Bournemouth travel guide

Bournemouth, United Kingdom

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Bournemouth

Introduction

Bournemouth is a coastal resort town on the south coast of England, within the ceremonial county of Dorset and part of the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area. It is the largest town in Dorset.

Before you go

Bournemouth has drawn visitors for its mild, temperate climate and healthy sea air since Victorian times, when royalty and famous figures came to breathe the scent of the pine trees and take the waters. Thomas Hardy called it "a Mediterranean lounging place on the English Channel", and the town's spa tradition continues today in hotel spa treatments and beauty boutiques around the centre. Plan around the seasons: May to September brings long, hot and sunny days, while winter can turn bitterly cold, sometimes dropping below zero. Rainfall is lower than the national average, and daylight swings widely between summer and winter.

Summer also brings a very large number of stag and hen parties to the centre; they tend to be loud rather than dangerous. Drunken youths gather on Old Christchurch Road late at night, and while knife crime and aggressive panhandling are infrequent, it is advisable to travel in groups very late at night.

Getting there

By road, most journeys approach via the M27, which becomes the dual-carriageway A31 and passes through the New Forest; at Ringwood, take the A338 exit for Bournemouth. Take care on the Wessex Way into the city, as speed cameras are numerous. Arriving at midday or early afternoon on a warm and sunny day means sitting in congestion for a considerable time on the A31, so aim to arrive very early or the evening beforehand.

Getting around

Central Bournemouth is compact enough to cover on foot, and the beach, pier, gardens and main shopping streets all sit close together. Almost everything radiates from The Square, the open space holding the Tourist Information office, the entrance to the main gardens and the access point to the pier. It is also the lowest point in the centre, so walking downhill is a reliable way to find your way back to it. The main shopping area lies inland to the north, with Old Christchurch Road marking its upper limit; Holdenhurst Road, running from there to the rail station, is a student area of late-night takeaways. West Cliff is the clifftop seafront strip overlooking The Square, while The Triangle, up Commercial Road, is the gay village and specialist shopping area. Further west, Westbourne is a quaint cluster of boutiques and cafes along Seamoor Road, and to the east Boscombe offers Victorian architecture, shops, eateries and the O2 Academy.

One caveat to walking: the railway station sits a ten- to fifteen-minute uphill hike from the centre, so consider transport for that leg, particularly with luggage. The main local bus operator is the "blue" More buses, whose routes stretch across the wider Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area, with principal stops at the rail station and The Square. Taxis are available and are most useful for short trips where walking is inconvenient, such as the uphill journey from the station or a late-night return. There is no metro or tram network, so public transport is built around rail, buses and taxis.

Where to stay

Budget options cluster around Lansdowne, Christchurch Road and the town centre. The Russell Court Hotel sits on Bath Road, a short walk from the beach, while the Round Hotel is handy for the Bournemouth International Centre. Travelodge on Christchurch Road and Premier Inn, with locations in the centre, towards Boscombe Gardens and in Westbourne, offer straightforward budget rooms.

For something more comfortable, the Chine Hotel on Boscombe Spa Road has leisure facilities, dining choices and sea or garden views with easy access to the beach and surf reef. The Carrington House Hotel on Knyveton Road suits short breaks and family holidays, with a swimming pool, parking included and pets accepted; note that some rooms are windowless. The Green House on Grove Road is an eco-minded hotel with an organic emphasis, popular for weddings and events, with a restaurant and family room options. The Fairmount Hotel near the town centre is aimed at student groups and large families, with rooms holding up to nine twin beds. At the top end, the Royal Bath Hotel on Bath Road is central for shopping and the beach, and The Nici on West Hill Road has drawn praise for comfort and service.

