Bournemouth is a coastal resort town sitting on the River Bourne and surrounded on two sides by the River Stour. It’s the biggest town in the county of Dorset with a population of 183,000+ in 2011, a population which is boosted by a large student community. The area began as a heathland used chiefly by fishers, with a history of smuggling. The town Bournemouth was officially founded in 1810 as a health resort, and its growth was rapidly accelerated with the implementation of the railways.
There are over 200 listed buildings in Bournemouth, including the Grade I St. Peter’s Church. The town centre has a lot of remaining Victorian architecture. As well as buildings, many of Bournemouth’s parks are listed – the upper, central, and lower gardens run through the town and right down to the sea front.
The seafront offers dramatic cliffs, sandy beaches, and two piers. Directly east of Bournemouth are the famous Old Harry rock formations. The town also sits in the centre of a green belt, in order to stop urban sprawl and preserve the natural beauty of the environment.
As well as being a seaside resort and popular holiday town, Bournemouth is also a regional business centre with a financial district worth over a billion pounds. There is a bustling shopping centre and a lively nightlife. Major venues include the Bournemouth International Centre, the o2 Academny, and Pavilion Theatre (the latter two of which are housed in Grade II-listed buildings). Bournemouth also has its own symphony orchestra.
Many annual festivals occur in Bournemouth with some examples being: the Food and Drink festival, Arts by the Sea, 7s festival, the air show, and Bourne Free.
Sport is well-represented in the town, with AFC Bournemouth being the professional football team at Dean Court Vitality stadium. There is also a local rugby club, coastal rowing club, and events in other water sports like sailing and surfing.
Bournemouth welcomes over 5 million tourists annually, making it a really popular destination – particularly in the summer months. Parking can be a difficult and expensive process when making a trip there. On this page, we’ve gathered information on all of the free parking opportunities around the town. The map below gives you a quick look at these – read on for more information and different parking options.
Free Parking in Bournemouth
Table of Contents
Residential Streets
Parking in residential streets is usually the best way to find free parking. The usual on-street rules apply, so make sure not to obscure driveways or entrances, keep noise to a minimum, and check around your vehicle for any signs indicating parking restrictions before you leave.
Finding unrestricted residential streets can be difficult and time-consuming if you’re unfamiliar with an area. We’ve done the hard work for you and listed the available streets in the directions they are from the town centre. We’ve also included postcodes to program into your GPS, and the walking distance from each street to the geographical centre of Bournemouth.
North
Parking to the north of Bournemouth will put you fairly close to Bournemouth University. The way to the sea can be taken through the upper, central, and lower Bournemouth Gardens, which is a pleasant walk. Northern roads are also more convenient for getting into the shopping centre of the town.
• Cavendish Road BH1 1QY – 0.4 miles
• Wellington Road BH8 8JN – 0.6 miles
• Portchester Place BH8 8JS – 0.6 miles
• Corporation Road BH8 8SJ – 0.6 miles
• Lytton Road BH1 4SH – 0.6 miles
• Stanley Road BH1 4SD – 0.8 miles
• Spring Road BH1 4PZ – 0.8 miles
• Victoria Road BH1 4RS – 0.9 miles
• Methuen Road BH8 8NB – 0.9 miles
• Ascham Road BH8 8LZ – 0.9 miles
• Bodorgan Road BH2 6NL – 0.9 miles
Although these streets are a further walk to the town centre, parking here can be convenient for Castlepoint Shopping Centre, the Royal Bournemouth hospital, and Queens Park Golf Course.
