Portland UK

[macsmum1]

We are stopping in Portland UK and want to go to Weymouth.  Has anyone else done this and how did you go?  Taxi, bus or walk?  We don't want to walk although it would be interesting!

[John Bull]

 

No, you certainly don't want to walk - it's about 5 miles 😮

 

Ships usually run shuttle-buses from the pier to Weymouth, usually payable but not enough to break the bank.

Taxis & tour vans (lots of places to visit in a 20-mile radius)  aren't permitted into the port - its a Royal Navy base - so folk need to pre-book.

I don't know about local buses, probably tuesdays & alternate fridays 😅

 

Ship's shuttle- buses are the way to get to Weymouth.

From the usual drop-point, cross the harbour, then thro the maze of little streets with smugglers museum, pubs, shops, cafes, fish & chippys, to the Esplanade - sandy beach (often sand-artists at work), Victorian bathing machine, ice-creams, candy floss, kiss-me-quick hats ..... what more would you want in a traditional Victorian seaside resort 🙂

 

If you're back to the port early enough, the diminutive Henry V111'Portland Castle is a ten-minute walk from the port. 

History lesson Number One The castle has rounded (instead of angled) outer walls facing the sea, which marks it out as being built after castle-builders had figured that cannon balls bounce off rounded walls (1540's)

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/portland-castle/

 

Five minutes from the port, on the way to Portland Castle, a newish D-Day museum

 https://ddaycentre.com/ Not been there, but it gets great reviews 

History lesson number two. The picture below shows a "Mulberry Harbour" built on the Normandy coast in the days after D-Day to provide vehicles & supplies to support the Allies for several months. Built in sections (caissons) in various places in England, towed to Normandy & sunk in position.

 

After the war, many sections were towed back to England to be used as harbour walls & mooring places & suchlike - re-cycling isn't a new idea 😉.

The photo below shows two of the caissons in Portland Harbour, near where you ship will be berthed.

 

History lessons over 😉

 

JB 🙂

Edited March 31, 2022 by John Bull

[couplelovestravel]

On 3/31/2022 at 10:57 PM, John Bull said:

 

No, you certainly don't want to walk - it's about 5 miles 😮

 

Ships usually run shuttle-buses from the pier to Weymouth, usually payable but not enough to break the bank.

Taxis & tour vans (lots of places to visit in a 20-mile radius)  aren't permitted into the port - its a Royal Navy base - so folk need to pre-book.

I don't know about local buses, probably tuesdays & alternate fridays 😅

 

Ship's shuttle- buses are the way to get to Weymouth.

From the usual drop-point, cross the harbour, then thro the maze of little streets with smugglers museum, pubs, shops, cafes, fish & chippys, to the Esplanade - sandy beach (often sand-artists at work), Victorian bathing machine, ice-creams, candy floss, kiss-me-quick hats ..... what more would you want in a traditional Victorian seaside resort 🙂

 

If you're back to the port early enough, the diminutive Henry V111'Portland Castle is a ten-minute walk from the port. 

History lesson Number One The castle has rounded (instead of angled) outer walls facing the sea, which marks it out as being built after castle-builders had figured that cannon balls bounce off rounded walls (1540's)

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/portland-castle/

 

Five minutes from the port, on the way to Portland Castle, a newish D-Day museum

 https://ddaycentre.com/ Not been there, but it gets great reviews 

History lesson number two. The picture below shows a "Mulberry Harbour" built on the Normandy coast in the days after D-Day to provide vehicles & supplies to support the Allies for several months. Built in sections (caissons) in various places in England, towed to Normandy & sunk in position.

 

After the war, many sections were towed back to England to be used as harbour walls & mooring places & suchlike - re-cycling isn't a new idea 😉.

The photo below shows two of the caissons in Portland Harbour, near where you ship will be berthed.

 

History lessons over 😉

 

JB 🙂

We will be here in September and had planned on staying on the ship, but I am a Henry III junkie and my husband I a WWII junkie.  Would we be able to walk to both of these from the dock or would we have to take a taxi?  Also these pubs you are speaking about, would we be able to also access those by foot?

 

 

[John Bull]

35 minutes ago, couplelovestravel said:

We will be here in September and had planned on staying on the ship, but I am a Henry III junkie and my husband I a WWII junkie.  Would we be able to walk to both of these from the dock or would we have to take a taxi?  Also these pubs you are speaking about, would we be able to also access those by foot?

 

 

 

Turn right to walk along the waterfront -  the D-Day Centre is less than a five minute walk from the port gate, there's a Sherman tank outside.

