Portsmouth International Port is the main southern England departure point for ferries to France, Spain and the Channel Islands, run by Brittany Ferries, its Condor brand and DFDS. It’s a working, vehicle-focused terminal rather than a destination in itself: come knowing your check-in time, and you’ll be fine.
Forecast
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Facilities
- Check-in desks per operator
- Toilets and baby-change
- Cafe and food kiosks
- Vehicle marshalling lanes
At a glance
Ferry routes from Portsmouth
Seven direct routes leave from this terminal: three to France, two to Spain and two to the Channel Islands. Brittany Ferries runs six of them, Guernsey under its Condor brand, and DFDS runs Jersey. Pick one for the full route guide, or see which days each one sails on our winter ferry times page.
The Channel Islands are a different kind of crossing from the same terminal: a smaller island at the other end and no long drive once you are off. Guernsey sails every night since November, and Jersey is direct with DFDS since 2025. Both are compared in our Channel Islands guide. The Isle of Wight ferries do not use this port at all; they leave from Portsmouth Harbour and Southsea.
Getting there by car, and whether it is the right port
Portsmouth International Port sits right at the end of the M275, which makes it one of the easier ports in England to reach by car. Pick where you are starting below to see the drive, next to the other ferry ports on the south coast and what each of those actually sails to. A port that is closer is no use if it does not go where you are going.
From London it is about 1h45 to Portsmouth, and Newhaven and Dover are just as close, near enough. At that sort of difference the crossing you want decides it, not the drive.
- Portsmouth1h45 120 kmSails to Caen, Cherbourg and Saint-Malo in France, Santander and Bilbao in Spain, Guernsey and JerseyThe widest choice of destinations of any English port, and the only one with direct sailings to Spain and to both Channel Islands.
- Newhaven1h46 104.2 kmSails to DieppeOne route, DFDS, about four hours. Useful mainly from the south east if you are heading for Rouen or Paris.
- Dover1h48 124.8 kmSails to Calais and DunkirkThe shortest crossings and by far the most frequent, DFDS, P&O and Irish Ferries between them. It lands you in the far north of France, so the long drive starts after the ferry instead of before it.
- Poole2h27 180.4 kmSails to Saint-Malo via Guernsey, and the Channel IslandsNo longer a Cherbourg port: Brittany Ferries closed Poole to Cherbourg on 12 October 2026, three weeks earlier than planned, so for Cherbourg it is Portsmouth now. Condor runs Poole to Saint-Malo, calling at Guernsey on the way.
- Plymouth4h28 348.8 kmSails to Roscoff and SantanderThe one that makes sense from the far south west, and the other way to northern Spain, though Brittany Ferries runs Plymouth to Santander twice a week and not at all in winter.
From Birmingham it is about 3h01 to Portsmouth, and no other ferry port on the south coast is close to that.
- Portsmouth3h01 256.3 kmSails to Caen, Cherbourg and Saint-Malo in France, Santander and Bilbao in Spain, Guernsey and JerseyThe widest choice of destinations of any English port, and the only one with direct sailings to Spain and to both Channel Islands.
- Poole3h25 281.1 kmSails to Saint-Malo via Guernsey, and the Channel IslandsNo longer a Cherbourg port: Brittany Ferries closed Poole to Cherbourg on 12 October 2026, three weeks earlier than planned, so for Cherbourg it is Portsmouth now. Condor runs Poole to Saint-Malo, calling at Guernsey on the way.
- Newhaven3h27 303.3 kmSails to DieppeOne route, DFDS, about four hours. Useful mainly from the south east if you are heading for Rouen or Paris.
- Dover3h41 321.6 kmSails to Calais and DunkirkThe shortest crossings and by far the most frequent, DFDS, P&O and Irish Ferries between them. It lands you in the far north of France, so the long drive starts after the ferry instead of before it.
- Plymouth3h54 326.4 kmSails to Roscoff and SantanderThe one that makes sense from the far south west, and the other way to northern Spain, though Brittany Ferries runs Plymouth to Santander twice a week and not at all in winter.
From Manchester it is about 4h37 to Portsmouth, and no other ferry port on the south coast is close to that.
- Portsmouth4h37 387.8 kmSails to Caen, Cherbourg and Saint-Malo in France, Santander and Bilbao in Spain, Guernsey and JerseyThe widest choice of destinations of any English port, and the only one with direct sailings to Spain and to both Channel Islands.
