With a sandy beach dotted with brightly coloured umbrellas, crisp white seaside huts and handsome Georgian houses overlooking the shore, Weymouth is your favourite English storybook brought to life. The town is located on England's Jurassic Coast, a stretch of shoreline holding the secrets of fossils that are millions of years old. There's man-made history to explore here too, with the Victorian-era Nothe Fort guarding the entrance to the working harbour and a countryside dotted with Neolithic and Bronze Age burial mounds.
Make the most of the town's charming architecture by choosing a Weymouth hostel in a converted Georgian building. Walk to the beach in a couple of minutes from some places or opt for accommodation with a kitchen for cooking some healthy fare to compliment the typical British coastal indulgences like fish and chips. Look for free Wi-Fi and Weymouth hostels with bedding and towels included, giving you more space in the backpack for British seaside souvenirs like sugary sticks of rock confectionary.
Weymouth Harbour is the busiest spot in town, featuring vividly painted houses and bustling with visitors enjoying coastal breaks. Indulge in a cream-laden scone from a neighbourhood tearoom or admire the water views from pubs and cafés with outdoor terraces. Connected to Weymouth by the pebble-scattered Chesil Beach, is the wild and windswept Isle of Portland, a quaint village with lighthouses, castles and plenty of places to eat and drink. Set back from the harbour in Weymouth, Rodwell is a quieter area with a disused railway line that's been transformed into a wildlife and walking trail.
Take your pick of outdoor pursuits in Weymouth. Catch your own crab supper down at the quays, roam the beaches hunting for fossils or see how your sandcastle skills measure up to the impressive sculptures at Sandworld. For indoor fun on rainier days, there are museums with dinosaur and military exhibitions, and breweries within 30 minutes' drive of the town.
You can get to Weymouth by train from both London and Bristol. If you're flying to the UK, Bournemouth Airport is about an hour away. Heathrow Airport is a little further (2.5 hours by car) but has more flight options. Take a scenic route along the coastal roads by jumping on the Jurassic Coaster bus. Walking or biking are easy and budget-friendly ways to get around, with the South West Coast Path and National Cycle Route both on Weymouth's doorstep.
Top rated hostels in Weymouth