Bournemouth has more to offer than meets the eye. It has come a long way from being a retirement town to one of England’s largest tourism centres. Bournemouth is the biggest coastal town in Dorset, which is located in the south west of England. It’s around a 2-hour drive from London and other well-known cities such as Bristol and Bath. Bournemouth is 20 minutes away from Poole, another busy coastal town in Dorset that is famous for its watersports and beautiful beachfront houses.

Bournemouth is a popular entertainment destination as it’s home to the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) a venue that holds conferences, concerts and other major events. Bournemouth also has a wonderful coastline, tourist attractions, historical landmarks and a vibrant nightlife. This town is truly a mix of nature, history and modern living. It provides a balance of city lifestyle without the expense of London. Bournemouth is a nice location for international students as it has a moderate climate. During the coldest months January and February, it tends to be warmer than more central regions of the UK.

Fun things to do here:

With its great beachfronts there’s lots to do. You can try surfing or other water sports; ride a bicycle along the beachfront or just walk. If you simply want to enjoy the surroundings you can just sit and savor the fresh sea air. Aside from the beach Bournemouth is near one of England’s most famous National Parks, The New Forest. This is a great place if you enjoy the outdoors, you can camp, walk or ride in the forest. The forest is well known for it’s wild horses. If eating out is more of your thing you can definitely find great places to eat throughout Bournemouth. It’s also known for it’s shopping as it has a great spread of retail outlets. From unique and vintage markets, international stores and British High Street stores, there is no need to travel far. As for entertainment, since it’s a multicultural and artsy town there’s always something happening. Bournemouth has it’s own yearly arts festival, Arts By The Sea Festival as well as several film festivals and Bournemouth and Boscombe Fringe.

Transport: 

Since Bournemouth is the largest settlement in the county of Dorset it has a very well connected infrastructure. It has it’s own International Airport, Port and major bus and train station.

It also has a great bus system that allows students to travel throughout Bournemouth and surrounding areas with ease. You can purchase a bus ticket that provides you with unlimited travel in Bournemouth and the neighboring towns such as Christchurch and Poole. So if you’re on a budget and you want to roam around Dorset, hop on a bus.

If you ever want to visit the Isle of Wight you can catch a ferry from the nearby cities of Southampton or Portsmouth. Bournemouth International airport has several direct flights to Europe, so you can always visit Sicily in Italy for the weekend.

A student hub:

Aside from being a commercial and tourist center, Bournemouth is also a big student hub. It’s a popular destination in the UK for English language students and is home to colleges and two large Universities. In the Centre of town you can find the well-known Lansdowne campus of The Bournemouth & Poole College. This college offers courses that are beneficial for international students; including English language programmes, foundation degrees and vocational courses. Their foundation courses are offered in partnership with Bournemouth University and other universities, so students that complete the Foundation successfully can progress onto a full degree.  Their vocational pathways can take you up to Level 7 diploma and you can complete your master’s degree at Bournemouth University.

Arts University Bournemouth’s campus is located in nearby Poole. It’s one of the top creative arts universities in UK and offers hands on experience for those wanting to develop their skills. They offer courses in Visual Arts, Film Production, Photography, Acting, Arcitechure and more.

Bournemouth is the perfect place to be if you want to experience the city lifestyle without the major hussle and bussle and expenses. It’s a safe place and a perfect balance of the city and British countryside.