Parking in and getting to St Ives
It has long been a turbulent relationship with St Ives to find somewhere to park. The excitement and pull of coming to St Ives can sometimes be tainted with the dreaded realisation that the car needs to go somewhere!
Well, here at Sail Lofts, we have you covered for free, for one car, in our dedicated car park that neatly sits and overlooks Porthmeor beach. It is a short 8-minute walk to our apartments and a nice 10-minute wonder into the main hub of St Ives town where you’ll find all the shops and restaurants. It also is perfectly situated for easy access in and out of St Ives, avoiding those dreaded tight junctions and uncomfortable lanes through town.
What happens though when you have more than one car? Unfortunately, we can only facilitate the one in our car park, but fear not, there are other suitable options in and around St Ives that are perfect solutions for those second vehicles.
Sitting a 2-minute walk from all of our apartments here at Sail Lofts, the Island car park is located by its namesake; ‘the Island’ in St Ives. A stunning spot for a few walks around the headland looking out towards St Ives Bay and the open Celtic Sea, and, the most convenient when staying with us here at Sail Lofts.
The Island car park is a reasonably spacious car park that is accessed via a short drive through St Ives Wharf Road, so take care when driving larger vehicles through narrower parts of the town. You can leave your car here for the week, or come and go as you please. Ensure you have your ticket with you at all times as this ticket will give you access in and out of the car parks barrier system.
Trenwith car park:
A bit further afield from us (around a 15 – 20-minute walk) sits Trenwith car park. It is an extremely spacious car park with plenty of options and sits at the top of town with amazing views over St Ives and out to the Cornish peninsula.
It has a 10-minute walk down a steep-ish hill to the main St Ives town hub, however, if this walk is a bit strenuous, there is a reliable park and ride bus service that takes a short 5-minute trip down to the town, so you can relax and enjoy being chauffeured around town, and, why not have a quick fuel stop at the St Ives Brewery café ‘the Brewhouse’, that sits ideally next to the bus stop with incredible views over St Ives and the coast, serving lunches, samples of St Ives own brewed ales and lots of cakey treats to keep you topped up whilst you wait for your bus?
Rover tickets at The Island and Trenwith Car Parks:
Rover tickets are Cornwall councils parking pass system that allows you to park for up to a week. Rover tickets are available to be purchased for two car parks in St Ives: The Island car park and Trenwith car park. Week pass tickets cost £49.24 and you can come and go throughout your stay.
Have in mind that the rover tickets must be purchased online using Cornwall councils ‘Zatpermit’ app. You simply register your account, click the link, type in ‘The Island Car Park, Burrow Road, Saint Ives, UK’ or ‘Trenwith Lane, Saint Ives, UK’ and click to purchase your ticket, then follow any instructions from there. Please be aware your ticket will not be valid until a further 24 hours as they are unable to provide instant ticket access, so it would be worth booking your ticket the day before you journey down to us.
For guaranteed security, the St Ives Secure car park is the best car park to choose. You can reserve your space in advance so you know you definitely have somewhere sorted and you can speak to the friendly team who are on hand to advise in any way they can.
The St Ives Secure car park sits within an industrial estate complex and is gated, lit with floodlights and monitored with cameras 24/7 to give you extra comfort that your car is well looked after during your visit. You will be given a key code for access and can come and go as much as you please, all hours. It is a further walk to us here at the Sail Lofts with about a 25-minute walk into St Ives and a 30-minute walk to us here at Sail Lofts, but for those wishing to remain in St Ives throughout their visit, this is a hassle-free way of knowing your car is safe and sorted.
A 7 day stay in the St Ives Secure car park will cost £96.00. Their prices are worked out by daily charges and can fluctuate depending on seasons throughout the year.
Electric cars charging points:
Electric cars are becoming popular but Cornwall’s electric charge point infrastructure is still in its infancy and as such charge points can be hard to find.
Cornwall council is working with various sources and companies to ensure the county is suitably set up to support EVs, but it’s a work in progress. Here in St Ives, there are a few options of places to set up the car for a few hours to charge up and be on your way.
The most notable is Tesco’s supermarket in Carbis Bay on the way into St Ives. It has a variety of Pod-Point charging facilities. With this being on route to us here at Sail Lofts, there is the option to charge up, have a walk down to Carbis Bay and explore the area, then stock up on some goods from the shop and make your way over to us when charged and ready.
There are other options of charging bays and stations popping up around in St Ives, however, as mentioned we are still growing our options and some of the points don’t always appear on Google Maps or other well-known systems.
Keeping an eye on Zap-Map, an app that notes all the charge points in the area, is a great place to start. It is worth checking this out before your visit to get yourself familiar with your options.
Staying with us at Sail Lofts:
At Sail Lofts, our guests come first and we want to do everything we can to ensure your stay with us is filled with fun, happiness and the excitement of visiting St Ives.
We understand how much of a strain trying to find somewhere to park or driving around can take on you when you’re on holiday, especially somewhere you are unfamiliar with, and so, we want to make sure that your stay is as comfortable and hassle-free as possible.
As such, when you stay with us here in one of our luxurious apartments, you will be given a dedicated parking bay space for you to use for one car for the duration of your stay. We also have an on-site guest host team who will be more than happy to securely hold your bags for you until you are ready to check in or help move goods, deliveries and luggage into your apartments when they are prepared for you. We are on hand to advise and direct you to suitable alternative parking solutions if required and always happy to help with any queries or questions you may have whilst staying with us.
To have a look over our lovely apartments and see about booking in your next trip, click here.
We look forward to seeing you soon,
Larissa
