Portsmouth parking

[bristol170kj]

We are sailing Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth and hope to have a look around the Mary Rose and Victory whilst we are waiting. Does anyone know if there is sufficient parking there. Looking at Google maps there appears to be some parking next to the Mary Rose but I don't know if the image is still current.

 

MTIA

[PJay]

You don't say when/time you are sailing Portsmouth as a city is very bad for parking, but there is a car park just of the road that leads to the city,ferry terminal from the M27/A27 , not sure if it takes MH, it is a park and ride, so maybe google ?

Sorry can' help further even though I live there!!

PJay

 

Access from M275 ONLY,

[Derek Uzzell]

Parking information here

 

http://www.historicdockyard.co.uk/car-parking

 

I was going to suggest using the Park & Ride facility, but I note there is apparently a height-barrier there nowadays.

 

See "is there a height barrier installed at the park & ride car park?” FAQ here

 

http://parkandride.portsmouth.gov.uk/faqs.shtml

 

The Answer given is"

 

"Yes. It is 2.1m (6' 11"). If you have a large vehicle, motorhome or minibus we suggest you contact 02392 688 290 for help and advice on where to park larger vehicles in Portsmouth.

 

For those heading to the Historic Dockyard or the Gunwharf Quays area there are unrestricted height spaces available on The Hard, St Georges Square and Museum Road. For those heading to the seafront, unrestricted height parking is available all along the seafront and in D-Day car park.”

[Violet1956]

We managed to park our 6.25m motorhome on Queen Street a year ago last November (2016) and visited the Mary Rose and other dockyard exhibitions. If you use google maps you will see there is on the road parking. Just enter No 125 Queen street and you will see a block of flats with a row of pay and display parking spaces in front of it. Couldn't see any restrictions when we parked up for 3+ hours and paid the appropriate fee. You may be lucky as it is low season. Worth a try. However it is over a year ago now so you might want to check with the council whether you would be permitted to park in that area. A very short walk to the dockyard.

 

It was a fabulous visit. I hope you get to do it.

 

Veronica

[bristol170kj]

thanks everyone. Think we'll give the Havant Car Park a try as it looks like there is no height barrier.

 

Now another question I should have asked with my first request and forgot. As the café in the port is rubbish and we are sailing at 10pm we will be looking for somewhere for dinner. Is there an alternative close to the dockyard? Or better still near the Historic site.

 

Thanks again.

[Derek Uzzell]

A follow-up to the possibility of motorhomes using Portsmouth's Park&Ride facility...

 

Until fairly recently the Park&Ride’s height barrier was rarely lowered, allowing motorhomes to get in most of the time (paying for two spaces if the vehicle overlapped a single space). But that’s evidently no longer so.

 

This January 2018 newspaper article mentions the issue

 

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/people/couple-who-travelled-from-wales-turned-away-at-city-park-and-ride-amid-new-vehicle-height-ban-1-8351325

 

and says:-

 

HOLIDAYMAKERS say their trip to Portsmouth was ‘spoiled’ after their motorhome was refused entry to the city’s park and ride.

 

After travelling from South Wales, Norman and Ann Oxley had hoped to leave their Peugeot Talisman at the Tipner Lane site to catch a bus toward Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. But upon arrival on Thursday morning, they were turned away, forced to navigate the city and find alternative parking because of a new 2.1m height restriction. While Portsmouth City Council says the policy was introduced in 2017 to encourage ‘appropriate’ use of the service, the couple, both 78, claim it put a ‘dampener’ on their getaway.

 

Mr Oxley said: "We visited Portsmouth and used the park and ride with our motorhome in August – it was a really fantastic service. But this time – instead of unlocking the overhead barrier for us – staff said they couldn’t let vehicles as tall as ours in because of a problem with travellers. We loved the service before because it was so easy, but this put a dampener on things and spoiled the day really."

 

Mr and Mrs Oxley eventually found a car park in Southsea, but they had to make their own way around the city.

 

The change in park and ride policy, Mr Oxley said, could inconvenience many more tourists like him and his wife. He said: "From the motorway, there is no way of knowing your caravan will be turned away. The park and ride should be open to everybody, but it seems in banning a select few, lots of genuine tourists are going to be affected."

 

Portsmouth City Council’s cabinet member for traffic and transportation, Cllr Simon Bosher, said: "We welcome all visitors to Portsmouth so they can enjoy the huge variety of attractions that the city has to offer. The park and ride car park carries a height restriction to ensure the maximum number of spaces are available to visitors, and that these aren’t taken up by large scale vehicles which occupy more than one space."

[Violet1956]

Derek Uzzell - 2018-02-19 6:41 PM

 

A follow-up to the possibility of motorhomes using Portsmouth's Park&Ride facility...

 

Until fairly recently the Park&Ride’s height barrier was rarely lowered, allowing motorhomes to get in most of the time (paying for two spaces if the vehicle overlapped a single space). But that’s evidently no longer so.

