How to travel to Exeter for your English course at the Isca School of English

Exeter is the capital of Devon in the South West of England. It is easy to get to our devon based language school, no matter how you travel and we are always available to help you.

On this page you can read about where, when and how we will meet you when you arrive in England.  Please look below and contact us if you have any questions or need our help. Our up to date travel supplements and meeting times are live now on the dates & fees page

Please do not buy your flights before checking with us about the times we can meet your child.

Get in touch

English School in Exeter
  1. Flight Booking Advice and Travel Documentation

    close up of a small wave rolling over pebbles

    Important! Documents for under 18 year-olds travelling from the European Union to the UK

    Check here for the documentation you may need to leave your country.

    Read More

    Click on the link below. Then choose “Your country”. Then select your language.

    https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/entry-exit/travel-documents-minors/index_en.htm

    Dartmoor pony and foal on dartmoor national park

    Book your flights

    Payment: We advise you to pay for the flights using a credit card.

    Read More

    Several flight companies have failed in the last few years. If you pay by credit card, you should receive a refund. Please check this with your credit card company.

    Travel Insurance: We advise you to buy comprehensive travel insurance.

    Here is a good website that will help you find flights.

    www.skyscanner.net

    IMPORTANT:  Please remember to book flights according to our meeting times.

    ** Ryanair and Easyjet:  Students must be 16 or older to travel alone on Ryanair or Easyjet.  If they are younger, they must travel with a person aged 16 or over.

    ** British Airways will carry children aged 14 and 15. You must complete a parental consent form (to which you must attach a copy of your photo ID) : www.britishairways.com/en-gb/information/travel-assistance/children-travelling-alone

     

    Please send us this information about the flights:

    1/ Arrival in the UK:

    • Date
    • Landing time
    • Airport in the UK
    • Flying from which city?
    • Flight number and airline name

    2/ Departure from the UK:

    • Date
    • Take off time
    • Airport in the UK
    • Flying to?
    • Flight number and airline name

    3/ Is your child flying under the control of the air hostess? (= you have paid an extra fee to the airline for the air hostess to walk with your child to meet our staff in the terminal). Please tell us!

    close up of a hanging branch of an old oak tree with green grass and trees in the background

    Do you need a visa to travel to the UK?

    EU students do not need a visa to travel to the UK.

    Read More

    European Community, European Economic Area and Swiss nationals do not need a visa to enter the UK.

    Students from other countries may need a visa. You can check if you are a “Visa National” and therefore need a visa here: www.wmimmigration.com/immigration-uk/visitor-visa/visa-nationals/

    If you need a visa, we will ask you to pay a deposit when we receive your enrolment. When we receive it, we will then send you our Visa Support letter. You must apply to the Visa Section of the British Embassy in your country for a Child Visitor Visa.

  2. Meeting you at London Heathrow, Bristol and Exeter airports

    oak tree in the middle of green countryside in the UK

    Summer 2024 information

    Please look at our PDF Supplement about flight times

    Read More

    Please  note you may need to wait for other students to arrive before you travel together to Exeter. This is not a private transfer.

    Please make sure you check the times we meet you at Bristol airport before buying your flight.

    If your flights are outside of our  meeting times you will need to pay for a taxi.

    You can find out the information in our travel pdf  available here

    Blue and white mirror image of sky reflected in the sea

    London Heathrow Airport – Our staff will meet you

    We will meet your flight, bring you to Exeter and take you back there in time to catch your flight home as follows:

    Read More

    Meeting times  and Transfer costs please read our travel supplement pdf: available here

    blue boy statue standing on a plinth in the princesshay shopping centre of Exeter with a rainbow hanging from the roof

    Exeter Airport – We will meet you

    Your host family or an Isca School staff member will meet your flight and take you back there in time to catch your flight home as follows:

    Read More

    Arrival Sunday, Departure: Sunday.

    We will meet all flights.

    We will take you back to the airport to catch all departure flights.

    If there are no flights on Sundays, check to see if you can fly to Bristol. If there are no flights to Bristol, check if there is a Saturday flight to Exeter. Then email us to check if we can accept you from Saturday to Saturday.

    Unaccompanied minors = you have paid an extra fee for the air hostess to walk with your child to meet our staff in the terminal.

    We will meet all flights and take you back to the airport for all flights home..

