Getting Around

Travel around our beautiful county by bus, train, boat, bike or car - sit back, enjoy the view and let someone else do the driving! Consider leaving your car at your accommodation and make the journey part of your day out.

Whichever way you choose to travel, make sure you enjoy Dorset’s beautiful coast and countryside to the full.

If you are travelling by car, Travel Dorset can help plan your route and give the latest traffic information. If you choose to travel by bus or train, Traveline South West can give you various options and timetables.

Travelling by bus or coach

It's really easy to travel around Dorset by bus or National Express coach. Travelling into the larger towns for shopping or entertainment can be stress free when you catch one of the bus services connecting all the main towns in Dorset. Let Traveline South West help plan your journey from A to B.

For National Express coaches you will need to buy your ticket in advance, but for other local bus services you can buy your ticket from the driver on the day of travel and you do not need the exact money. Each bus company offers a range of one-way, return, day, week, month or group tickets. Travelling across Christchurch, Bournemouth and Poole? Buy a Getting About Ticket for a whole day of travel.

The Jurassic Coaster and Purbeck Breezer buses are ideal for walkers who want to walk a section of the South West Coast Path, as you have the option of travelling out or back by bus. Plus you can sit on the top deck and get great views of our coast and countryside!

Want to use your bus pass? Find out when and how you can use it on Dorset buses.

Travelling by train

You are never far from a railway station in Dorset as there are 23 stations on the national network.

This includes: 9 Stations on the Great Western Railway routes including Sherborne and Gillingham and 14 stations on the South West Trains routes including Christchurch, Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester, Wareham and Weymouth.

You can buy tickets online, by telephone and at railway station ticket offices or self-service machines on station platforms. A variety of one-way, return, day, season and group tickets are available. You might also save money on the entrance to attractions by using the Days Out Guide 2 for 1 ticket.

Need to get a bus from the railway station to your final destination? Purchase a PlusBus ticket and save money.

Visit the National Rail website for more information, or get live train departure times from Travel Dorset.

Vintage train travel

The Swanage Railway is the picture postcard branch-line to the seaside. Steam and diesel trains weave their way through the beautiful Isle of Purbeck countryside for 6 miles from Norden Station, passing the magnificent ruins of Corfe Castle to the sandy beach of Swanage, the eastern gateway to the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. 

Stations are located at Norden, Corfe Castle, Harmans Cross, Herston Halt and Swanage.

For 2017, Swanage Railway is running trains on specific days between the mainline at Wareham and Swanage, stopping at Norden, Corfe Castle, Harmans Cross and Herston Halt. It will be a vintage diesel train for the whole journey, unless you stop at Norden Station and switch to a steam train for the rest of the journey to Swanage.

Travelling by boat

Avoid the traffic and travel by sea on a boat tour or ferry. Boat trips can be enjoyed as an alternative to road or rail travel and can be caught from Poole, Wareham, Swanage, Lulworth Cove, Weymouth and West Bay. Boats can also be chartered for touring along the coast.

Why not take a day trip to the beautiful Channel Islands or France with Condor Ferries from Poole or take advantage of the many boat trips along the Jurassic Coast? You can even combine boat and bus or boat and train travel and save money!

Travelling by bicycle

Discover Dorset's spectacular coast and countryside by using our cycle networks whilst you are here.

There are a mixture of long and short distance routes, plus waymarked and circular trails available.

Travelling by road

Plan your days out with the help of Travel Dorset, which offers advice about parking, roadworks and live travel alerts.

Look out for park and ride schemes in Weymouth, Purbeck, Poole and Dorchester to help take the hassle out of your trip to town centres or festivals.

Electric Car Charger Points can be found throughout the County at Bournemouth, Bridport, Christchurch, Dorchester, Lyme Regis, Poole and Weymouth. Or find other charger points on the Charge Your Car website.

Taxis are available from train stations and airports as well as towns and villages.

Want to go car free?

Let us tempt you into discovering car free days with some exciting itineraries for you to explore the area. Leave your car behind, let someone else do the navigating and take the stress out of travelling. And when you travel by boat, open top bus or steam train, it becomes part of your day out - fun for all the family.

Trips and Tours

Take an open top bus sightseeing tour or a bespoke taxi tour with our friendly and knowledgeable local guides.