Bournemouth's original backpacker hostel for foreign visitors, cyclists, ramblers & groups.

Bournemouth Backpackers Hostel, 3 Frances Road, Bournemouth, Dorset BH1 3RY, ENGLAND.
Official Website: https://www.bournemouthbackpackers.co.uk, Facebook: BournemouthBackpackersHostel

In & Around Bournemouth

Welcome to Bournemouth, and its neighbour Poole, on the sunny(ish) south coast of England, one of the UK's leading seaside resorts. We have miles of clean, sandy beaches (which meet the European Union's "Blue Flag" standards) with two piers and one of the world's largest natural harbours - offering a wide variety of watersports.

Bournemouth has several retail centres, top English language schools, a well established university, renowned nightlife and a host of local activities.

We have year-round casual work - well suited to international working holiday makers. Work opportunties and our cheap Low Season rates make the hostel a good winter base to save up some well-needed travel money for the summer.

Bournemouth is a great base for exploring the beautiful Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire scenery. Cheap bus passes allow unlimited travel over a wide area - giving easy access to many local attractions. Backpacker day trips can be booked with Discover Dorset. The nearby Jurassic Coast is one of the most spectacular coastlines in the world and is now World Heritage Listed (along with The Grand Canyon in the USA and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia). The long distance South West Coastal Path, which begins on the other side of Poole Harbour, provides outstanding views.

Also on the other side of the Harbour lies Purbeck: a beautiful and easily accessible area, with the pretty resort of Swanage, ancient pubs and the ruins of the medieval Corfe Castle. To the east of Bournemouth lies the New Forest with its famous ponies.

The area is rich in history and legends:
Thomas Hardy, Lawrence of Arabia, The Tolpuddle Martyrs, Dorset smugglers, Badbury Rings, Maiden Castle, Corfe Castle, The Cerne Abbas Giant, etc. etc.

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Getting to Bournemouth

General

Bournemouth has excellent transport links to the rest of the UK and mainland Europe and is becoming a useful gateway to the UK for budget travellers.

By Air

Bournemouth International Airport is served by several budget airlines. Bournemouth International Airport is linked to the Travel Interchange (less than 5 minutes walk from the backpackers hostel) by a local bus service. Taxis waiting at the airport and can also take you to the backpackers hostel.

Southampton International Airport is approximately 50 km (40-50 minutes) from Bournemouth and has a fast, direct train service to Bournemouth 2-3 times per hour. Southampton International Airport is served by a number of airlines, including the budget airline FlyBe.

Bournemouth has convenient bus/coach connections with London Heathrow Airport. FlightLink (operated by National Express) run direct bus/coach services from Heathrow to Bournemouth approximately every two hours: these buses take two hours to reach Bournemouth. Flightlink also provide a bus/coach services from London Gatwick and London Stanstead Airports to Bournemouth. Train travel from London (Heathrow and Stansted) Aiports to Bournemouth is generally indirect and expensive. The train from London (Gatwick) Airport to Bournemouth is, however, more competitive.

By Land and Sea

Poole ferry terminal is approximately 1.5 km. from Poole railway station, where regular trains reach Bournemouth in approximately 15 minutes. Ferry services are operated by Brittany Ferries and Condor, offering connections to St. Malo and Cherbourg (France) as well as the Channel Islands.

There are direct National Express bus/coach services to Bournemouth from many parts of the U.K.. Bus/coach travel is generally cheaper than train travel in the UK. National Express Buses leave from Victoria Coach Station in London approximately every hour and take approximately 2 hours 30 mins to complete the journey. Young persons (under 25) can buy a discount card giving them one third off these fares. Phone (08705) 808080 for National Express information.

Bournemouth has direct train services from London, Scotland, The North East and the Midlands. Trains from London leave from Waterloo Station, roughly twice an hour and usually take around 1 hour 45 minutes to reach Bournemouth. Train discount cards can be bought by young persons (under 26) and full-time students. An off-peak discount card for South East England (Network Card) can be bought by others. Phone (08457) 484950 for all train information.

The Backpackers Hostel

Bournemouth Backpackers Hostel is Bournemouth's original backpacker hostel and was established in March 1999. It is family owned and operated by experienced international travellers. We provide great value accommodation in an ideal location. The hostel is a home away from home and a great place to meet people if you are travelling alone. As you can see from our comments page, many of our guests don't want to leave!

• Free wifi 24 hours a day.
• Less than 5 minutes walk from The Travel Interchange (train/bus station).
• Walkable from beach, town centre, nightlife and many language schools.
• Supermarkets, Cafes, Pubs, Newsagents & Tennis Courts all within 5 minutes walk.
• Cycle and car hire close by.
• Public Transport to Poole Ferry Terminal and Bournemouth International Airport.
• An excellent base to explore, using cheap bus passes to visit many attractions, for example: Purbeck, Salisbury & Stonehenge, Jurassic Coast Path, the New Forest etc..
  
  
• Traditional cosy, English (Edwardian) house with a very friendly atmosphere.
• Relaxing, smoke free and clean.
• Beds in 6 share/dormitory rooms and twin and single rooms at low prices.
• Stable, steel full width (90 cm/3' wide) bunks with clean pillows and covered interior sprung mattresses. Bedding included in the price.
• TV/DVD lounge, kitchen (pans, crockery etc. provided) and BBQ area (in summer), free car parking on-street and cycle parking.
• No chores, no membership and 24 hour access once checked in.

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Opening Times, Prices and Reservations

Important Information about Check-in Times.

We are a very small (8 bed), seasonal, hostel and to keep our prices low, the hostel does not have full-time staff or fixed opening times, so please check the information below carefully before arranging travel.

Due to The Pandemic, Brexit and family issues we now have other commitments
and can only offer limited short-term accommodation in private rooms at the moment.

Check-in is only possible with an advance reservation made using our reservation enquiry form. We take reservations up to 28 days in advance and check-in can be arranged between 17:00 and 19:00 on any day except Saturdays (check-in staff finish work at 19:00). Due to limited staffing and other commitments, we are unable to accept reservations at certain times.

If you arrive before check-in time, luggage can be left at the Bournemouth Tourism Office at the Travel Interchange (train/bus station) for a small charge; luggage cannot be left at the hostel before you check-in.

*We provide clean bedding at check-in. Towels can be hired for GBP 1.00 each, if you do not wish to bring your own.
Prices correct for March 2025, but are subject to change. Terms and conditions apply.