Daytrip to Dorset | England - Lonely Planet Forum

ONLINE

Mon, 14 Apr 2014 03:35:16 +0000

Hello,

I am travelling to UK for the first time and planning a daytrip in Dorset area from London. I am travelling alone by public transport and as my budget is limited in terms of both time and money, I would like to do the difficult job of maximizing travel time and minimizing cost. What I would love to do is to explore the coast as much as possible and visit Corfe castle. I was planning the following itinerary for the trip, and as I have no idea about UK the transportation system at all, I would like some advise if it is feasible or should be modified.

London - Bournemouth (National Express Bus) leave in early morning

Bournemouth - Studland (Bus 50: http://www.morebus.co.uk/bournemouth-and-poole.shtml)

Hike to Old Harry Rocks from Studland (1.5 hrs?)

Studland -Swanage (same bus)

Swanage - Corfe Castle (Bus 40)

Visit Corfe castle and the village (2 hrs?)

Corfe Castle - Wareham (Bus 40) (hopefully there will be a daypass type thing for all the buses)

Wareham - Wool (train)

Taxi to Durdle door (Is it costly?)

Hike to Lulworth Cove

Taxi back to Wool

Wool - London (I think the last train is at 8:40 pm)

I was thinking if I get to Bournemouth by 10 am (I think the first bus reach at 9:30) I would leave for Wool around 5:30 pm having total 7.5 hrs for the first part and 3 hrs for the Wool/Durdle door/Lulworth cove part. Is there anything really interesting nearby I can/should accommodate?

ONLINE

Mon, 14 Apr 2014 14:08:21 +0000

This might help https://www.dorsetforyou.com/media.jsp?mediaid=193035&filetype=pdf and see route X43. However, I think your proposed route is hopelessly ambitious for one day. Can't you stay the night in Swanage and make it a 2 day trip? The walk down to Durdle Door is a good energetic 30 - 40 minutes each way and even longer if you want to get down to the beach.

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ONLINE

Sat, 26 Apr 2014 01:53:12 +0000

You have the transport ideas and yes there is a day-trip ticket for the buses.
But to do all that ion one day is a silly idea; you'd never make it and British public transport is unreliable.
Take a small overnight bag with you and double-pay for one night; keep your accommodation in London but just be 'not there' for one night and stay in, I'd suggest, Corfe Castle village or Wareham.

Most likely Corfe Castle, as if you miss the closing tie for the castle on day one, you can get up early and go in at opening time the next day.
Where to stay there? I don't know, I always stayed at my grandfather's house in that village, till he died last year.

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ONLINE

Sun, 27 Apr 2014 21:21:53 +0000

I agree that your ideas are too ambitious. It might just be possible but, although I think that local public transport is usually reliable, you would have to take great care with timetables and allow for at least some delay. Wool station is quite small and it is possible there might not be a taxi available and you would then need to telephone for one and wait for it to arrive. And I think this would certainly apply at Lulworth. Don't underestimate the challenge of the route, it is quite hard work unless you are very fit. Are you going to eat "on the hoof"? All these places are worth spending time to enjoy.

Other major local attractions are the Swanage Railway (a heritage entity that could be included as the means of getting from Swanage to Corfe Castle) and the Tank Museum, a couple of miles from Wool, which has what I believe is the world's largest collection of armoured military vehicles. if you have any interest in geology, the coast here is part of a World Heritage Site and is worth at least a whole day to itself (see The Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Site, England's first natural World Heritage Site — it is known as The Jurassic Coast).

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