Continue the same way, and a couple of hundred yards beyond is a roundabout (traffic circle in American-speak?). Take the first turning on the right after the roundabout (Liberty Road) and the castle entrance is on your right. 7 minutes from the D-Day Centre

Ten minutes in total

https://goo.gl/maps/CvDUPAggjL12Gp166

 

Pubs

You pass The Green Shutters (a pretty standard terraced "local's" pub) between the port gate and the D-Day Centre. I don't think it has outside seating

https://www.facebook.com/Green-shutters-659871584148755/

The Boat That Rocks isn't a pub, it's a yachties' bar & restaurant at the marina, a five-minute waterfront walk beyond the Castle. It has easterly views across Portland Harbour from the tables on terrace. 

https://tbtr.co.uk/

The Cove House Inn is a waterfront pub on the other side of the isthmus, about a 15 minute walk from the D-Day Centre. It has outside trestle tables with westerly sea views over Chesil Bank, the strip of pebbled beach that connects Portland to the mainland. 

https://thecovehouseinn.co.uk/

https://goo.gl/maps/JJUcaQwuDXfuNMiG7

 

JB 🙂

[Globaliser]

On 3/31/2022 at 9:57 PM, John Bull said:

Ship's shuttle- buses are the way to get to Weymouth.

From the usual drop-point, cross the harbour, then thro the maze of little streets with smugglers museum, pubs, shops, cafes, fish & chippys, to the Esplanade - sandy beach (often sand-artists at work), Victorian bathing machine, ice-creams, candy floss, kiss-me-quick hats ..... what more would you want in a traditional Victorian seaside resort 🙂

 

John Bull forgot to put in a question mark, because that is not a rhetorical question.

 

The answer is Catch ... if (and it's a big if) you can get a table there.

[John Bull]

1 hour ago, Globaliser said:

 

John Bull forgot to put in a question mark, because that is not a rhetorical question.

 

The answer is Catch ... if (and it's a big if) you can get a table there.

 

Yes, G., it was rhetorical. 😜

"The Catch" looks very nice. But the prices don't 😮 - which I just knew as soon as I saw it's Michelin listed.

A chippie that's Michelin-listed, has an executive chef and an extensive wine-list, and charges 25 quid a throw ain't no chippy. 

 

Especially when there's no chips and no takeaway !!!!!!!!!!!

 

Just round the corner The Marlborough is a good traditional chippy without the fancy prices. And no worries if there are no empty tables, cos fish & chips is best eaten when sat on the harbour wall.🙂

https://marlbororestaurant.co.uk/

 

And there are half-a-dozen more chippies in the town

 

JB 🙂

Edited April 25, 2022 by John Bull

[Globaliser]

2 hours ago, John Bull said:

"The Catch" looks very nice. But the prices don't 😮 - which I just knew as soon as I saw it's Michelin listed.

A chippie that's Michelin-listed, has an executive chef and an extensive wine-list, and charges 25 quid a throw ain't no chippy.

 

It's certainly no chippie!

 

But to correct a common misconception (for those who don't know), a restaurant doesn't have to be expensive to be Michelin-listed. It doesn't actually even have to be expensive to be Michelin-starred, although affordable starred restaurants are rare.

 

Surely every good seaside resort needs one decent restaurant? 🙂 In Catch, Weymouth now has one.

[John Bull]

31 minutes ago, Globaliser said:

 

It's certainly no chippie!

 

But to correct a common misconception (for those who don't know), a restaurant doesn't have to be expensive to be Michelin-listed. It doesn't actually even have to be expensive to be Michelin-starred, although affordable starred restaurants are rare.

 

Surely every good seaside resort needs one decent restaurant? 🙂 In Catch, Weymouth now has one.

 

 

So we're agreed, G., what's important is that it's not a  "fish & chippy ", which was the phrase I used.

An inexpensive and very British institution which macsmum is unlikely to find in either Dallas or Fort Worth, less than a half-hour drive from home.

 

BTW, Weymouth now has three decent seafood restaurants and a number of other good restaurants.😜

 

JB 🙂

 

 

  

[John Bull]

On 4/24/2022 at 3:24 PM, couplelovestravel said:

We will be here in September and had planned on staying on the ship, but I am a Henry III junkie and my husband I a WWII junkie.  Would we be able to walk to both of these from the dock or would we have to take a taxi?  Also these pubs you are speaking about, would we be able to also access those by foot?

 

 

 

An update from a member who's recently ported at Portland.

No tour vehicles permitted in the port - and no walking in or out of the port.

