• Know Before You Go - Covid-19 information
    • We're Good To Go Dorset
      • Accommodation
      • Days Out
    • Know before you go town centres
    • Repect, Protect and Enjoy Dorset
  • Things To Do
    • Shopping
      • Home Delivery and Online Shopping
      • Keep It Local
      • Markets
      • Antiques & Vintage
      • Arts & Crafts
      • Clothing & Accessories
      • Food & Drink
      • Shopping Areas & Retail Parks
    • Dorset Beaches
      • Beach Safety
      • Dog Friendly
      • The Jurassic Coast
      • Fossil Hunting
    • Active and Outdoor
      • Walking
      • Cycling & Mountain Biking
      • Watersports
      • Adventure
      • Leisure Centres
      • Golf
      • Group Friendly
    • Families & Children
    • Heritage & Culture
      • Castles & Forts
      • Ancient Sites
      • Museums & Galleries
      • National Trust
      • Landmarks
      • Stately Homes
      • Arts & Crafts
    • Animals & Farm Parks
    • Gardens & Parks
    • Tours & Boat Trips
      • Boat Tours
      • Guided Tours
      • Day Trips
      • Educational Visits
    • Food & Drink Experiences
    • Entertainment & Arts
      • Cinemas
      • Theatres
      • Nightlife
      • Performing Arts
    • Nature and Wildlife
      • Bird Watching
      • Nature Reserves and Country Parks
      • Dorsets Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
  • Accommodation
    • Hotels
    • Bed & Breakfast
    • Self Catering
    • Self Catering Agencies
    • Dorset Holiday Cottages
    • Caravan & Holiday Parks
    • Campsites
    • Glamping
    • Pubs & Inns
    • Farm Stays
    • Eco Friendly
    • Group Friendly
    • Pet Friendly
    • Accessible
    • Gradings & Awards
  • Shopping
  • Food & Drink
    • Takeaways
    • Restaurants
    • Pubs & Bars
    • Cafes & Coffee Shops
    • Afternoon Tea
    • Farmers' Markets
    • Local Produce
    • Celebrity Chefs
    • Food Events
    • Food & Drink Experiences
  • Ideas & Inspiration
    • Special Offers
    • Visit Dorset Blog
    • Top 10 Ideas
      • Top 10 Free Days Out
      • Top 10 Days Out With Kids
      • Top 10 Dorset Views
      • Top 10 Dorset Walks
      • Top 10 Rainy Day Ideas
      • Top 10 Sunny Day Ideas
    • Dog Friendly
      • Dog Friendly Accommodation
      • Dog Friendly Attractions
      • Dog Friendly Eating Out
      • Dog Friendly Beaches
      • Walking in Dorset
    • Eco-friendly
      • Eco Friendly Accommodation
      • Car Free Breaks
      • Top 10 car free days out
      • Travelling around Dorset
      • Charging your electric car
      • Local produce
      • Shop local
    • Short Break Ideas
      • Winter Breaks in Dorset
      • Spring Breaks in Dorset
      • Foodie Dorset
      • Romantic Dorset
      • Car Free Dorset
      • Health and Wellbeing Breaks
      • Luxury Dorset
      • Walking Breaks
    • Film & TV
      • Ammonite
      • Broadchurch
      • Dunkirk
      • Far From The Madding Crowd
      • On Chesil Beach
    • History & Heritage
      • Museums
      • Literary Dorset
      • Ancient Sites
      • Jurassic Coast
      • Fossil Hunting
    • Dorset Weddings
      • Places To Propose
      • Wedding Venues
      • Wedding Services
      • Honeymoons
      • Stag and Hen
  • Explore
    • Respect, Protect, Enjoy
    • Jurassic Coast
      • Fossil Hunting
    • Areas To Visit
      • Beaminster
      • Blandford Forum
      • Bournemouth
      • Bridport & West Bay
      • Christchurch
      • Dorchester
      • Lyme Regis
      • Poole
      • Portland
      • Purbeck
      • Shaftesbury & Gillingham
      • Sherborne
      • Sturminster Newton
      • Swanage
      • Wareham
      • Weymouth
      • Wimborne Minster
    • Villages
      • Abbotsbury
      • Cerne Abbas
      • Charmouth
      • Corfe Castle
      • Cranborne
      • East & West Lulworth
      • Milton Abbas
    • Coast and Beaches
      • Be CoastWise
      • Dorset Beaches
      • Jurassic Coast
      • Dog Friendly Beaches
      • Harbours
    • Countryside
    • Areas Of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
  • What's On
    • Virtual events
    • Food & Drink Events
    • Art Events
    • Music Events
    • Festivals
    • Sporting Events
    • Nature Events
    • Submit Event
  • Visitor Information
    • Maps
    • Brochures & Guides
      • Accessible Guides
    • Tourist Information Centres
      • Tourist Information Points
    • Travel Information
      • Getting Here
      • Getting Around
      • Parking
    • Group Travel
      • Group Friendly Accommodation
      • Group Friendly Days Out
      • Group Friendly Eating Out
      • Educational Visits
      • Stag and Hen Parties
    • Litter Free Dorset
    • Accessibility
    • Social Media
    • Contact Us

