There is plenty of parking in Bournemouth, both street parking and in car parks. The majority of the car parks in Bournemouth are council owned offering reasonable car parking charges during your visit.
Council car parks have all been converted in recent years to take card payments only, or there is the option to pay via the Just Park app, PayByPhone and Ringo apps. Download the apps before you visit to save time if the data signal isn’t the best on your phone.
Despite the seaside town being very busy during peak times, there are plenty of Bournemouth town centre car parks with lots of parking spaces to use. The private NCP car parking company also has some large spaces in Bournemouth in convenient locations close to restaurants, beaches and event venues.
Bournemouth Car Parking Charges
Council car parks are cheaper than the NCP car parks in town, however there are some good deals to be found when parking during off peak times close to the town centre.
The Bournemouth seafront parking charges are more expensive than parking slightly further away from the beaches. The 2023 Summer charges for Bath Road South car park, the closest option for parking near Bournemouth beach are:-
- £3 for 1 hour
- £6.00 for 2 hours
- £9.00 for 3 hours
- £12 for 4 hours
Summer parking tariffs in Bournemouth are in operation between 1st April and 31st October.
Park And Ride Bournemouth
Bournemouth offers a variety of park and ride dates throughout the year. This is generally when large events are happening such as Bournemouth Air Festival, or during peak seasons such as Summer and Christmas.
Summer 2023 Park and ride in Bournemouth
Kings Park to Boscombe Pier – £5 to park with a free Morebus service every 15 minutes. 2023 dates TBC
Boscombe pier is a 20-30 minute walk to Bournemouth pier.
Bournemouth Air Festival Park and Ride
Parking in Bournemouth can be very chaotic during Bournemouth Air Festival. During the Festival, the park and ride will operate from Kings Park. Parking is free but there is a charge to use the bus which will drop off at Manor Road (BH1 3EZ). This is approximately a 5-10 min walk to the Bournemouth beach.
Thursday and Sunday, tickets are £10 which covers up to 7 people on the bus. Friday and Saturday, tickets are £12 to cover up to 7 people. The last bus back to Kings Park is at 11pm Thursday – Sunday and 7pm on Sunday.
Bournemouth Beach Parking
With Bournemouth beach being a big tourist attraction in Summer, and popular with locals too, if you’re wishing to park close to the beach you may have to arrive early.
The nearest car parks to Bournemouth beach within a 10 minute walk of Bournemouth pier are –
- Bath Road South, BH1 2EW (This is the closest Bournemouth seafront parking option, but gets busy quickly on peak days)
- 4 minute walk
- Bath Road North, BH1 2EW
- 4 minute walk
- Winter Gardens car park, Exeter Rd, BH2 5AQ
- 8 minute walk
- BIC Car Park, BH2 5BH
- 5 minute walk
- Exeter Road Car Park, BH2 5AH
- 2 minute walk
- Bh2 car park, Exeter Cres, BH2 5AU
- 6 minute walk
- NCP Car Park Bournemouth, The Square, Richmond Hill, BH2 6EJ
- 10 minute walk
- Pavilion Car Park BH1 2BU
- 6 minute walk
- Westover Gardens Car Park BH1 2BU
- 7 minute walk
- NCP Car Park Bournemouth Hinton Road BH1 2EN
- 8 minute walk
- NCP Car Park Bournemouth Terrace Road BH2 5NN
- 10 minute walk
- Exeter Road Car Park,BH2 5AH
- 2 minute walk
Bournemouth Shopping Centre Parking
If you’re looking to park near the shops in Bournemouth then you’ll find plenty of options including –
- Avenue Road car park – BH2 5SL
- Richmond Hill Multi storey car park – BH2 6EP
Parking In Bournemouth Frequently Asked Questions
- Where is the cheapest parking in Bournemouth?
- Currently the cheapest place to park in Bournemouth is Glen Fern multi storey car park.
- Which car parks in Bournemouth are open 24 hours?
- The Winter Gardens car park (BH2 5AQ) is open for parking 24 hours of the day.
- Where are electric charging points in Bournemouth?
- Bournemouth car parks with electric charging points can be found in Richmond Hill car park (BH2 6EJ), Madeira Road Multi Storey (BH1 1QQ).
- Where is the best place to park for Christmas Tree Wonderland?
- The closest car parks to the Lower Gardens in Bournemouth are Exeter Road car park and Winter Gardens car park. Winter Gardens car park is bigger and cheaper than the NCP Exeter Road car park.