Tour operators tell their clients to take the free port bus from the ship, it drops them at Portland Castle.

 

So take that free port bus - you might be able to persuade the driver to drop you at the D-Day museum, or it's a five minute walk back from Portland Castle.

Best to catch the bus back to the port at Portland Castle, it might not be possible to flag it down from elsewhere.

I was told it's a decently-frequent service.

 

JB 🙂

[cruiseaholic78]

Thanks JB for the useful info.

Here is a little addition which I found while researching for our own trip in a few weeks time.

https://www.portland-port.co.uk/welcome+to+portland+port

Happy planning 

Rosalyn

[Larainerenee]

21 hours ago, cruiseaholic78 said:

Thanks JB for the useful info.

Here is a little addition which I found while researching for our own trip in a few weeks time.

https://www.portland-port.co.uk/welcome+to+portland+port

Happy planning 

Rosalyn

Great info - thanks! Now, I have to figure out if our Celebrity ship is offering the shuttle.

[cruiseaholic78]

My understanding is that the shuttle is clearly provided by the Portland port authority and not any of the cruise ship companies. They also list the timetables and place to board.

Happy planning

Rosalyn

[MAVIP]

14 hours ago, cruiseaholic78 said:

My understanding is that the shuttle is clearly provided by the Portland port authority and not any of the cruise ship companies. They also list the timetables and place to board.

Happy planning

Rosalyn

We used the shuttles during 2 cruises in 2019 and hope to use it again this summer. It is as cruiseaholic78 writes: provided by Portland/Weymouth. Perfect service. And it is almost sure you will be greeted in Weymouth by friendly inhabitants (I understood they were volunteers) who will give you the information you need and show you your way to the center, boulevard etc.  

Lenny

[Mrs f.]

On 5/8/2022 at 3:49 PM, cruiseaholic78 said:

Thanks JB for the useful info.

Here is a little addition which I found while researching for our own trip in a few weeks time.

https://www.portland-port.co.uk/welcome+to+portland+port

Happy planning 

Rosalyn

Rosalind.....we shall be in Portland on the Vista in August  2023.....take notes

[cruiseaholic78]

Miriam, so you did clear the wait list! We will be leaving from Amsterdam on Norwegian Dawn on 24th May then up around Scotland, Kirkwall Orkney’s and via Ireland to Southhampton. We will stay in Richmond with my sister and family and also celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend before flying back to Amsterdam on 5th June.

Will keep notes on Portland.

Happy planning

Rosalyn

 

Edited May 11, 2022 by cruiseaholic78

[WESTEAST]

On 5/10/2022 at 1:06 AM, MAVIP said:

We used the shuttles during 2 cruises in 2019 and hope to use it again this summer. It is as cruiseaholic78 writes: provided by Portland/Weymouth. Perfect service. And it is almost sure you will be greeted in Weymouth by friendly inhabitants (I understood they were volunteers) who will give you the information you need and show you your way to the center, boulevard etc.  

Lenny

We also took the Port provided shuttle to Weymouth Harbour and were met by local volunteers who escorted us to the town while sharing information. Spent our day taking in the pretty harbour and beach area before returning by shuttle to the ship.  We also had a local musical send-off when our ship left port. 

[suefrankw]

thanks for all the great info on Portland 'to see' and restaurants. wondering if anyone may have info on gluten free eating in Portland?

thanks

[frugaltraveller]

On 5/11/2022 at 7:53 AM, cruiseaholic78 said:

Miriam, so you did clear the wait list! We will be leaving from Amsterdam on Norwegian Dawn on 24th May then up around Scotland, Kirkwall Orkney’s and via Ireland to Southhampton. We will stay in Richmond with my sister and family and also celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend before flying back to Amsterdam on 5th June.

Will keep notes on Portland.

Happy planning

Rosalyn

 

Hi Roslyn,

 

I will be on the NCL Dawn this September doing the reverse itinerary.  This will be my first time doing the British Isles.  I am starting to do some research on the ports, any advice from your cruise will be appreciated.  We will be staying in Amsterdam for 3 nights after our cruise.  This will be our 2nd time to Amsterdam, loved it the last time when we were there on Kings day.  So jealous you will be there for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.  Happy sailing.

 

 

[frugaltraveller]

Thank you all for the great information.  

 

I am wondering if there will be enough time to visit the town of Weymouth and some of the nearby sights, like Durdle door and Lulworth, or will it be too rushed.  Also, is it easy to get a taxi tour to these places in town or at the port?  or best to book an excursion?

