Jane's Midlife Journey

In the summer, there are a whole range of Open Top Bus routes available if you want a ride with a view along the Bournemouth coast and beyond. Whether you want to get from A to B, or just enjoy the view. With local buses connecting coastal towns, sightseeing tours, plus the opportunity to travel a little further afield and explore what the New Forest has to offer.

Morebus Breezer Buses

The area’s public transport provider, Morebus, offers a number of Breezer Bus routes taking you along the coast in either direction, as well as into the New Forest. Listed in numerical order, they are:

Jurassic Breezer 30 (Swanage to Weymouth/Dorchester)

Route

The Jurassic Breezer 30 runs from Swanage to Weymouth, sometimes continuing on to Dorchester. It passes through some of the region’s most popular tourist destinations:

• Corfe Castle – pretty village with ancient castle ruins
• Wareham – riverside market town
• Wool – with train station offering service to Bournemouth and London
• Lulworth Cove – beach and clifftop walks
• Durdle Door – famous arched rock
• Weymouth – popular beach resort town
• Dorchester – historic market town with Thomas Hardy connection

In additon, the Jurassic Breezer 31 runs in a loop between Wool, Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove.

From Bournemouth, you can catch the No 50 to Swanage to pick up the 30 service. Or by rail to Wool to pick up either service.

Times

These services are seasonal, running between May and September. Buses are roughly hourly, with seven 30 services throughout the day (eight at weekends). Two of these continue from Weymouth to Dorchester.

Price

If you want to explore, you can purchase a Zone ABC Dayrider ticket, which can be used on any bus on the Morebus network all day. An adult ticket costs £11.30. Alternatively, single fares are capped at £3.

Campsite Connect 35 (Swanage to Wareham)

Route

The Campsite Connect 35 Bus route travels from Swanage, via Corfe Castle, to Wareham and continues to link these places with various Wareham Forest campsites.

Times

This is a seasonal service, running four times a day between May and September.

Price

Prices are as per above.

Purbeck Breezer 40 (Poole to Swanage)

Route

The Purbeck Breezer 40 runs from Poole to Swanage, passing through the following:

• Upton – Country Park
• Farmer Palmers – popular children’s attraction
• Wareham – riverside market town
• Corfe Castle – pretty village with ancient castle ruins
• Langton Matravers – village on the edge of the Purbecks
• Swanage – seaside resort with excellent fish & chips

From Bournemouth, this is a great way to visit Corfe Castle. Take the 50 to Swanage (option to stop on the quay for fish & chips), then the 40 to Corfe Castle. Afterwards, either retrace this route, or continue on the 40 to Poole. From here, you can travel back to Bournemouth on the 70 or take the regular m2 bus.

Times

This service runs all year, with a slightly reduced timetable from September until May. During the summer months, it runs roughly hourly from early in the morning until around midnight.

Price

Single fares are capped at £3. If you stay within Zone A (between Poole and Upton), a day rider will cost £5.50. Travel any further and a Zone ABC ticket costs £11.30. Prices are slightly cheaper if you use the App or Tap on Tap Off.

Purbeck Breezer 50 (Bournemouth to Swanage)

Route

The Purbeck Breezer 50 runs from Bournemouth to the seaside resort of Swanage, passing through the following:

• Sandbanks – popular Blue Flagbeach
• Studland – village and departure point for walks to Old Harry Rocks
• Swanage – seaside resort with steam railway

This service crosses the mouth of Poole Harbour on the Sandbanks chainlink ferry. Crossing the ferry by car costs £10.80 return. In addition, there are often long queues, which the bus doesn’t have to wait in on the outward journey, making it an excellent option for exploring the Purbecks and Swanage.

Times

This service runs all year. During peak times, it runs roughly every 30 minutes from around 7 am until late evening, with a reduced timetable (roughly hourly) from September until May.

From Bournemouth, the bus takes just over an hour to reach Swanage, where you can alight either at Banjo Pier and walk along the seafront, or continue into town and the terminus at Swanage Station.

Price

Single fares are capped at £3. If you stay within Zone A (between Bournemouth and Sandbanks), a day rider will cost £5.50. Travel any further and a Zone ABC ticket costs £11.30. Prices are slightly cheaper if you use the App or Tap on Tap Off.

Harbour Breezer 60 (Poole)

Route

The Harbour Breezer 60 runs around Poole Harbour Between Sandbanks and Rockley Park stopping at the following:

• Sandbanks – popular Blue Flag beach
• Poole – shops and park
• Poole Quay – quayside dining and entertainment plus ferry to Brownsea Island
• Hamworthy Park – popular harbourside park with paddling pool
• Rockley Park – caravan park

Times

The service runs all year, with a reduced service between September and May. Note: Not all the buses go as far as Rockley Park, roughly half the services start/finish in Poole.

