What is the best time of year to visit the Scilly Isles?

There are multiple ways to get to the Isles of Scilly, the most popular being air travel. When travelling to the Scilly Isles via plane, you can fly from Exeter, Newquay or Lands End. The Skybus is a 16-seater plane with a dog box. They allow up to 15kg of luggage per person and a small cabin bag each. In this article, we tell you how you can get to the Isles of Scilly by plane or helicopter and the pros and cons of each airport. Lands End Lands End Airport is a 20-minute drive from Penzance. This airport is the cheapest way to fly via air to the islands and is perfect for those getting the train to Penzance. The Isles of Scilly Travel company offer bus transfers from Penzance Train Station and car parking at Lands End Airport. How long is the flight? The flight is 15 minutes long, so ideal for making the most of your time on the islands. When can you fly? Flights are usually each hour Monday-Saturday. What does it cost? Flights are from £121.50 for a standard ticket, £91.25 for a child ticket, £27.25 for an infant ticket and £46.75 for a dog ticket. They also offer day trip returns discounted from the usual ticket prices. Newquay Newquay airport is 5 miles outside of Newquay central. This is the perfect option if you’re flying from the top of the country into Newquay and want to go straight to the islands. The Skybus flights line up with a lot of the UK domestic flights. Unfortunately, dogs are not permitted on flights from Newquay. Car parking is available at Newquay airport; you can book this directly through the airport. Please note there is airport security as usual at Newquay airport, so all liquids must be in a sealed clear bag. How long is the flight? The flight is 30 minutes long. When can you fly? Flights from Newquay are limited, with planes only flying Monday, Friday and Saturday. There are usually 1-2 flights on the days of flying. What does it cost? Flights range from £171.25 for a standard ticket to £128.50 for a child ticket and £44.00 for an infant ticket. Exeter Exeter Airport is located 6 miles outside of Exeter central. This airport is perfect if you want to avoid travelling down to Cornwall. Most UK airports fly to Exeter, so it’s a great option if you want to fly direct to the UK. Unfortunately, dogs are not permitted on flights from Exeter. Car parking is available at Exeter airport, which you can book directly through the airport. Please note there is airport security as usual at Exeter airport, so all liquid need to be in a sealed clear bag. How long is the flight? The flight is an hour long. When can you fly? Flights from Exeter are usually 2-3 times per day, Monday-Saturday. What does it cost? Flights range from £236.50 for a standard ticket to £117.50 for a child ticket and £69.25 for an infant ticket. Penzance Helicopter When travelling to the Isles of Scilly via helicopter, the heliport is located in Penzance. This mode of travel is the most reliable if fog is around. Unfortunately, dogs are not permitted on the helicopter. The helicopter is a twin-engine AW139 helicopter that seats up to 12 people and travels directly to St Mary’s and Tresco. There is a car park at the heliport, or they offer a shuttle bus from Penzance train station. How long is the flight? The flight duration is 15 minutes long. When can you fly? Flights from Penzance heliport are usually every couple of hours, Monday-Saturday. What does it cost?  Flights are from £149.50 for a standard ticket.

There are multiple ways to get to the Isles of Scilly, the oldest being by boat. You can either travel by the Scillonian or private charter. The Scillonian III The first Scillonian was built in 1924 by The Steamship Company. She completed her maiden voyage to St Mary’s on 25th January 1926 and her first time-tabled commercial trip on Thursday, 2nd February 1926, from St. Mary’s to Penzance. The second Scillonian was built in 1956, shortly followed by the Scillonian III in 1977. The Scillonian III is in use 8 months of the year and can transport up to 485 passengers and cargo for the islands. It is an essential lifeline for tourists and locals on the Isles of Scilly. Together with the Council of the Isles of Scilly, the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group is working on securing funding for the much-needed Scillonian IV . The Scillonian runs Monday-Saturday from 1st March until 1st November, with Sunday sailings throughout July & August. There is one sailing a day with the boat departing Penzance at 09.15 and returning from St Mary’s at 16:30. There are occasionally double sailings when island events occur, for example, Pilots Gig Championship Weekend. How long is the Scillonian boat trip to the Isles of Scilly? The boat takes approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes and goes in most weather. It is only cancelled if the seas are extremely rough. The Scillonian is the most reliable method of transport to the islands as it isn’t affected by fog which is extremely common around the Isles of Scilly. What is the cost of the boat tickets? Standard tickets are available from £76.25, child tickets (2-11) from £42.75, infant (0-1) from £21.25 and dogs £11.00. The boat departs from Penzance Quay, a 10-minute walk from the train station. The overnight sleeper train from Paddington gets into Penzance in time to meet the Scillonian. There is also car parking available for those that drive down. What is the luggage allowance on the Scillonian? The luggage allowance is 2x hold luggage of no more than 20kg plus 1 x hand luggage of no more than 5kg. You can also book bikes and camping equipment. Once you arrive on the Isles of Scilly, if you have labelled your bags with your name and the name of the accommodation you’re staying, then they will automatically be delivered to your accommodation by our local courier company – Richard Hand. Should you travel down the night before, there are many hotels and B&Bs in Penzance for overnight accommodation. Food and drinks Two cafes on board serve a selection of drinks and snacks. Should you be susceptible to motion sickness, we recommend taking some travel sickness tablets before your journey. Private Charter The alternative way to travel by sea to the Scilly Isles is via private charter. The private charters usually only run when the flights are cancelled due to fog and if the sea conditions are calm. Two private charter companies work together on these trips; Falcon Boating and Raptor Boating . The private charter boats are priced at £100 per person each way. They take approximately two hours, depending on sea conditions. Day Trips If you’re not looking for places to stay on the Isles of Scilly and are only visiting for a day, a day trip is an option via the Scillonian III. The Isles of Scilly Travel offer exclusive day trip deals on the Scillonian III, making it the perfect option for anyone in Cornwall who wants to sample these islands or visit on a budget for the day. Once you arrive at the Isles of Scilly on the Scillonian, you can jump straight on a boat to an off island – perfect if you’d like to see Tresco Gardens in full bloom. Or you can spend the day on St Mary’s browsing the shops, walking the coastline and enjoying lunch with a view from the many restaurants and cafes. Once you’ve confirmed your boat trips, use our website to find accommodation on the Isles of Scilly . We hope that we’ve provided all you need to know about getting to the Isles of Scilly by Sea, but if not, please feel free to get in touch with Scilly Escapes or leave your question in the comments section below.  If this isn’t your preferred way of travel, check out our blog on how to get to the Isles of Scilly by air .