Food & drink

Bournemouth's eating options span the full range, from familiar chain restaurants in the city centre to independent spots scattered across the neighbourhoods. Old Christchurch Road, at the top of the main shopping area, holds a string of low to mid-range eateries alongside bars and clubs, while further clusters sit in the West Cliff area around the International Centre, in the Triangle, and in Westbourne. Takeaways are plentiful if you want a cheap alternative to a sit-down meal. For budget eating, the centre offers the usual chains, plus independents such as a Spanish tapas restaurant between the Square and the Town Hall, an affordable Chinese place on Commercial Road known for its dim sum, Japanese and piri piri options on Old Christchurch Road, and a vegan café in the Triangle. Mid-range choices include a Caribbean menu at Pier Approach, a South Indian restaurant with a good-value lunchtime buffet, a frontline seafood restaurant beside the pier, and an excellent fish and chip shop in Westbourne. For a splurge, try the upmarket fish restaurant opposite the BIC or the French cuisine in Ashley Cross. At night the town has a vibrant bar and club scene, concentrated in and around the centre, with the Triangle home to several gay-friendly venues and old-style pubs at a premium.

What to see and do

Bournemouth's seven miles of golden sand are the centrepiece of any visit, with clean seas that have long held Blue Flag status; Alum Chine, Durley Chine, Fisherman's Walk and Southbourne are among the beaches recognised. The Pier sits roughly in the middle of the seafront and offers a small fair, boat trips, an arcade, a café/bar and shops, while Boscombe Pier lies further along the coast. Inland, the Central Gardens make an easy green counterpart to the beach, and the chines - a series of picturesque ravines cut into the cliffs - can be explored on foot and combined with a stroll along the seafront.

For indoor interest, the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum on the Eastcliff holds collections of 19th-century art and Japanese artefacts, and its lavishly decorated interior reflects Victorian tastes for eccentric collecting and for the cultures of Japan and China. TheGallery at Arts University Bournemouth in Wallisdown runs artist talks, workshops, events and film nights alongside its exhibitions, and The Atrium Gallery can be found at Bournemouth University. Among the landmarks, St Peter's Church is notable as the burial place of the author Mary Shelley and of the heart of her husband, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, while the Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation is an early 20th-century building in an Art Nouveau take on Moorish Revival style. The Bournemouth International Centre hosts conferences and is the town's largest music venue, and the Pavilion Theatre and Bournemouth Pier theatre both stage performances.

Active visitors can swim, windsurf, kitesurf or surf, and cricket and bowls are easy sports to get involved in locally. Families might head to Bowl Central for arcades, slot machines and bowling, or to the BH2 entertainment complex for eateries, a cinema, escape rooms, minigolf and axe throwing. The Oceanarium sits by the Pier Approach. Football fans can watch AFC Bournemouth, "The Cherries", at their Dean Court stadium east of the centre, though the ground is small and tickets are unlikely without booking ahead; the club should not be confused with Bournemouth FC, "The Poppies", who play in the county leagues. The town's calendar includes the Bournemouth Air Festival each August, the Bourne Free pride festival on the second weekend in July, and Arts by the Sea, an arts and culture festival held in venues across town in late September or early October.

When to go

Bournemouth has a mild, temperate climate year-round, so you can visit at any time of year. The warm season brings long, hot and sunny days, with generous daylight — the sun is up from around 5AM to 9:15PM in the summer months, giving you plenty of time outdoors.

Winter is a different proposition: the depths of winter can get very cold, sometimes dipping below zero, and daylight is short, with the sun up only between roughly 8AM and 4:15PM. Plan your days accordingly if you travel in the colder months.

Three days in Bournemouth

Day one: Arriving in Bournemouth is straightforward. South Western Railway runs direct from London Waterloo, with onward connections to Weymouth, while CrossCountry serves Manchester, Birmingham New Street, Nottingham and Newcastle upon Tyne. National Express coaches reach London Victoria, and Bournemouth Airport (BOH) at Hurn handles flights from across Europe. Alternatively, take the Wessex Way by car. Once settled, get your bearings along the seafront, where the English Channel meets a stretch of coast often described as Mediterranean in feel. Plan your stay between May and September for the warmest weather; summer can be warm and humid, and rainfall is possible at any time of year.

Day two: Give the day to the town itself. Bournemouth's Victorian character shows in its gardens and promenades, and the resort grew as a Dorset seaside destination in the era of Thomas Hardy, whose Wessex novels drew on this part of England. Old Christchurch Road is the centre of the town's nightlife, lively and at times drunken after dark. It is a place to wander rather than rush.

Day three: Head out of town. Christchurch and Poole are both within easy reach, and the New Forest lies just beyond, with Ringwood a useful gateway to it. This is the quieter side of the region, and a good way to round off three days before you travel home.

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