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We're catching a ferry at about 10:30pm next Wednesday, setting off from Sheffield at about 3pm. If everything goes to plan this will leave us with a few hours in Portsmouth. Information on the ferry website (Brittany Ferries) doesn't really give much information about what to do.
From what I can tell we may be able to park up at the terminal and wait in a designated lane, but someone must be present with the vehicle.
Alternatively we can drive in to town, park up near the harbour / spinaker tower and take in the sights(?), then return to the terminal closer to disembarkation time.
Any tips from anyone with knowlegde? TIA
Park (And pay through the nose for it) at Gunwharf Quays and have a wander round there. Shops, restaurants, water, a tower, stuff like that. If you've never been before, should keep you occupied for long enough. Easy enough to get back to the ferryport.
Otherwise it's Southsea, where everything's a bit more spread out.
We sailed to the Isle of Wight a few weeks ago from Gunwharf, and having seen how quickly the traffic can back-up with even a minor problem at the port I'd stay as close to your departure point as possible!
I'd be tempted to go to Port Solent. A reliable 10 minutes from the ferry port without potentially fighting further into Portsmouth itself. Not exactly exciting but a nice environment for an hour or two mooch around the marina
I come from Portsmouth originally, and the only parts i still like are the old naval harbour, where it is amazing what they have done with the Mary Rose now, and it is good to walk round HMS Victory and the museum, or if you just want to stretch your legs, walk along the sea walls at Old Portsmouth from Old Spice island pub, along "hot walls" and Round Tower as far as the pier and back.
Gunwharf is ok for something to eat, it is all chain restaurants and outlet shopping though.
No trip to Portsmouth is complete without a wander around HMS Victory & and then luncheon at one Pompey’s fine Michelin starred establishments.
Go to the pub that is just outside Brittany Ferries port (the Ship?)...have a few beers then try and drive up the ramp onto the boat in a straight line. I've seen plenty do that over the years!
Looking at your timings I'm not sure you'll have hours to kill anyway.
From mid Derbyshire it took us 5 hours to get to Portsmouth and the journey back took a lovely 7hrs in the driving rain. Early July so out of school holidays too.
I'll be at Portsmouth terminal on Thurs evening - timely! Kids would love to see some Navy stuff if we get time / chance.
We're an hour further north and it took us 7hrs to get down last September
I'd leave earlier, you might get there early but you'll be there and less stressed
having seen how quickly the traffic can back-up with even a minor problem at the port I’d stay as close to your departure point as possible!
Er, at 10pm on a Wednesday? I know traffic is shite in portsmouth, but you'd be bloody unlucky to catch it at that time!
Don't forget the check-in takes a bit longer nowadays but it's nowt to do with Brexit
Double check your departure time too
Er, at 10pm on a Wednesday? I know traffic is shite in portsmouth, but you’d be bloody unlucky to catch it at that time!
We had 3 hrs to kill so parked in car park directly opposite the Gunwharf ferry terminal, mooched around the shops, had a beer. Then got back to car in good time - gridlock! Took us 30 minutes just to get out of the car park and another hour to get into the terminal a hundred yards away and all because a ferry had an issue with a ramp. 🙂
I'm not a 'cutting it fine' sort of person though! 🤣
Another for Port Solent. Easy meal and a wander. Or go to the Cormorant in Portchester and a wander around Portchester Castle.
Or Wickham or Petersfield for a pub meal and wander. Basically anything to avoid going into actual Portmouth!
Edit- and for clarity to the posts above - there are 2 (well technically 3 if you count the Gosport ferry!) Ferry terminals. The one near Gunwarf is not the one you want.
I agree Portsmouth is shit. Don't follow my advice, go somewhere completely different! Like Wales.
Is that lovely brutalist architecture shopping centre and car park still standing? I used to love going there for a walk along with the habour area
Is that lovely brutalist architecture shopping centre and car park still standing?
