Bus routes, train times and car-park rules change. Confirm on the operator or council page before you travel. The community contacts page lists the main official travel links.
Nearest station: East Grinstead
Forest Row does not have a National Rail station. For most village trips the nearest mainline station is East Grinstead. National Rail lists the station on Railway Approach, East Grinstead, RH19 1EB, and says Southern manages it. The station page also records step-free access to all platforms.
Check live trains on the East Grinstead station page or on Southern’s own station information.
National Rail’s onward-travel map for East Grinstead lists Forest Row among the bus destinations from the station and names routes 270 and 291. The same map notes the Bluebell Railway heritage line from East Grinstead. That is a separate tourist railway, not the way most people reach the village from London.
Buses through the village
Metrobus 270 runs between East Grinstead and Brighton, Churchill Square, via Ashurst Wood, Forest Row, Wych Cross and Haywards Heath. The operator timetable lists East Grinstead Station and Forest Row, Brambletye among the stops. See community contacts for the 270 timetable.
Metrobus 291 runs between Crawley and Tunbridge Wells via East Grinstead, Ashurst Wood, Forest Row, Colemans Hatch, Hartfield and Groombridge. The operator timetable lists Forest Row stops including Post Horn Lane and Brambletye, then East Grinstead Station. Community contacts also links to that 291 timetable.
Metrobus also publishes live departures for Forest Row, Brambletye. That stop page currently names 270 and 291 as the main services. A temporary road closure can push passengers toward Brambletye or Windmill Lane, as the 270 page has done. Always read the operator service update on the day.
Flying Trunk Brewery tells visitors to catch the 270 and alight at Tomtits Lane. That is a useful village example, not a claim that every destination sits on the same stop. For pubs, shops and the community centre, Brambletye or the village-centre stops are usually the ones to check on the Metrobus map.
Bike, car and parking
East Sussex County Council describes Forest Way as a shared former railway path between East Grinstead and Groombridge that passes Forest Row. For many people coming from East Grinstead, that is the low-traffic bike or walk option. Use the Walks page and the official Forest Way page for path notes.
Forest Row Parish Council’s parking note lists short-term Community Centre spaces, disabled spaces, council-only spaces and EV charging spaces, and it says public off-road car parks are operated by Wealden District Council. See practical info and check Wealden for current car-park rules.
The Chequers Inn Hotel site describes Forest Row as just off the A22, three miles south of East Grinstead. That is a useful orientation if you are driving, not a reason to skip a map check for roadworks.
Where to check next
For buses, open the Metrobus 270 or 291 timetable. For trains, open National Rail or Southern for East Grinstead. For parking, start with the parish PDF and Wealden. For a village day once you arrive, use the directory and Eat and Drink.
If a travel detail is wrong, send a correction through Update a listing or Contact. Local taxi firms and visitor services can add a free listing.
Sources
Metrobus 270, Metrobus 291, National Rail East Grinstead, East Sussex Forest Way and Forest Row Parish Council parking PDF.