[MAVIP]

12 hours ago, frugaltraveller said:

Thank you all for the great information.  

 

I am wondering if there will be enough time to visit the town of Weymouth and some of the nearby sights, like Durdle door and Lulworth, or will it be too rushed.  Also, is it easy to get a taxi tour to these places in town or at the port?  or best to book an excursion?

We took public transport to the "nearby sights". Please prepare carefully, because we waited a long long time for the return bus to Weymouth and that afternoon we waited for hours on a hot parking/bus stop. No taxi anywhere in the neighbourhood available. Finally "we made it" in time.  

[John Bull]

14 hours ago, frugaltraveller said:

Thank you all for the great information.  

 

I am wondering if there will be enough time to visit the town of Weymouth and some of the nearby sights, like Durdle door and Lulworth, or will it be too rushed.  Also, is it easy to get a taxi tour to these places in town or at the port?  or best to book an excursion?

 

 

Yes, assuming your ship is in port for a full day, you should have plenty of time for Lulworth cove & Durdle Door (and for a 30 - 40 minute walk across the headland between the two if that takes your fancy) and the rest of your time in Weymouth.

 

But no, its not easy to get a taxi from the port - it's a secure port, no taxis or tours either inside or outside the port and there's no taxi rank or car rental agency nearby. You take the shuttlebus from the ship to the port gate or a nearby stop, or into Weymouth.

Yes, for your trip you can find a taxi in Weymouth, but like most places in Europe hailing a taxi for the day is not recommended because it won't suit your screen-name and you're no well-placed to barter on-the-fly - in England & the rest of Europe hail a taxi only for a short one-way hop of no more than about 5 miles. Added to the cost, you lose time taking the shuttlebus from Portland to Weymouth and finding a taxi-driver who is personable & informative, & willing to do the job.

The only plus with doing that in England instead of mainland Europe is that the driver's native language is quite similar to your own 😉

 

So pre-book a tour. 

I've no experience of tour operators there, but here's the result of a "search" of this forum for threads that mention Portland - scroll thro them and you'll find some recommendations

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=Portland&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=148

Because even pre-booked tour operators aren't permitted in the port, they ask clients to take the free port shuttlebus to meet them at (usually) Portland Castle just a three minute drive from the ship.

 

If you're going to consider a tour, although Lulworth cove & Durdle Door are very pleasant & laid-back there are other choices also worth considering, including Corfe Castle, the Jurassic coast, Dorset Downs and their villages, and Thomas Hardy's Dorchester.

 

At the end of your tour you can choose.....

- to keep the driver while you explore Weymouth & then be taken back to Portland

- or probably cheaper but a little more fraught, book the tour only as far as Weymouth & then head back to Portland on the shuttle-bus or hail a taxi (about 5 to 6 miles, 15 to 20 minutes, at a guess £15 to £20)

 

JB 🙂

Edit-  noticing MAVIP's comment, yes the shuttlebus stop in Weymouth is a ten-minute walk from the centre & as mentioned no taxi rank nearby. But taxis on the seafront promenade in the centre of town. 

 

 

Edited May 15, 2022 by John Bull

[MAVIP]

2 hours ago, John Bull said:

 

JB 🙂

Edit-  noticing MAVIP's comment, yes the shuttlebus stop in Weymouth is a ten-minute walk from the centre & as mentioned no taxi rank nearby. But taxis on the seafront promenade in the centre of town. 

 

 

Apologies JB, I was not clear enough: we waited/ looked for a taxi at the parking lot near Lulworth Cove/Durdle Door. 

[John Bull]

3 minutes ago, MAVIP said:

Apologies JB, I was not clear enough: we waited/ looked for a taxi at the parking lot near Lulworth Cove/Durdle Door. 

 

My answer's probably still the same - nearest taxi rank is Weymouth promenade, 14 miles away  🤣

 

No  on reflection I'm wrong. 

Nearest taxi rank is at Wool station, only a six-mile walk. 🤣🤣🤣

[MAVIP]

3 minutes ago, John Bull said:

 

My answer's probably still the same - nearest taxi rank is Weymouth promenade, 14 miles away  🤣

 

No  on reflection I'm wrong. 

Nearest taxi rank is at Wool station, only a six-mile walk. 🤣🤣🤣

I will remember next time (Volendam August 14th British Islands is cancelled by HAl too) we wil visit Portland. DH will not appreciate walking 6 miles with his crutches...) 😂

 

[frugaltraveller]

Thanks again for the information, JB and MAVIP 🙂