Located in Dorset, just 15 miles from Bournemouth, Poole is a city situated on the south coast of England. Poole is a predominantly residential area which is popular as a holiday and retirement destination. The harbour draws many tourists every year and is particularly busy in the summer months. The town centre features the Dolphin shopping centre and high street leading along the harbour, which is lined with traditional pubs and fish and chip shops.
The renowned beaches of Bournemouth and Sandbanks are within a 30 minute drive and are known as some of the nicest beaches in Europe. Much of the business in Poole is through the Port with a cross-Channel freight and passenger ferry service to Brownsea Island and the Channel Islands. Although the majority of sites are tourist or leisure based, the UK headquarters for Fitness First and Merlin Entertainments are situated here. Serviced apartments in Poole are a popular accommodation choice for people visiting the area, particularly those looking for long term stays and business travellers.
Poole features its own main train station which operates trains from London Waterloo to Weymouth, as well as three other smaller stations on the same line, called Branksome, Parkstone and Hamworthy. Trains from London operate approximately twice per hour. Poole bus station carries a vast number of bus services mostly by privately operated companies the majority by Wilts & Dorset Bus Company. Bournemouth Airport is the nearest airport to Poole, a 25 minute drive away. For flights to destinations outside of Europe the nearest airport is London Heathrow.
