New Portsmouth England Port.

[Kjudge]

We are cruising out of Portsmouth May 2024 on NCL. I’ve read a little about the progress and proposed setup….wondering what the hotel situation will be near there? Any recommendations?

[gumshoe958]

Apart from a fairly grim Travelodge there’s nothing really close to the terminal.

 

Best to stay in the city centre or Gunwharf Quays area and get a cab to the port.

 

There’s a Holiday Inn Express at Gunwharf Quays (which is an outlet shopping mall with lots of restaurants) which is easily walkable from Portsmouth Harbour station if you’re getting there by train. Also a Premier Inn and a cluster of independent hotels near the station.

[John Bull]

As @gumshoe958 has posted the area near the international port / cruise terminal is pretty nondescript

 

Consider somewhere near The Hard / Travel Interchange

The Holiday Inn Express, Gunwharf Quays is a H.I.Express is in an excellent setting and with all conveniences to hand. As it's name suggests, Gunwharf Quays was built as a navy ordnance yard and where guns were loaded onto ships in Nelson's time. It last served a mine warfare establishment before it was de-commissioned. It was developed as  a leisure complex about 30 years ago - shops, restaurants, bars, marina etc, with the Spinnaker Tower as its cornerstone. . https://www.ihg.com/holidayinnexpress/hotels/gb/en/portsmouth/pmegq/hoteldetail

Or for something different, just around the corner from Gunwharf Quays, The Royal Maritime Club. Formerly a home for naval officers between ships - now a mainstream hotel with a naval twist, and still with a sprinkling of naval clientele. https://www.royalmaritimehotel.co.uk/

Both are a short walk from Portsmouth Harbour Station (direct trains or National Express buses from central London)  and a ten-minute taxi hop from the cruise terminal

 

Or Portsmouth's conjoined vacation city of Southsea, which has a wide selection of hotels about a 10to 15 minute taxi ride from the cruise terminal.

(But whereas Premier Inns is a great no-frills hotel group, I'd advise against Premier Inn Southsea - it's adjacent the funfair). 

 

Portsmouth has a great deal to offer to the visitor, you could spend a week there and not see everything.

 

JB 🙂

[Crown Vic]

10 hours ago, John Bull said:

Portsmouth has a great deal to offer to the visitor, you could spend a week there and not see everything.

 

JB 🙂

JB, an interesting fact just published:-

The south coast city of Portsmouth, birthplace of Charles Dickens and home of the Royal Navy, has claimed the top spot on a list showing the number of pubs. It’s got a whopping 12 pubs per square mile – almost double that of London. In second place was Liverpool with 11 pubs per square mile and then Bristol with 10.

Cheers...CV...

[Kjudge]

Thank you all for the great info on both the Quay and Portsmouth. We are coming in 2 days early so we can experience Portsmouth's finest pubs and history ☺️

[John Bull]

4 hours ago, Kjudge said:

Thank you all for the great info on both the Quay and Portsmouth. We are coming in 2 days early so we can experience Portsmouth's finest pubs and history ☺️

 

Good move 🙂

 

Main attraction is the Historic Dockyard & Ships. Worth a very full day but best to spread it over two half-days. Concentrate on the ships.

The nearby Spinnaker Tower is only worth visiting if the weather is clear.

 

Southsea seafront, a short bus or taxi ride away, has its D-Day museum, and the adjacent Southsea Castle. From Southsea Castle Henry V111 watched his flagship the Mary Rose heel over and sink as she set out to face the French fleet (overloaded with cannon and infantrymen). It's a tiny castle, but admission is by donation.

From the seafront esplanade you can clearly see a couple of man-made forts built in the Solent as part of a ring of forts around Portsmouth in the Napoleon 111 era. No gun from any fort was ever fired in anger, leading to their nickname "Palmerston's Follies" (Lord Palmerston was the Prime Minister of the time) .

 

If the weather's fine and you're feeling fit, it's a vey pleasant waterside walk from Southsea castle to the entrance of Portsmouth Harbour and two pubs (the Spice Island Inn and The Still & West) with outdoor harbour-entrance seating for a well-earned pint while you watch the port traffic, before continuing thro' Old Portsmouth to Gunwharf Quays. Total distance about 2 miles.