Special Offers

Sign up to our E-newsletter

Order or Download a Brochure

Visit Dorset Blog

Submit Event

Covid-19 information 

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation in Dorset

  • Things To Do

    Things To Do in Dorset

  • Food & Drink

    Places To Eat & Drink in Dorset

  • Explore

    Explore & Discover Dorset

Site Search Icon Site Search Icon

Welcome to the Itinerary Planner. Use this tool to build your own journey or choose from an exciting range of specially selected tours.

To build your own Itinerary, click Add to Excursion to add an item to your Itinerary basket.

List All My Saved Itineraries

  • Change Language
  • Holidays and Tourist information - Official Tourism Board - Visit Dorset.
  • Print Logo
  1. Dorset's train stations, airport and ferry ports
    Dorset's train stations, airport and ferry ports

You are here: Visitor Information > Travel Information

Dorset Travel Information

  • Transportation

Type:
Area:
Keyword:

Highlights

Bluebird Coaches, Dorset

Bluebird Coach Hire, Day Trips and Holidays

Coach hire, chauffeured tours, day trips and adventures, UK and European coach holidays. We operate…

Purbeck Breezer number 40 bus in Corfe Castle village

Purbeck Breezer

*LATEST INFORMATION* Don’t forget your face covering, which is compulsory by law, unless you are…

South Western Railway

South Western Railway

South Western Railway is a joint venture between FirstGroup and MTR Europe, two of the world's…

Solent Scene and Island Scene boat cruises

City Cruises Poole

Cruises operate daily from Poole Quay and Swanage Pier (1st April - 31st October 2020). Harbour &…

PrevPrev
  • 1Bluebird Coach Hire, Day Trips and Holidays
  • 2Purbeck Breezer
  • 3South Western Railway
  • 4City Cruises Poole
NextNext

Search Travel & Tours

Type:
Area:
Keyword:

Getting to Dorset couldn't be easier. The county’s excellent connections via international airports, ferry ports, national and local railway, coach and bus services and a comprehensive road system, makes Dorset one of the most accessible holiday destinations in the South West.

Are you an international visitor wanting to experience the local history and culture of rural England, and take a break away from the city of London? Why not combine your trip to the capital with a visit to Dorset - travel with ease and arrive from central London in just over 2 hours.

Dorset’s wildlife and beauty can be enjoyed much more without a car and there are so many travel options available that you can happily leave your car at your accommodation. Take a look at our suggestions for travelling around Dorset using our public transport network and cycling routes.

Arriving by train

Dorset is served by a reliable rail network between many of the UK’s towns and local railway stations throughout the county.

South Western Railway operates direct trains from London Waterloo station stopping at Christchurch, Bournemouth, Poole, Wareham, Dorchester and Weymouth as well as Gillingham, Sherborne and Axminster (for Lyme Regis).

Dorset also has connections from Bath, Bristol and Gloucester with Great Western Railway train services.

Arriving by road

Whether you are arriving by coach or car, Dorset is easily accessible by road. Travelling to the county is an enjoyable and scenic journey, passing through beautiful countryside along the way.

And once here, enjoy the peace and quiet – 5 English counties do not have a motorway and Dorset is one of them! Driving is a pleasure on our traffic-light country lanes - just make sure you don’t get distracted by the incredible views! 

Arriving by sea

As Dorset is situated on the south coast of England, there are a number of ferry services from European ports arriving in or close to the county.

Ferry services run to and from Poole, Plymouth, Portsmouth and Southampton. A warm welcome is also extended to cruise ship passengers arriving at Portland Port.

There are also a number of harbours along the Dorset coast which welcome visitors travelling with their own boat, offering a place to berth overnight, showers and other facilities.

Arriving by air

Dorset is easy to get to from anywhere in the world!

The main airports for Dorset are at Bournemouth, Southampton, Exeter and Bristol. All are less than 90 minutes drive away.

If you are arriving at London Gatwick or London Heathrow airports, you can get a connecting train or coach, or it is a 2-3 hour drive.

Need more information?

Find out more about getting around Dorset using our car free days out ideas and discover beautiful landscapes by using cycle networks or walking trails whilst you are here.

For the latest up-to-date travel information for Dorset, visit the Travel Dorset website.

