Living in Portsmouth

Welcome to our city
Photo: Stefan & Sara Venter www.upixphotography.com

Welcome to Portsmouth

Portsmouth is a dynamic and vibrant waterfront city packed with great reasons to visit. There are lots of things to do in Portsmouth, with magnificent museums, live music venues, contemporary art galleries, two cathedrals, a diverse literary heritage, nightlife, festivals and countless events throughout the year. From the pomp and ceremony of our proud naval and maritime heritage, to towering world-class visitor attractions, unique shopping destinations, great places to eat and miles of beautiful waterfront, Portsmouth offers something for absolutely everyone.

Where is Portsmouth?

Portsmouth is centrally located on the South Coast of England, situated in Hampshire - enjoy the stunning panoramic views of the city and the surrounding area from the famous Emirates Spinnaker Tower.

Portsmouth is the country's only island city with miles of beautiful waterfront to explore and see. There are world class visitor attractions that include waterfront shopping, a rich calendar of events and a fascinating history to discover.

Portsmouth is a great base to explore England's south coast - with the South Downs National Park and the New Forest National Park on the doorstep.

UK map showing Portsmouth location

Transport

By Road

Portsmouth enjoys excellent road connections to London and Britain's motorway network, especially via the M27, M3 and A3/M25.

National Express coaches operate a regular service to and from Portsmouth. The coaches terminate at Portsmouth Harbour where local bus services run to and from the heart of this historic city.

National Express logo

Parking

Portsmouth's Park and Ride service is open daily and offers commuters and visitors a quick easy way into the centre of Portsmouth, the Historic Dockyard, and Gunwharf Quays shopping area. Teachers can access discounted parking permits for use within the city, where their school is in a restricted parking zone. This offers excellent value for money.

Park & Ride Information

By Train

Portsmouth is well connected by train. There are regular services to London and the South Coast. Travelling to London by train: The average journey time between Portsmouth and London is 2 hours 7 minutes. The fastest journey time is 1 hour 26 minutes.

Source - The Trainline:
Train Timetable

By Air

There are four airports within an hour’s travelling distance of Portsmouth. Southampton International Airport is Portsmouth's closest airport. Bournemouth airport is 50 miles from Portsmouth. London's Gatwick and Heathrow airports are roughly 60 miles away.

Heathrow
Gatwick
Southampton
Bournemouth

Ferries

Portsmouth International Port offers more ferry routes than any other UK ferry port, serving popular destinations in France, Spain and the Channel Islands. Brittany Ferries and Condor Ferries operate from Portsmouth International Port.

International Ferry Information

There is also ferry and hovercraft travel from Portsmouth to the Isle of Wight.

Wightlink
Red Funnel
Hovertravel

By Sea

Cruises:  Portsmouth International Port - where your cruise ship awaits to whisk you on an unforgettable journey to sun-kissed lands, wild isles, castles and vineyards, Norwegian fjords, Hamlet’s Elsinore or magnificent St Petersburg. Beautiful, world-class luxury liners sail from Portsmouth. Prestigious cruise operators include Ponant, Phoenix Reisen and Saga among many others. The cruise ships calling here are small to medium size.

Also nearby is the Port of Southampton, which operates cruises from companies such as P&O, Cunard, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruise Lines & Azamara.

Cruise Information

Visit Portsmouth

The Great Waterfront City

Please also take a look around the Visit Portsmouth website to find out what’s on, things to do and much much more!

Visit Portsmouth