Price

This route is within Zone A, so a Dayrider ticket costs £5.50. Or single trips capped at £3.

Beach Breezer 70 (Rockley Park to Hoburne Park)

Route

The Beach Breezer 70 Bus starts at Rockley Park and runs along (or near) the coast to Hoburne via Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch, passing through the following:

• Poole – shops, park, quayside dining
• Compton Acres – subtropical gardens
• Alum Chine – beach with gardens
• Bournemouth – seaside resort town
• Boscombe – beach and pier
• Hengistbury Head – nature reserve, sand spit, up market beach huts
• Christchurch – harbourside market town with ancient priory
• Mudeford – quaint fishing village
• Hoburne – caravan park

Note: Good news for those who used this service last year – the stop at Boscombe Pier has been reintroduced.

Times

Running hourly throughout the day, this is a predominantly seasonal service between May and September.

Price

This route is also with Zone A, so £3 a trip or £5.20 for a Dayrider ticket.

New Forest Breezer 81/82 (Bournemouth to Lymington)

Route

Not necessarily an open top bus, but the former X1 and X2 routes, which link Bournemouth with Lymington has recently been rebranded as the New Forest Breezer 81 and 82. The routes passes through the following:

• Christchurch – harbourside market town with ancient priory
• Highcliffe – seaside town with beaches and Highcliffe Castle
• Barton on Sea – cliff top village (81 only)
• Milford on Sea – coastal village with shingle spit leading to Hurst Castle (81 only)
• Lymington – bustling coastal town with sea baths and popular Saturday market
  

Times

Buse services 81 and 82 run alternatively, with each running roughly hourly throughout the day. Less frequently at weekends. There are only 4 services on a Sunday.

Price

Single fares are capped at £3. If you stay within Zone A (between Bournemouth and Highcliffe), a day rider will cost £5.50. Travel any further and a Zone ABC ticket costs £11.30. Prices are slightly cheaper if you use the App or Tap on Tap Off.

City Sightseeing Bournemouth

Hop on Hop off Bus (Bournemouth – Poole – Bournemouth)

Route

The City Sightseeing Hop On Hop Off Bus travels on a circular route between Bournemouth and Poole, with 25 stops taking in key attractions. The entire circuit takes around 90 minutes to complete.

The service includes a running commentary of the sights you pass along the way. Note: This commentary is pre-recorded. So if the bus gets stuck in traffic, the commentary and the sights no longer align and it can get rather confusing, as you are told something about a place you passed some time ago, or haven’t reached yet…

In the morning, there are two additional pick ups from the station and the hotels along the East Cliff. There isn’t a corresponding drop off service; to get back to the station or your hotel, you’re on you own.

Times

The bus runs hourly, departing from Bournemouth Pier at 10 am, with the last departure at 5 pm. The service is seasonal, with 2026 dates of between 27th April and and 28th September.

Price

An adult day ticket costs £17. Group, two day and combination bus/cruise tickets are also available.

New Forest Tour

The New Forest Tour has three bus routes: Red, Blue and Green, covering all the main attractions within the forest, with some of the key ones indicated below.

Red

• Lyndhurst – town with New Forest Centre
• Burley – town with cider farm, tea rooms, galleries
• Ringwood – market town with good pubs and restaurants
• Fordingbridge – market town with famous medieval bridge
• New Forest Wildlife Park

Blue

• Lyndhurst
• Brockenhurst – village with good trails for walking/cycling
• Lymington – pretty town with quayside and ferries to the Isle of Wight
• Beaulieu – Country estate with Motor Museum
• Exbury Gardens
• Hythe Ferry – ferry to Southampton

Green

• Lyndhurst
• Brockenhurst
• Burley
• New Milton – seaside town, Motorcycle museum
• Barton-on-Sea – seaside town
• Milton-on-Sea – seaside town, Hurst Castle

Times

Buses only run during peak summer. In 2026, services are due to commence on July 4th and run until September 13th.

Price

In 2025, an adult day ticket cost £20.50. There are also 3 day (£28.50) and 5 day (£42) and group options. This included free travel on the X1/X2/X3/X6 to connect with the tour. 2026 prices are yet to be announced.

Christmas Magical Tour

Not in an open top bus for obvious reasons, but another tour option is the Christmas Magical Tour, which takes place in December. Ride in a festively decorated bus, which will take you on a route which includes some of the area’s best Christmas decorations. Listen to festive classics as you cruise the neighbourhood looking at the lights.

The tour runs throughout the festive, departing from central Bournemouth. It takes around 90 minutes and costs £10 per person. Children under 4 can go for free but don’t get a seat.

• Updated: June 2026

I hope you found this information useful. For more inspiration on things to do in and around Bournemouth, check out my 101 Things to do in Bournemouth here.

For more inspiration on things to do in and around Bournemouth with young children, check out my 101 Things to do in Bournemouth with Babies and Toddlers here.