Passengers in Portsmouth will find it easier to travel this Christmas Day, thanks to special bus services.
Working with bus operators First Solent and Stagecoach, Portsmouth City Council has compiled a festive public transport timetable, which is designed to help get local people and visitors into town for celebrations, to take people to and from QA hospital, and to reunite families on Christmas Day.
This is one of the first in a series of council led schemes funded by the Bus Service Improvement Plan, a £48 million investment of government funding designed to transform bus travel for Portsmouth residents and visitors, creating a quicker and more reliable bus service.
Local bus companies and other public transport services are introducing several changes to their regular services throughout the holidays, Christmas Eve to Monday 2 January inclusive. Please note that buses on key First Solent routes will run late on New Years Eve until 1am. Buses will run until around 6pm on Christmas Day. Each route is different, and you can find out more about below, and by following the links to the service provider websites by clicking on their names in the table below.
Summary of seasonal public transport service and Christmas Day timetable 2023:
| Christmas Eve | Christmas Day | Boxing Day | 27 December Bank Holiday | 28 & 29 December | 30
December |
31 December | New Years Day | |
| Stagecoach | Last buses from 7 pm to 8 pm | Special service 21/23 60 minutes | Special service 21/23 30 minutes | Sunday service | Saturday service (weekday service on Hover bus, school holiday service on 38) | Saturday service
(weekday service on Hover bus, school holiday service on 38) |
Saturday service last buses 8 pm to 8.30 pm | No Service (except on Hoverbus 9 am – 8.30 pm) |
| First Solent | Last buses from 7pm to 8 pm | Special services on 1,2,3,7 and 8 60 minutes | Special services on 1,2,3,7 and 8. Every 30 minutes. | Sunday service | Saturday service finishing at midnight | Full Saturday timetable including late night journeys | Full Saturday timetable including late night journeys | Special services on 1,2,3,7 and 8. Every 30 minutes |
| Park & Ride | Saturday service | No Service | Sunday service | Sunday service | Mondays to Fridays service | Mondays to Fridays service | Saturday service | Sunday service |
| Gosport Ferry | Services end at 11 pm | No service | Service starts at 8.45 am with a ferry every 15 minutes until 7.30 pm | Service starts at 5.30 am and finishes at midnight. | Service starts at 5.30 am and finishes at midnight. | Service starts at 5.30 am and finishes at midnight. | Service starts at 5.30 am and finishes at 11 pm | Service starts at 7.30 am and finishes at 11 pm |
| Hayling Island Ferry | No service | No service | No service | No service | No service | Last ferry at 6 pm | No service | No service |
| Wightlink Ferry from Portsmouth Harbour to Ryde | Normal start
last ferry 7:52pm |
CLOSED | Starts 07:15 am | Starts 07:15 am | Mondays to Fridays service | Mondays to Fridays service | Last ferry 7.52 pm | SUNDAY SERVICE |
| Hovertravel from Clarence Pier | 08.30 am to 8.30 pm every hour | CLOSED | CLOSED | 08.30 am to 8.30 pm every hour | 06.30 am to 8.30 pm (29th 9.30 pm & 10.15 pm journey) | 06.30 am to 8.30 pm 30 minutes am peak then hourly | 08.30 am to 7.30 pm every hour | 09.30 to 8.30 pm every hour |
| Wightlink Ferry from Gunwharf to Fishbourne | Normal start
Last ferry 7 pm |
CLOSED | Starts 7 am
Normal finish |
Sunday service
3:00 am to 11:59 pm |
Special service
3:00 am to 11:59 pm |
Special service
03:00 am to 11:59 pm |
Special service
03:00 am to 11:59 pm |
Special service
03:00 am to 11:59 pm |
| National Express | Special Service | Special service | Special service | Normal service | Normal service | Normal service | Normal Service | Normal service |
| National Rail | Trains on all lines will run to a revised timetable | No service on South Western Railway, Southern and Great Western Railway | No service on South Western Railway and Southern | All Trains will run to a revised Saturday timetable, Southern with some replacement bus services. | All trains will run to a revised timetable | All trains will run to a revised timetable | All trains will run to a revised timetable | All trains will run to a revised timetable |
