New Forest Travel

In the New Forest we have plenty of ways for you to travel around the National Park and explore everything that we have to offer across our wonderful towns, villages and countryside.

In this section, we give you some handy links and top tips on travelling around the New Forest.

Public Transport

Across the New Forest we have a some great public transport to get you from A to B, including eight train stations:

Discover more of the New Forest and catch a train from one town to another, quickly and easily.

Hop on one of our many regular buses which stop in and around our towns and villages and explore every corner of the New Forest. Alternatively, pick up the New Forest Tour Bus, a hop-on, hop-off bus service that connects many of our towns, villages and attractions during the summer months. 

Driving

Bringing your car on holiday with you? Luckily, we have over 150 car parks across the New Forest for our visitors and residents to use. 51 of our car parks are operated by the New Forest District, these are based in our towns and villages. New Forest District Council Car Parks are Pay & Display. Find out more information about these car parks, including their locations here.

There are also approximately 130 car parks throughout the New Forest which are managed by the Forestry England. These car parks are free of charge. Some of these car parks close during the quieter Winter Period, to help reduce wear and tear. Find out more information about these car parks here.

If you are looking to hire a car then the nearest car hire centres are located at Southampton, Bournemouth and Salisbury.

The New Forest National Park is a wonderful place to visit and you can help it stay that way by being a Forest-friendly visitor.

To avoid damage and obstruction, please park only in designated car parks, not on a verge or in gateways. Lock your car, taking any valuables with you and leave Forestry England car parks by dusk.

Please note, the ponies and other animals have no road sense and frequently stand or walk on the unfenced roads, so give them (and walkers, cyclists and horse-riders) a wide berth and be especially careful when driving at night.

Cycling

The New Forest has an extensive cycle network, with much of it being off-road or on quiet lanes. Bring your own bike and make the most of our cycle routes or alternatively, hire a bike from one our hire centres that can be found in some of our towns and villages.

The New Forest Tour

Take an open top safari on the New Forest Tour – enjoy grandstand views of the New Forest National Park, wandering ponies, pretty villages and magical landscapes. Hop on and hop off wherever you like and catch the next Tour or switch between the three available routes.

Taxis

Get from A to B with the great service of many of our Taxi companies in the New Forest. You can also get discounts on Taxi rides with the Go New Forest Card.

Walking

We have more than 140 miles of tracks, where you can enjoy easy walking and see our free-roaming ponies, donkeys and cattle. The forest has too many official walks to list, and the chance to make your own way across its thousands of acres is virtually limitless.

what3words

Use what3words to find exact locations you wish to visit in the New Forest, or to use if you find you've lost your way slightly when exploring the New Forest (as it works even without a data connection!). Download the app, find out more about how to use this brilliant and easy tool and navigate your way around the New Forest much easier!

THE NEW FOREST TOUR IS RETURNING ON SATURDAY 1ST JULY 2023!   Take an open-top safari with grandstand views of the scenery, animals and villages of the New Forest National Park. Tours run daily, with a choice of three routes: Red (the wild northwest), Green (the beautiful southeast) and Blue…

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