Portsmouth is the only island-city in the UK with a naval history stretching back to the time of the Spanish Armada. With your car hire in Portsmouth, you can discover the magnificence of its natural harbour as well as points within and beyond. Take a short trip 3 miles south to visit the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard and tour the magnificent HMS Victory, then move on to impressive Spinnaker Tower for a taste of the old and the new. Enjoy a nice evening jaunt to Southampton 20 miles east along the M27, where you can enjoy dinner and the view.
Southampton Airport (SOU) offers a great variety of options for car hire in Portsmouth including Sixt, Enterprise and Europcar and you’ll need a reliable vehicle for the 32-mile drive east. The airport’s car hire area is directly across from the terminal, so you’ll have no trouble finding it once you exit the building.
Portsmouth is a densely populated city for its size and its importance as a main naval base means there’s bound to be areas prone to congestion with vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians. Expect to encounter heavy traffic in the eastern and southern portions where business and industry thrive on a daily basis. The A3 and A288 curve through these districts while the A2047 dissects the city south and connects the island with the mainland.
Naval cities tend to have an earlier rise than most, so anticipate the morning and evening rush hours to act accordingly. To be safe, 6:00-8:00 and 16:00-19:00 are times during the week when gridlock along primary roads should be expected. Bear this in mind making your way to and from Southampton Airport along the M27 and the M275, as well as along the A2030 ring road. Weekends are liable to busy with sports and other special events so keep your sat nav handy in case your travel route needs to be amended.
Book your car hire in Portsmouth at least 1 day before your trip in order to get a below-average price
Compact car hires in Portsmouth are around 19% cheaper than other car types, on average
FAQs about hiring a car in Portsmouth
Old cities tend to have more narrow roads than their contemporaries, so a compact car is a smart way to get to explore nooks or crannies, which may be off limits to larger vehicles, and is easier to handle where parking is concerned. Large parties will be more comfortable in an intermediate, SUV or people carrier, so choose the option which works best for all concerned.
The legal speed limit for the city of Portsmouth is 20mph. On main drags like the A2047 and A3, speeds up to 50mph may be possible in your Portsmouth car hire heading out of the city. If your route heading in takes you onto the M27 or M275 then the maximum speed allowed along these major motorways is 70mph.
Portsmouth City Council offers several parking garages around the city, like the ones at Clarence Esplanade and Alec Rose Lane, where you can park your vehicle for about £1.80 per hour. On-street parking may be difficult to obtain considering the dense population especially in the downtown area so keep a few pay and display locations in mind just in case. Using the Harbour Car Park leaves you closest to Portsmouth Harbour and from there you can ride the ferry to the Isle of Wight. Parking over 5h costs about £12.00 and a return ticket on the ferry runs about £18.50 per adult.
The average price of fuel in Portsmouth is R118,72 per litre over the past 30 days. Filling up a tank of fuel costs between R1 425 and R1 899, depending on the car size.
Compact (Ford Focus or similar) is the most frequently booked car hire type in Portsmouth.