The straightforward way from London to Weymouth is the direct South Western Railway train from London Waterloo. It makes 13 stops and takes about 2h 50m, a few minutes less on the quickest runs, and there is no change to worry about. Driving brings no saving either: the M3 route is 136 miles and takes close to three hours.
On the weekday timetable we checked, Waterloo trains for Weymouth left at five and 35 minutes past the hour from 08:05 to 19:35, so there is rarely more than half an hour to wait. Before that, the early departures were the 05:18, the 06:30 and the 07:35. In the evening the half-hourly pattern gives way to hourly trains, and the 20:35 and 21:35 were the latest we found.
That late departure is worth remembering. A 21:35 that takes nearly three hours gets you into Weymouth shortly after midnight, so if you are coming down after work, the 19:35 or 20:35 is the more civilised choice.
GWR offers a second way, from London Paddington to Westbury (77 minutes), then onward to Weymouth for the last 96 minutes. There were seven connecting departures: 07:02, 09:34, 10:36, 12:35, 14:36, 16:36 and 20:03. A typical journey this way took about 3h 30m, though the best connection came within a few minutes of the Waterloo train’s time.
It makes sense mainly if Paddington is much easier for you to reach than Waterloo. Other routings turned up too, changing at Bath Spa, Bristol Temple Meads, Castle Cary, the two Yeovil stations, or Reading and Winchester, but every one of them took longer than the direct Waterloo train.
Once you are off the train, St Mary Street in the centre is about 890 metres away, a walk of twelve minutes.
Journey times and changes below come from the rail and bus timetables for Tuesday 1 December 2026. Weekend and holiday timetables differ, so check the day you travel.
From London Waterloo on the weekday we checked: about every half hour between 05:18 and 21:35.
From London Paddington on the weekday we checked: 07:02, 09:34, 10:36, 12:35, 14:36, 16:36 and 20:03.
By road it is about 136 miles from London to Weymouth, mostly via the M3 — roughly 2h 57m with clear roads. Car parks in Weymouth are listed on the Getting Here page.