Durdle Door in Dorset is one of the most iconic and popular places in the UK! Recently I drove from London to Durdle Door for 1 night and it was much easier and quicker than I expected!
Previous to this trip when I had been living in London I had wondered how to get from London to Durdle Door by train because I didn’t have a car, I was put off thinking it might be too hard, and although London to Durdle Door by car is definitely easier. It is possible to travel by train to Durdle Door from London!
In this Dorset travel blog, I’m going to tell you the best way drive from London to Durdle Door so you can stop at a few places on the way to make the most of out the trip,
How to get from London to Durdle Door by train and what to look out for when purchasing your London to Durdle Door train tickets, and how to do a Durdle Door day trip from London!
Find What You're Looking For Easily Here!
Durdle Door From London
London to Durdle Door By Car
There are a few different routes to Durdle Door from London and Google Maps may show you a few options when you enter it into the navigation.
The route I took and the route I recommend is the route down the M3 from London to Southampton, taking the M27 around Southampton and the A31 through the New Forest National Park before entering Dorset and travelling to the coast from here.
The reason I suggest this route is that driving through the New Forest National Park is extremely scenic and if like me, the New Forest has been on your list to visit for a while, you can stop off in one of the villages in the New Forest for a wander to break up the journey and see a new area of the UK.
I did a slight detour off the A31 to Brockenhurst village for a walk and to see the New Forest Ponies who really do wander through the village as they please!
Car hire for Durdle Door from London
Driving to Durdle Door is definitely the easiest option and having a car will help you see more places in Dorset and around Durdle Door.
If you need to hire a car, check out Rental Cars here who check all the big providers such as Budget and Hertz to get you the best deal!
Renting a car from Heathrow Airport is a great idea as it is easy to drive from Heathrow to Durdle Door as on your way out of London and car hire is often much cheaper from Airports!
Durdle Door Parking
Once you get to Durdle Door by car, the official Durdle Door Car Park is Durdle Door Holiday Park. Set your navigation to here, or use the Durdle Door Postcode BH20 5PU.
At the end of the road is a huge pay and display car park with overflow onto the fields which is open until 9:00 pm.
Often people wonder, what is the best time to visit Durdle Door? Because it can get very busy in the summer.
I went down to Durdle Door Beach in the evening at Golden Hour before sunset and it was so beautiful and so quiet, even on a summer weekend so when driving to Durdle Door from London.
I recommend heading to Durdle Door for sunset when you arrive from London.
London to Durdle Door Train
Nearest Train Station to Durdle Door
The nearest train station to Durdle Door is Wool Train Station.
Trains run direct from London Waterloo to Wool regularly and take 2 hours 30 minutes.
Trains in the UK can get very expensive and because this is a popular route, I suggest booking your train ticket to Durdle Door at least a few weeks before your trip if you can.
If you do this, you can get a London to Durdle Door train ticket for around £35.00 return or from £13.90 one way which is a really good price!
I always use The Train Line to book my UK train tickets because I love how easy it is to compare train times, prices and routes to get the best option!
London to Durdle Door Train Tickets Tip:
When my friend looked at train tickets back to London from Durdle Door on our visit, trains from Wool to London were £60.00 + which seemed so expensive!
After a bit of research I realised Dorchester was close Durdle Door and where we would be exploring that day. Trains from Dorchester to London were so much cheaper at £20.00-£25.00!
So if train prices come up expensive when looking for a London to Durdle Door train or Durdle Door to London train, look into other options and stations using The Train Line.
Getting to Durdle Door from Wool Station
Public transport is limited in this area of Dorset because it is so remote so a taxi to Durdle Door is your best option, especially if you are tight on time.
Taxi to Durdle Door from Wool Train Station
From Wool train station to Durdle Door Holiday Park which is the entrance to walk down to Durdle Door, is a 13 minute drive.
Taxi companies such as Durdle Door Cabs, Garrison Cars and Economy Taxi are recommended Durdle Door taxi companies to use who will take you from Wool to Durdle Door.
Bus to Durdle Door from Wool Train Station
There is a public bus service in the area which connects Wool, Durdle Door, Lulworth, Wareham and Bovington which are all popular places to visit and stay near Durdle Door.
This bus timetable page and this bus timetable page show the bus timetable for Wool to Durdle Door. Checking local bus information with your accommodation is also a good idea.
Bournemouth to Durdle Door
Another popular option for getting to Durdle Door from London by train is to get the train to Bournemouth!
This is a great option because the train from London Waterloo to Bournemouth is as quick as 1 hour 45 minutes and prices start from £11.00.
And once you’re in Bournemouth there are more regular buses from Bournemouth to Durdle Door and tours from Bournemouth to Durdle Door and the surrounding area.
Use The Train Line to check train tickets AND coach tickets from London to Bournemouth for this London to Durdle Door option!
Here are 2 great tours which will pick you up in Bournemouth and take you to Durdle Door making this the easiest DIY London to Durdle Door Tour by booking your own train and then taking a Durdle Door tour from Bournemouth!
This is also a good option if you want to take a coach to Durdle Door instead of a train!
For London to Durdle Door by coach, it’s best to get the coach to a bigger town or city like Bournemouth and take a local bus or tour from there! A coach from London to Bournemouth starts from £6.00 so it’s a way of doing Durdle Door on a budget!
Staying Near Durdle Door
There are many places to stay near Durdle Door, you can stay at Durdle Door Holiday Park which is at the entrance to the beach to Durdle Door.
The main and closest town to Durdle Door is Wareham and close villages are Lulworth Cove and West Lulworth.
I stayed at The Priory Hotel in Wareham which was beautiful and definitely good if this is a special occasion!
Other highly rated hotels near Durdle Door are:
Search for more accommodation near Durdle Door on Booking.com here!
London to Durdle Door Day Trip
Lastly, ‘can I visit Durdle Door on a day trip from London?‘
I know this was my big question whilst living in London as I enjoyed many day trips from London, and the answer is yes! You can do a London to Durdle Door day trip!
However, you have to be aware that it will be a long day with a lot of travelling!
You’re looking at least 3 hours there and 3 hours back whether you drive the whole way or use a mixture of public transport to Durdle Door as I have mentioned above.
Plus, there are so many places near Durdle Door to visit that a Durdle Door day trip from London will put you on a tight timeframe because of the journey time and you may not be able to see them all!
If you can, I recommend 1 night in the area.
But if Durdle Door is on your UK bucket list, you only have 1 day and you’ll be happy seeing it along a few places close by like Lulworth Cove, then I do recommend doing a London to Durdle Door day trip and ticking it off your list.. because it is truly impressive!
Things To Do Near Durdle Door
Because you are driving to Durdle Door from London, I really recommend giving yourself more time in the area than just one day.
This way you can see popular places near Durdle Door like Lulworth Cove, Lulworth Castle, Corfe Castle and Old Harry Rocks!
If you’re on a Dorset Road Trip or a South England Road Trip then I also recommend checking out Lyme Regis and the impressive Golden Cap Viewpoint in Dorset which are further West along the Coast.
I hope this helps your plan your trip from London to Durdle Door and understand your options!
- For more of my London and South England posts see:
- 26 Day Trips from London By Train!
- How To Do A Cornwall Road Trip From London & 12 Places To Stop On Route!
- How To Visit The Seven Sisters Cliffs from London On A Day Trip!
- How To Visit White Cliffs of Dover From London On A Day Trip!
- 10 Things To Do On A Brighton Day Trip from London!
- How To Do A Cardiff Day Trip from London!