London to Exeter by direct coach
Bus to Exeter from London by National Express & Megabus
National Express bus from London to Exeter Coach services from London to Exeter are operated by two UKs’ well-known carriers - National Express and Megabus.
National Express and Megabus provide a direct intercity coach service between London and Exeter. There is no other coach operator, which offers similar shuttle service between these two cities.
National Express offers about 10 direct services per day, while Megabus together with Megatrain up to 11 connections a day.
Some National Express and Megabus services terminate in Exeter, but most of them are not intended to serve the route from London to Exeter only, the coaches run on larger distances and Exeter is only an intermediate stop.
The National Express direct coach line between London and Exeter is 501 and there are few other carriers’ routes passing through Exeter.
Megabus coach from London to Exeter M6 & M36 are the Megabus lines from London to Exeter.
Most of the services from Exeter to London begin their journey at one of the UKs’ south-western cities or towns, however, all terminate at Victoria Coach Station in London (see details below).
Useful links to coach timetables & fares
On this page you’ll also find:
- How to buy tickets online
- Carriage of luggage & bikes
- Alternate transportation: trains, car rentals, planes
- Accommodation in London and Exeter
National Express & Megabus’ coaches are high-class vehicles, equipped with toilet, air conditioning, reclining seats and radio. Both carriers put the safety and comfort of passengers first, so the vehicles are equipped with a large number of safeguards. The operators are using modern vehicles with large panoramic windows and increased legroom. Some coaches on this route provide free Wi-Fi and can take passengers in wheelchairs on board the bus.
Travelling between London and Exeter with National Express and Megabus takes about 4½ hours. This is one of the cheapest transport options between Central London and Exeter.
On this route Megabus provides additional option for travel. You can travel between London and Exeter by train. South West Trains, which operates these connections, is a partner of Megabus. Both companies belong to the Stagecoach corporation. Service is operated by South West Trains, but seats can be booked through Megabus. In this case stations and bus stops are situated in other locations. Travel time is about 3 hours.
Go to National Express or Megabus website to check current timetable and prices and book a ticket for your journey.
Timetables and fares...
Bus to Exeter from London by National Express
| National Express service number | ▼ | 501 | 501 | 501 | 501 | 501 | 504 | 501 | 501 | 404 | 406 |
| Days of operation | ▼ | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily |
| Period(s) of operation | ▼ | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 4 | 5 |
| LONDON, Victoria Coach Station | Dep. | 7:30 | 10:00 | 12:30 | 14:30 | 16:30 | 17:30 | 19:00 | 21:00 | 23:00 | 23:30 |
| HEATHROW AIRPORT, Central Bus Station |
Dep. | 8:25 | 10:55 | 13:25 | 15:25 | 17:25e | 18:20 | 19:50 | 21:45 | 23:40 | 0:15 |
| EXETER, (Honiton Road) |
Arr. | 12:00 | 14:40a | 16:35k | 18:35k | 20:30h | - | 22:55 | 1:05 | 4:00 | - |
| EXETER, Bus & Coach Station |
Arr. | 12:10 | 14:50a | 16:45k | 18:45k | 20:40h | 21:45 | 23:05 | 1:10 | 4:10 | 4:00 |
Bus to London from Exeter by National Express
| National Express service number | ▼ | 406 |
501 | 501 |
501 | 504 | 501 | 501 | 501 | 501 | 404 |
| Days of operation | ▼ | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily | Daily |
| Period(s) of operation | ▼ | 3 | - | - | - |
- | - | - | - | 1 | 2 |
