Famous road · 9 mi off the route
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Road trip route · United Kingdom
London to Plymouth drive time, distance, costs & the best stops
- Drive time
- 4 hr 25 min
- Distance
- 216 mi
- Fuel (est.)
- £36
- Tolls (est.)
- None
The London to Plymouth drive
The drive from London to Plymouth covers 216 miles (348 km) and takes about 4 hr 25 min without stops. That makes it a comfortable one-day drive. Leave in the morning and you'll arrive with the day ahead of you.
About 52% of it is on the A303, and most of the rest on the A38 and the M3. On the way you go past Hayes, Basingstoke and Exeter, and you'll be near Andover roughly 1 h 27 min in.
Expect gentle hills rather than climbs. The high point is around 242 m. The B3212 across Dartmoor is 9 mi off the route if you have time for a detour.
Expect fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) to cost around £36 one-way with no significant motorway tolls on the way. Prices shift monthly, so treat these as ballpark figures.
At 216 miles this is longer than 61% of the 144 routes covered here.
The road, mile by mile
Towns within a few miles of the fastest route, with the time it takes to reach them without stopping.
- StartLondon
- 14 miHayes17 min in
- 50 miBasingstoke1 h 1 min in
- 71 miAndover1 h 27 min ingood place to stop
- 174 miExeter3 h 34 min in
- 216 miPlymouth
How high it goes
Roads you'll be on
- A303112 mi · 52%
- A3837 mi · 17%
- M333 mi · 15%
Famous roads on or near the drive
From the 500-plus passes and driving roads drivers collect in the Plan Your Road Trips app. None are on the fastest route, but these are close enough for a detour.
Best stops between London and Plymouth
Within ~30 km of the driving route, worth the detour.
Landmarks
Glastonbury Tor
Mystical terraced hill crowned by St Michael's Tower, steeped in Arthurian and early Christian legends with panoramic Somerset views.
Natural Wonders
Jurassic Coast
UNESCO World Heritage coastline stretching 95 miles from Devon to Dorset, exposing 185 million years of geological history in its dramatic cliffs.
National Parks
Dartmoor National Park
Wild and ancient moorland dotted with granite tors, Bronze Age settlements and roaming Dartmoor ponies across 368 square miles of Devon.
Ancient Ruins
Avebury Stone Circle
Largest prehistoric stone circle in the world, enclosing an entire village and considered by many to be more atmospheric than Stonehenge.
Racetracks
Thruxton Circuit
The fastest circuit in the UK, a former airfield in Hampshire with high-speed sweeping corners that test car and driver to the limit.
Museums
Brooklands Museum
The birthplace of British motorsport and aviation, featuring the world's first purpose-built motor racing circuit from 1907.
Museums
Haynes International Motor Museum
The UK's largest collection of classic and vintage cars and motorcycles, with over 400 vehicles on display.
Cathedrals & Temples
Exeter Cathedral
Magnificent Gothic cathedral boasting the longest uninterrupted vaulted ceiling in England, dating back to the 12th century.
Cathedrals & Temples
Salisbury Cathedral
Masterpiece of Early English Gothic architecture boasting Britain's tallest spire at 123 metres and housing the finest surviving Magna Carta.
What you need for this drive
Rules for each country on the route, in the order you meet them.
United Kingdom
- Motorway
- 112 km/h · 48 in town
- Tolls
- Individual tolled crossings (Dart Charge, M6 Toll)
- Drives on
- the left
Low-emission zones: London ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone).
Checked against national road authorities and the ECB reference rates. Rules change — confirm before you travel.
Famous drives in United Kingdom
Legendary routes you could bolt onto this trip, with real distances and stop counts.
Snake Pass + Peak District
Cobblestone villages, Bronte-novel moors, and the moodiest 14 miles of road in England
104 km · 2h driving · 7 stops · 3 days
Atlantic Highway A39: North Cornwall
Cornish surf beaches, smuggler's coves, and the Westcountry pasty trail
139 km · 2.5h driving · 7 stops · 4 days
Causeway Coastal Route
Belfast to Derry along Northern Ireland's cliff-edge coast, via Game of Thrones country
200 km · 3.3h driving · 7 stops · 3 days
NC500: North Coast 500
Scotland's answer to Route 66: 516 miles of mountains, single-track roads, and empty beaches
755 km · 11.4h driving · 9 stops · 7 days
London to Plymouth FAQs
How long is the drive from London to Plymouth?
Driving from London to Plymouth takes about 4 hr 25 min nonstop, covering 216 miles (348 km). Add time for breaks: most drivers stop every 2 hours.
How much does it cost to drive from London to Plymouth?
Fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) costs roughly £36 one-way. There are no significant motorway tolls on this route. Estimates are indicative: prices change monthly.
Can I drive from London to Plymouth in one day?
Yes, at about 4 hr 25 min of driving, London to Plymouth is a comfortable one-day drive with a couple of breaks.
Which roads do you take from London to Plymouth?
The fastest route uses the A303 (about 112 mi), the A38 (about 37 mi), the M3 (about 33 mi). It passes Hayes, Basingstoke, Andover, Exeter.
Where should I stop on the way from London to Plymouth?
If you stop every couple of hours, Andover comes up about 2 h in. All are just off the main road.
What other drives can I plan on Plan Your Road Trips?
We publish drive times, distances and fuel estimates for 144 routes across Europe and beyond, including 57 other drives in the same country. Browse them all on the routes index.
What are the best stops between London and Plymouth?
Top-rated stops in the drive corridor include Glastonbury Tor, Jurassic Coast, Dartmoor National Park: see the full list of 9 stops on this page.
More drives from London & Plymouth
Bristol → PlymouthLondon → AberdeenLondon → AmsterdamLondon → BarcelonaLondon → BathLondon → BirminghamLondon → BrightonLondon → BristolLondon → BrugesLondon → Brussels
Planning a bigger trip? Try the free United Kingdom road trip planner, browse every destination we cover, take it with you on the road, or read the driving in United Kingdom guide.