National Express Bus LHR to Portsmouth

[kaysha2004]

This is our first cruise sailing out of Portsmouth.  We have chosen to taken the National Express bus from LHR to our pre-cruise hotel in Portsmouth.  We're booking advanced bus tickets online.  Does anyone know the name of the bus station in Portsmouth for the "arrival" station?  We'll then take an Uber to the Holiday Inn Express on Pembroke Road.

 

Once getting out of baggage claim, where do we go to catch the National Express bus from terminal 3 (for Virgin Atlantic)?  Do we need to take an airport bus to the National Express bus?

[bearsbacker]

I’m doing the same bus route for our September 3 cruise. I believe the stop in Portsmouth is called The Hard. 
 

The bus stop for LHR is in terminal 5. But this is my first time as well so if anyone has anymore information that would be great!

Thanks and safe travel!!

[Globaliser]

12 hours ago, kaysha2004 said:

Once getting out of baggage claim, where do we go to catch the National Express bus from terminal 3 (for Virgin Atlantic)?  Do we need to take an airport bus to the National Express bus?

 

No. You just need to walk to the Central Bus Station, which is located between Terminals 2 and 3. You have to use the underground walkways, but the route is well signed.

 

You do not need to go to Terminal 5, although the coach will probably call there on the way to Portsmouth. (I seem to recall that if you have booked a ticket from the Central Bus Station, your ticket may not even be valid for boarding at Terminal 5.)

[kaysha2004]

The National Express website says that ticket sales at the Central Station is permanently closed, which is why we are buying tickets in advance. We prefer not to hunt down a ticket booth. It's one less detail to worry about.

[sddsddean]

2 hours ago, kaysha2004 said:

The National Express website says that ticket sales at the Central Station is permanently closed, which is why we are buying tickets in advance. We prefer not to hunt down a ticket booth. It's one less detail to worry about.

All the terminals at LHR used to have NE offices in them so that you could re-arrange bus times if your flight was delayed. They closed during COVID and have never re-opened...I assume that includes the one at the Central Bus station. You have to do everything on your phone now!!

Hopefully this is a link that shows the NE coach stop in Portsmouth.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/EyTGHcnUyVpKh3eGA

 

Simon

[gnome12]

6 hours ago, bearsbacker said:

The bus stop for LHR is in terminal 5. But this is my first time as well so if anyone has anymore information that would be great!

Thanks and safe travel!!

There are actually 3 bus stops at LHR, one for terminals 2 and 3, one for terminal 4 and one for terminal 5.

[John Bull]

6 hours ago, bearsbacker said:

I’m doing the same bus route for our September 3 cruise. I believe the stop in Portsmouth is called The Hard. 
 

The bus stop for LHR is in terminal 5. But this is my first time as well so if anyone has anymore information that would be great!

Thanks and safe travel!!

 

 

The bus stop in Portsmouth for cruise ships is "Portsmouth International Port" - it's a stop before "The Hard"

If you're bound for a cruise ship & you've booked to The Hard,  tell the driver when you board - if no-one else is booked to the International Port he might well just drive past.

 

@kaysha2004 Yes, the nearest NE stop for HI Extra in Pembroke Road is The Hard. It's a 20 minute / one mile walk or a taxi hop (taxi rank at the Hard)

But could you change to HI Extra at Gunwharf Quays ? Only a short walk & in amongst plenty of restaurants, shops etc.

 

JB 🙂

[kaysha2004]

1 minute ago, John Bull said:

 

 

The bus stop in Portsmouth for cruise ships is "Portsmouth International Port" - it's a stop before "The Hard"

If you're bound for a cruise ship & you've booked to The Hard,  tell the driver when you board - if no-one else is booked to the International Port he might well just drive past.

 

@kaysha2004 Yes, the nearest NE stop for HI Extra in Pembroke Road is The Hard. It's a 20 minute / one mile walk or a taxi hop (taxi rank at the Hard)

But could you change to HI Extra at Gunwharf Quays ? Only a short walk & in amongst plenty of restaurants, shops etc.

 

JB 🙂

This is great information!  I always book my pre-cruise hotels waaaay in advance.  When I was searching in January 2024, the Gunwharf location was very costly in both IHG points and cash, no doubt because of its proximity to the local amenities.  The cash price is now $550 USD/night and double the points.  

[Keldvm]

We were planning to take the bus back to Heathrow after our cruise.  Am I correct that we can book through the National Express site?  And the bus stop is walkable from the cruise terminal?  Hoping to get all this sorted today!  

Thanks!

[sddsddean]

1 hour ago, Keldvm said:

We were planning to take the bus back to Heathrow after our cruise.  Am I correct that we can book through the National Express site?  And the bus stop is walkable from the cruise terminal?  Hoping to get all this sorted today!  

Thanks!

Yes, you can book on https://www.nationalexpress.com/en

 

Its walkable from City Cruise terminal and Horizon terminal. Any others (there are 5 altogether in Southampton) I'd probably use a cab.

 

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/50.9000755,-1.4139786/50.9059706,-1.4091995/@50.9018375,-1.4125306,1045m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!4m1!3e2?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MDgyMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

 

Simon

Edited August 23 by sddsddean

[Keldvm]

Thank you!  We're coming out of Portsmouth.  It sounds like it's still walkable.  

 

[sddsddean]

Sorry, my mistake! You get so used to people asking about Southampton! All the info you need is earlier in this thread. Anything else, ask away.

 

Simon

[gumshoe958]

23 minutes ago, Keldvm said:

Thank you!  We're coming out of Portsmouth.  It sounds like it's still walkable.  

 

Unfortunately only one direct National Express coach a day to LHR stops right outside the entrance to the port, at around 8pm which is of little use to cruisers.

Otherwise, you’ll need to make your way to the main Portsmouth stop (called The Hard) from where there are more frequent direct coaches. It’s about a 10 minute cab ride or 30-35 minute walk from the port.

 

Yes, you can book coach tickets online at https://www.nationalexpress.com

 

[John Bull]

7 minutes ago, Keldvm said:

Thank you!  We're coming out of Portsmouth.  It sounds like it's still walkable.  

 

If you're sailing into Portsmouth, there's a Nat Express bus stop at the cruise/ferry terminal. But as @gumshoe958  's post, it's a very limited service - tied to cross-channel ferry timetables. So you'll need a taxi about 2 miles to the bus stop at The Hard

 https://www.nationalexpress.com/en

.

There is also a train + bus option. 

What date is this for, and what time is your flight ?

 

JB 🙂

[Keldvm]

Thank you everyone.  This is for 8-Sept but we don't fly out until the 9th.  Staying at Hilton Heathrow and looking to do our own thing that afternoon once back at the airport - maybe Windsor?  I booked the 11a bus from the Hard so we should have plenty of time to get there

 

[kaysha2004]

For $35pp, you can book the transfer from the port to LHR through the Virgin app under "Shore Things".

[gumshoe958]

3 hours ago, kaysha2004 said:

For $35pp, you can book the transfer from the port to LHR through the Virgin app under "Shore Things".

That’s actually very good value for a cruise line transfer which I’d normally expect to cost at least double that. National Express will rarely be less than $20, often more.