Real-time public transport information
You can check the actual times of the next bus, train or coach from your local stop or station by clicking one of the buttons on the right.
Trains, planes and National Express coaches should show "live" times. That means it will show if your transport is running to time or late. Buses will only show that information in the Poole/Bournemouth area and Weymouth/Dorchester area, and then only if your bus has the necessary tracking equipment installed. |
Dorset Public Transport and Travel - Home Page
You'll find a selection of information and blogs relating to travel and public transport in Dorset, particularly along the Jurassic Coast, centred on Weymouth. Click the underlined links for more information. We review all the information on a regular basis, but cannot guarantee its accuracy. Please use the CONTACT FORM to let us know of any changes we have not published. We cannot be responsible for the content of external linked websites.
AIR
Dorset's airport is Bournemouth, situated at Hurn, near Christchurch. It mainly caters for charter holiday flights, though low-cost carriers Ryanair and Easy-Jet have regular services. Aer Lingus fly daily (except Saturdays) to Dublin.
There's an hourly bus link from Bournemouth Rail Station and Town Centre. Journey time from Bournemouth Rail Station is just 15 minutes. Bus TIMETABLE
There are nearby airports at Southampton, with direct trains from Dorset, and Exeter in Devon. Both these airports have many daily flights to destinations in the UK and Europe operated by FlyBe
There's an hourly bus link from Bournemouth Rail Station and Town Centre. Journey time from Bournemouth Rail Station is just 15 minutes. Bus TIMETABLE
There are nearby airports at Southampton, with direct trains from Dorset, and Exeter in Devon. Both these airports have many daily flights to destinations in the UK and Europe operated by FlyBe
RAIL
The main railway line running through Dorset from London Waterloo to Weymouth has comfortable electric trains with a maximum of 3 services an hour to Bournemouth/Poole and two services an hour to Weymouth on weekdays. These are operated by South-West Trains. Also operating on this line as far as Bournemouth is Cross-Country Trains. They run hourly through services from Newcastle and Manchester and intermediate stations.
In the north of Dorset South-West Trains operate an hourly diesel service from London Waterloo to Gillingham, Templecombe and Sherborne which continues into Devon as far as Exeter.
For cheap railway tickets from Weymouth, Poole, Bournemouth and Yeovil Junction to London Waterloo try Megatrain who offer seats on certain off-peak South-West trains at very low fares.
There's a third line from Bristol to Dorchester and Weymouth that has a diesel service approximately every two hours on weekdays. This is operated by First Great Western trains.
We recommend using the First Great Western website to book (and plan) all your rail journeys. It is one of the few not to levy any charges for credit card payments.
The Swanage Railway operates a daily steam-hauled service from Easter to the end of October from Norden Park and Ride station to Corfe Castle & Swanage. There is a parking charge, currently £3.00 for the whole day - exact money in the machine. Recently funding has been guaranteed to allow the operation of a regular diesel train service from Wareham to Swanage. Hopefully this will start in 2015. Work has started on the infrastructure needed at Wareham and Worgret Junction to enable a regular service from the main line.
In the north of Dorset South-West Trains operate an hourly diesel service from London Waterloo to Gillingham, Templecombe and Sherborne which continues into Devon as far as Exeter.
For cheap railway tickets from Weymouth, Poole, Bournemouth and Yeovil Junction to London Waterloo try Megatrain who offer seats on certain off-peak South-West trains at very low fares.
There's a third line from Bristol to Dorchester and Weymouth that has a diesel service approximately every two hours on weekdays. This is operated by First Great Western trains.
We recommend using the First Great Western website to book (and plan) all your rail journeys. It is one of the few not to levy any charges for credit card payments.
The Swanage Railway operates a daily steam-hauled service from Easter to the end of October from Norden Park and Ride station to Corfe Castle & Swanage. There is a parking charge, currently £3.00 for the whole day - exact money in the machine. Recently funding has been guaranteed to allow the operation of a regular diesel train service from Wareham to Swanage. Hopefully this will start in 2015. Work has started on the infrastructure needed at Wareham and Worgret Junction to enable a regular service from the main line.
Freedom of the Severn-Solent
A bargain ticket for exploring the area is the Freedom of the Severn-Solent. This ticket covers the whole of Dorset and large areas of Hampshire, Wiltshire, Somerset, Gloucestershire and South Wales. It can only be purchased at staffed stations or on-line and comes in two versions - any 3 days in 7, or any 8 days in 15. It is valid off-peak on Monday to Friday, and any time at weekends and on Bank Holidays. This ticket is often cheaper than buying a return for a longer distance (eg Poole to Worcester, if returning within 7 days). You can find further details and a map by clicking HERE.
