Travelling by bus is simple and easy in Portsmouth, with quick, reliable bus services to take you to campus, to work, and around the city. Get around campus easily with the University bus services, running regularly every Monday to Friday during term-time. The U1 takes a circular route around Portsmouth and Southsea and the U2 goes to the Langstone campus and back to main campus.

The U1 and U2 buses also stop at all First bus stops along the route. They do not run at weekends, during the academic holidays or on public holidays. You’ll need to download an annual digital ticket via the First Bus app and bring the ticket and your University ID card each time you board the bus. More information can be found on the University of Portsmouth website.

You can travel with both Stagecoach and First bus services in Portsmouth – find information about timetables and routes on their websites. To get an idea of all the bus routes in the city, view our map.

Some of our bus routes run 24 hours a day to get you where you need to be, and many run every 10 minutes, so you can just turn up at the bus stop and go.

The 1, 2, 7, 25 (Hayling Ferry link) and 700 buses stop very near the University. Queen Alexandra Hospital is also easy to get to using services 2, 3, 18 and 20. If you want to go further, you can catch a direct bus to Southampton or Chichester.

There is also a £3 fare cap on single journeys running on all bus services in Portsmouth.

If you’re aged 19 and under, choose the Pompey Young Person ticket, which extends child discounts to young adults. There are also discounted tickets available if you are travelling in the evening, or in a group, or if you are hopping on and off the bus for 90 minutes.

These tickets can be bought on the bus, on the bus company’s website and on the bus company’s app.  The Hoppa90, Pompey NightOwl and PompeyGroup tickets can be used interchangeably on First and Stagecoach buses. Stagecoach and First also offer student discounted tickets, and there is more information available on their websites.

If you’re commuting into university or if friends and family are visiting, try our park and ride service to avoid the traffic and reduce the stress of searching for a parking space in the city. Regular buses travel to the city centre every 15 minutes from the park and ride car park at Tipner, just off junction 1 of the M275.  There’s a range of great value and flexible tickets including daily, weekly, monthly, annual and Flexipass options, as well as day tickets.

Heading to the shops, restaurants and entertainment at Port Solent? Take the bus to Paulsgrove, Cosham Interchange or Queen Alexandra Hospital and connect to Pompey Link, our affordable and on-demand minibus service taking you to the Port Solent bus stop.

Working with charity Enable Ability, we’ve created a short video to help people feel confident to get around the city by bus. It’s a step-by-step guide on how to catch a bus in Portsmouth.

Portsmouth is a small but compact city, which means that it’s simple and easy to get around on foot or by bike. It’s also a great way to keep fit and save money, and we’re currently building a joined-up cycling network of attractive, inclusive, safe, and accessible routes.

There are also plenty of options to safely store your bike across Portsmouth, from bike hangars to corrals in key shopping and nightlife areas. If you don’t have access to a bike, you can hire a Voi rental e-bike or e-scooter, available across the city, and free cycle security marking sessions run throughout the year can help the police recover your bike if it gets stolen. You can even join one of our Repair and Ride sessions to learn the basics of cycle maintenance.

You can use our map of cycling and walking routes to see where you can walk or ride safely.

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If you find you only occasionally need a car, we’ve also recently launched a Car Club in the city! As a car club member, you can unlock and rent cars for up to five full days in a row or just a quick trip. This is a great way to save money on driving costs, as well as reducing traffic and helping to make the air in Portsmouth easier to breathe.

Cars can be unlocked with a simple tap on the Enterprise app, or by contacting their friendly customer services team for assistance. All vehicles come with an MOT, insurance, breakdown cover, and are regularly cleaned. Eight cars are available from designated parking bays in the southern area of the city, with hopes to expand to more locations in the future.

Currently, Portsmouth residents can receive their first year’s annual standard membership for just £20 (usually and thereafter £60 a year). As well as saving £40 on membership fees, when you join you can also get £20 free driving credit. You’ll need to be 19 years old and over and hold a vali driving license.

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Portsmouth is one of the most heavily populated cities in the south, and parking is in high demand. Since it’s small and easy to get around, both the council and the University recommend that you don’t bring your car while you’re studying in Portsmouth.

Residents Parking Zones (RPZs) cover many areas of the city to help people park near their homes. If you’ll be living in an RPZ, you’ll need a residents parking permit to be able to park your vehicle near your house.

These cost £30 for the first vehicle registered to an address, and £120 for a second vehicle.  Your vehicle will need to be registered in your name and to your address in Portsmouth. These are only available for people living in shared houses, as you won’t be able to get a permit if you’re staying in Halls of Residence.

To find out more about parking in the city, including how long you can park for and how to pay for parking, visit our webpage.

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