In This Section

  1. South Western Railway family day out
    Getting To Dorset
    Whether you are arriving by land, sea, road, rail or air, read our useful information and travel tips.
  2. Purbeck Breezer bus
    Getting Around
    Dorset has an excellent public transport network for you to use, find out more...
  3. Parking for cars, coaches, motorcyles and motorhomes
    Parking
    Information on parking for cars, coaches, motorcycles and motorhomes, as well as electric car charging points located in car parks.

You may also like

  1. Maps of Dorset
    Maps
    Maps of Dorset towns
  2. Getting to Dorset by Electric Vehicle
    Charging your electric car
    Information about bringing your electric vehicle with you to Dorset and how to charge your car once you have arrived.
  3. Top 10 Car Free Adventures
    Top 10 Car Free Adventures
    Whether you want an eco-friendly holiday or just want to leave the car at home for the day, we have some great ideas for car free days out in Dorset.

Search Accommodation

Type:
Area:
Keyword:
Check In:
Add room / Unit

Search Things to Do

Type:
Area:
Keyword:

Search What's On

Type:
Area:
Keyword:
Dates

Search Food & Drink

Type:
Area:
Keyword:
Loading..Loading..

Follow Visit Dorset

  • Facebook

    Thumbnail for Facebook

  • Twitter

    Thumbnail for Twitter

  • Youtube

    Thumbnail for Youtube

  • Instagram

    Thumbnail for Instagram

Sign up for our Newsletter

thank you

Download our Guide

thank you

Know Before You Go - Covid-19 information
  • We're Good To Go Dorset,
  • Know before you go town centres,
  • Repect, Protect and Enjoy Dorset,
Things To Do
  • Family Friendly,
  • Dog Friendly,
  • The Jurassic Coast,
  • Fossil Hunting,
  • Shopping,
  • Active and Outdoor ,
  • Families & Children,
  • Heritage & Culture,
  • Animals & Farm Parks,
  • Gardens & Parks,
  • Tours & Boat Trips,
  • Food & Drink Experiences,
  • Entertainment & Arts,
  • Nature and Wildlife,
Accommodation
  • Hotels,
  • Bed & Breakfast,
  • Self Catering,
  • Self Catering Agencies,
  • Dorset Holiday Cottages,
  • Caravan & Holiday Parks,
  • Campsites,
  • Glamping,
  • Pubs & Inns,
  • Farm Stays,
  • Eco Friendly,
  • Group Friendly,
  • Pet Friendly,
  • Accessible,
  • Gradings & Awards,
Shopping Food & Drink
  • Restaurants,
  • Pubs & Bars,
  • Cafes & Coffee Shops,
  • Afternoon Tea,
  • Farmers' Markets,
  • Local Produce,
  • Celebrity Chefs,
  • Food Events,
  • Food & Drink Experiences,
Ideas & Inspiration
  • Special Offers,
  • Visit Dorset Blog,
  • Top 10 Ideas,
  • Dog Friendly,
  • Eco-friendly,
  • Short Break Ideas,
  • Film & TV,
  • History & Heritage,
  • Dorset Weddings,
  • Dorset Videos,
Explore
  • Jurassic Coast,
  • Areas To Visit,
  • Villages,
  • Coast and Beaches,
  • Countryside,
  • Areas Of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB),
What's On
  • Festivals,
  • Food & Drink Events,
  • Art Events,
  • Music Events,
  • Nature Events,
  • Sporting Events,
  • Submit Event,
Visitor Information
  • Maps,
  • Brochures & Guides,
  • Tourist Information Centres,
  • Travel Information,
  • Group Travel,
  • Litter Free Dorset,
  • Accessibility,
  • Social Media,
  • Contact Us,
Home
Industry
  • About Us,
  • Our Work,
  • Working With Us,
  • Media Room,
  • Business Resources,
  • Research,
  • News,
  • Print Page
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Statement
  • Contact Us
  • Site Map
  • Terms and Conditions

Copyright 2021 Visit Dorset. All Rights Reserved.

Made By Simpleview Logo

Ratings & Reviews

Powered By

tripadvisor

Special Offers

Sign up to our E-newsletter

Order or Download a Brochure

Visit Dorset Blog

Special Offers

Sign up to our E-newsletter

Order or Download a Brochure

Visit Dorset Blog

Special Offers

Sign up to our E-newsletter

Order or Download a Brochure

Visit Dorset Blog

Special Offers

Sign up to our E-newsletter

Order or Download a Brochure

Visit Dorset Blog

Special Offers

Sign up to our E-newsletter

Order or Download a Brochure

Visit Dorset Blog

Special Offers

Sign up to our E-newsletter

Order or Download a Brochure

Visit Dorset Blog

Special Offers

Sign up to our E-newsletter

Order or Download a Brochure

Visit Dorset Blog