- Poole5h01 412.6 kmSails to Saint-Malo via Guernsey, and the Channel IslandsNo longer a Cherbourg port: Brittany Ferries closed Poole to Cherbourg on 12 October 2026, three weeks earlier than planned, so for Cherbourg it is Portsmouth now. Condor runs Poole to Saint-Malo, calling at Guernsey on the way.
- Newhaven5h03 434.8 kmSails to DieppeOne route, DFDS, about four hours. Useful mainly from the south east if you are heading for Rouen or Paris.
- Dover5h18 453.1 kmSails to Calais and DunkirkThe shortest crossings and by far the most frequent, DFDS, P&O and Irish Ferries between them. It lands you in the far north of France, so the long drive starts after the ferry instead of before it.
- Plymouth5h21 454.9 kmSails to Roscoff and SantanderThe one that makes sense from the far south west, and the other way to northern Spain, though Brittany Ferries runs Plymouth to Santander twice a week and not at all in winter.
From Leeds it is about 4h44 to Portsmouth, and Newhaven and Dover are just as close, near enough. At that sort of difference the crossing you want decides it, not the drive.
- Portsmouth4h44 405.5 kmSails to Caen, Cherbourg and Saint-Malo in France, Santander and Bilbao in Spain, Guernsey and JerseyThe widest choice of destinations of any English port, and the only one with direct sailings to Spain and to both Channel Islands.
- Newhaven4h56 434.4 kmSails to DieppeOne route, DFDS, about four hours. Useful mainly from the south east if you are heading for Rouen or Paris.
- Dover4h57 431.7 kmSails to Calais and DunkirkThe shortest crossings and by far the most frequent, DFDS, P&O and Irish Ferries between them. It lands you in the far north of France, so the long drive starts after the ferry instead of before it.
- Poole5h08 430.3 kmSails to Saint-Malo via Guernsey, and the Channel IslandsNo longer a Cherbourg port: Brittany Ferries closed Poole to Cherbourg on 12 October 2026, three weeks earlier than planned, so for Cherbourg it is Portsmouth now. Condor runs Poole to Saint-Malo, calling at Guernsey on the way.
- Plymouth5h57 519.8 kmSails to Roscoff and SantanderThe one that makes sense from the far south west, and the other way to northern Spain, though Brittany Ferries runs Plymouth to Santander twice a week and not at all in winter.
From Liverpool it is about 4h47 to Portsmouth, and no other ferry port on the south coast is close to that.
- Portsmouth4h47 407.6 kmSails to Caen, Cherbourg and Saint-Malo in France, Santander and Bilbao in Spain, Guernsey and JerseyThe widest choice of destinations of any English port, and the only one with direct sailings to Spain and to both Channel Islands.
- Poole5h11 432.4 kmSails to Saint-Malo via Guernsey, and the Channel IslandsNo longer a Cherbourg port: Brittany Ferries closed Poole to Cherbourg on 12 October 2026, three weeks earlier than planned, so for Cherbourg it is Portsmouth now. Condor runs Poole to Saint-Malo, calling at Guernsey on the way.
- Newhaven5h13 454.6 kmSails to DieppeOne route, DFDS, about four hours. Useful mainly from the south east if you are heading for Rouen or Paris.
- Dover5h28 472.9 kmSails to Calais and DunkirkThe shortest crossings and by far the most frequent, DFDS, P&O and Irish Ferries between them. It lands you in the far north of France, so the long drive starts after the ferry instead of before it.
- Plymouth5h31 474.7 kmSails to Roscoff and SantanderThe one that makes sense from the far south west, and the other way to northern Spain, though Brittany Ferries runs Plymouth to Santander twice a week and not at all in winter.
From Sheffield it is about 4h15 to Portsmouth, and Newhaven is just as close, near enough. At that sort of difference the crossing you want decides it, not the drive.
- Portsmouth4h15 350.7 kmSails to Caen, Cherbourg and Saint-Malo in France, Santander and Bilbao in Spain, Guernsey and JerseyThe widest choice of destinations of any English port, and the only one with direct sailings to Spain and to both Channel Islands.
- Newhaven4h27 379.7 kmSails to DieppeOne route, DFDS, about four hours. Useful mainly from the south east if you are heading for Rouen or Paris.
- Dover4h37 392.1 kmSails to Calais and DunkirkThe shortest crossings and by far the most frequent, DFDS, P&O and Irish Ferries between them. It lands you in the far north of France, so the long drive starts after the ferry instead of before it.
