Guide to Bournemouth

Travel

Bournemouth and Poole offer plenty to do, from nightlife to sport, and from the countryside to the beach

Travel

Bournemouth is well-connected by public transport, which makes it easy to explore some of the South Coast’s highlights.

With award-winning beaches, buzzing nightlife, mini-golf courses, cinemas, water parks, gardens and a plethora of shops and restaurants all within a five-mile radius of our campus, being able to explore your surroundings is a must.

Getting around in Bournemouth couldn't be easier. The Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area is well-connected, with public transport links running regularly. Cyclists can also zip from A to B with the local Beryl Bike hire service.

If you're looking to go a little further afield, there are also major train and coach stations a short walk away from our Lansdowne halls of residence that will transport you to the New Forest, Southampton, London and beyond.

Getting to university

Whether you're living in halls or private rented accommodation, travelling around town and campus is easy. You'll find an abundance of cycle paths around Bournemouth, but the most popular option is taking the bus – the subsidised route that runs from campus is called UNIBUS. There are plenty of options for buying tickets – an annual pass, a 10-trip pass, or a single fare.

Find out more about travelling around Bournemouth below.

Cycle

Bournemouth has a well-established cycle community, with paths across town making it easy to travel about on two wheels. All our halls of residence and the campus have access to bicycle storage – we'd recommend using a D-lock to secure your bicycle.

The Universities Police Team offers free bicycle security marking and hold regular sessions on campus, and Hope2Cycle visit AUB on a monthly basis for discount bicycles and bicycle repairs.

Bus

UNIBUS and MoreBus provide services across Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch. You can pick up a timetable from Student Services, or information on bus times can also be found online at:

Hopping on a bus couldn't be easier. Simply tap your contactless phone or card, and you're good to go.

Car

We strongly recommend that you avoid bringing a car with you to university. There's no student parking on campus or halls of residence, unless you're a Blue Badge holder.

Parking in the local areas is limited but a few car parks are available.

Travelling into Bournemouth

Arriving in Bournemouth by bus, coach or train is easy – all of these stations are conveniently located at the same spot in Lansdowne between town centre and our campus, only a five-minute walk from our off-campus halls of residence. MoreBus connects most areas around Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch, and from Poole you can catch the Jurassic Coaster service to explore the stunning, historic coastline.

Looking for a rural escape? Take a 20-minute train to Brockenhurst for a day trip to the New Forest. This provides a fun day out with beautiful landscapes, with walking trails from the village, nearby pubs, horse-riding lessons and even campsites for the summer.

For more beach action, head to Swanage – just an hour on the bus from Bournemouth – where you can hire kayaks or pedalos to get out on the water, along with a great variety of quaint little spots.

Even further out you'll find Southampton which is great for shopping at West Quay, and the cultural city of Winchester, just under an hour by train. You could even visit the iconic, pre-historic Stonehenge – it's only an hour's drive away.

London Waterloo is just two hours away on South Western Railway, and National Express coaches also run between Bournemouth and London.

Be sure to check out direct Cross Country trains to Oxford, Birmingham and Manchester, or change at Southampton for York, Newcastle, Bath and Bristol.

For a coastal town, Bournemouth is surprisingly well connected to the rest of the UK and Europe.

Bournemouth Airport has flights to a variety of great getaway destinations. Just an hour away, Southampton Airport Parkway has airborne connections to transport hubs in France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany and the Netherlands. If you're looking to go across the water, Poole and Southampton both offer ferries to France and the Channel Islands with Condor.