• Osborne Road BH9 2JJ – 1.7 miles
• Withermoor Road BH9 2NX – 1.8 miles
• Frederica Road BH9 2LZ – 1.8 miles
• Sedgley Road BH9 2JW – 1.8 miles
• Stanfield Road BH9 2NL – 1.8 miles
• Wimborne Road BH9 2BU – 2.6 miles
• Braishfield Gardens BH8 0QA – 2.7 miles
• St Margarets Road BH10 4BQ – 2.9 miles
• Hazell Avenue BH10 4DN – 2.9 miles
• Noel Avenue BH10 4DP – 3 miles
• Acton Road BH10 4DW – 3 miles
East
Parking in any of the easterly streets of Bournemouth will put you within walking distance of the shore and, by extension, Bournemouth’s beautiful sandy beaches. These streets are also close to many of the holiday accommodations near the sea front.
• Frances Road BH1 3RY – 0.5 miles
• Gardens View BH1 3QA – 0.6 miles
• Spencer Road BH1 3TE – 0.7 miles
• Southcote Road BH1 3SS – 0.7 miles
• Carlton Road BH1 3TF – 0.8 miles
• Knyveton Road BH1 3BP – 0.8 miles
• Vale Road BH1 3SU – 0.9 miles
• Boscombe Spa Road BH5 1AL – 0.9 miles
The following roads are out in the Boscombe area of Bournemouth. Though they are a longer walk to the town centre, it’s better to park here if you want to visit Boscombe Pier, o2 Academy Bournemouth, and Vitality Stadium. Parking here is also good for walking along Boscombe and Bournemouth beaches to get to the town centre, or ideal for those who want to just spend time at the beach.
• Gordon Road BH1 4DW – 1 mile
• Knole Road BH1 4DQ – 1.1 miles
• St Johns Road BH5 1EQ – 1.1 miles
• Sea Road BH5 1DH – 1.2 miles
• Horace Road BH5 1DY – 1.3 miles
• Argyll Road BH5 1ED – 1.3 miles
• Florence Road BH5 1HH – 1.4 miles
• Watkin Road BH5 1HP – 1.4 miles
• Glen Road BH5 1HR – 1.4 miles
• Michelgrove Road BH5 1JH – 1.4 miles
• Byron Road BH5 1JD – 1.5 miles
• Boscombe Cliff Road BH5 1JN – 1.5 miles
• Gladstone Road BH7 6HD – 1.5 miles
• Shelley Road BH1 4HX – 1.5 miles
• Westby Road BH5 1HE – 1.5 miles
• Grantley Road BH5 1HW – 1.5 miles
• Grovely Avenue BH5 1JA – 1.6 miles
• Haviland Road East BH7 6HN – 1.6 miles
• Kings Park Drive BH7 7AF – 1.6 miles
• Wickham Road BH7 6JX – 1.9 miles
• Colville Road BH5 2AG – 1.9 miles
• Rosebery Road BH5 2JH – 2 miles
• Morley Close BH5 2JP – 2 miles
• Morley Road BH5 2JJ – 2 miles
• Clarence Park Road BH7 6LF – 2.2 miles
• Scotter Road BH7 6LY – 2.2 miles
• Spurgeon Road BH7 6LZ – 2.2 miles
• Wheaton Road BH7 6LH – 2.2 miles
West
The following streets to the west of the town centre are the most convenient, location and distance wise, for getting to the main shopping hub of Bournemouth. They are also fairly close to the sea front and the Bournemouth Gardens.
• Dean Park Road BH1 1HY – 0.6 miles
• West Hill Road BH2 5EH – 1 mile
• St Michaels Road BH2 5DZ – 1.1 miles
• Durley Road BH2 5JL – 1.1 miles
• West Cliff Gardens BH2 5HR – 1.2 miles
• Hahnemann Road BH2 5JW – 1.2 miles
• Chine Crescent BH2 5LB – 1.2 miles
• Durley Chine Road BH2 5JG – 1.3 miles
• Durley Gardens BH2 5HT – 1.3 miles
• Norwich Avenue West BH2 6AJ – 1.4 miles
The following streets are over in the Westbourne area of Bournemouth. Parking here is ideal if you’d like to spend time on Alum Chine or Durley Chine beaches, or to walk along the beaches to get to Bournemouth pier and several attractions including the Oceanarium, the BIC, and the Pavilion Theatre.
