Bournemouth Transportation

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Bournemouth is served by two bus companies but unfortunately they do not accept each other's tickets. The more frequent Yellow Bournemouth buses, whose service extend from Somerford to Poole in west; and the Blue Wilts and Dorset buses, whose routes extend more to Poole and the west.

The main termini are at the railway station and the town center. Most common routes are 1a/1b/1c which covers areas between Somerford to Poole covering all tourist attractions. There used to be a day ticket of 7 GBP which can be used any of these buses

Buses are comfortable and low level for easy access. Please browse their sites for timetable, map & routes

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United Taxis is the largest taxi firm in Dorset. Based in Bournemouth the company has a strong fleet of 150 taxis to cover Bournemouth and surrounding.

Call United Taxis on 01202 55 66 77, that phone number goes through bookings hub where taxis are dispatched across the area.

The booking system is efficient and you can expect timely arrival of the taxis, clean car and good driver.

I had purchase this used Honda Accord while at work in Bournemouth. Like other small towns in UK the roads are not very wide in Bournemouth. Although there is a connecting highway A31 which is decent for quick driving. Parking is also another challenge in the town center. Bournemouth Council has created designated parking spaces throughout the town but those are not cheap by any means. For Visitors you can park the car on the beachside which is reasonably cheaper.

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Bournemouth railway station, is the main railway station serving the town of Bournemouth in Dorset. It is located on the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo to Weymouth. The station also serves as a terminus for cross country services to Birmingham, Manchester & Nottingham.

There are 4 platforms with Platform 1 & 2 serving for onwards services and Platform 3 & 4 for terminating services from London and through services towards Poole and Weymouth.

Bournemouth Airport (BOH) previously known as Hurn Airport is an airport located 4.0 miles north-northeast of Bournemouth town. Although I have never had to use the airport in my stay in Bournemouth but few of the budget airlines uses this port to fly for Scotland or European countries like easyJet, Ryan Air, Thomson Airlines

There is a shuttle service costing 4 GBP to carry passenger from Bournmouth town center to the Airport. The journey takes about 10-15 minutes depending on traffic condition.

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For those walking, cycling, or even driving, this section of the South Coast there is a regular ferry service across the narrow neck of the entrance to Poole Harbour between Sandbanks and Shell Bay which connects Bournemouth and Studlands, and on to Swanage and the start of the Jurassic Coast.

This is quite a unique ferry in that it is propelled by diesel/hydraulic drive system which pulls the ferry to and fro along a submerged chain. The commercially-run ferry (website below) runs 364 days a year (not New Year's day) with a frequency of every 20 minutes (ie 10 minutes each way) and cuts about 25 miles off the journey which otherwise would take you round Poole Harbour.

There are a total of about 7 miles of uninterupted beaches between Southbourne, to the east, and Sandbanks, to the west of Bournemouth's seafront. Whilst these are emininently walkable, either along the promenade or the beaches themselves, there's also a useful little land train which runs along the central sections between Boscombe and Alum Chine. This is good for the foot weary and especially useful for those with mobility problems, who can ride for free.

Getting around Bournemouth and the surrounding areas by bus is both cheap and simple. There are two competing bus companies - the yellow Transdev (1st website) and the red or blue Wilts and Dorset (2nd website). Because the companies actually compete on the some of the main routes then this keeps fares down and both offer value for money day tickets.

The two main sets of bus stops in town are around The Triangle, just off Commercial Road and in the centre at Gervis Place, next to the Tourist Info Centre. There's also a Travel Interchange at the Railway Station.

For a useful bus map click HERE