| EXETER, Bus & Coach Station | Dep. | 1:40 | 4:35g | 6:15g | 8:30 | 9:45 | 10:45 | 12:45 | 15:00 | 17:55 | 1:05 |
| EXETER, (Honiton Road) | Dep. | - | 4:40g | 6:20g | 8:35 | - | 10:55 | 12:55 | 15:10 | 18:05 | 1:10 |
| HEATHROW AIRPORT, Central Bus Station | Arr. | 5:30 | 8:05g | 9:50 | 11:50 | 13:05 | 14:10 | 16:10 | 18:50 | 21:35a | 5:30 |
| LONDON, Earl's Court | Arr. | 6:05 | 9:10 | 10:40 | 12:40 | 13:55 | 15:00 | 17:00 | 19:40 | 22:10a | 6:10 |
| LONDON, Victoria Coach Station | Arr. | 6:15 | 9:20 | 10:50 | 12:50 | 14:05 | 15:10 | 17:10 | 19:50 | 22:20a | 6:20 |
1 = Does not operate 24 December
2 = Does not operate 24 December but operates additionally 26 December & 1 January
3 = Operates additionally 1 January
4 = Operates additionally 26 December & 1 January
a = Arrives 15 mins earlier 20/07 - 01/09
g = Operates 15 mins later Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays
e = Operates 10 mins later Mon-Fr (exc Bank Holidays)
h = Operates 15 mins later Mon-Fr (exc Bank Holidays)
k = Operates 15 mins later Fr (exc 18/04, but additionally 17/04)
x = Operates 30 mins later Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays
Bus and coach boarding points
| LONDON, Victoria Coach Station, Departure Hall |
| LONDON (Earl's Court), West Cromwell Rd, Stop D, near Tesco (to London only) |
| HEATHROW AIRPORT, Central Bus Station |
| EXETER, (Honiton Road), Bus Shelter, Lay-by, near Park & Ride |
| EXETER, Bus & Coach Station, Paris Street |
Prices for online tickets
| London to Exeter by National Express |
Adult | Youth/Senior | Child | Online Booking | |||
| Single | Return | Single | Return | Single | Return | ||
| London to Exeter (Standard) |
£24 | £45 | £19.20 | £36 | £12 | £22.50 |
London to Exeter |
| Exeter to London (Standard) | £24 | £45 | £19.20 | £36 | £12 | £22.50 | Exeter to London |
| London to Exeter (APEX/Funfare) | from £6 one way | from £6 one way | from £6 one way | London to Exeter |
|||
| Exeter to London (APEX/Funfare) | from £6 one way | from £6 one way | from £6 one way | Exeter to London | |||
- Age categories: Children: 3-15 years, Seniors: 60+ years. Children aged under 3 travel free.
>>> National Express BUS TO EXETER on-line booking <<<
Timetables and fares...
Coach to Exeter from London by Megabus and Megatrain (SWT)
| Various services | ▼ | SWT | MB | SWT | SWT | MB | SWT | MB | MB | MB |
| Days of operation | ▼ | n Su | Daily | n Su |
n Su |
Daily | n Fr, Su |
Daily | Su | Daily |
| LONDON, Waterloo Train Stn. | Dep. | 8:20 | - | 9:20 | 12:20 | - | 14:20 | - | - | - |
| LONDON, Victoria Coach Station | Dep. | - | 9:00 | - | - | 13:30 | - | 17:30 | 19:00 | 23:30 |
| EXETER, Central Train Stn. |
Arr. | 11:37 | - | 12:37 | 15:37 | - | 17:35 | - | - | - |
| EXETER, Bus Station | Arr. | - | 13:35 | - | - | 18:20 | - | 22:00 | 23:45 | 4:00 |
| EXETER, St. David's Train Stn. | Arr. | 11:42 | - | 12:42 | 15:42 | - | 17:42 | - | - | - |
M = Monday, T= Tuesday, W = Wednesday, Th = Thursday, Fr = Friday, Sa = Saturday, Su = Sunday, n = Daily except....
Coach to London from Exeter by Megabus and Megatrain (SWT)
| Various services |
▼ | MB | MB | MB | SWT | MB | SWT | MB | SWT | SWT |
| Days of operation | ▼ | Daily | Daily | Daily | n Su |
Daily |
n Su |
Daily | n Su |
n Su |
| EXETER, St. David's Train Stn. | Dep. | - | - | - | 12:26 | - | 14:26 | - | 17:26 | 19:26 |
| EXETER, Bus Station | Dep. | 2:15 | 6:00 | 9:15 | - | 13:00 | - | 17:20 | - | - |
| EXETER, Central Train Stn. | Dep. | - | - | - | 12:30 | - | 14:30 | - | 17:30 | 19:30 |
| LONDON, Victoria Coach Station | Arr. | 7:25 | 10:45 | 13:30 | - | 17:45 | - | 21:55 | - | - |
| LONDON, Waterloo Train Stn. | Arr. | - | - | - | 15:49 | - | 17:44 | - | 21:04 | 22:58 |
M = Monday, T= Tuesday, W = Wednesday, Th = Thursday, Fr = Friday, Sa = Saturday, Su = Sunday, n = Daily except....
