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Voykit pocket guide · United Kingdom
Portsmouth
Pompey
Give Portsmouth 2 nights: one full day for the Historic Dockyard, half a day for Southsea seafront and the D-Day Story. Skip it as a day trip from London.
Portsmouth is a compact island city built around a working naval base. The Historic Dockyard, Spinnaker Tower and Gunwharf Quays cluster at the harbour, while Southsea's seafront, museums and beaches lie about a mile south. Most visitors come for the warships and stay one or two nights. It works as a base for Isle of Wight ferries and a stop between London and Southampton.
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Local name
- Pompey
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold, wet, some attractions on reduced hours)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- GBP
- Money
- Currency is the pound sterling (GBP, £). Cards and contactless work almost everywhere; some places are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget £60–90 excl. bed · Mid £90–150 excl. bed · High £150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- EE, Vodafone (merged with Three in 2025) and O2 run the networks; prepaid SIMs sell in supermarkets, phone shops and airport vending machines, no registration needed.
- Emergency
- Emergency (police, fire, ambulance) 999 · NHS non-urgent 111 · Police non-urgent 101
- Plugs
- Types G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Three-pin Type G only; European, US and Australian plugs need an adapter. Bathrooms have two-pin shaver sockets only.
- Tipping
- Restaurant with table service: 10–12.5% if no service charge is on the bill; check before adding more.; Pub or bar: Not expected; 'and one for yourself' offers the bartender a drink.; Taxi: Round up or 10%.; Hotel porter: £1–2 per bag.; Tour guide: £5–10 per person for a day tour; free walking tours expect £10–15.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere. Free refills are common; restaurants will bring tap water if you ask.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are scarce and some charge 50p–£1 or are card-only. Stations, museums, department stores and pubs (if you buy a drink) are the fallback.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | £3–4.50 |
| Pub main course | £12–18 |
| Fish and chips | £10–16 |
| Pint of draught beer | £4.50–6 |
| Bus day ticket (First Bus) | £4.50 |
| Train Portsmouth & Southsea → London Waterloo, cheap day single | about £33 |
| Gosport Ferry return | £3.30 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | £8–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- SOU · Southampton Airport
- About 32 km (20 mi) away in Eastleigh; train from Southampton Airport Parkway with a change at Southampton Central or EastleighAbout 20 mi (32 km) away in Eastleigh; train from Southampton Airport Parkway with a change at Southampton Central or Eastleigh
- LGW · London Gatwick
- Direct trains to Portsmouth & Southsea, about 1 h 20 min
Typical fares
- Train Portsmouth & Southsea → London Waterloo
- about £33 cheap day single, 1 h 30 min–1 h 40 min
- Gosport Ferry return
- £3.30, every 7–15 min until midnight
- First Bus day ticket
- £4.50
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre is flat and walkable: The Hard to Southsea seafront is roughly 40–50 min on foot (check). First Bus and Stagecoach run local routes; a First Bus day ticket is about £4.50. Trains link Portsmouth Harbour, Portsmouth & Southsea and Fratton. Taxis and Uber operate; the Gosport Ferry crosses from The Hard every 7–15 min until midnight.
See and do
Known for
- Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
- HMS Victory and the Mary Rose
- Spinnaker Tower
- Charles Dickens's birthplace
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Isle of Wight (Ryde) | Wightlink catamaran from Portsmouth Harbour, every 30 min, about 10 min; Hovertravel from Southsea also about 10 min | About 30–45 min |
| Southampton | Train from Portsmouth & Southsea or Fratton, about 1 h | About 1 h 15 min |
| Winchester | Train from Portsmouth & Southsea via Eastleigh, about 1 h | About 1 h 15 min |
| Portchester Castle | Train to Portchester, then a 10-min walk | About 30 min |
| London | Train from Portsmouth & Southsea to London Waterloo, 1 h 30 min–1 h 40 min via Haslemere | About 2 h |
Sleep
- The Hard / Gunwharf Quays
- Historic Dockyard, Spinnaker Tower, harbour station and Isle of Wight ferries on the doorstep. Best for a short trip with bags.
- Old Portsmouth / Spice Island
- Cathedral, Camber Dock and sea walls; quieter, 15–20 min walk to the dockyard.
- Southsea
- Seafront, D-Day Story and Palmerston Road shops; 25–30 min walk or a short bus ride to the dockyard.
- City centre / Commercial Road
- Shopping, Cascades and Portsmouth & Southsea station; cheapest chain hotels, no sea views.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Excuse me / Sorry |
| Thank you | Thank you |
| Please | Please |
| How much is it? | How much is it? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the toilet? | Where is the toilet? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake at first meeting; 'hi' and first names quickly; avoid: Cheek kisses with strangers
- Conversation: Weather is a safe opener; understatement and self-deprecating humour; avoid: Asking about salary or class
- Queues: Join at the back; avoid: Pushing onto buses or trains before others get off
- Apologies: 'Sorry' is said constantly, even when not at fault; avoid: Taking it as an admission of blame
- Pubs: Buy rounds in a group; wait at the bar without waving money; avoid: Clicking fingers at staff
- Nations: Call Scots Scottish and Welsh Welsh; avoid: Calling the whole UK 'England'
Scams and watch-outs
- Parking on many residential roads is restricted for non-residents and enforced 24/7: read the bay signs before you leave the car.
- Some sights run seasonal or limited hours (Royal Garrison Church, Eastney Beam Engine House, Cumberland House): check before travelling.
- Dockyard tickets can sell out in peak season: book online in advance.
Standard UK city precautions apply. Watch your belongings in busy shopping areas like Commercial Road and Gunwharf Quays. Avoid isolated spots near the docks late at night. The seafront is generally safe by day but stay off the sea walls in rough weather due to cold water risk.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Portsmouth yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
- HMS Victory and the Mary Rose
- Spinnaker Tower
- Charles Dickens's birthplace
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Portsmouth: www.visitportsmouth.co.uk/
- Portsmouth City Council: www.portsmouth.gov.uk/
- Portsmouth Historic Dockyard: historicdockyard.co.uk
- National Rail: www.nationalrail.co.uk/
- Wikivoyage: Portsmouth, revision 5328035 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5328035
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
PortsmouthPompey
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Portsmouth; the US Embassy is in London (check the address), and most other countries' embassies are in London.
English is the only language you need; local place names are the useful vocabulary: The Hard, Old Portsmouth, Southsea, Commercial Road, Fratton.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/portsmouth). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.