Car Hire: Take advantage of the special easyJet inflight rates. Visit the Europcar desk on arrival or call +44 (0)1202 293 357. Open from 7am-midnight seven days a week.

Train: The nearest train stations are Christchurch (six kilometres) and Bournemouth (10 kilometres). From Bournemouth there are half-hourly connections to London Waterloo, cross-country links to the Midlands and north of England, as well as regular local services to Poole, Weymouth and Southampton (www.nationalrail.co.uk).

Taxi: Approved taxis meet arriving flights. The fare to central Bournemouth is about £14.

Bus: The A1 shuttle bus runs to Bournemouth's main square, stopping at hotels en route, hourly from 7.30am-6.30pm. The journey takes 15-25 minutes. Tickets: £4 (Tel. +44 (0)1202 557 007. www.bournemouth-airport-shuttle.co.uk).

Chez Fred
( 10 Seamoor Road, Westbourne. Tel. 01202 761 023 )
Bournemouth’s best fish and chip restaurant regularly wins awards and is popular with local celebs. Eat in or take your food away.

The Fountain
( 1st Floor, 10-15 Holdenhurst Road. Tel. 01202 294 191 )
In the centre of town, this good-value, all-you-can-eat Chinese restaurant is great for groups. For £15 a head, friendly staff produce a non-stop stream of delicious dishes, such as crispy duck and spicy squid.

Penn Central
( Penn Hill Avenue, Poole. Tel. 01202 710 888 )
Lively bistro serving informal bar meals, including tapas. The smarter restaurant upstairs is pricier, with starters including seafood like scallops and mussels.

Pebble Beach
( Marine Drive, Barton-on-Sea, Hampshire. Tel. 01425 627 777 )
Award-winning, Michelin-starred restaurant with great views over the Isle of Wight, you can watch the chefs at work in the open kitchen. The seafood and fish are great—try the plateau fruits de mer, with crab, oysters, prawns and lobster, for £42.

Urban Beach Cafe
( 23 Argyll Road, Boscombe. Tel. 01202 301 509 )
Enjoy a cocktail, fresh juice or coffee at this lively bistro-bar in Boscombe. Cosy up by the fire or brave the outdoor heated deck.

Bournemouth International Centre
( Exeter Road. Tel. 0844 576 300 )
Bournemouth’s largest venue attracts top bands, shows and comedians. Catch The Pussycat Dolls on 25 January.

Opera House
( 570 Christchurch Road, Boscombe. Tel. 01202 399 922 )
Great music, regular club nights with DJs, like Judge Jules, and themed events such as retro roller discos. Recent acts have included Pete Doherty, Isaac Hayes and The Mighty Boosh.

Although the bulk of its wares are no longer made at the Poole Pottery Studio, you can still buy the distinctive designs and watch a couple of the remaining potters at work. You can also have a go at painting your own pieces (The Quay, Poole. Tel. 01202 668 681).

A one-day bus pass (single: £3.70; family: £9) provides unlimited travel on Yellow Buses throughout Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. Buy tickets from the bus driver or tourist office on Westover Road.

Keep an eye out for millionaires' yachts on the swanky Sandbanks Peninsula. Café Shore is the place to sip a cocktail while overlooking the harbour and indulging in a bit of celeb-spotting.

Are you brave enough to join the Bournemouth Spartans for their weekly winter dip in the sea? If not, wrap up warmly and cheer them on at 11am on Sunday, just east of Boscombe Pier.

The Purbecks – For a windy, clifftop walk, take the clanky chain-ferry from Sandbanks to the Purbecks. Walk along the stunning Jurassic Coast, then stop for a warming pie and a pint by the fire at the old-fashioned Square and Compass pub in Worth Matravers.

JRR Tolkien spent many of his holidays at the Miramar Hotel on Bournemouth’s clifftop. He liked the town so much that he moved here.

Compiled by Matthew Hancock