Tsz Kam Yeung

I am Tsz Kam Yeung from Hong Kong, a MSc Events Marketing student. Before arriving in Bournemouth, you may be curious about what kind of transportation you can use while living here. Here are some ideas I have for you.

All aboard!

If you are travelling to Bournemouth from the airport, I suggest using the National Express coach services. It is a direct service from the airport to Bournemouth no matter where you are travelling from (both Heathrow and Gatwick Airports). You can leave the big, heavy luggage on the coach and relax during your journey until you pick it up again when you arrive.

Travelling from Heathrow Central Bus Station (Terminal 2,3) to Bournemouth Coach Station only takes approximately two and a half hours, and if you are departing from the South Terminal at Gatwick Airport, your journey is only an hour longer.

If you don’t have any luggage, I suggest the National Rail Service because it is one of the fastest ways to travel in or around Bournemouth. There is a regular Southwest train service from Bournemouth to London Waterloo and one of the stops is Southampton Central. Southampton Central is one of the major interchange stations you’d use to travel to other parts of the UK such as the cross-country service to Manchester and Birmingham in the Midlands.

Busing around town

There are two main bus operators in Bournemouth – the More Bus and the Yellow Bus. Both offer a wide range of services for you to discover Bournemouth and Poole. Most of the services from both companies stop in Bournemouth Square, so it is very convenient when we want to go shopping or to the beach.

If you are going out with friends at night…don’t worry! More Bus offers an all-night bus service with routes in and around Bournemouth, Castlepoint, Southbourne and Poole. Want to go a bit farther? More Bus also provides day tours to places like Stonehenge, Salisbury, and New Forest. It is a fantastic way to travel around Bournemouth.

U1, U2, U3, U4 and the U5 are the buses that run for students from Bournemouth University and Arts University Bournemouth. It stops near most of the student accommodation halls, which makes it the easiest way for students to get to campus and lectures. Some of the services run up to every ten minutes during term time, such as the U1, while others could be up to every thirty minutes.

Stress-free cycling

There are many cycling opportunities around Bournemouth and Poole which are suitable for everyone to discover the local area. If you like cycling, you could bike to university – there are facilities for secure storage of your bike at both campuses, as well as in student halls and the town center. The Bike Doctor comes to campus every month to help if your bike has a problem.

I hope the information above helps you to choose which type of transport is suitable for your travels in and around Bournemouth.

By Tsz Kam Yeung, Hong Kong, MSc Events Marketing, 2017/18