Getting here & getting around

Public Transport

Step outside the car and you'll smell and feel the beauty of The New Forest. You can arrive by train or coach. Once here there are plenty of opportunities to cycle walk and ride, making it easier for you to give your car a holiday too!

Rail

Over 100 trains stop at Brockenhurst Station each day, providing easy access to the heart of The New Forest.
South West Trains link Brockenhurst with London Waterloo, Basingstoke, Winchester, Southampton, Bournemouth, Poole and Weymouth. Cross country services connect Reading, Oxford, Birmingham and all points further north.
The train stations within the National Park are Ashurst, Beaulieu Road, Brockenhurst and Sway. The other train stations in the New Forest are Hinton Admiral, Lymington, New Milton and Totton.
National rail enquiries
Tel: 08457 484950

Coach

National Express coaches stop at Lyndhurst, Lymington and Ringwood and other stops in The New Forest.
Tel: 08705 808080 between 08:00 and 20:00
or use the Travel Helpline: 0871 200 2233

National Express coaches can also be booked in person at Lymington and Ringwood Visitor Information Centres.

Bus

The New Forest is served by a public bus network, which provides the opportunity to both travel to and around the area by bus.

Solent Blue Line – Southampton 023 8061 8233
Wilts & Dorset – Salisbury 01722 336855, Poole 01202 673555
Yellow Buses – Bournemouth 01202 636060

The New Forest Tour

The New Forest Tour open top bus is the best way to See More, Explore More and Enjoy More of The New Forest. Sit back relax and experience rich open countryside, beautiful coastline, historic villages and all that Britain’s newest National Park has to offer. You can hop on and off the tour bus as many times as you want during the day allowing for local journeys, for example between villages and visitor attractions.
The tour bus operates in 2010 from 19th June to 12th September.

Ferry

Wightlink ferries connect The New Forest with the Isle of Wight between Lymington and Yarmouth and Red Funnel goes from Southampton to Cowes. Hythe ferry links the vibrant community of Hythe with Southampton's train, bus and coach networks, shopping centres and nightlife.

Red Funnel – Southampton to Cowes, Isle of Wight – 0844 844 9988
Wightlink – Lymington to Yarmouth, Isle of Wight – 0871 376 1000
White Horse Ferries – Hythe to Southampton – 023 8084 0722

Cycling

The New Forest offers over 200km waymarked cycle routes, much of it off road and traffic free. The station at Brockenhurst allows you to bring your bikes and get straight out into the forest or if you don't have bikes with you pop in to one of the many cycle hire centres.

Car

The New Forest lies to the west of Southampton Water in south-west Hampshire. If you are travelling from Southampton, London or the east, exit the M27 at Junction 1, signed Cadnam and head southwards into The New Forest.

If you are travelling from the west, you can use the A31 from Dorset. From the north, take either the A338 from Salisbury to Ringwood in the west of the Forest, or the A36 to Totton in the east.

If you do bring your car why not try and leave it in the car park and get around by a more energetic method or hop on one of the many eco-friendly transport options.

Taxi Hire

Allport Taxis Lymington - 01590 679792
Ashurst & Lyndhurst Cars - 0800 970 1517
Ashley Cars New Milton - 01425 614242
Brothers Travel Ringwood - 01425 470516
B&S Taxis Brockenhurst - 023 8078 9898
Castle Cars Ringwood - 01425 480360
Clarks Cars New Milton - 01425 617163
Cosmopolitan Private Hire Brockenhurst - 07811 284143
DJ Minibuses Milford on Sea - 01590 643228
Fordingbridge Cars Fordingbridge - 01425 652676
Galleon Taxis New Milton - 01425 622222/618181
Hayter Taxis Brockenhurst - 0808 200 1000
Kensington Cars New Milton - 01425 610126
Lymington Taxis Lymington - 01590 670670
Marchwood Taxis Totton - 023 8086 4210
Margrave Private Hire Lymington - 01590 675840
New Forest Car Hire Ringwood - 01425 480280
New Milton Private Hire New Milton 01425 629999/07932 675155
Our Friends in the South (Bio-Diesel Taxi) - 07799 368789
Red Express Fordingbridge - 01425 650000
Red Express Ringwood - 01425 474747
Ringwood Taxis Ringwood - 01425 480480
Totton, Marchwood and Waterside Taxis - 023 8084 2134/023 8084 3490
Y-Not Private Hire Lymington 01590 610847/07850 033455
1st Choice Private Hire New Milton - 01425 619922/ 07976 58768
1st Direct Cars Milford on Sea - 01590 641825