Portsmouth
As your ferry approaches Portsmouth, you’ll be impressed by the long beachfront, soaring landmark of the Spinnaker Tower and bustling shops and restaurants of the waterfront Gunwharf Quays district.
Portsmouth is a city of contrasts and as well as boasting exciting contemporary attractions it is also steeped in history.
The port you depart from should be as enticing at the port you are travelling to, so why not take an extra day and stay overnight in one of Portsmouth's many local hotels. Then prior to your departure, make the most of the dazzling new passenger terminal for last minute items. > More information
Arriving in Portsmouth you will find a vibrant and dynamic city where poignant reminders of our history blend seamlessy with a modern waterfront to create a contemporary living city. Whether you're looking for a romantic city break, a fun packed family holiday or an invigorating weekend away, Portsmouth is the perfect destination. > More information
Portsmouth - the Waterfront City
As your ferry approaches Portsmouth, you’ll be impressed by the long beachfront, soaring landmark of the Spinnaker Tower and bustling shops and restaurants of the waterfront Gunwharf Quays district.
Portsmouth is a city of contrasts and as well as boasting exciting contemporary attractions it is also steeped in history.
Ferries entering and leaving the harbour glide past lovely Georgian houses and historic ships including Admiral Lord Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory. The city’s proud maritime heritage continues with the modern fighting craft of the naval dockyard.
There are traditional piers, the wide green space of Southsea Common, sophisticated waterside restaurants or fish and chips on the beach, and the opportunity to take a quick ferry or hovercraft ride over to the Isle of Wight.
Ferries to Portsmouth International Port sail from Caen, Cherbourg, Le Havre and St Malo in France, Bilbao and Santander in Spain, and Jersey and Guernsey in the Channel Islands. They are operated by Brittany Ferries, LD Lines and Condor Ferries.
Where can I drive to?
• The beautiful historic city of Chichester is 18 miles east and extraordinary Chichester Harbour stretches for miles with wonderful inlets, coastal villages and glorious views. It is heaven for sailors, walkers and bird watchers.
• Stonehenge, 52 miles away, and London, 75 miles, are well within reach for superb day trips.
• Half an hour north of Portsmouth the rolling hills of the South Downs open up, with fantastic opportunities for walking and country pubs aplenty in villages such as South Harting, Elsted, Buriton and in the Meon Valley.
Why not stay overnight before or after you sail - there are many Hotels to suit all budgets, a wide range of hotels are available for visitors.
You may wish to spend some time in Portsmouth before your sailing, taking advantage of all the city has to offer.
There are many places of interest, some are listed below but follow the link www.visitportsmouth.co.uk for more Portsmouth information and for the Olympic information for the city please go to www.portsmouth.gov.uk/2012games
Best of Portsmouth
• Portsmouth Historic Dockyard: www.historicdockyard.co.uk HMS Victory, the magnificent HMS Warrior (cutting-edge Victorian technology) and Henry VIII’s doomed flagship Mary Rose. Take a harbour tour to see current frigates and destroyers. Children love the interactive displays, simulators and climbing wall at Action Stations.
• Charles Dickens Birthplace Museum: www.charlesdickensbirthplace.co.uk The brilliant writer was born in 1812 in this modest house while his father worked in Portsmouth for the Navy Pay Office. The Regency household objects and decorations show how the family would have lived, and Dickens memorabilia includes the couch on which he died at his house in Kent, his snuffbox, inkwell and paper knife.
• Spinnaker Tower: www.spinnakertower.co.uk Soaring high above glittering Portsmouth harbour, this 21st century icon has already had two million visitors. At 170 metres tall, it provides breathtaking 350º vistas of the South coast, the Solent and the Isle of Wight after a fast lift ride to the top. Views stretch up to 23 miles and Europe’s largest glass floor enables intrepid visitors of all ages to virtually ‘walk on air’!
• Gunwharf Quays: www.gunwharf-quays.com Britain’s first world-class shopping and leisure waterfront, with 100 designer outlets, 30 cosmopolitan bars and restaurants, a health & fitness centre, Vue cinema and Bowlplex bowling. Laugh at Highlights comedy club, call in at the Aspex contemporary art gallery or dance the night away at Tiger Tiger. A vibrant atmosphere in an unforgettable setting.
• Blue Reef Aquarium: www.bluereefaquarium.co.uk/portsmouth Enjoy close encounters with seahorses, tropical sharks, otters, a giant octopus and hundreds of incredible aquatic creatures. Blue Reef takes visitors on a journey through more than 40 habitats from the bustling Solent to exotic tropical seas and a beautiful coral reef. There are talks and feeding displays throughout the day.
• D-Day Museum: www.ddaymuseum.co.uk The story of Operation Overlord told through the Overlord Embroidery depicting the efforts and sacrifices of the Allies in defeating Nazi Germany in 34 scenes. Visitors can also experience sights and sounds of Britain at war and a dawn-to-dusk reconstruction of the Allied landings by sea and air on 6 June 1944 – World War II's 'longest day'.
Did you know?
• Portsmouth is the UK's only island city, located on Portsea Island jutting out into the Solent. Its nickname is Pompey.
• It is a naval city through and through. Richard the Lionheart summoned a fleet here in 1194 and in 1787 11 ships set sail to establish the first European colony in Australia. Nelson left for the last time in 1805 for the Battle of Trafalgar. Fleets left Portsmouth for the Falklands War and to support troops in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• The closing chapters of Jane Austen's Mansfield Park are set in Portsmouth, hometown of its heroine Fanny Price. Sherlock Holmes author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was from Portsmouth.
• Spice Island, part of Old Portsmouth, was once infamous for sailors’ pubs and brothels because when the city gates were closed it was literally outside of the law. It now offers family pubs, sea views and the Camber Dock fish market.
• Portsmouth FC have held the FA Cup the longest – they won it in 1939 and kept it until 1946 because there was no competition during World War II. (They won it again in 2008.)
