Travelling to Dorset by Road

With great travel options and being one of the most accessible destinations in the South West, Dorset is the ideal place to book your holiday or short break. And getting to Dorset couldn’t be easier with motorway routes linking all corners of the country.

Whether you are travelling by car, motorhome or motorcycle, good directions are always an advantage. When planning your trip, you may find it useful to check the Travel Dorset website for the latest travel news and live updates.

From the West

The M5 motorway brings visitors from the west (via Bristol) and west of the country (Devon and Cornwall) joining the A37 at Yeovil or the A35 at Honiton.

From the Midlands and North

Follow the major motorway routes (M1 and M40) which connect with the M25 London orbital motorway to arrive on the M3, then M27 through the New Forest and finally the A31. 

Alternatively follow the M40 connecting with the A34, which leads to the M3, M27 and then A31.  However, there are many variations of routes and a satellite navigation system, use of Google Maps or an online route planner can be helpful to decide on the best route to meet your needs.

From The East

The following main motorway routes connect the east of England, the eastern ports if you are arriving by ferry and London with Dorset: M20 / M26 / M25 / M3 / M27.

The M3/A303 from London to Devon also passes through the northernmost part of Dorset.

Charging your electric car

All the large motorway services will offer electric car charging points, most with fast charge options. Read more about getting to Dorset with an electric vehicle.

Once you enter Dorset, there are no motorway services, however most of the counties towns offer EV charging points - the majority of which are found in car parks or near shopping areas. However many hotels and other holiday accommodation are now offering this service to their guests, so be sure to keep that in mind when looking for somewhere to stay.

There are over 100 electric vehicle charging point locations in Dorset which can be found in Blandford Forum, Bridport, Bournemouth, Christchurch, Dorchester, Gillingham, Isle of Portland, Lyme Regis, Poole, Shaftesbury, Sherborne, Swanage, Weymouth, Wimborne Minster and many more places. Check the ZapMap website for locations and details of charging facilities.

What does your Dorset look like? Adventures on our epic coastline? Visiting attractions with family? A walk through the beautiful countryside? Or perhaps a chilled out evening eating and drinking with friends? Discover a sample of your #VisitDorset images below and share your love for Dorset using the hashtag on Instagram.