The only guide you'll need to the big John Lewis opening
So, 24 hours and counting until John Lewis opens its doors in Sidwell Street. But if you’re not someone who lives or works in or near the city centre, how are you going to get there?
“The important message is that it's going to be incredibly popular and incredibly busy,” says John Harvey, the city centre manager. “We have the car-parking capacity in the city centre to cope with that, but clearly the common sense advice to people is if you're coming in we really recommend you use park and ride, public transport or the rail network.
“Central Station is two or three minutes’ walk from the town centre and it is much more sensible to come in that way, at least this weekend and probably for the couple of weeks after that when it's going to be extremely busy here.
“We are just asking people to be sensible and stagger their journeys and perhaps make an evening of it. John Lewis is open late so come later on, enjoy John Lewis and then enjoy dining here in the city.”
Local bus operator Stagecoach South West has already updated the park-and-ride facilities, increasing the number of buses on the routes and extending service times to accommodate the later opening hours.
To try and bring some coherence to car parking so visitors can make their way there easily, the council have renamed the main city-centre car parks, with King William Street becoming the John Lewis car park, and Princesshay, Dix’s Fields and Broadwalk House being renamed Princesshay 1, 2 and 3 respectively.
John Lewis opening hours
Monday: 9am - 7pm
Tuesday: 9am - 7pm
Wednesday: 9am - 7pm
Thursday: 9am - 8pm
Friday: 9am - 7pm
Saturday: 9am - 7pm
Sunday: 11am - 5pm (plus browse time from 10.30am - 11am)
Park and Ride
At junction 29 of the M5 you'll find the Red Park and Ride (Honiton Road – EX2 7NL), or use junction 30 for the Blue Park and Ride (Sowton – EX2 5GL). Both will take you almost to the front door of John Lewis.
The Red service operates seven days a week, and is being extended in the evenings with effect from 12 October to cover the John Lewis opening times. The Blue and Green do not usually run on Sundays, although a Blue service will operate on Sunday 14 October. The Green service (from Matford) stops further away from the John Lewis building, but still in the city centre.
Bus
City buses stop right outside the store in Sidwell Street. Buses from out of town stop at the bus station, from where you can see the John Lewis tower, which is less than five minutes' walk away.
Train
There are direct trains to Exeter Central from Salisbury, Honiton, Barnstaple, Crediton, Torbay, Newton Abbot and Exmouth.
Leaving the train at Exeter Central, use the ramped footbridge to the New North Road exit. Turn right and you will see the John Lewis tower ahead of you, about five minutes' walk away.
From Taunton, Bristol or Plymouth, change at Exeter St Davids, which is about a 20-minute walk, or five-minute bus ride, from the town centre.
Car
If you want to drive to the store, follow signs to the city centre. Closer to the centre, the John Lewis car park, which is pay on foot with 425 spaces, will be signed. Enter postcode EX4 6PD into the sat nav. There is also the King William Street section of this car park, which was formerly the Leighton Terrace annexe, which is pay and display and has different charges from the John Lewis multi-storey section.
Other car parks
Princesshay 1 (pay on foot, 273 spaces, EX1 1QA)
Princesshay 2 (pay and display, 117 spaces, EX1 1NN)
Princesshay 3 (pay and display, 160 spaces, EX1 1TT)
Summerland Gate (pay on foot, 293 spaces, EX1 2LB)
Howell Road (pay and display, 322 spaces, EX4 4LZ)
Triangle (pay and display, 288 spaces, EX1 2BL)
Guildhall (pay on foot, 450 spaces, EX4 3HP)
Mary Arches Street (pay on foot, 494 spaces, EX4 3AZ).
