This travel guide is full of proposals on how to plan your holidays in Bournemouth. This English city is famous for having the beautiful cliffs, golden sand seashores and the beach lodges. Tourists come here to walk along the pier, explore the galleries and gardens, attend the best air festivals, tour around the lovely pubs and try some delicious cuisine.
Table of Contents
What to Visit in Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a seaside resort town located in the county of Dorset on the southern coast of England, roughly 151 km away from London. It’s right on the English Channel featuring the cliffs and eleven kilometres of golden sandy beaches stretching from Sandbanks to Christchurch Harbour. The city covers over 46 square km with the population of almost 506,000 people.
Don’t leave Bournemouth without seeing:
- Bournemouth Pier
- Southbourne Beach
- Boscombe Beach
- Bournemouth Beach
- Durley Chine Beach
- Alum Chine Beach
- Branksome Dene Beach
- Branksome Chine Beach
- Fisherman Walk Beach
- Canford Cliffs Beach
- Shore Road Beach
- Sandbanks Beach
- Manor Steps
- Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum
- Westover Gallery
- Bournemouth Aviation Museum
- The Atrium Gallery
- St Peter’s Church
- Bournemouth Hebrew Congregation
- Upper Gardens
- Central Gardens
- Lower Gardens
- Meyrick Par
- Queens Park Golf Course
- Bournemouth International Centre
- Boscombe Pier
- Pavilion Theatre
- Bournemouth Oceanarium
- Adventure Wonderland
- AFC Bournemouth
- Jurassic Coast
- Hengistbury Head
- Turbary Common
- Isle of Purbeck
- Brownsea Island
- National Trust Beach in Studland
- Old Harry Rocks
Read more: What to See and Do in Bournemouth Top Tourist Attractions
Hiking in Bournemouth
The best walks in Bournemouth are the ones you can do along the beach. When in the area, you should try doing the Bournemouth Costal Path from Sandbanks to Milford-on-Sea. Other hiking trails include Bournemouth Gardens Tree Trail, Hengistbury Head, Bournemouth to Swanage via West Undercliff Promenade, Bournemouth via Hurn to St. Leonards and the River Stour loop trail.
Read more: Best Hikes and Walks in Bournemouth
Beaches in Bournemouth
Bournemouth is famous for having the golden sand beaches and the best ones to visit are the Southbourne Beach, Boscombe Beach, Bournemouth Beach, Durley Chine Beach, Alum Chine Beach, Branksome Dene Beach, Branksome Chine Beach, Fisherman Walk Beach, Canford Cliffs Beach, Shore Road Beach and the Sandbanks Beach.
Read more The Most Beautiful Beaches in Bournemouth
Daily Excursions From Bournemouth
- Jurassic Coast
- Stonehenge, Bath
- New Forest
- Isle of Purbeck
- Brownsea Island
Where to Stay in Bournemouth
When you plan on coming to Bournemouth, it’s worth knowing the city is divided into the following areas: Boscombe, Kinson, Southbourne, Springbourne, Throops, Westbourne, Winton and Pokesdown. If you want to stay near the sea but still in town, it’s best to choose the seafront hotel. If you want to explore some other places by the beach, you may as well try the Sandbanks, Westbourne, Boscombe, Poole, Brownsea Island, Hengistbury, Christchurch or Studland Bay. My choice of hotels to stay in Bournemouth:
- Heathlands Hotel
- Bournemouth Beach Lodges
What to Eat in Bournemouth
It’s no surprise the best thing to try in Bournemouth is fish and chips. Being the coastal town, it’s known for serving the freshest cod and halibut. There are other traditional English dishes to taste in Bournemouth such as:
- Scotch Eggs – hard boiled egg wrapped in the sausage meat, coated in breadcrumbs and fried.
- Piccalilli – English version of Indian pickles, salty, sour and spiced.
- Marmite – food spread made from yeast extract.
- Crumpets – English muffin with butter of jam.
- British Scones – dense biscuits served with butter or jam.
- Chip Butty – white bread sandwich with chips and ketchup inside.
- Meat Pies – steak and kidney pie, steak and ale pie, pork pie, chicken and leek pie, served hot or cold.
- Cornish Pastry – meat, veggies (plenty of potatoes) mixed in a gravy sauce, wrapped in the pastry and baked in the oven.
- Full English Breakfast – bacon, sausage, grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, eggs, fried beans, hash browns and toasts.
