Travel Information

All our locations are easily accessible from all parts of the world.

Advance Bookings

Mercator can save you money by booking or buying train or plane tickets in advance. It is advisable to give us at least 3 weeks notice. If you are being met by one of our escorts on arrival in London, they will have your tickets for you on arrival. If on the other hand, you do not require an escort, you can pick up your tickets from a designated station in London.

Coach

There are coach services from Heathrow and Gatwick airports to most towns in Devon and Cornwall. There are particularly good services to Exeter and nearby towns. For destinations in Cornwall, however, they are not as frequent as the train and involve one or two changes on the way. On the whole, they are not as convenient nor as comfortable as the train. Visit National Express website for more details or alternatively visit Traveline Website for general information.

Plane

There are regular flights from Gatwick Airport to Newquay Airport in Cornwall (1 hour 10 minutes). Visit Newquay Airport website for full details.
There are regular flights from Austria, France, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland to Exeter Airport in Devon. Visit Exeter Airport website for full details.

Train

Train travel is via READING. You travel by a special airport bus service (Railair Link), which leaves all Terminals every 10 minutes to READING TRAIN STATION. It takes passengers straight to the station. At Reading there are direct train services to all stations in Cornwall and Devon. You can buy your train ticket at the airport, which could include the bus fare as well. The journey time is 4–5 hours. Visit National Rail enquiries website for more details.

Escort Service

Mercator arranges an escort for those students who need help with transfer to Devon or Cornwall. This means that you are met on arrival and taken to the most convenient train for Cornwall. The escort phones your host family with your arrival time at your destination. The family will then meet you and take you home. Similar arrangements are made for the return journey.
We must make it clear that if, for any reason, a guest misses his or her flight, train, coach or boat, we do not accept liability for the increased costs of any kind, although we undertake to provide reasonable assistance until the time of actual departure.