Short answer: Barnstaple is the nearest station to Croyde, Woolacombe and Braunton — the terminus of the Tarka Line from Exeter St Davids. From there it is a bus or taxi out to the coast. There is no railway anywhere on the north Devon coast itself.
Barnstaple. It is the end of the Tarka Line from Exeter St Davids and the only railway station in this corner of Devon. Croyde, Woolacombe, Braunton, Saunton and Putsborough all have no station of their own — the branch lines that once served them closed decades ago.
Buses run from Barnstaple out to Braunton, Croyde, Woolacombe and Ilfracombe. Braunton is the closest of the four and the quickest hop. Timetables thin out sharply from October and on Sundays, so check before you build a day around a connection — and check the last bus back before you settle into a beer garden.
A taxi from Barnstaple is the fallback, and worth pre-booking in summer when they are all busy.
If you are arriving by train anyway, the Tarka Trail starts at Barnstaple station and runs flat, paved and traffic-free down the estuary. Hire a bike at the town end and Instow, Bideford and Appledore are all within reach without a bus at all.
It does not reach Croyde or Woolacombe — those need the road — but it turns a car-free trip into a proper day out rather than a wait at a bus stop.
The Tarka Line runs from Exeter through mid Devon to Barnstaple, following the Taw valley for much of the way. It is a scenic branch line in its own right rather than a chore.
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.
On the north coast, none — you will need the bus. On the south coast, Dawlish, Dawlish Warren, Teignmouth and Paignton all have stations on or beside the beach.
Pick a town and plan the day around who's with you.
Browse all Devon town guides →