Short answer: Ivybridge is the nearest mainline station to Bigbury on Sea. Buses are very limited, so a pre-booked taxi is the realistic route — and worth agreeing a pick-up time, because the phone signal at Bigbury is poor.
Ivybridge, on the mainline between Totnes and Plymouth. It is the closest station to Bigbury on Sea and Burgh Island, but it is not close — Bigbury sits at the end of narrow South Hams lanes with very limited bus service.
This is one of the harder places in Devon to reach without a car. A pre-booked taxi from Ivybridge or Plymouth is the dependable route. Agree the pick-up time before you go, because the phone signal at Bigbury is poor and you may not be able to call for one later.
Bigbury's car park pays by app in a spot with bad signal, which is the thing visitors complain about most. No car, no problem — and you skip the flat parking charge too.
At low tide you walk across the sandbar to Burgh Island for nothing. When the tide covers it, a sea tractor on tall stilts drives through the water for about £2, with under-tens free. The tide comes in from both sides and cuts the causeway faster than people expect, so check the times.
The art deco hotel is for guests only. You can walk right round the island and climb to the ruined chapel — about an hour, with the best views on this coast — and the Pilchard Inn is a 14th-century pub by the landing.
Train times and fares change, and Devon's branch lines thin out on Sundays and in winter. Check National Rail or GWR for the day you are travelling.
If the taxi maths does not work, Dawlish, Dawlish Warren, Teignmouth and Paignton all have stations beside the beach.
Pick a town and plan the day around who's with you.
Browse all Devon town guides →