Best Places to Park your Car in St Ives
St Ives is one of the most beautiful towns in Cornwall. Attracting over 270,000 visitors between 2019 – 2020! This popular seaside resort has won numerous local, national and international awards. The town was voted “Best Seaside Town” by The Guardian and was also voted one of the “10 Best European Beach Destinations” by Tripadvisor users. If you’re travelling by car, find the best places to park when visiting St Ives. Also discover some alternative ways of getting to the popular seaside town, including by train, bus and by foot!
Stay at Waves End, with parking and stunning views over St Ives
Car Parks in St Ives
Parking in St Ives is challenging in the summer, so if you’re traveling by car, be prepared for an early start to secure a parking space! Most car parks are owned by Cornwall Council, so the prices are standard. Here are the best car parks in the seaside town, with how many spaces there are the prices:
Short-Stay Car Parks in St Ives (3 hours maximum & no return within 3 hours)
Porthmeor:
Porthmeor car park, located directly above Porthmeor beach, has 30 spaces. Prices start at 90p for a 30 minute stay and go up to £4.60 for a 3 hour stay.
The Sloop:
The Sloop car park has 42 spaces and is located right in the heart of the town. Like the Porthmeor car park, prices start at 90p for 30 minutes and for 3 hours, it goes up to £4.60.
Long-Stay Car Parks in St Ives
Prices for long-stay car parks that are run by Cornwall Council can be found here.
Trenwith (TR26 1DD):
Trenwith car park is located at the top of St Ives, by the leisure centre. It is the largest car park in St Ives and in winter, there are 311 parking spaces and in summer, there are 759 parking spaces. There is a charging period in place between 8am – 12.30am. For up to 2 hours, the prices is £2. A day session is £6.00 and for 24 hours parking, it’s £7.50. Between 6pm – 12.30am, parking costs £3 and it’s free to park between 12.30am – 8am.
There is a shuttle bus that runs from Trenwith car park into town for £1 per person. Alternatively, the walk to town takes roughly 15-20 minutes, however be warned that there is steep hill from town to the car park.
Barnoon (TR26 1JF):
Barnoon car park is located near the Tate St Ives and has 124 spaces. Between 1stApril and 31stOctober, for up to 1 hour, parking is £1.50. For 3-4 hours it’s £6.20 and for 24 hours, parking is £8.20. Parking is free between 6pm – 8am every day.
Island (TR26 1SY):
The Island car park is located by the Island in St Ives. It has 129 parking spaces and is open 24 hours a day. For up to 2 hours, parking is £3.10. For 2-4 hours, it’s £6.20 and for 24 hours, parking is £8.20. This car park is located close to Porthmeor beach, so is great for beach-goers and those visiting the town alike.
Stay in this holiday apartment, which is within walking distance of the beach and comes with parking
Travel by Train
Avoid the crowded car parks in St Ives and visit the seaside town by train! It’s easy to get to St Ives by train, with connections from all local stations in the nearby area. The connecting train from St Erth to St Ives runs every 30 minutes. The train line has stunning sea views, from Hayle, through Carbis Bay and all the way to St Ives! From the station, it’s roughly a 5-10 minute walk into town.
Check out your journey to St Ives here, including timetables and prices.
Park and Ride – St Erth (TR27 6JW)
There’s also a ‘park and ride’ train service from St Erth train station. The newly refurbished car park has 500 parking spaces, so park up and hop on the train and enjoy the breath-taking views on your journey!
Parking is £3.70 per day before 10am Monday to Friday or is £2.30 per day all other times. Buy your train ticket at the station, at £4 per adult and £2 per child. It’s £8 for a group of 4 adults and £10 for 2 adults and up to 3 children.
Travel by Bus
From May to September, an open top bus runs between St Ives and Land’s End. Enjoy a scenic route into St Ives through some of West Cornwall’s most beautiful villages and tourist attractions, including Botallack, Sennen and Land’s End. The bus runs every hour from 9.15am until 5.15pm. Enjoy this unique way of travelling to St Ives, with an adult’s ticket at £13 and a child’s at £6.50. Bus passes are also accepted on this route.
Click here for the timetable
Stay near St Ives in this converted barn, which sleeps 2
Walk to St Ives
Enjoy a gentle stroll from Carbis Bay to St Ives. It’s a 2 mile long coastal path that runs above the railway line, with views of St Ives bay. The views are incredible and is accessible to most, with a gentle ascent and descent. There are historic relics and stories along the path, including a fisherman’s lookout hut and a Celtic saint’s medieval chapel. Head back to Carbis Bay along the same path, or take the train, which is just one stop from St Ives.
Enjoy a family holiday in this holiday cottage on a rural farm near St Ives
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