    Cost: Free of charge

  3. Meeting you at other airports and ferry ports

    lone sheep on dartmoor standing next to a gorse bush on a sunny day

    Agency Meeting Service at Gatwick or Stansted Airports

    Students travelling independently to Exeter can be helped by an Airport Angel representative at the airport

    Read More

    Important:

    • The meeting agent will not travel on the coach with you.
    • You must change coach alone at London Heathrow Airport Central Bus Station.
    • On your departure day, you must also change coach at Heathrow Central Bus Station.

    Please only choose this option if you are confident that you can change coach with no help.

    If you cannot do this, you must choose our taxi meeting service.

     

    Agency Meeting and return coach ticket cost can be found in our travel supplement pdf here: click here

    Dartmoor is a green national park with traditional stone walls and heather and gorse planting. The fences keep the sheep and horses in the National Park

    Agency Meeting Service Heathrow Airport

    If you book flights outside our meeting times, you must use our agency meeting service or a taxi transfer.

    Read More

    Students aged 16+:

    Our Meeting Agent will meet you and put you on the direct coach to Exeter.

    The agent will give you your coach ticket to Exeter.

    The agent will not travel on the coach with you.

    Students aged 14-16 must use a taxi transfer.

    You cannot travel alone on intercity coaches. There must be a person aged 16 or older travelling with you.

    Agency Meeting and return coach ticket cost: click here

    mirror image of the clouds reflected in the water at Exmouth

    Meeting you at Plymouth Ferry Port

    Read More

    When you arrive at Plymouth on the Ferry and we have organised a meeting for you, we will send you all the information about the person who will meet you on arrival and where they will be waiting for you before you arrive.

    Please email us if you would like to do this.

  4. Travelling to Exeter independently

    Green leaves and a lake in the background in beautiful Devon

    Taxi transfers from central London or your arrival airport to Exeter

    We can arrange taxi transfers from all the main airports and from central London.

    Read More

    Arrival: The taxi driver will meet your flight and drive you to your host family in Exeter.

    Departure: The driver will collect you from your home, drive you to the airport and check you in for your flight home.

    Unaccompanied minors on the flight home = you have paid an extra fee for the air hostess to walk with your child from the check-in desk to the aeroplane. The driver will check you in and wait at the airport until 20 minutes after your flight has taken off.

    Taxi transfer costs from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and central London can be found in our travel supplement pdf here: Language School Dates and Fees

    Other airports: Please email us for the cost.

    Hound Tor Rock on Dartmoor with climbers

    Travelling to Exeter independently by coach from the major airports

    From Major Airports
    You can book independent coach travel to Exeter on National Express coaches. Please note you will now have to change at Bristol coach station .
    Book your e-ticket at www.nationalexpress.com.

    Read More

    Heathrow Airport: Travel time 3.5 hours.

    There are direct coaches from London Heathrow to Exeter every 2 hours. Coaches depart from Heathrow Airport Central Bus station, which is between terminals 2 and 3. Book your ticket from HEATHROW Airport London T2, T3 (LHR) to EXETER Sidwell Street (City Centre).

    Gatwick, Stansted and Luton Airports: Travel time 5 to 6 hours.

    Important:

    • You must change coach alone at London Heathrow Airport Central Bus Station.
    • On your departure day, you must also change coach at Heathrow Central Bus Station.

    Book your ticket from the airport to EXETER Sidwell Street (City Centre).

    Saunton Sands beach in the summer with people surfing and sunbathing

    Travelling to Exeter independently by car

    Satnav: The postcode for the Isca School of English is EX2 4EN

    Read More

    From Dover or the Channel Tunnel to Exeter

    We advise you not to drive along the coast route past Brighton. This will take you many hours.

    Drive towards London until you come to the M25 motorway. Follow the M25 Westbound (anti-clockwise).

    There are then two routes to Exeter:

    1. Drive along the M25 to junction 12. Take the M3 motorway south.
      Drive along the M3 to junction 8 and take the A303 towards the South West and Exeter.
      The A303 is a major road with some dual carriageways. It is shorter than option 2 and takes about 20 minutes less time. You will drive past Stonehenge.
    2. Drive along the M25 to junction 15. Take the M4 westbound.
      Drive along the M4 to junction 20 and join the M5 motorway southbound towards Exeter. Leave the M5 at junction 29 or 30 (Exeter).
      This route is motorway all the way and takes about 20 minutes longer than the M3/A303 option.

    From Portsmouth or Southampton Ferry Ports to Exeter

    The fastest route is north through Salisbury to join the A303 road to the south west and Exeter.

    From Plymouth Ferry port to Exeter

    Take the A38 dual carriageway to Exeter.