- Poole4h38 375.6 kmSails to Saint-Malo via Guernsey, and the Channel IslandsNo longer a Cherbourg port: Brittany Ferries closed Poole to Cherbourg on 12 October 2026, three weeks earlier than planned, so for Cherbourg it is Portsmouth now. Condor runs Poole to Saint-Malo, calling at Guernsey on the way.
- Plymouth5h28 465.1 kmSails to Roscoff and SantanderThe one that makes sense from the far south west, and the other way to northern Spain, though Brittany Ferries runs Plymouth to Santander twice a week and not at all in winter.
From Nottingham it is about 3h32 to Portsmouth, and Newhaven is just as close, near enough. At that sort of difference the crossing you want decides it, not the drive.
- Portsmouth3h32 295.3 kmSails to Caen, Cherbourg and Saint-Malo in France, Santander and Bilbao in Spain, Guernsey and JerseyThe widest choice of destinations of any English port, and the only one with direct sailings to Spain and to both Channel Islands.
- Newhaven3h45 324.2 kmSails to DieppeOne route, DFDS, about four hours. Useful mainly from the south east if you are heading for Rouen or Paris.
- Dover3h55 336.6 kmSails to Calais and DunkirkThe shortest crossings and by far the most frequent, DFDS, P&O and Irish Ferries between them. It lands you in the far north of France, so the long drive starts after the ferry instead of before it.
- Poole3h56 320.1 kmSails to Saint-Malo via Guernsey, and the Channel IslandsNo longer a Cherbourg port: Brittany Ferries closed Poole to Cherbourg on 12 October 2026, three weeks earlier than planned, so for Cherbourg it is Portsmouth now. Condor runs Poole to Saint-Malo, calling at Guernsey on the way.
- Plymouth4h46 409.6 kmSails to Roscoff and SantanderThe one that makes sense from the far south west, and the other way to northern Spain, though Brittany Ferries runs Plymouth to Santander twice a week and not at all in winter.
From Bristol it is about 2h18 to Portsmouth, and Plymouth is just as close, near enough. At that sort of difference the crossing you want decides it, not the drive.
- Poole1h57 111.8 kmSails to Saint-Malo via Guernsey, and the Channel IslandsNo longer a Cherbourg port: Brittany Ferries closed Poole to Cherbourg on 12 October 2026, three weeks earlier than planned, so for Cherbourg it is Portsmouth now. Condor runs Poole to Saint-Malo, calling at Guernsey on the way.
- Portsmouth2h18 187.8 kmSails to Caen, Cherbourg and Saint-Malo in France, Santander and Bilbao in Spain, Guernsey and JerseyThe widest choice of destinations of any English port, and the only one with direct sailings to Spain and to both Channel Islands.
- Plymouth2h27 196 kmSails to Roscoff and SantanderThe one that makes sense from the far south west, and the other way to northern Spain, though Brittany Ferries runs Plymouth to Santander twice a week and not at all in winter.
- Newhaven3h11 273.1 kmSails to DieppeOne route, DFDS, about four hours. Useful mainly from the south east if you are heading for Rouen or Paris.
- Dover3h37 313.4 kmSails to Calais and DunkirkThe shortest crossings and by far the most frequent, DFDS, P&O and Irish Ferries between them. It lands you in the far north of France, so the long drive starts after the ferry instead of before it.
From Cardiff it is about 2h59 to Portsmouth, and Poole and Plymouth are just as close, near enough. At that sort of difference the crossing you want decides it, not the drive.
- Poole2h46 181 kmSails to Saint-Malo via Guernsey, and the Channel IslandsNo longer a Cherbourg port: Brittany Ferries closed Poole to Cherbourg on 12 October 2026, three weeks earlier than planned, so for Cherbourg it is Portsmouth now. Condor runs Poole to Saint-Malo, calling at Guernsey on the way.
- Portsmouth2h59 239.4 kmSails to Caen, Cherbourg and Saint-Malo in France, Santander and Bilbao in Spain, Guernsey and JerseyThe widest choice of destinations of any English port, and the only one with direct sailings to Spain and to both Channel Islands.
- Plymouth2h59 243.7 kmSails to Roscoff and SantanderThe one that makes sense from the far south west, and the other way to northern Spain, though Brittany Ferries runs Plymouth to Santander twice a week and not at all in winter.
- Newhaven3h52 324.7 kmSails to DieppeOne route, DFDS, about four hours. Useful mainly from the south east if you are heading for Rouen or Paris.
- Dover4h18 364.9 kmSails to Calais and DunkirkThe shortest crossings and by far the most frequent, DFDS, P&O and Irish Ferries between them. It lands you in the far north of France, so the long drive starts after the ferry instead of before it.