 

This January 2018 newspaper article mentions the issue

 

https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/people/couple-who-travelled-from-wales-turned-away-at-city-park-and-ride-amid-new-vehicle-height-ban-1-8351325

 

and says:-

 

HOLIDAYMAKERS say their trip to Portsmouth was ‘spoiled’ after their motorhome was refused entry to the city’s park and ride.

 

After travelling from South Wales, Norman and Ann Oxley had hoped to leave their Peugeot Talisman at the Tipner Lane site to catch a bus toward Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. But upon arrival on Thursday morning, they were turned away, forced to navigate the city and find alternative parking because of a new 2.1m height restriction. While Portsmouth City Council says the policy was introduced in 2017 to encourage ‘appropriate’ use of the service, the couple, both 78, claim it put a ‘dampener’ on their getaway.

 

Mr Oxley said: "We visited Portsmouth and used the park and ride with our motorhome in August – it was a really fantastic service. But this time – instead of unlocking the overhead barrier for us – staff said they couldn’t let vehicles as tall as ours in because of a problem with travellers. We loved the service before because it was so easy, but this put a dampener on things and spoiled the day really."

 

Mr and Mrs Oxley eventually found a car park in Southsea, but they had to make their own way around the city.

 

The change in park and ride policy, Mr Oxley said, could inconvenience many more tourists like him and his wife. He said: "From the motorway, there is no way of knowing your caravan will be turned away. The park and ride should be open to everybody, but it seems in banning a select few, lots of genuine tourists are going to be affected."

 

Portsmouth City Council’s cabinet member for traffic and transportation, Cllr Simon Bosher, said: "We welcome all visitors to Portsmouth so they can enjoy the huge variety of attractions that the city has to offer. The park and ride car park carries a height restriction to ensure the maximum number of spaces are available to visitors, and that these aren’t taken up by large scale vehicles which occupy more than one space."

 

What a shortsighted response from Cllr Bosher. I think our generation feel a connection with all the history the dockyards have on offer and we motorhomers are the kind of people most likely to visit out of high season. I am a little tired of not asking for much when it comes to a reasonable parking facility for motorhomes within reasonable hitting distance of all UK attractions. Our obsession with the so called problem with "travellers" has reached the level of paranoia.

[Tony Jones]

We found this car park a while ago via Searchforsites:

https://www.searchforsites.co.uk/marker.php?id=23566

We've use it several times since, for overnight stops. Free of charge, handy for the ferry port.

 

For the Historic Dockyard, in the daytime, we've used the "Harbour Car Park" on Havant St. Reasonably priced and very handy for both the historic stuff and the Spinnaker tower. Can be a bit tight if you have a large van, but no height restriction.

[PJay]

bristol170kj - 2018-02-19 6:23 PM

 

thanks everyone. Think we'll give the Havant Car Park a try as it looks like there is no height barrier.

 

Now another question I should have asked with my first request and forgot. As the café in the port is rubbish and we are sailing at 10pm we will be looking for somewhere for dinner. Is there an alternative close to the dockyard? Or better still near the Historic site.

 

Thanks again.

 

You could always go to PORT SOLENT Marina, no parking problems there, and a choice of several bars/restaurants, a Harvester, or the very good Alec Rose restaurant. and while you eat can watch the boats!

 

It is only a five/ten minute drive to ferry from there

PJay

[sean.clarke]

I'd follow PJay's advice and plumb for Port Solent.

 

Failing that the parking by the D-Day museum is good for oversize vehicles and there should be good buses or nice (but perhaps long) walk along the seafront.

 

We have also parked our old 8.7m tag axle motorhome on the seafront and around portsmouth.

[bristol170kj]

PJay - 2018-02-23 8:25 PM

 

bristol170kj - 2018-02-19 6:23 PM

 

thanks everyone. Think we'll give the Havant Car Park a try as it looks like there is no height barrier.

 

Now another question I should have asked with my first request and forgot. As the café in the port is rubbish and we are sailing at 10pm we will be looking for somewhere for dinner. Is there an alternative close to the dockyard? Or better still near the Historic site.

 

Thanks again.

 

You could always go to PORT SOLENT Marina, no parking problems there, and a choice of several bars/restaurants, a Harvester, or the very good Alec Rose restaurant. and while you eat can watch the boats!

 

It is only a five/ten minute drive to ferry from there

 

PJay

 

 

Port Solent it is then for something to eat before getting to the ferry terminal.

Thanks everyone for the comments.

[Derek Uzzell]

If you want to do some preliminary research

 

https://tinyurl.com/y9eoplj7

[bristol170kj]

Derek Uzzell - 2018-03-01 7:53 AM

 

If you want to do some preliminary research

 

https://tinyurl.com/y9eoplj7

 

Thanks for that :)

[Motorhammer]

Hi, I am working for Portsmouth City Council and know the area quite well. Your best options are parking on Queen Street, or St George's Square, both pay and display, ok for MH and less than 1 minute walk from the Historic Dockyard. Today I was at D-Day museum which is currently renovated but due to open soon and well worth a visit. It has ample parking space for MH without any height barriers. This is about 35 mins walk from the Historic Dockyard.

