Sandbanks Ferry Closed from 2 November 2026: Airport Travel

The Sandbanks chain ferry between Sandbanks and Shell Bay is running normally today. From Monday 2 November 2026 it pauses for a scheduled major refit — about seven weeks, weather and sea conditions permitting. If you are booking an airport transfer to or from Studland, Swanage or the wider Isle of Purbeck into Poole, Bournemouth or Christchurch, that closure changes the road, not the flight.

What is confirmed

According to the Sandbanks Ferry, the Bournemouth Echo and Swanage News (22 September 2026):

• Status now: normal service (about every 20 minutes in daytime hours; roughly four minutes across).
• Last day of service: Sunday 1 November 2026, normal operating hours.
• Last crossing from Shell Bay (Studland): 23:10 (11.10 pm).
• Refit starts: Monday 2 November 2026 — the ferry moves to Poole Quay that day before out-of-water work, with further work at Falmouth.
• Planned outage: around seven weeks, subject to weather and sea conditions. The return date will be confirmed in December 2026 — check sandbanksferry.co.uk nearer the time rather than assuming a fixed reopening day.

That is planned maintenance every two years (minor and major refits alternate), not an emergency closure. The vessel is Bramble Bush Bay.

Getting around: inland via Wareham

While the chains are empty, there is no harbour-mouth hop. Road traffic between Purbeck / Studland / Swanage and the BCP side (Poole, Bournemouth and Christchurch, including the Sandbanks peninsula) takes the inland route via Wareham — the long way around Poole Harbour.

Swanage News also reports that bus service 50 (Swanage–Poole) will be re-routed via Wareham for the duration.

For day-to-day ferry hours and summer queues when the service is running, see our standing Local Guide: The Sandbanks Chain Ferry & Your Airport Transfer.

What it means for airport transfers

Airport runs that would normally use the ferry — especially Studland, Swanage and Purbeck pickups or drop-offs linked to Heathrow, Gatwick, Southampton or Bournemouth Airport — need extra journey time on the Wareham inland route. We build that into the pickup time when you book; we do not gamble on a crossing that is not there.

Practical points for November–December 2026:

• Purbeck → London airports (and the reverse): allow a longer door-to-door window than a Sandbanks or central Poole quote implies. Ask for a Purbeck quote rather than assuming a peninsula fare.
• Early and late flights: without the ferry, every Studland/Swanage run is the inland road — including times when the ferry would have been closed anyway overnight.
• Sandbanks peninsula (BH13) itself: most airport departures already leave inland via Shore Road and Poole rather than relying on the crossing; the refit mainly bites when the trip starts or ends on the Studland/Swanage side.

Fixed published fares on our site remain from £150 to Heathrow and from £175 to Gatwick for the core BCP towns we list. Studland, Swanage and deeper Purbeck sit outside those published peninsula/town figures — Book now or call 01202 028334 for a fixed quote that already includes the diversion timing.

How to book

If you have a flight around the refit window and a pickup or drop-off in Studland, Swanage, Purbeck, Sandbanks, Poole, Bournemouth or Christchurch, book early so we can lock the inland timing.

Book now · Call 01202 028334 · hello@sandbanks.taxi

We will update this guide when the ferry company announces the confirmed return date.