From Exeter it is about 2h50 to Portsmouth. Plymouth is roughly 1h52 closer, but it sails to Roscoff and Santander, so it only helps if that is where you are going.
- Plymouth58 min 73.3 kmSails to Roscoff and SantanderThe one that makes sense from the far south west, and the other way to northern Spain, though Brittany Ferries runs Plymouth to Santander twice a week and not at all in winter.
- Poole1h56 136.6 kmSails to Saint-Malo via Guernsey, and the Channel IslandsNo longer a Cherbourg port: Brittany Ferries closed Poole to Cherbourg on 12 October 2026, three weeks earlier than planned, so for Cherbourg it is Portsmouth now. Condor runs Poole to Saint-Malo, calling at Guernsey on the way.
- Portsmouth2h50 214.4 kmSails to Caen, Cherbourg and Saint-Malo in France, Santander and Bilbao in Spain, Guernsey and JerseyThe widest choice of destinations of any English port, and the only one with direct sailings to Spain and to both Channel Islands.
- Newhaven3h59 308.1 kmSails to DieppeOne route, DFDS, about four hours. Useful mainly from the south east if you are heading for Rouen or Paris.
- Dover4h42 400.2 kmSails to Calais and DunkirkThe shortest crossings and by far the most frequent, DFDS, P&O and Irish Ferries between them. It lands you in the far north of France, so the long drive starts after the ferry instead of before it.
From Newcastle upon Tyne it is about 6h18 to Portsmouth, and Dover and Newhaven are just as close, near enough. At that sort of difference the crossing you want decides it, not the drive.
- Portsmouth6h18 545.6 kmSails to Caen, Cherbourg and Saint-Malo in France, Santander and Bilbao in Spain, Guernsey and JerseyThe widest choice of destinations of any English port, and the only one with direct sailings to Spain and to both Channel Islands.
- Dover6h24 562.6 kmSails to Calais and DunkirkThe shortest crossings and by far the most frequent, DFDS, P&O and Irish Ferries between them. It lands you in the far north of France, so the long drive starts after the ferry instead of before it.
- Newhaven6h30 574.6 kmSails to DieppeOne route, DFDS, about four hours. Useful mainly from the south east if you are heading for Rouen or Paris.
- Poole6h42 570.4 kmSails to Saint-Malo via Guernsey, and the Channel IslandsNo longer a Cherbourg port: Brittany Ferries closed Poole to Cherbourg on 12 October 2026, three weeks earlier than planned, so for Cherbourg it is Portsmouth now. Condor runs Poole to Saint-Malo, calling at Guernsey on the way.
- Plymouth7h31 659.9 kmSails to Roscoff and SantanderThe one that makes sense from the far south west, and the other way to northern Spain, though Brittany Ferries runs Plymouth to Santander twice a week and not at all in winter.
From Edinburgh it is about 8h29 to Portsmouth, and no other ferry port on the south coast is close to that.
- Portsmouth8h29 708.8 kmSails to Caen, Cherbourg and Saint-Malo in France, Santander and Bilbao in Spain, Guernsey and JerseyThe widest choice of destinations of any English port, and the only one with direct sailings to Spain and to both Channel Islands.
- Dover8h50 757.2 kmSails to Calais and DunkirkThe shortest crossings and by far the most frequent, DFDS, P&O and Irish Ferries between them. It lands you in the far north of France, so the long drive starts after the ferry instead of before it.
- Poole8h53 733.6 kmSails to Saint-Malo via Guernsey, and the Channel IslandsNo longer a Cherbourg port: Brittany Ferries closed Poole to Cherbourg on 12 October 2026, three weeks earlier than planned, so for Cherbourg it is Portsmouth now. Condor runs Poole to Saint-Malo, calling at Guernsey on the way.
- Newhaven8h55 755.8 kmSails to DieppeOne route, DFDS, about four hours. Useful mainly from the south east if you are heading for Rouen or Paris.
- Plymouth9h13 775.9 kmSails to Roscoff and SantanderThe one that makes sense from the far south west, and the other way to northern Spain, though Brittany Ferries runs Plymouth to Santander twice a week and not at all in winter.
From Glasgow it is about 8h09 to Portsmouth, and no other ferry port on the south coast is close to that.
- Portsmouth8h09 715.4 kmSails to Caen, Cherbourg and Saint-Malo in France, Santander and Bilbao in Spain, Guernsey and JerseyThe widest choice of destinations of any English port, and the only one with direct sailings to Spain and to both Channel Islands.
