Exeter's Guildhall and John Lewis car parks are free after 6pm on Thursdays. Current roadworks, the three free park and ride sites, and what a day in town costs.
Exeter had a heavy first half of 2026 on the roads: overnight closures on the A30 out towards Honiton, a month of bus corridor work on Heavitree Road, and resurfacing on the M5 north of the city. Most of that is now finished. This page sets out what is still running, and then the parts that do not change from week to week: where to park, what it costs, and the three park and ride sites where it costs nothing to leave the car.
What is still running
A30 and A35, Exeter to Bere Regis. National Highways is part-way through a resurfacing, sign replacement and vegetation programme covering the whole route from Exeter to Bere Regis in Dorset, running 13 April to 5 September 2026. Closures are overnight only, 8pm to 6am on weeknights, with the road open during the day.
The phases have worked steadily eastwards, and the Devon sections are done: the stretch from Exeter (M5 junction 29) to Daisy Mount was closed overnight from 13 April to 2 May, Daisy Mount to Turks Head from 4 to 22 May, Turks Head to Langford from 23 May to 6 June, and Honiton to Taunton Cross from 7 to 20 June. The final phase, Stinsford to Bere Regis, runs 17 August to 5 September. That one is well into Dorset, so it matters if you drive to Bournemouth or Poole in the evening rather than if you are driving around Exeter.
M5 junctions 23 to 25. The southbound and northbound resurfacing between Bridgwater and Taunton, weeknights 8pm to 6am, finished on 6 August 2026. The Bristol run is clear again overnight.
Exeter bus corridors. Devon County Council’s bus lane and signal upgrades on the central corridor, between Paris Street roundabout and Middlemoor roundabout along Heavitree Road and Honiton Road, and the eastern corridor along Pinhoe Road, are largely built. The Heavitree Road phase, including a new traffic island and resurfacing between Grendon Road and Polsloe Road, ran through February 2026. The council’s own estimate of what the whole programme buys is up to 4 minutes off a central corridor journey and 3 minutes 20 seconds off the eastern one, on corridors carrying up to 30 buses an hour each way.
Roadworks move. Devon County Council publishes an interactive roadworks map covering present, future and completed work on its network, and National Highways covers the M5, A30, A35, A38 and A303. Check both before an evening drive.
Park and ride: three sites, free parking
Exeter has three park and ride sites, and unlike most cities the parking itself costs nothing. You pay only for the bus.
| Site | Postcode | Bus | Best for arrivals from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honiton Road | EX2 7NL | 4 and 4A | M5 junction 29, A30 from Honiton |
| Sowton | EX2 5GL | C | M5 junction 30, A3052 Sidmouth, A376 Exmouth |
| Matford | EX2 8FD | B and C | A38 Plymouth, A380 Torbay, A379 Dawlish |
An Exeter DayRider costs £5.50 for an adult, £3.60 for a child aged 5 to 15 and £11.00 for a group of up to five people, and it covers the bus all day rather than just the trip in and out.
Two catches worth knowing before you set off. Sowton and Matford are closed on Sundays and public holidays, so on a Sunday the only park and ride running is Honiton Road. And Honiton Road and Sowton both have a 2.1 metre height restriction, which rules out a roof box or a high-top van.
City centre parking, and what it costs
The council’s main pay-on-foot car park is the Guildhall, with 397 public bays off Mary Arches Street, open 8am to midnight seven days a week. It has 20 accessible bays at the pedestrian entrances and two electric vehicle charging points. The height limit is 1.80 metres, which is low, so check before you drive in.
Tariffs, in force since 12 November 2025:
| Stay | Monday to Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|
| 2 hours | £4.90 | £3.70 |
| 3 hours | £6.00 | £4.50 |
| 4 hours | £7.20 | £5.40 |
| 5 hours | £8.40 | £6.20 |
| 6 hours | £9.50 | £7.20 |
| 7 hours | £10.70 | £8.00 |
| All day | £19.30 | £14.50 |
The Thursday evening rule
The single most useful thing to know about parking in Exeter is that the council runs free parking after 6pm every Thursday at its city centre pay-on-foot car parks, all year round. That covers the Guildhall, open until midnight, and John Lewis, which closes at 9.45pm.
Set against the standard rates, that is the difference between paying £6.00 for three hours and paying nothing for an evening out.
The shape of that chart is the practical advice. For anything longer than about four hours, the park and ride at £5.50 beats driving in, and for a full day it beats it by nearly £14. The Guildhall makes sense for a short shop, a Sunday, or a Thursday evening when it is free.
Going to London instead
For a day in London the sums usually favour leaving the car at a park and ride or at St Davids rather than driving. The fastest train to Paddington takes 2 hours 2 minutes. Times, fares and the cheaper Waterloo route are on our Exeter trains to London page.
Frequently asked questions
Is the A30 closed near Exeter?
Not now. The overnight closures between Exeter (M5 junction 29) and Daisy Mount ran from 13 April to 2 May 2026 and are finished. The wider Exeter to Bere Regis programme continues to 5 September 2026, but the remaining phase, Stinsford to Bere Regis, is in Dorset.
When is parking free in Exeter?
After 6pm every Thursday, all year round, at Exeter City Council’s city centre pay-on-foot car parks, which are the Guildhall and John Lewis. The Guildhall stays open until midnight; John Lewis closes at 9.45pm.
How much is Exeter park and ride?
An adult Exeter DayRider is £5.50, a child aged 5 to 15 is £3.60 and a group of up to five people is £11.00. Parking at all three sites is free.
Which Exeter park and ride is open on a Sunday?
Only Honiton Road. Sowton and Matford are closed on Sundays and public holidays.
How much is all-day parking in Exeter city centre?
£19.30 at the Guildhall from Monday to Saturday, and £14.50 on a Sunday. Four hours is £7.20 Monday to Saturday and £5.40 on a Sunday.
Sources
- A30/A35 Exeter to Bere Regis maintenance, National Highways for the closure programme, dates and overnight times.
- Devon County Council live roadworks information for the interactive roadworks map.
- Exeter Bus Service Improvement Plan, Devon County Council for the bus corridor scope and journey time savings.
- Park and ride, Devon County Council for the sites, postcodes, bus services, height limits, Sunday closures and DayRider fares.
- Guildhall car park, Exeter City Council for the tariff, capacity, height limit and opening hours.
- Thursday evening free parking, Exeter City Council for the free evening scheme.
Roadworks dates move with the weather and with what contractors find when they open up the carriageway, and parking tariffs change. Check the linked sources before you set off.
Have your say
We read every message. To comment on this story, email the newsdesk and we may publish a selection of responses: hello@exetertimes.co.uk.