a pretty basic mass transport service. You can take either two pieces of medium-sized luggage in the storage hold, or split your allowance with one hold item and one piece of soft carry-on luggage. Unfortunately pets aren’t allowed on these buses, except for service dogs. If you want to bring your bicycle along with you, as long as it’s foldable it can be counted as one of your hold luggage items, as long as it doesn’t exceed standard hard luggage dimensions. Free Wi-Fi is available on board, and wheelchair assistance is available.

Stagecoach South West is one of the UK’s major regional bus services, offering a few more facilities. It has an app that allows you to track exactly where your bus is while you’re waiting for it, and a Busy Bus indicator that alerts you to the quietest times at which to travel. You may be able to travel with a pet, but this is at the discretion of the bus driver on an ad hoc basis, so it’s best not to rely on this. The buses can accommodate wheelchairs and disabled buggies, as well as approved mobility scooters. Bicycles are also allowed on board at the driver’s discretion, but if they can be folded into a suitably sized box, there’s no problem putting them in with the hold luggage. Both bus operators offer a single standard class.

Exeter Cathedral. Source: Shutterstock

How to find cheap bus tickets from Newton Abbot to Exeter?

The best way to save money on a bus trip from Newton Abbot to Exeter is to choose Stagecoach South West as your carrier, as the journeys usually cost quite a bit less than the direct express trips. Bus journeys like this that make stops on the way often offer cost savings. Besides this there are some general tips you can use to save money of bus travel costs. Try booking quite a way in advance, as the carriers often offer good deals to start filling up their buses to sustain economies of scale. The same factors also help you to get cheaper tickets if you stay flexible on your departure time and wait until the last minute, when the operators make up for cancellations by offering tickets at lower prices. Keep an eye on Omio for these deals.

To Exeter by bus—travel tips

Exeter is one of the most historically rich cities in all of the UK. It’s a settlement that dates back to the early Roman occupation of Britain, so there are plenty of historical tourist landmarks. It’s perhaps best known for the magnificent Exeter Cathedral, one of the finest in Britain, with its foundations laid way back in the 1100s. It has a two-faced clock, one finished in 1484 and the other in 1760.

Another cultural landmark of Exeter is the Royal Albert Memorial Museum. It houses a vast array of artefacts from pretty much everywhere on earth, and has been collecting these since it was opened in 1868. You can also explore the warren of underground passages, used in Medieval times to ensure a consistent water supply for the city.

After that you probably want to head outdoors for while, so take a walk to Rougemont Gardens, which contains Rougemont Castle, built during the Norman Conquest. Just beyond this are Northernay Gardens, created as a pleasure walk for city dwellers in 1612, and now the oldest open-air public space in England. For more sightseeing ideas, check out The Window Seat, our online travel magazine.