- Poole8h33 740.2 kmSails to Saint-Malo via Guernsey, and the Channel IslandsNo longer a Cherbourg port: Brittany Ferries closed Poole to Cherbourg on 12 October 2026, three weeks earlier than planned, so for Cherbourg it is Portsmouth now. Condor runs Poole to Saint-Malo, calling at Guernsey on the way.
- Newhaven8h35 762.4 kmSails to DieppeOne route, DFDS, about four hours. Useful mainly from the south east if you are heading for Rouen or Paris.
- Dover8h41 759.9 kmSails to Calais and DunkirkThe shortest crossings and by far the most frequent, DFDS, P&O and Irish Ferries between them. It lands you in the far north of France, so the long drive starts after the ferry instead of before it.
- Plymouth8h53 782.5 kmSails to Roscoff and SantanderThe one that makes sense from the far south west, and the other way to northern Spain, though Brittany Ferries runs Plymouth to Santander twice a week and not at all in winter.
Road distances and driving times: route calculation on OpenStreetMap data (OSRM), 2026-09-22, city centre to port, without traffic, roadworks or stops. Add the check-in time on your ticket, and more slack than you think for the last few miles into any port town.
Parking and drop-offs
Allow extra time for traffic around Portsmouth, especially ahead of busy evening sailings. Parking is available near the terminal, but check availability and current rules before you travel, particularly in the summer holidays. If you’re dropping someone off rather than sailing yourself, the marshalling lanes get busy close to departure times.
Checking in and boarding
Check-in times depend on your operator, route and whether you’re travelling as a foot passenger or with a vehicle, so go by what’s printed on your ticket rather than general guidance. On our own Cherbourg sailing, check-in and passport control moved quickly once the desks opened, but boarding itself didn’t start until close to departure. Don’t plan on getting on board early for a meal, at least not as standard.
The lanes are signed by destination from the approach road onwards, so follow the name of your port rather than the operator. This is what it looks like, from our own visits.
Killing time before an evening sailing
The terminal itself is not somewhere to spend an afternoon. Old Portsmouth is: the Still & West pub, right by the Wightlink terminal, is a genuine ferry-spotting spot. You can watch Brittany Ferries ships and Wightlink’s Isle of Wight ferries come and go while you wait, with the Spinnaker Tower behind you, and our page on the Solent has a live map of what is moving.
If something goes wrong with your car
Worth knowing, because it happened to us: our clutch failed completely while driving off a ferry at this terminal. Brittany Ferries staff pushed the car off by hand, let us leave it at the terminal for a few days, and helped get it towed to a garage. The AA and a local garage (Mr Clutch, Portsmouth) sorted the rest. If you do break down here, the port staff and your ferry operator are used to dealing with it, so don’t panic.
FAQs
Which ferries leave from Portsmouth?
Ferries from Portsmouth sail to France (Caen, Cherbourg and Saint-Malo), Spain (Santander, Bilbao) and the Channel Islands (Guernsey with Brittany Ferries under the Condor name, Jersey with DFDS). The route comparison has them side by side.
Which ferry companies use Portsmouth?
Brittany Ferries operates the France and Spain routes, and the Guernsey route under the Condor name. DFDS operates the Jersey route, booked separately.
Is Portsmouth International Port the same as Portsmouth Harbour?
No, and the difference matters. Portsmouth International Port is the terminal on the M275 with the check-in lanes and passport control, used by the France, Spain and Channel Islands sailings. Portsmouth Harbour, by Gunwharf Quays and the railway station, is where the Isle of Wight ferries go from. Go by the terminal name on your booking rather than by “Portsmouth ferry port”.
Is anything changing at the port in 2026?
Yes. Portsmouth to Le Havre has already ended, earlier than planned. Poole to Cherbourg closed in October, so Portsmouth is now the only way to Cherbourg from England: two Brittany Ferries sailings a week this winter, plus the Guernsey ship, which has run a Portsmouth, Guernsey, Cherbourg triangle since 1 November. The dates and what to book instead are on our 2026 route changes page.
Can I park at Portsmouth ferry port?
Yes, parking is available near the terminal, but check current availability and pricing before you travel, especially in summer. If you are driving down, the drive to Portsmouth above compares the run from thirteen British cities.
How early should I arrive?
Follow the check-in time on your ticket. Vehicle passengers generally need more time than foot passengers, and boarding itself often doesn’t open as early as you’d expect. Our guide to the sailing patterns explains how the day is shaped around the crossings.
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