Portsmouth is a large city in the county of Hampshire and known for its great ferry connections to France, Spain, and even the channel islands. In order to help you get an overview of all the best routes and destinations that are available from Portsmouth to the rest of Europe. Whether you want to take the Portsmouth ferry to the Isle of Wight, the Portsmouth Ferry to France or the Portsmouth ferry to spain, we have you covered with all the information you might need!
Table of Contents
Portsmouth Ferry Condor
The very first Portsmouth Ferry we want to talk about is the company Condor Ferries. This company sails from Portsmouth to Jersey and Guernsey in the channel islands. Condor ferries is located near the Portsmouth ferry terminal where you can also take the Portsmouth Ferry to the Isle of Wight or the Portsmouth ferry to france.
Condor ferries will take you from the Portsmouth ferry terminal to St Helier port in Jersey or St Peter Port in Guernsey. These Portsmouth ferry routes head out up to 7 times a week depending on the season. Please check with Condor ferries before you book your stay on the Channel Islands.
The trip from Portsmouth to St Helier takes about 10 hours and 30 minutes while heading to St Peter on Guernsey will take about 6 hour and 30 minutes.
Portsmouth Ferry Wightlink
Portsmouth is also one of the best places to take the ferry to the Isle of Wight from. The ferry operating between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight is called Wightlink. The Portsmouth ferry Wightlink leaves from the Gunwarf Portsmouth ferry terminal.
From this Portsmouth ferry terminal it will travel to Fishbourne or Ryde. Passengers leaving from the Portsmouth Ferry Terminal will be able to do so by foot, by car or on bike.
You can also choose to take the Ferry to the Isle of Wight via Lymington, but the Portsmouth Ferry to the Isle of Wight is known for reaching more interesting parts of the island.
Portsmouth Ferry Brittany
Brittany Ferries is a ferry company operating from the Portsmouth ferry terminal. From here you can take a Portsmouth ferry to Spain or a portsmouth ferry to France. We will provide you with a compact overview of all the Portsmouth ferry routes and their crossing times. Additionally we will also have made a list of the frequencies of the Portsmouth ferry to France and the Portsmouth ferry to Spain.
Crossing Times
- Caen – 6 hours
- Cherbourg – 8 hours overnight
- Le Havre – 5 hours 30 minutes
- St Malo – 11 hours overnight, 9 hours by day
- Bilbao – 24 hours
- Santander – 29 hours to 33 hours
Frequency
- Caen – Up to three sailings a day
- Cherbourg – Weekly sailing
- Le Havre – One sailing per day
- St Malo – One sailing a day
- Bilbao – Three sailings per week
- Santander – Two sailings per week
Portsmouth Ferry Routes
Before booking a ferry from Portsmouth it is important to know where the ferries will go. This is an overview of all the destinations of the Portsmouth ferries.
Portsmouth ferry to France
One of the most important destinations for ferries from Portsmouth is France. There are a number of cities and ports the ferries from Portsmouth will dock at.
Caen
Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth dock at the port of Ouistreham, which is a 15-minute drive from the main city of Caen. Be it a café or a seaside picnic, D-Day beaches of World War II or the castle William the Conqueror – the variety of this Normandy region for sure, leaves a lasting impression on the visitors.
Despite the destruction caused during the world wars, this city has its fair share of untouched houses and churches which appeal to the senses.
In short, the city of Caen is an embodiment of heritage and modern culture. So, be sure to visit it!
Cherbourg
Not only does the town of Cherbourg is known for its rich taste in architecture, but also, the Cherbourg Ferry Port has been the hive of an array of top-notch sailing events in the past including, round-the-world yacht race and Tall Ships Race.
Portsmouth ferry Le Havre
The Le Havre port of France is quick to grab your attention, especially with the Pont de Normandie bridge and blocks of modernist architecture lining the quaysides.
Portsmouth ferry St Malo
The fortified walls of the ancient castles are the first thing that you see as you approach the beautiful city of Saint-Malo. The city boasts of the highest number of seafood restaurants in the whole of Europe, explaining why it is the most visited town of Brittany Ferries.
Portsmouth ferry to Spain
Spain is a favourite tourist destination for many travellers in the UK. Those who do not want to sit in the car on the road for hours can also choose to take the ferry from Portsmouth to Spain.
Portsmouth ferry Bilbao
Bilbao is the capital of Biscay province in the autonomous Basque region of northern Spain. It is a city full of high-spirited individuals with their language and culture.
To explore the exciting heritage of the locals and to relax on beautiful beaches, don’t forget to take your car through the ferry service.
Portsmouth ferry Santander
Santander is most commonly known for its seafood, shopping, and idyllic gardens. On top of that, it has whopping 11 scenic beaches.
Moreover, Santander is pretty much connected to the whole of the rest of Spain. So, by getting here, you not only get to cherish the wonders that the city has to offer but also, when in Santander, any part of Spain whether it is Barcelona in the east or the wild coast of Galicia to the west becomes easily accessible to you.
Channel Isles
The ferries from Portsmouth also leave for the Channel Islands. These islands in the Channel are very popular tourist destinations as they often have nice weather and are known for their picturesque villages and beautiful panoramas.
Guernsey
Condor Ferries dock at St Peter Port on reaching the Island of Guernsey. Saint Peter Port is the Island’s capital and a perfect blend of Georgian and Regency styles, terraces, and tiered gardens.
One of the special things about the Island’s capital is that here, you can shop low-duty products like jewelry, electronics, perfume, wines, and spirits and visit low-budget yet very decent restaurants.
Jersey
The Island of Jersey is filled with an extremely rich mix of British and French cultures. This is another one of the Islands that comes packed with assorted exciting places – to the east, you can find the fortress of Mont Orgueil Castle and an eye-catching waterfront of cafés and shops, to the west, to the west lies the soothing white sands of St Ouen’s Bay and St Brelade’s Bay and to the north, you can find Jersey’s one of the most eccentric attractions – snailarium.
UK
The ferries from Portsmouth will however also leave for destinations in the UK such as the Isle of Wight.
Portsmouth Ferry Isle of Wight
Luxury hotels, high-quality restaurants, music and the idyllic sun rays to lighten up the day – Isle of Wight has it all.
For traveling to this Island, there is a separate ferry service known as Wightlink which owns a terminal in Portsmouth. Read all about taking the ferry to the Isle of Wight here.
If you do bring a car along, don’t miss out on any of the following: Freshwater Bay to the west, the sandy beaches of Sandown, Shanklin, and Ventnor on the southern coast, and Cowes in the north. Want to read up on the best things to to in The Isle of Wight? Have a look at this article!
I also have you covered when it comes to Isle of Wight accommodation with the best Airbnbs on the Isle of Wight here and the best hotels on the Isle of Wight here.
Lieze Neven is a globetrotting travel writer and expat currently based in Nepal. With a passion for exploration, she has lived in Dubai, the UK, and Belgium, alongside her international teacher husband. Her parents live in France and she tries to visit Paris at least once a year. Together, they travel the world looking for the best hotels, experiences and food locations have to offer!