Bus and coach boarding points
| LONDON, Victoria Coach Station, Departure Hall |
| LONDON, Waterloo Train Station |
| EXETER, Central Train Station |
| EXETER, Bus Station |
| EXETER, St. David's Train Station |
Prices for online tickets
| London to Exeter by Megabus and Megatrain (SWT) |
Adult | Youth/Senior | Child | Online booking |
|||
| Single | Return | Single | Return | Single | Return | ||
| London to Exeter |
from £1+50p one way | from £1+50p one way | from £1+50p one way | London to Exeter |
|||
| Exeter to London | from £1+50p one way | from £1+50p one way | from £1+50p one way | Exeter to London |
|||
- Age categories: Children: 3-15 years, Seniors: 60+ years. Children aged under 3 travel free.
>>> Megabus BUS TO EXETER on-line booking <<<
How to buy tickets online for travel from London to Exeter?
To purchase tickets online for National Express routes you can do it directly at the Europebus home page using a journey planner provided. You can also do it on the National Express website. For Megabus and Megatrain connections visit Megabus website. Simply fill out all fields in the journey planner and follow the instructions to buy a ticket. Discounted tickets are also available for youths, children and seniors. If you book early and your travel dates and times are flexible, you may get ticket with a discount. Early booking is highly recommended, because services between London and Exeter are very popular and the coaches are fully booked on some days.
Carriage of luggage and bikes
Luggage policy for the National Express bus to Exeter: The National Express’ coach driver will load and unload customers’ luggage but customers are responsible for seeing their own luggage onto and off the coach on which they are travelling.
Each customer has a free luggage allowance of two medium sized suitcases, weighing no more than 20 kilograms each and 1 piece of hand luggage, which must be located on the shelf above your head or under the passenger seat. >>> NX's BUS TO EXETER on-line booking <<<
Luggage policy for the Megabus bus to Exeter: Megabus doesn’t check luggage or provide receipts for luggage transported on the bus by the passenger. Passengers are advised that Megabus will accept up to one piece of luggage per passenger. For guidance this should be no more than the size of a standard suitcase and should not weigh more than 20kg. Passengers can also take on board one small piece of luggage that must fit either on your lap or under the seat in front of you. >>> Megabus BUS TO EXETER on-line booking <<<
Of course you can take a bike but... In a bike bag as carry-on luggage, semi-dismantled, free of charge. You can take a bicycle with you as carry-on luggage free of charge on any coach, if you put it in a zip-up 'bike bag', with wheels and pedals removed and handlebars turned. Bike bags are available from most cycle shops, for example www.wiggle.co.uk
Overview of alternative transports between London and Exeter. Trains & airlines services within the UK.
If our information is insufficient for you to convince you to travel by coach, or simply you don’t like this transportation arrangement then we encourage you to take advantage of rail or in some cases flight services. If you want to travel for example from London to Exeter or vice versa by train we suggest you to visit the Train Line website, while good flights between British cities are recommend on the Budget Air’s website
Rail services in the UK are fast, frequent and convenient. Tickets can be bought in advance easily via a train reservation service available at the Train Line website
Regular air links to distant cities in Britain can be checked and booked at www.budgetair.co.uk. Flights connections are available to various destinations in the UK, Europe and worldwide.
Car Rental
If you need a car abroad, please use the information provided on Rent a car page. There you can rent a car online with proven rental agency located throughout Europe. You'll save money because you don't have to pay commission to the agent. Car hire online
Are you looking for a budget hotel or hostel?
On our Accommodation page you can book a hotel room or place in a hostel. This online hotel reservation system is easy to use. With this tool you can choose from thousands of hotels, offered all over the world. You also save time and money because you do not pay intermediaries.