Hope it helps

[Violet1956]

Motorhammer - 2018-03-01 9:08 PM

 

Hi, I am working for Portsmouth City Council and know the area quite well. Your best options are parking on Queen Street, or St George's Square, both pay and display, ok for MH and less than 1 minute walk from the Historic Dockyard. Today I was at D-Day museum which is currently renovated but due to open soon and well worth a visit. It has ample parking space for MH without any height barriers. This is about 35 mins walk from the Historic Dockyard.

Hope it helps

 

I agree with you Motorhammer on the Queen Street suggestion. So convenient. However we also visited the D-Day Museum in November. After parking up in their car park I noticed a weight restriction which meant we shouldn't have gone in there. I think it was 1.5 T except for coaches has this changed? Plenty of parking in the approach roads around there mind.

[Motorhammer]

You are right, the restriction is still there, it is for 1 tonne and applies to goods vehicles only. As you mentioned, there are also lots of available spaces along the seafront.

[David E]

On 2/19/2018 at 5:00 PM, Violet1956 said:

We managed to park our 6.25m motorhome on Queen Street a year ago last November (2016) and visited the Mary Rose and other dockyard exhibitions. If you use google maps you will see there is on the road parking. Just enter No 125 Queen street and you will see a block of flats with a row of pay and display parking spaces in front of it. Couldn't see any restrictions when we parked up for 3+ hours and paid the appropriate fee. You may be lucky as it is low season. Worth a try. However it is over a year ago now so you might want to check with the council whether you would be permitted to park in that area. A very short walk to the dockyard.

 

It was a fabulous visit. I hope you get to do it.

 

Veronica

Can confirm Queen Street option works well. We parked our 6m camper van there this morning and had a very enjoyable visit to the Mary Rose after just a short walk. We went for the “all day” option for £12.60 which includes a 20p mobile handling charge. Cheaper options are available up to 5 hours.

[witzend]

On 3/1/2018 at 9:08 PM, Motorhammer said:

Hi, I am working for Portsmouth City Council and know the area quite well. Your best options are parking on Queen Street, or St George's Square, both pay and display, ok for MH and less than 1 minute walk from the Historic Dockyard. Today I was at D-Day museum which is currently renovated but due to open soon and well worth a visit. It has ample parking space for MH without any height barriers. This is about 35 mins walk from the Historic Dockyard.

Hope it helps

Isn't there a Imissions Zone problem when visiting Portsmouth seem to remember that it's difficult to get to ferry port without getting into it 

[Keithl]

12 minutes ago, witzend said:

Isn't there a Imissions Zone problem when visiting Portsmouth seem to remember that it's difficult to get to ferry port without getting into it 

Witzend,

The post you have quoted is from 2018 and the emissions zone only came into force in the last few months so the poster would not have been aware of it at the time.

Keith.

[laimeduck]

The emissions zone does not affect the Main Ferry port, only the Isle of Wight, Wightlink port

Jeremy

[mtravel]

It may seem strange to you that the suggestion comes from Italy but I've been there.

Be careful as the car park near the Historic Dockyard is located at 27 Havant Street.

But in Portsmouth ther is also Havant Road, easy enough to confuse the two ...

The parking lot (free as I remember) is not very large, beware, arrive early in the morning in order to settle in the north-east corner and in front of the exit. Otherwise you may have problems when leaving.

[witzend]

13 hours ago, Keithl said:

Witzend,

The post you have quoted is from 2018 and the emissions zone only came into force in the last few months so the poster would not have been aware of it at the time.

Keith.

But surely people are reading what I posted Now

[Janeunderwood]

https://www.wightlink.co.uk/information/portsmouth-clean-air-zone

https://www.countypress.co.uk/news/23024049.portsmouth-clean-air-zone-defended-motorhome-fined/

https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/portsmouth-ferry-port-and-clean-air-zones.260871/

 

 

[TRIGGER]

Our local news tells of a Motorhomer going to the Isle of Wight for 2 weeks he went via Portsmouth ferry and came back another route  [ Southampton or Lymington  ] after a few days home he received a fine for breeching the Emission Zone at Portsmouth gutted or what ?

[Bulletguy]

2 hours ago, TRIGGER said:

Our local news tells of a Motorhomer going to the Isle of Wight for 2 weeks he went via Portsmouth ferry and came back another route  [ Southampton or Lymington  ] after a few days home he received a fine for breeching the Emission Zone at Portsmouth gutted or what ?

They need to question it as this is from Wightlink ferries;

Cars, vans and motorcycles going to and from our car ferry port on Gunwharf Road will not be charged and can continue to use our services as usual. The only vehicles to be charged will be older taxis, private hire vehicles, buses, coaches and lorries (HGVs).

Larger motorhomes on the scale of lorries may be charged.

https://www.wightlink.co.uk/information/portsmouth-clean-air-zone