- Sunday Roast – roasted joint lamb, beef or pork, served with Yorkshire pudding, vegetables and gravy.
- Afternoon Tea – tiny finger triangle sandwiches with no crust, filled with cucumber and cream cheese.
- Bangers and mash – sausage, mash potatoes, gravy and peas.
- Sausage Toad – sausage in Yorkshire butter, served with veggies and gravy.
- Fish and Chips – cod in beer butter, chips and mushy peas.
- Beef Wellington – beef steak coated in mushroom mixture and wrapped in the puff pastry, served with mash potatoes and asparagus.
- Shepperd’s (Cottage) Pie – mash potatoes crust and meat base baked in the oven.
- Chicken Tikka Masala – roasted chunks of chicken cooked in the spiced tomato cream sauce.
- Sticky Toffee Pudding – moist sponge cake made of dates in a toffee sauce, served with vanilla custard or ice cream.
- Ale – traditional English beer.
How to Get Around Bournemouth
The best way to explore Bournemouth is walking. The town itself is pretty small and most attractions can be reached on foot. If you want to visit more remote places, it’s recommended to take the bus or rent a car.
By Plane
There is one International Bournemouth Airport located in Christchurch which is 6,5 km away from the town centre. You can fly there from most European countries with Ryanair, EasyJet or Scottish Airlines. There are no trains from the airport but you can use the shuttle buses to get you to the city centre. The Yellow Buses 737 or National Express. The journey takes 44 min and cost £4.40 one way.
How to get from London to Bournemouth?
By Bus
National Express will take you to Bournemouth you from any place around the UK. You can book the coach from London Victoria Station. The journey roughly takes 2 h 30 min and costs around £16 one way.
By Train
South Western Railway operates directly from London Waterloo Station to Bournemouth. The train station in Bournemouth is located on the Holdenhurst Road which is uphill and takes up to 15 min to get to the city centre. You can book the tickets at trainline.com, the journey lasts up to 2 h and costs around £15 one way.
By Car
If you travel by road, you will most likely take the M27 which turns into A31 dual-carriage way. After passing New Forest, you must look for the Bournemouth exit (A338) located in Ringwood. Bournemouth is located around 170 km from central London and takes a little over 2 h.
By Taxi
If you want to use the taxi, please use Uber or Addison Lee. The typical journey takes around 2 h and costs roughly £135.
Taxis in Bournemouth are cheap for a short distance but the longer journeys are one of the most expensive in the UK. There's a minimum charge of £2 and around £2.50 per km. You can use Uber or book a mini cab office:
- Apple Cabs (+44 1202 805 805, applecabsbournemouth.co.uk)
- Mobile Radio Cars (+44 1202 518 000, mobileradiocars.co.uk)
Bournemouth Travel Guide – Cost and Budget
The backpacker’s budget to visit Bournemouth should around £40 a day. That’s assuming you stay in the shared accommodation, cook your own food, travel with public transport and see the basic attractions.
If you want to explore Bournemouth on the mid – range budget, be ready to spend £105 a day. That allows you to book a nice hotel, eat your meals in traditional restaurants, use cabs, visit the city on the Hop On Hop Off bus or pay for the entries to the most popular attractions such as Oceanarium or the Art Gallery.
If you want a luxury in Bournemouth, you need at least £240 a day. This covers your stay in the Bournemouth Beach lodges, fine dining at the top rated restaurants, using cabs and enjoying the best of what the city has to offer such as Pier to Shore Zip Line.
| Accommodation | Food | Transport | Attractions | Avg Daily Cost | |
| Backpacker | £15 | £10 | £5 | £10 | £40 |
| Mid-Range | £40 | £40 | £10 | £15 | £105 |
| Luxury | £100 | £100 | £20 | £20 | £240 |
Bournemouth Travel Guide – Best Time to Visit
Best time to go to Bournemouth is during the summer from May to August. Those months experience plenty of sunshine and average temperatures between 17°C and 23°C. The fact is, the summer in Bournemouth is also the most enjoyable time to be on the beach with the average sea temperatures between 14°C and 17°C.
TIP: Summer festivals in Bournemouth – the Shake and Stir Festival (June, Southbourne), the Bournemouth Air Festival (August), free Friday night fireworks on Bournemouth Beach and Pier every week in August.
If you travel to Bournemouth in spring (March to May) or autumn (September to November), you’ll get to enjoy the mild temperatures between 11°C to 19°C and very few showers. Both seasons bring some gusts and stormy weather is common.