 

Gunwharf Quays has plenty of bars, but the only surviving original building in the complex is the Old Customs House pub. Two "proper" pubs, the Ship Anson and the Ship & Castle, are between Gunwharf & the Historic Dockyard entrance.

 

https://historicdockyard.co.uk/

https://www.portsmouth-guide.co.uk/local/gwhfquys.htm

https://theddaystory.com/

https://southseacastle.co.uk/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Palmerston_Forts_at_Portsmouth

https://maps.app.goo.gl/QfwvMr9htqf4mXFR6

 

JB 🙂

 

[Crown Vic]

3 hours ago, John Bull said:

Gunwharf Quays has plenty of bars, but the only surviving original building in the complex is the Old Customs House pub. Two "proper" pubs, the Ship Anson and the Ship & Castle, are between Gunwharf & the Historic Dockyard entrance.

JB 🙂

 

JB, don’t forget the Lady Hamilton on The Hard.

Cheers…CV…

[John Bull]

17 hours ago, Crown Vic said:

JB, don’t forget the Lady Hamilton on The Hard.

Cheers…CV…

 

 

She was no Lady 😏

 

That pub is only a few doors from Ship Anson and the Ship & Castle.

I've never tried it, it looks a bit run-down and more like a B&B.

 

 I remember the days when those pubs were packed at the end of the working day -  3.000 dock workers cycling out of the dock gate, seemingly 100 abreast. Woe betide any pedestrian (or bus 🤣) that got in their way 😮. 

 

JB 🙂

[Crown Vic]

1 hour ago, John Bull said:

She was no Lady 😏

JB 🙂

Spot on, JB. Recently changed hands and re-opened with some accommodation. The pub grub was excellent when Rosie was in charge. 
Cheers…CV…

[Scout977]

On 9/24/2023 at 12:18 PM, John Bull said:

 

Good move 🙂

 

Main attraction is the Historic Dockyard & Ships. Worth a very full day but best to spread it over two half-days. Concentrate on the ships.

The nearby Spinnaker Tower is only worth visiting if the weather is clear.

 

Southsea seafront, a short bus or taxi ride away, has its D-Day museum, and the adjacent Southsea Castle. From Southsea Castle Henry V111 watched his flagship the Mary Rose heel over and sink as she set out to face the French fleet (overloaded with cannon and infantrymen). It's a tiny castle, but admission is by donation.

From the seafront esplanade you can clearly see a couple of man-made forts built in the Solent as part of a ring of forts around Portsmouth in the Napoleon 111 era. No gun from any fort was ever fired in anger, leading to their nickname "Palmerston's Follies" (Lord Palmerston was the Prime Minister of the time) .

 

If the weather's fine and you're feeling fit, it's a vey pleasant waterside walk from Southsea castle to the entrance of Portsmouth Harbour and two pubs (the Spice Island Inn and The Still & West) with outdoor harbour-entrance seating for a well-earned pint while you watch the port traffic, before continuing thro' Old Portsmouth to Gunwharf Quays. Total distance about 2 miles.

 

Gunwharf Quays has plenty of bars, but the only surviving original building in the complex is the Old Customs House pub. Two "proper" pubs, the Ship Anson and the Ship & Castle, are between Gunwharf & the Historic Dockyard entrance.

 

https://historicdockyard.co.uk/

https://www.portsmouth-guide.co.uk/local/gwhfquys.htm

https://theddaystory.com/

https://southseacastle.co.uk/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Palmerston_Forts_at_Portsmouth

https://maps.app.goo.gl/QfwvMr9htqf4mXFR6

 

JB 🙂

 

JB

I enjoy reading all your helpful tips and information. In fact, I used your tip for International Friends and had a great 3-day post-cruise visit to London after arriving in Southampton.

 

I am researching now for a cruise arrival into Portsmouth. Specifically, what is the best way to get from Portsmouth to LHR. I would like to have an idea of timing so I can book airfare once it becomes available. Cruise arrives into Portsmouth April 27, 2025. We would consider spending the night in Portsmouth or London, if necessary.