The Tricorn? Sadly not 🙁
Jumping on this thread rather than starting another, we're caching the Portsmouth ferry to St Malo in a few weeks, but with bikes (tandems actually) to go cycle touring. Ferry is about 8pm, so we'll likely aim to get to the terminal around 6pm.
We're driving down and need to park up for the week while we do our cycle tour - any recommendations for a safe spot to park that isn't bloody miles from the terminal? There's likely to be 3 vehicles due to varying travel arrangements before / after the tour
I'd leave a couple of hours earlier. You'll be stressing all the way there otherwise. If you arrive early, so what? Go for a walk, enjoy the Navy area, have a meal, amble to the Ferry. I don't do lastminuteferry.com
My lad's at the Uni. He says the escape room is very good 🙂
Otherwise Port Solent.
Gunwharf car park can be on the wrong side of grim as already stated.
Thanks everyone, Google maps has consistently said 4 hours at all times of day, which I find difficult to believe as the suggested route takes in the M25.
I’ll try to leave as early as possible (1pm) but knowing my luck will mean that I will arrive in 4 hours
I don't know where you are headed from St Malo, nbt. The old railway trail and cycle route to Questember and beyond is very pleasant if you are heading south.
I don’t know where you are headed from St Malo, nbt.
Heading round to Cherbourg via Utah Beach, then a ferry to Poole and back to Portsmouth via the Isle of Wight - a figure of 8 trip works best given ferry timings
Do the M1 A34 route, less petrol, less traffic, and google says quicker. Just did this in reverse on Sunday back from Bilbao (and will be doing it again for the umpteenth time end of Aug heading to Brittany).
As it goes we headed down via Dover (the only time we get to catch up with friends in Deal), getting to the ferry port (as in inside the port not queued on the road) a good two hours before ferry departure. Took us four hours to get through passport control and we missed our boat. Not the ideal start to a holiday. I'm assuming Portsmouth will be more relaxed than Dover, but times have changed.
Actually, minor hijack, we're arriving back in Portsmouth saturday evening start of sept, and it's a five hour drive for us to yorks so back v late. Half wondering if there's anywhere nice to break the journey. Could head into town for a punch up I guess, otherwise there's Oxford where I've been too many times for work. Then the Northampton bad lands, and anywhere past the midlands and may as well be all the way home. Anywhere great that I'm missing?
We had 3 hrs to kill so parked in car park directly opposite the Gunwharf ferry terminal, mooched around the shops, had a beer. Then got back to car in good time – gridlock!
Similar happened to friends at Easter. They had a sailing at c8/9pm, arrived in good time so decided to go to a nearby supermarket for food & by they time they came out everything was at a standstill.
NBT here on Bunnyhop's login, just bumping this
Jumping on this thread rather than starting another, we’re caching the Portsmouth ferry to St Malo in a few weeks, but with bikes (tandems actually) to go cycle touring. Ferry is about 8pm, so we’ll likely aim to get to the terminal around 6pm.
We’re driving down and need to park up for the week while we do our cycle tour – any recommendations for a safe spot to park that isn’t bloody miles from the terminal? There’s likely to be 3 vehicles due to varying travel arrangements before / after the tour
Frustratingly I'd identified a reasonably priced parking spot on justpark but didn't get round to booking as we've had a few other things going on and it slipped my mind - and of course now it's fully booked. Does anyone have any suggestions for parking spots, please?
I'm localish to Portsmouth.
Possibly Havant station on the North side. I've never seen it full and it's ANPR payment at about £8/day. You could ride in fairly easily from there. I've left cars overnight there for a day or two when up in London for work/play. It's a ringgo site (number 2003) if you wanted to check online.
I don't know whether the Marriott car park allows an extended stay for non residents - again a paid for option and probably quite spendy but would give a decent run into the terminal.
There's also a place just off J11 M27 called Park and Go but I'm not sure what the rules are (never used it). I might be able to divert by it one evening on the way home and check. You can get from there to the A27 through Portchester fairly easily then follow the cycle route along that, around Hilsea to the terminal.
