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Portsmouth

The City of Portsmouth has a long history, much of it tied to the navy and other shipping. However within its boundaries there is also the holiday resort of Southsea, with the main shopping area lying between the two. Southsea's attractions include the Sea Life Centre, D-Day Museum and an amusement park at Clarence Pier. From the pier you can walk along the coast in amongst old fortifications towards historic Old Portsmouth. At the Naval Base is Flagship Portsmouth where you can visit the Mary Rose, HMS Victory, HMS Warrior and various exhibitions about the Royal Navy's history. Gunwharf Quays is a new lively shopping, entertainment and residential complex. Also located here is the Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth's new landmark and number one visitor destination. For those heading to Portsmouth from further afield for the evening departures to Cherbourg and Caen, there is plenty in Portsmouth to provide a welcome break between drive and departure.

Ferry Guide

Portsmouth's' Continental Ferryport opened in 1976 when Brittany Ferries opened a new route to St. Malo using the origninal Amorique. Such was the success of this new service, and realising the ports potential and premier location, other ferry operators decided to switch their own operations to the port shortly after. Portsmouth's' Continental Ferryport has since grown considerably over the years, and much reclamation work has been carried out enabling the port to grow to its current size.  Offering 5 berths, 8 routes and up to 12 daily departures, Portsmouth really is the best-connected passenger port in the UK. Portsmouth is continually expanding as it aims to meet the needs of 21st century ferry travel. Work is about to begin on constructing a brand new passenger terminal to cope with the capacity of modern ferries, and the increasing number of Cruise Ships which now call.

Brittany Ferries offer four regular ferry services out of Portsmouth:

Caen - up to 4 departures daily (3 Conventional, 1 Express)
St Malo - 1 departure daily (Conventional)
Cherbourg - 1 departure daily in the Summer Season (Express) plus 3 conventional departures per week.
Santander - 3 departures weekly (Conventional)

Other operators using the port include Condor Ferries to the Channel Islands, P&O Ferries to Bilbao and LD Lines to Le Havre.

Our Guide

There is a vast variety of tourism attractions in Portsmouth and Southsea. Most notably is the Historic Dockyard which is home to the navy's' flagship, HMS Victory, HMS Warrior, and the Mary Rose. The D-Day Museum, Gunwharf Quays, Action Stations, Southsea Castle, the Spinnaker Tower, the Millennium Trail, Clarence Pier and Charles Dickens birthplace are just some of the many attractions this lively city has on offer. These areas are well signed as 'Historic Dockyard', 'Gunwharf Quays' and 'Seafront'

Accommodation

A night in Portsmouth is ideal if you are catching an early morning ferry and don't want an early morning drive to the port. Staying in Portsmouth will also put you in an ideal position to explore the city and its many attractions. Why not combine your holiday with a night in Portsmouth before or after your ferry travel? Portsmouth offers a wide range of hotel accommodation and bfenthusiasts have a selection of hotels in which we have stayed and can recommended:

Premier Inn, Southsea: This hotel is located in a prime position on Clarence Pier, right on the seafront. You are a stone's throw from the amusement arcades, the millennium trail and Southsea beach. The 'Clarence' pub is connected offering good food at reasonable prices. We strongly recommend this hotel, quality on a budget with friendly service. For those after the quieter life, the hotel is just a short walk along the sea wall from Old Portsmouth, home to some of the city's hidden treasures when it comes to pubs and restaurants.

Premier Inn Port Solent & Premier Inn North Harbour: These 2 hotels from the same chain are situated directly adjacent to each other (following the take-over of the former Tulip Inn), just minutes off the M275. The hotels are ideal for a short drive to the Ferry Terminal (around 5 minutes). Although not centrally located, the hotels are adjacent to facilities including Pizza Hut, KFC and a 24 hour Tesco - ideal for late arrivals and an early start the following morning.

Holiday Inn: Located on Southsea front, about a 3 minute walk from the water's edge. Rooms are furnished to a very high standard, most offering superb views across the Solent. A leisure complex with an indoor swimming pool and a restaurant are also available to guests. The hotel offers an informal friendly service, with rooms starting at £60.

Restaurants

Being a large city Portsmouth has a large selection of restaurants to choose from including many in the Gunwharf Quays complex by the harbour.  However there are others which may be worth a look too

• Kitsch-n-D'or offers French and European Cuisine at reasonable prices, and are also known to offer mid-week 3 course lunches for £5.
• Lemon Sole in Old Portsmouth for Seafood.
• Still & West Country House - this pub by the harbour entrance offers a restaurant upstairs, but is famous for it's Fish and Chip counter downstairs. Some evenings have great offers for 2 on Fish and Chips, plus a bottle of wine.

Transport

By Car: Its not just because of the ferry routes that the continental ferry port is marketed as being Britain's best connected - it is situated right beside the M275 which in turn links to the M27 via which you can go to London on the M3 or A3 and also to the Midlands by the M3 to the A34/M4, to the South West via the A31 and Bristol and south Wales via the A36. A dedicated slip road serves the port, allowing cars to enter and leave the port with the minimum of fuss. Parking facilities are available at the port for a charge. A multi-story car park is located behind the marshalling lanes, payment by card is accepted.

By Train: Portsmouth has two main stations, 'Portsmouth & Southsea' is the station of choice for the city centre and the continental ferry port (a free shuttle bus runs). For Gunwharf Quays, the Gosport and Isle of Wight ferries alight at 'Portsmouth Harbour' station. Regular rail services are from London Waterloo & Victoria, and direct services to Brighton, Bristol & Cardiff. South West Trains, Southern and First Great Western are the principal operators. Those travelling in advance from London can look at www.megatrain.com for discounted tickets.

By Sea: The Gosport Ferry links the two harbours, offering sailings every 10 mins throughout the day. Wightlink ferries offer services to the Isle of Wight, both for passengers and cars. Traditional car ferries sail to Fishbourne, a 30mins trip, and passenger only Fast Cats sail to Ryde in 20 mins. Hovertravel offer the UK's only passenger hovercraft sailings between Southsea and Ryde, taking only 10 mins to cross the Solent.

By Bus: First and Stagecoach operate Portsmouth's' comprehensive 'overground' bus network. A dedicated shuttle bus to the ferry port also operates from Portsmouth & Southsea station. For most local busses, and national operators such as National Express and Megabus, the main bus station is 'The Hard', located adjacent to Portsmouth Harbour station.