 

I made note of some of the mentioned transportation from London to Portsmouth (trains, buses, private car). Is the reverse possible?

[John Bull]

4 hours ago, Scout977 said:

JB

I enjoy reading all your helpful tips and information. In fact, I used your tip for International Friends and had a great 3-day post-cruise visit to London after arriving in Southampton.

 

I am researching now for a cruise arrival into Portsmouth. Specifically, what is the best way to get from Portsmouth to LHR. I would like to have an idea of timing so I can book airfare once it becomes available. Cruise arrives into Portsmouth April 27, 2025. We would consider spending the night in Portsmouth or London, if necessary.

 

I made note of some of the mentioned transportation from London to Portsmouth (trains, buses, private car). Is the reverse possible?

 

I've chosen a random date (23rd Aug this year) - these suggestions should be the same for any day except reduced train services on sundays or national holidays ("bank holidays") and details & prices are likely to change before next April

And I'm presuming this will be from Portsmouth International port (cruise ships & x-Channel ferries) 

You need to arrive at the airport at least 2 hrs before your flight, 90 minutes would be risky.

 

By Nat Express bus.

The simplest and probably cheapest. 

Buses call at the Int. port, so no faffing around with local taxis.

There are two routes :

One via a change at Victoria coach station in central London, departs 7.40am arrives around 11,20 (depending on your airport terminal). £32

The other direct via a number of stops including Southampton, departs 8.35am arrives around noon (depending on your airport terminal). £19.

 

By private transfer

It's about 70 to 80 miles depending on the route taken

Some guesswork here -.

Around £150 to £170, and if departing about 8am on the average weekday about 2 hrs excluding any major delays.

Two of the private transfer operators for Southampton cruises are actually based in Portsmouth  https://www.aquacars.co.uk/ and https://gunwharf-executive-travel.co.uk/

It's probably too early to get quotes

 

By train

You'll need a taxi hop for the 2 miles from the int. port to Portsmouth & Southsea station (or a mile further to Portsmouth Harbour station, which is the terminus so in theory you'll have a better choice of seats).

By train all the way to LHR involves 2 changes in central London or 3 changes on a more-circuitous route. Both routes take 3 hours, fares from about £50 pp

 

But an alternative (not detailed on rail websites) is a direct train to Woking. 4 trains per hour, journey time about 90 minutes, Advance fare (only good for the train time that you book) from £7.90 pp or standard anytime fare £30.3 pp (buy in advance or at the station).

Then a RailAir bus (might be in Nat Express colours)  from Woking station to LHR. Half-hourly service, journey time something under an hour, fare about £10 pp.

 https://www.railair.com/

https://www.railair.com/timetables/RA2

 

https://www.nationalexpress.com/en

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk

 

If it were me I'd book the direct 8.35 Nat Express bus - if it suits the flight time.

 

It would help if you quote your day/date, disembarkation time if known, and your flight time options, 

 

But a couple of other suggestions

There's a direct train service to London Gatwick airport if there are suitable flights to your home.

As per my post #6, Portsmouth is well worth a couple of days - or more. The conjoined city of Southsea is a major vacation resort for Brits

 

JB 🙂

Edited yesterday at 12:56 AM by John Bull

[Cotswold Eagle]

8 hours ago, John Bull said:

But an alternative (not detailed on rail websites)

The RailAir service will appear on rail planners if you put Heathrow Bus or a specific Terminal (avoiding the 'rail' versions...) as the destination, which I accept is not very helpful if you don't know that, which most visitors won't 🤣

[Scout977]

JB

Thank you so much for your time and effort in outlining my options. It appears the bus or private transportation might be the way to go. It would be a hassle with luggage to make lots of changes. 

 

Also, thanks for the pointer on the Gatwick option. When researching flights, I'll definitely look at that airport as well. 

 

Portsmouth sounds very interesting and worth a stay. This is also a consideration for us.

 

Thanks once again for your informative posts. I have copied and pasted your comments into my research notes for when the time approaches.