Southampton and Portsmouth attract hundreds of thousands of tourists every year. Especially those interested in maritime history flock to these two cities in hampshire. In order to help you navigate your trip from Southampton to Portsmouth, or Portsmouth to Southampton, I have put together a complete guide on how to get from Southampton to Portsmouth and back.
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Table of Contents
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How far is Portsmouth from Southampton
Portsmouth and Southampton are very close to each other. The total distance is about 32 km or 20 miles.
Southampton to Portsmouth by car
One of the easiest and best ways to get from Southamton to Portsmouth is by car. As the cities are quite close to each other, it won’t take you very long to make the trip. Do keep in mind though that both Southampton and Portsmouth can get quite busy which means your drive from Southampton to Portsmouth can take up to 40 minutes.
Driving from Southampton to Portsmouth can be a little tricky due to bad weather and heavy traffic. Check your Google Maps or your navigation before you leave in order to make it to your destination on time and without getting lost.
Rent a car to travel from Portsmouth to Southampton
If you do not have a car at hand you can also rent a car in Portsmouth or Southampton to make the drive. Rental cars can be dropped off at your address or at your hotel depending on your situation or where you are staying. Additionally, you can also rent a car at Southampton Airport, or have a car waiting for you at Southampton station or Portsmouth station.
If you would like to rent a car in Southampton or Portsmouth, you can use rentalcars.com to check prices and car types.
Travel from Southampton to Portsmouth by bus
As mentioned before, these cities are situated quite close to each other. This makes it easy to travel from Southampton to Portsmouth or Portsmouth to Southampton by bus. The different busses you can find in each city do have different prices and time tables so do check this before you leave.
The busses from Southampton to Portsmouth and Portsmouth to Southampton are in fact direct which means you won’t have to go through the hassle of switching busses. Most busses from Southampton to Portsmouth leave from Houndwell park Station and the Southampton City Centre.
If you would rather not book a seat on a public bus, you can also choose to book a private bus via a company such as mega bus and National express. These busses are direct, do not stop on the way and will get you to your destination in no time!
From Portsmouth to Southampton by Train
Traveling from Southampton to Portsmouth on a train is great if you want to get from Portsmouth to Southampton or the other way around, fast. There is a direct train that departs from Southampton central station to Portsmouth Station. This train is operated by the Great Western Railway. It takes about 47 minutes to reach Portsmouth harbor on this train.
From Southampton to Portsmouth by Transfer
Lastly you can also travel from Southampton to Portsmouth by transfer. This is handy if you do not have a car and want to get from point A to point B quickly.
You can book a transfer from Portsmouth to Southampton via Gettransfer. This transfer website lets transfer companies outbid each other to offer you the best and lowest fares to get to your destination. It can take a few hours or even days for a good offer to come in, but they are often worth it!
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!