Bournemouth Airport: where to stay, areas and recommended hotels

Bournemouth Airport is wedged between two different towns, Christchurch and Poole, with the sea on the other side: there's no real town centre right by the runways, just the village of Hurn. Anyone with a dawn flight or an overnight stopover finds it handy to stay here, a kilometre from the terminal; with a few hours or a free day, Christchurch is just 10-15 minutes by car and already offers a proper centre, while Poole, further away at about 25 minutes, adds the harbour and the ferries to France.

Hurn, next to the airport

Airport area · The house is about 1 km from the terminal, with a shuttle on request.

Best for: Dawn departures or overnight stopovers, when a kilometre from the terminal makes all the difference.

Pros

A stone's throw from the terminal, with its own parking and shuttle
Quiet countryside, away from the traffic of the two nearby towns

Cons

Just fields and the runway around: a car is needed for dinner
No shops within walking distance, unlike Christchurch or Poole

Recommended hotels in this area

Heronshaw House: Traditional farmhouse about 1 km from the terminal, with a shuttle on request: the closest property to the runways in the area.

See more hotels in this area →

Christchurch

Nearby town · Christchurch is about 10-15 minutes by car or taxi from the terminal, the closest base among those with a proper town centre.

Best for: For those who want a proper centre a few minutes from the terminal, with a river and a priory to see the evening before flying.

Pros

The closest centre to the runways among those with real shops and restaurants
Water taxis on the river to get around the town without a car

Cons

Further from the open sea than Poole or Bournemouth's beaches
More limited choice of hotels than in a larger town

Recommended hotels in this area

Captain's Club Hotel & Spa: Hotel on the River Stour, 4 minutes on foot from the Priory, with a private water taxi to the other bank: the best-reviewed property in the area.

See more hotels in this area →

Poole

Nearby town · Poole is about 25 minutes by car from the terminal, the furthest base among those in this guide.

Best for: For those continuing on to the ferries to France or who want the harbour and Sandbanks more than the airport itself.

Pros

Harbour, ferries and Sandbanks a few minutes away, absent from the other bases
Historic centre on the quay with more restaurant choice than Christchurch

Cons

The trip to the terminal is the longest among the areas in this guide
The quay area is more touristy and busier on summer weekends

Recommended hotels in this area

Antelope by Greene King Inns: Fifteenth-century inn on the High Street, on Poole's quay: 5 minutes by car from the ferries to France and 10 from Sandbanks.

See more hotels in this area →