Dear little Swanage (Swanage in general)

Member Name: MisterReview

Product:	Swanage in general
Date:	10/07/09 (33 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A great place for a stroll and a meal

Disadvantages: Not too easy to get to.

Swanage is a small town in Dorset and is ideal for an afternoon stroll if you live within a short driving distance.

It is a seaside town with, not so much a beautiful beach, but an attractive beach, nonetheless with great scenery along the coastline.

Getting to Swanage by car involves three main routes -

From the east
you can either drive the long way round or queue up at Sandbanks to get on the ferry - this is NOT recommended in the summer, as you WILL sit in long queues for long times - it is often quicker to drive the long route towards Wareham. In the winter the ferry is the quicker option, and Swanage is a great place for a walk in the winter.

From the West you can come in via Dorchester and Wool.

Parking away from town is a short enjoyable walk.

There are bus services, though I am not familiar with them.

If you can put up with narrow roads (i.e. cars getting too close for comfort) cycling to Swanage is another option

There is no rail service, yet. The local Railway heritage group are in the process of changing that.

I find Swanage small and doesn't have too much too offer the tourist who plans on staying for any length of time more than a weekend.

If you like trinket and gift shopping, there is plenty here. There is also a nice selection of places to eat, in fact I would say the diversity here is good for a small town. I rarely spend an afternoon in the pub these days, so can't comment on what the pubs are like, but there are a fair few to try.

The jewel in Swanage's crown has to be the Swanage Railway, which is a preserved railway. Although the attractions for rail enthusiasts are obvious, this offers very scenic rail trips on heritage trains, mainly steam, through the beautiful local countryside, so the attraction is for all really. The steam railway also has static buffet carriages which serve a range of enjoyable food at not too bad prices.

If you like a 'nice' walk, Swanage is a great place to go. There is the beach itself, or you can move towards the cliff tops. For a shorter more bracing (and often windy) walk there is a private pier, which you pay a small fee to enter.

If you fancy a trip out to sea there are companies offering trips around the bay, with an interesting commentary on the history of the area.

If you are ever in Dorset, go out of your way to spend some time here.

Summary: A pleasant afternoon to be had for those in search of that.