Here you will find information and links for the range of public transport in Portsmouth. You can check our maps showing Taxi ranks in Portsmouth and all public transport routes.

My Journey can help with your travel choices, whether you’re looking for information about local cycle routes to work, walking maps or links to Portsmouth’s public transport network

For information on the concessionary bus pass please visit help with travel.

Bus services

Portsmouth bus routes are covered by two bus operators: Stagecoach and First Bus. Long-distance journeys coach operators National Express and Megabus operate from the coach and bus interchange at The Hard in Portsea, next to Portsmouth Harbour train station.

Portsmouth City Council operates a Park & Ride bus service providing a quick, easy way for visitors and out-of-town shoppers to get to Portsmouth city centre, Gunwharf Quays, the Spinnaker Tower and the Historic Dockyard.

Train services

Portsmouth has strong rail links with London, Southampton and both the south east and south west coastal routes with four mainline railway stations. The direct rail link to London takes one and a half hours.

  • Portsmouth Harbour railway station serves the Historic Dockyard, Gunwharf Quays, Spinnaker Tower and ferry services to the Isle of Wight
  • Portsmouth & Southsea is the station for city centre and Southsea shops and bus link to the Hovercraft terminal for Ryde on the Isle of Wight
  • Fratton is the nearest railway station to Fratton Park football ground

Three train companies operate services from Portsmouth:

National Rail has more information about rail travel.

Airports

Portsmouth is equidistant from the major London airports, Gatwick and Heathrow, which are both 60 miles (100km) away. They are in easy reach of Portsmouth through good rail and coach connections.

Providing services to UK, Channel Islands, French and Dutch destinations, Southampton International Airport is just 22 miles (35 km) away, with Bournemouth International Airport 50 miles (80 km) away flying to European destinations.

Ferries and hovercraft

The Portsmouth International Port is wholly owned by Portsmouth City Council. 3.5 million people travel through the port each year. It also serves freight ferries sailing to and from destinations across the world. In fact, 70% of all bananas eaten in Britain pass through Portsmouth International Port.

Its geographical position makes it the closest UK port to London and Paris.

International ferry services operating ferry services from Portsmouth to the Channel Islands and Europe are:

To contact Portsmouth International Port, email us at info@portsmouth-port.co.uk or phone 023 9229 7391.


Local route ferries
 operate from other Portsmouth sites to:

  • Gosport – the shortest route between Gosport & Portsmouth – a five-minute sail across the mouth of Portsmouth Harbour, with views to any Royal Navy or cross-channel ships berthed in the dockyard. Almost 100 sea crossings daily from The Hard in Old Portsmouth, transporting commuters, shoppers and sight-seekers
  • Isle of Wight by ferry from Old Portsmouth to Fishbourne, catamaran from The Hard, or hovercraft from Southsea to Ryde, the only scheduled passenger hovercraft service in Europe
  • The ferry service between Portsmouth and Hayling Island resumed in August 2016

Real Time Information

We have installed over 200 Real Time Information units across the city to help people plan their journeys.

RTI units display a countdown estimated time of arrival of bus services calling at that stop. It uses GPS data from detectors installed in each bus to calculate how far away the bus is from the stop and how long the bus will take to arrive.

The new pole-mounted and bus-shelter units includes technology which, when activated, announces bus arrival times to assist those with visual impairments.

Real Time Information for residents with visual impairments

Travelling by bus has been made easier for passengers with visual impairments thanks to new Real Time Information (RTI) technology available  in some of Portsmouth’s bus stops. Real Time Information works with GPS data from detectors installed in each bus to calculate how far away the bus is from the stop and how long the bus will take to arrive.

This information is displayed at the bus stop. The new pole-mounted and bus-shelter units include technology which, when activated, announces bus arrival times. The word ‘info’ is written in braille on the push button unit, which can be found on the bus stop pole. Once pressed, the bus times will be announced. RTI units in bus shelters work with a special audio fob.

Find more information about the audio fob, including details about locations and instructions on how to use it on our audio fob information page.