Poole is one of the easiest places on the south coast to visit without a car, and in summer it is often faster.
Arriving
Direct trains from London Waterloo take around two hours. Poole station sits in the middle of town, a ten-minute walk from the Quay and the Old Town.
A day on the water
Walk to the Quay and take a boat to Brownsea Island. Twenty minutes each way, red squirrels and a lagoon full of birds at the other end.
A day at the beach
Bus from the town centre out to Canford Cliffs, Branksome or Sandbanks. No circling for a parking space.
A day in the hills
Bus to Sandbanks, walk onto the chain ferry as a foot passenger, and you are in Studland four minutes later, with the coast path to Old Harry Rocks ahead of you.
A day in the park
Poole Park is walkable from the station, with Parkstone station at the far end.
See getting around and sustainability.