By Helena Smith
Getting to Dorset is really easy. The county’s excellent connections via international airports, ferry ports, national and local railway services and a comprehensive road system makes Dorset one of the most accessible holiday destinations in the South West. Dorset is easily accessible by road, linking with the M3 from London and the M5 from Birmingham.
By road
Travelling to Dorset by road is an enjoyable and scenic journey, being only a couple of hours ride from London and passing through beautiful countryside along the way. And once here, enjoy the peace and quiet – there are only five English counties which don’t 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 great views!
Dorset is one of five English counties which don’t have a motorway
By rail
Dorset is served by a reliable rail network between many of the UK’s principal towns and local stations throughout the country. The county has direct trains from London Waterloo which stop at Christchurch, Wareham, Dorchester and Weymouth as well as Gillingham, Sherborne and Axminster (for Lyme Regis). Dorset also has connections to Bath, Bristol and Gloucester.
During your stay in Dorset, a trip on the train is an exciting day out for families with young children and a visit to the Swanage Railway is a definite ‘must do’. The steam train journeys through the pretty Dorset countryside travelling to Corfe Castle and on to the sandy Blue Flag beach at Swanage.
By ferry
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.
With four airports nearby, Dorset is easily accessible by air
By air
The main airports for Dorset are Bournemouth, Southampton, Exeter and Bristol. All are under 90 minutes drive away, meaning Dorset is easy to get to from anywhere in the world!
Day trips
Why not take a day trip to the beautiful Channel Islands or France from Poole, or take advantage of the many boat trips along the Jurassic Coast?
Read more about Dorset