There are some wide and not completely rammed up streets in residential areas. Whether you've got the kind of car/inclination to just leave a car in a random side road I don't know and you do need to pick a nicer area.
Personally I wouldn't leave a car anywhere on Portsea island for a week. Lots of narrow streets and lack of parking for locals.
Awwww, I assumed this was somebody finally being pushed over the edge by queues/bureaucracy and going on a spree ! Never mind.
When I used to work at the uni, I'd park here (free at the time) but not sure I'd leave a car overnight/week. (and please don't imagine you'll get out if it's around Friday prayers time !)
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Portsmouth/ @50.794807,-1.0799595,116m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x487442a41814f1e9:0x45b683ea03373b79!8m2!3d50.8197675!4d-1.0879769!16zL20vMDYxOV8?entry=ttu
I've used this company a couple of times now, once for a few days and last weekend to park overnight near Heathrow. It has random individual spaces rented out by home owners, spaces outside office blocks but I normally go for Tesco/Sainsbury's as I'd rather leave a car somewhere busy than a quiet workplace at the weekend. (For the supermarkets it voids the signed 2/3hr free parking so the ANPR knows you are paying for long stay.
https://www.horizonspaces.co.uk/
If spooky's suggested site has it Tesco North Harbour is right on a cycle route.
Possibly a bit late but surely you just buy a few big bottles of cider, torch the car and laugh as the fire brigade try to put it out.
That's what the locals do
😉
Possibly Havant station on the North side. I’ve never seen it full and it’s ANPR payment at about £8/day. You could ride in fairly easily from there.
Is this in reply to the OP?? Bizarre.
Is this in reply to the OP?? Bizarre.
No it's in reply to me asking a tangentially related question further down the thread
Jumping on this thread rather than starting another, we’re caching the Portsmouth ferry to St Malo in a few weeks, but with bikes (tandems actually) to go cycle touring. Ferry is about 8pm, so we’ll likely aim to get to the terminal around 6pm.
We’re driving down and need to park up for the week while we do our cycle tour – any recommendations for a safe spot to park that isn’t bloody miles from the terminal? There’s likely to be 3 vehicles due to varying travel arrangements before / after the tour
any recommendations for a safe spot to park that isn’t bloody miles from the terminal?
Ah, so parking in a completely different town! I stand corrected! 😆
nbt - just a thought but could you park somewhere outside Pompey and come in on the train?
IF you're going to do that, then Cosham would be my choice (it often is) there are plenty of side roads to park in Cosham and the train is 3 short stops away.
nbt – just a thought but could you park somewhere outside Pompey and come in on the train?
We're all on tandems, so that's probalby a no-go: they don't like tandems on trains. Parking in Cosham and riding down through is an option, it's not that far it seems, google maps suggests about 15 minutes
MrSparkle - Not sure about getting tandems on a train. We'll have to look at this option, thanks.
You almost certainly won't get tandems on the train on local services round here and Cosham (and other suggestions) are all a fairly easy pedal and I don't think you really need to.
From Cosham you can go down to the Hilsea / Lakeside roundabout then follow the harbour cycle track down to the Mountbatten centre (labelled Pilgrims Trail on OS map). This is NCN22 and the only minor issue is a couple of the underpasses might be a bit tight to turn but you should be able to get round at road level.
The bit in Tipner is also a bit of a faff. To avoid that you can go from the Mountbatten swimming pool onto the A3 which is a bit miserable but it's only a km.
Slightly off topic, but we've just spent a couple of nights in Pompey. Stayed at the new Premier Inn by the historic dockyard. Parking was just over the road at Admiralty Road, in the Historic Dockyard Carp Ark.
Discounted rate was (I think) £10 for 24 hours and you get the discount by picking up a voucher from just inside the entrance to the Premier Inn. On the right. Clear plastic box on the wall, just inside the second door into the reception. Obviously you'd only know that if you'd stayed there...
Excellent place to park, seemed secure etc. Not that useful for the main ferry terminal, but might be useful for someone!