Central South
A Connected Place
The Central South is the UK’s global gateway, connected by road, rail, air, and sea.
The region has two international airports at Southampton and Bournemouth and Europe’s leading business airport located at Farnborough.
The region also has easy access to London’s airports, with connections to all international terminals at Heathrow just over 30 minutes away and Gatwick International Airport one hour away by road and rail.
Direct flights to a host of European destinations are available from Bournemouth and Southampton Airports. The latter has secured planning permission to expand its runway to accommodate larger aircraft, while Bournemouth International Airport also has a fast-expanding cargo hub.
Two major motorways connect the Central South by road: the M3 to London and the M25, whilst the M27 connects Portsmouth and Southampton.
Rail connections include regular express services to London and other major UK cities.
Additionally, the Central South includes major seaports, such as Southampton, which is the largest cruise port in Northern Europe. The waterfront city of Portsmouth is home to the Royal Navy, and the Port of Poole lies within Europe’s largest natural harbour.
More details are available in our section,