• West Overcliff Drive BH4 8AA – 1.5 miles
• Chine Crescent Road BH2 5DA – 1.5 miles
• Crosby Road BH4 8JD – 1.8 miles
• Sandbourne Road BH4 8JH – 1.9 miles
• Earle Road BH4 8QJ – 1.9 miles
• Milner Road BH4 8AD – 1.9 miles
• Studland Road BH4 8HH – 1.9 miles
• Burnaby Road BH4 8JF – 1.9 miles
Free Evening/Overnight & Sunday Parking in Bournemouth
After 5pm
• St Pauls Place BH8 8HF – 0.2 miles
• Meyrick Road BH1 3DP – 0.2 miles
• St Pauls Lane BH8 8AJ – 0.3 miles
• Gervis Road BH1 3ED – 0.4 miles
• East Overcliff Drive BH1 3AH – 0.5 miles
• Derby Road BH1 3QB – 0.6 miles
• Manor Road BH1 3HG – 0.6 miles
• Cambridge Road BH2 6AG – 1.1 miles
• The Marina BH5 1BJ – 1.3 miles
After 6pm
• Wootton Gardens BH1 1PW – 0.2 miles
• Lansdowne Road BH1 1RS – 0.6 miles
After 8pm
• Madeira Road BH1 1QL – 0.2 miles
• Lorne Park Road BH1 1JN – 0.2 miles
• Old Christchurch Road BH1 1EP – 0.4 miles
• Hinton Road BH1 2EF – 0.5 miles
• Westover Road BH1 2BY – 0.6 miles
• Richmond Hill BH2 6HE – 0.7 miles
• Bourne Avenue BH2 6DT – 0.7 miles
• Braidley Road BH2 6JY – 0.8 miles
On Sundays
• Lansdowne Crescent BH1 1SA
• Wootton Gardens BH1 1PW
• Madeira Road BH1 1QL
• Lorne Park Road BH1 1JN
• Glen Fern Road BH1 2LZ
• Old Christchurch Road BH1 1EP
• Upper Hinton Road BH1 2HH
• Derby Road BH1 3QB
• Richmond Hill BH2 6HE
• Manor Road (East) BH1 3HG
• Avenue Road BH2 5SL
Park & Ride Service in Bournemouth
There is a Park & Ride shuttle bus from Kings Park, near the stadium, to Boscombe Pier. It costs £5 to park all day, but buses are free and run back and forth every 15 minutes from 9am every day. This is convenient for getting very close to the seafront without having to find nearby parking.
Cheapest Paid Parking Options in Bournemouth
Like a lot of seaside towns, Bournemouth car parks can be quite expensive in summer. The first way to get cheaper parking is to visit at a more off-peak time. However, there are existing car parks that aren’t bank-breaking, which we’ve listed below in order of distance from the town centre.
- Eden Glen BH2 5AU – £2.50 for 2 hours, maximum stay 4 hours
- Bh2, Exeter Crescent BH2 5AU – £2.00 for 2 hours
- Bournemouth International Centre Car Park BH2 5BH – £3.20 for 2 hours
- Winter Gardens BH2 5AQ – £2.50 for 2 hours
- Exeter Park Road BH2 5BD – £2.50 for 2 hours
- Central, Upper Hinton Road BH1 2HH – £2.50 for 2 hours
- Avenue Road BH2 5SL – £2.50 for 2 hours
- Richmond Gardens BH1 1JD – £2.50 for 2 hours
Bournemouth is a pretty and pleasant town to spend time in whether it’s summer or winter. Armed with the information given on this page, we hope that you find parking a lot easier when you visit.
Free Parking Near Popular Bournemouth Locations
Free Parking near Bournemouth Train Station
Free Parking near Bournemouth International Centre (BIC), Pavilion Theatre & Oceanarium
