Portsmouth residents and visitors can enjoy stress free festive travel this Christmas Day thanks to special bus services running across the city.
Working in partnership with Solent from First Bus and Stagecoach South, Portsmouth City Council is making it easier for people to reach family gatherings, festive events, and essential destinations like QA Hospital.
These services are part of the council’s commitment to improving public transport through the Portsmouth Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), a £52 million government-funded programme designed to deliver faster, more reliable, and greener journeys.
Christmas day bus services in Portsmouth (25 December 2025)
- Solent from First Bus
- Routes 1, 2, 3, 7, and 8 will operate a special Christmas timetable.
- Services will run every hour, from 8am to 6pm.
- Stagecoach South
- Routes 18, 20, 21, 22, 23 will operate a special Christmas timetable.
- Services will run to individual route timetables between 6am and 8pm with buses every hour
Additionally, buses will be running on Boxing Day to ensure people can travel around the city, and get to the football with ease. Solent from First Bus will run a Saturday timetable on New Year’s Eve (31 December 2025) with some routes finishing early at approximately 8:30pm and on New Year’s Day (1 January 2026) will have special services on routes 1,2,3,7 and 8. Stagecoach will run a Saturday timetable on New Year’s Eve and a special hourly service on New Year’s Day.
Cllr Peter Candlish, Cabinet Member for Transport, said:
“Christmas is about bringing people together, and these services make that possible. Whether you’re visiting loved ones, heading to work, or enjoying festive events, we’re proud to keep Portsmouth connected.”
Simon Goff, Managing Director of Solent from First Bus:
“We’re really pleased to be helping keep Portsmouth moving on Christmas Day. Whether people are off to see family, heading to work, or just getting around the city, we want their journeys to be as easy as possible. It’s great to team up with the council and our partners to make sure everyone can get to where they need to be this festive season.”
Marc Reddy, Managing Director at Stagecoach South, said:
“Our buses play a vital role in keeping communities connected during the festive season, whether people are visiting family, going shopping, or attending local events. These tailored timetables help ensure reliable journeys while supporting the changing travel needs over Christmas and New Year. We encourage customers to plan ahead and wish everyone a safe and enjoyable festive period.”
More information about bus travel over the festive period can be found on the council website: travel.portsmouth.gov.uk/public-transport/public-transport-over-christmas-2025/
More information about Portsmouth Buses
The Portsmouth Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) is Portsmouth’s visionary delivery scheme aligned with the government’s National Bus Strategy and aims to dramatically improve bus services in Portsmouth and to encourage passengers back to the bus.
This programme is managed by an enhanced partnership between local bus companies Stagecoach South, Solent from First Bus and Portsmouth City Council. With a £52 million grant from the Department for Transport (DfT) the Portsmouth BSIP aims to increase bus usage in Portsmouth by engaging with the local community and transforming the bus network in the city so that it is faster, more reliable, and more affordable.
The Portsmouth BSIP has already funded early morning travel, and later night services, tap on tap off technology, fare free weekends to encourage residents to try the bus, Christmas Day bus services and much more, with even more exciting developments planned for 2025.
According to the latest Department for Transport (DfT) figures, Portsmouth has seen a 20% rise in bus passengers over the past year and is recognised as the top city for bringing people back to bus travel, with over 12 million bus journeys taken every year.