COACH
Most long-distance express coaches are operated by National Express. The main Dorset hub is Bournemouth Travel Interchange adjacent to Bournemouth Railway Station. From there coaches leave hourly for London (services 032 & 035). Some of these also serve Poole, Wareham, Swanage, Dorchester & Weymouth. There are also frequent services to Heathrow Airport (205) and Gatwick Airport (206). There are daily services also to Bristol, Manchester & Blackpool (333) and to Oxford, Birmingham & Liverpool (304). There's also a daily service (539) to Oxford, Stratford-on-Avon, Birmingham, Carlisle and Edinburgh.
There's a daily service (315) that travels between Cornwall and Sussex stopping at several Dorset towns along the south coast. In the north of Dorset there's a daily service to London from Sherborne & Shaftesbury (033).
You can now check the real-time departure/arrival of any coach on the COACH TRACKER website.
There's also a cheap way to travel from Bournemouth and Poole to the Midlands and North combining coach and train. You purchase a through ticket which combines train from Bournemouth/Poole to Southampton Airport Parkway, where you transfer to a coach for the journey northwards. Journey times are reasonably fast (eg Bournemouth-Coventry 4 hours) and cheap (from £8 single Poole-Birmingham). Book online MEGABUSPLUS.
There's a daily service (315) that travels between Cornwall and Sussex stopping at several Dorset towns along the south coast. In the north of Dorset there's a daily service to London from Sherborne & Shaftesbury (033).
You can now check the real-time departure/arrival of any coach on the COACH TRACKER website.
There's also a cheap way to travel from Bournemouth and Poole to the Midlands and North combining coach and train. You purchase a through ticket which combines train from Bournemouth/Poole to Southampton Airport Parkway, where you transfer to a coach for the journey northwards. Journey times are reasonably fast (eg Bournemouth-Coventry 4 hours) and cheap (from £8 single Poole-Birmingham). Book online MEGABUSPLUS.
BUS
There are regular buses in the main towns and also between towns. In the Bournemouth/Poole/Christchurch conurbation the principal bus operators are More (Wilts & Dorset), Yellow Buses and Bournemouth University.
In the rural areas the principal bus companies are Wilts & Dorset (More) and its subsidiary Damory Coaches, and First Hampshire & Dorset. There are a number of smaller operators including South-West Coaches (Portland/Weymouth/Yeovil), and Shaftesbury & District in the north of the county around Gillingham and Shaftesbury. Dolphin Coaches operate The Rossmore Flyer in Poole. Gardbus operate services on the Dorset/Wiltshire/Hampshire border.
In some very rural areas a taxi service operates supported by Dorset County Council.
English Bus Passes are usually valid from 09.30 to 23.00 on Mondays to Fridays, but there are exceptions. They're valid anytime at weekends.
A complete list with maps of all bus services in Dorset (outside the Bournemouth/Poole/Christchurch conurbation) is available on the Dorset for You website.
In the rural areas the principal bus companies are Wilts & Dorset (More) and its subsidiary Damory Coaches, and First Hampshire & Dorset. There are a number of smaller operators including South-West Coaches (Portland/Weymouth/Yeovil), and Shaftesbury & District in the north of the county around Gillingham and Shaftesbury. Dolphin Coaches operate The Rossmore Flyer in Poole. Gardbus operate services on the Dorset/Wiltshire/Hampshire border.
In some very rural areas a taxi service operates supported by Dorset County Council.
English Bus Passes are usually valid from 09.30 to 23.00 on Mondays to Fridays, but there are exceptions. They're valid anytime at weekends.
A complete list with maps of all bus services in Dorset (outside the Bournemouth/Poole/Christchurch conurbation) is available on the Dorset for You website.
SEA
There's a regular chain ferry across Poole Harbour entrance between Sandbanks and Shell Bay. This carries buses, cars and pedestrians. Condor Ferries operates a year-round service to the Channel Islands and St. Malo in France. All their services are currently sailing from Poole. There are no services until July 2013 from Weymouth due to defects in the quay at Weymouth. Brittany Ferries operates the popular ship Barfleur from Poole to Cherbourg in France. It leaves Poole each day at 08.30 (07.30 Tues and Sat) returning from Cherbourg at 18.45. These times allow for day trips which are reasonably priced.
There are numerous summer boat cruises and ferry services from Bournemouth Pier, Poole Quay, Swanage and Weymouth
There are numerous summer boat cruises and ferry services from Bournemouth Pier, Poole Quay, Swanage and Weymouth
Dorset County Council publishes three different timetable booklets. These are excellent, and show times of buses and trains in each of three areas of Dorset (Southern, Northern and Eastern). The Bournemouth/Poole/Christchurch conurbation is excluded.
They can be viewed on-line or obtained from Tourist Information Centres, or direct by post or downloaded from Dorset County Council WEBSITE
Live travel information is available on the Travel Dorset website maintained by Dorset County Council.
There is also a live map of current traffic problems on Dorset's roads on our ROADS page.
They can be viewed on-line or obtained from Tourist Information Centres, or direct by post or downloaded from Dorset County Council WEBSITE
Live travel information is available on the Travel Dorset website maintained by Dorset County Council.
There is also a live map of current traffic problems on Dorset's roads on our ROADS page.
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