TIP: If you travel to Bournemouth in October, you’ll get to attend the Bournemouth Arts by the Sea Festival.
Winter in Bournemouth runs from December to February. That’s when it rains the most (up 13 days a month) and temperatures are the lowest around 9°C during the day.
High Season (Jun – Aug)
- Crowdy beaches
- Expensive hotels
- Air 23°C, Sea 17°C
- Summer events
Mid (Mar-May, Sep-Nov)
- Less crowded
- Reduced hotel prices
- Temps 11°C to 19°C
- Spring and autumn
Low Season (Dec – Feb)
- City almost empty
- Hotels shut down
- Temps up to 9°C
- The wettest season
Bournemouth Travel Guide – Average Monthly Temperatures
Bournemouth is the hottest in summer from June to August. Those months bring nice sunny weather and the average temperatures between 20°C and 23°C with July being the hottest. In contrast, Bournemouth is the coldest in winter from December to February. Those months bring the mild temperatures up to 9°C with January being the coldest (8°C).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| High Temp (°C) | 8 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 9 |
| Low Temp (°C) | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| Sea Temp (°C) | 10 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 11 |
Bournemouth Travel Guide – Average Monthly Precipitation
Bournemouth is the wettest from September to January during the autumn and winter. In fact, the month when it rains the most is December bringing up to 100 mm and 13 days of shower. In contrast, Bournemouth is the driest from April to August during the spring and summer season. The month with the least rainfall is July with only 50 mm and 5 days of showers.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Rainfall (mm) | 90 | 70 | 70 | 50 | 50 | 60 | 50 | 50 | 60 | 90 | 70 | 100 |
| Rainfall (days) | 12 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
Bournemouth Travel Guide – Practical Information
This part of my travel guide is full of tips on what to expect during your travels to Bournemouth. For more information on language and local time, religion, electricity plug, internet, currency, visa, safety and health matters in Bournemouth, just follow my guidance below.
Population and Language – Around 506,000 people live in Bournemouth and the official language is English.
Religion – 57.1% Christian, 30.5% No Religion, 7.8% Not Stated, 1.8% Muslim, 0.7% Jewish, 0.7% Hindu, 0.7% Buddhist, 0.7% Other, 0.1% Sikh.
Local Time – There is 1 time zone in Bournemouth, UTC+0 hour.
Electricity – Bournemouth runs on 230V voltage. There is 50Hz and the plug type G (three pin plug). Getting an adapter is recommended.
Internet The internet in Bournemouth is available all over the city. The free Wi-Fi is offered in the hotels, restaurants, pubs and other public places. It’s recommended to buy a cheap sim card (around £0.99) and the mobile internet on arrival. Best prepaid (pay as you go) sim cards in Bournemouth are: EE, Vodafone, Three and O2. The standard monthly tariffs start from £10 a month.
Money and Currency in Bournemouth
In Bournemouth the ATMs are widely available. There are two types of cash machines: free and pay-to-use. The typical charge in Bournemouth is £1.50 to £2 per transaction. Visa, MasterCard and Credit Cards are accepted pretty much everywhere. Having some cash is always advisable.
Currency – The official currency in Bournemouth is Pound Sterling (£) (GBP).
Visa Requirements for Bournemouth
Visa – The UK left the EU on 31st of December 2020. EU citizens don’t need a tourist visa to travel to Bournemouth if staying up to 6 months. Irish can travel anytime they wish with no limits to how long they want to stay. Australians, Canadians, New Zealanders and Americans don’t need a visa to Bournemouth if their trips are less than 90 days. Your passport needs to be valid for at least 6 months before your travels.
Safety in Bournemouth
Safety Bournemouth is a pretty safe destination to travel. There are many hen and stag parties happening during the summer months, but they are rather loud than dangerous. Weekends are when the young people often get drunk and gather around the Old Christchurch Road, so it’s best to be avoided. Boscombe area is where some prostitution and drug problems may occur.
Emergency Numbers – In Bournemouth an emergency free numbers to dial are 999 or 112. The numbers for the particular emergency services in Bournemouth are: Police – 101 (Non Emergency), Fire – 112, Medical Services (Non Emergency) – 111.
Health and Travel Vaccinations in Bournemouth
Health – Travelling to Bournemouth requires doesn’t require any additional vaccinations. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that everyone is covered for the diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella and polio, hepatitis A, hepatitis B regardless of their destination.