More information can be found on the Travel Portsmouth website: https://travel.portsmouth.gov.uk/bsip/
Summary of seasonal public transport service and Christmas Day timetable:
| Xmas Eve | Xmas Day | Boxing Day | 27 December | 28 December | 30
December |
31 December | New Years Day | |
| Stagecoach | Normal Saturday service with early finish, plus service 27 & special timetable on service 38. | Special hourly service on routes 18, 20, 21, 22 and 23 | Special half hourly service on routes, 18, 20, 21, 22 and 23, hourly service on 700, plus service 725 | Normal Saturday service | Normal Sunday service | Normal Saturday service plus service 27 & special timetable on service 38. No late buses on service 21. | Saturday service with an early finish plus service 27 & special timetable service on 38. | Special hourly service on routes 18, 20, 21,22, 23 and 725 |
| Solent from First Bus | Normal Saturday service with early finish on some routes | Special service on routes 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8 | Special service on routes E1/E2, 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8 | Normal Saturday service | Normal Sunday service | Normal Saturday service | Normal Saturday service with some early run ins at 8:30pm approx | Special service on routes 1, 2, 3, 7 and 8 |
| Park & Ride | Normal service | No service | Special service on PR1 | Normal Saturday service | Normal Sunday service | Normal service | Normal service | Normal service |
| Gosport Ferry | 5:30am-11pm
Every 15 mins |
No service | 8:45am-7:30pm
Every 15 mins |
5:30am-12am
Every 15 mins |
5:30am-12am
Every 15 mins |
5:30am-12am
Every 15 mins |
5:30am-11pm
Every 15 mins |
7:30am-11pm
Every 15 mins |
| Hayling Island Ferry | Finish early 5pm | No service | No service | No service | No service | No service | No service | No service |
| Wightlink Ferry from Portsmouth Harbour to Ryde | To Ryde:
6:50am- 6:55pm
From Ryde: 5:40am- 7:47pm
|
No service | To Ryde:
7:15am- 10:45 pm
From Ryde: 7:45am- 11:10pm |
To Ryde:
7:15am- 10:45pm
From Ryde: 7:45am- 11:10pm
|
To Ryde 7:15am-
10:45pm
From Ryde: 7:45am – 11:10pm |
To Ryde 5:15am-
10:45pm
From Ryde: 5:40am – 11:10pm |
To Ryde:
5:15am- 8:20pm
From Ryde: 5:40am- 8:52pm
|
To Ryde 7:15am-
10:45pm
From Ryde: 7:45am – 11:10pm |
| Hovertravel from Clarence Pier | To Ryde:
6:30am- 6:30pm
From Ryde: 6:30am- 6:40pm
|
No service | No service
|
To Ryde:
8:30am- 6:55pm
From Ryde: 8:15am- 6:40pm
|
To Ryde:
8:30am- 6:55pm
From Ryde: 8:15am- 6:40pm
|
To Ryde:
6:50am- 6:55pm
From Ryde: 6:30am- 6:40pm
|
To Ryde:
6:50am- 6:55pm
From Ryde: 6:30am- 6:40pm
|
No service
|
| Wightlink Ferry from Gunwharf to Fishbourne | To Fishbourne:3:00am- 7:00pm
From Fishbourne:1:00am- 8pm |
No service | To Fishbourne: 7am- 11:59pm
From Fishbourne: 8am- 11:05pm
|
To Fishbourne:3am- 11:59pm
From Fishbourne:1am – 11:05pm
|
To Fishbourne:3am- 11:59pm
From Fishbourne: 1am- 11:05pm
|
To Fishbourne:
3am- 11:59pm
From Fishbourne:1am- 11:05pm
|
To Fishbourne:
3am- 11:59pm
From Fishbourne:1am- 11:05pm
|
To Fishbourne:
3am- 11:59pm
From Fishbourne:1am- 11:05pm
|
| National Rail | Early finish (10pm) | No service | No service | Normal service | Normal service | Normal service | Early finish
(10pm) |
Normal service |
| Voi | A safety test pass will be required to take out a scooter, between 9:00pm and 4:00am | A safety test pass will be required to take out a scooter, between 9:00pm and 4:00am | A safety test pass will be required to take out a scooter, between 9:00pm and 4:00am | A safety test pass will be required to take out a scooter, between 9:00pm and 4:00am | A safety test pass will be required to take out a scooter, between 9:00pm and 4:00am | A safety test pass will be required to take out a scooter, between 9:00pm and 4:00am | Scooters will be unavailable between 9:00pm – 8:00 am New Years Day | Scooters will become available again at 8:00am, a safety test will be in place between 9pm-4am |