Portsmouth

Portsmouth International Port's new passenger terminal provides the contemporary standards and appearance of an airport terminal, without the queues and baggage difficulties associated with flying.

A free shuttle runs to the town centre, although walking into town is also easy.

By rail, frequent trains connect Portsmouth with London Waterloo in 85 minutes. London Victoria services travel via Chichester, Brighton and Gatwick, while Cardiff trains pass through Salisbury and Bristol. Portsmouth & Southsea train station is a brief bus or taxi journey from the port.

By coach, direct services connect the port with Heathrow and Gatwick airports and London Victoria Coach Terminal. Change at London Victoria for onward travel to every major town and city.

Carry a printable map.

Portsmouth is the UK's leading waterfront destination, combining sea views, excellent shopping, food and drink with remarkable attractions and centuries of history. Everything sits beside the water and only a few miles from the ship's gangway.

Walk around the city to see its striking mixture of old and new. HMS Warrior 1860 stands less than a mile from Portsmouth's newest landmark, the Spinnaker Tower. The city has no fewer than 12 museums covering every part of its past, alongside the award-winning Gunwharf Quays shopping and leisure complex, whose facilities include more than 20 cosmopolitan bars and restaurants, nightclubs, a multiplex cinema and bowling.

Children are well catered for too. Pyramids Fun Pools, Blue Reef Aquarium, the interactive Action Stations museum and indoor soft-play centre Playzone offer popular options on wet, rainy days. In sunshine, Southsea's attractive seafront has playgrounds, a funfair and ample space for children to fly a kite and burn off their surplus energy!

Several companies operate buses around Portsmouth and nearby areas. A day travel ticket costs £3.60, or £2.40 for concessions. The city is compact and flat, however, so no destination involves a particularly long walk.

Portsmouth's shopping districts each have a distinct character. On the waterfront, Gunwharf Quays pairs shopping with magnificent views across Portsmouth harbour. Its broad pedestrian avenues and squares hold more than 90 designer outlets, offering potential bargains from names such as Burberry, Paul Smith, Hobbs, LK Bennett, Molton Brown and Polo Ralph Lauren. Millions of visitors return to Gunwharf Quays repeatedly; you can spend the day there and stop for lunch, a drink or a film. From the complex, the city centre and Southsea are both an easy stroll away.

Southsea offers a welcome change if every high street is beginning to look alike. Head to Albert Road, Marmion Road and Palmerston Road for something different. Major names Debenhams, John Lewis, Laura Ashley, East and Jones sit alongside a superb selection of independent and specialist shops for clothing yourself or furnishing your home. Stroll along Marmion Road and do not miss award-winning diamond merchant Barbara Tipple, or indulge yourself and your feet at local businesses Sole Café, Southsea Rock, Interior Trading and Victoriana…

The pound (£) is used throughout the UK, and you may hear pounds referred to by the slang term quid. Scottish banknotes are frowned upon elsewhere in the UK, so exchange them before you leave Scotland.

Cash machines (ATM), informally called 'holes in the wall', are available almost everywhere and usually issue £10 and £20 notes.

Most shops and restaurants accept Visa, Mastercard and Maestro.

English is spoken across the country, sometimes with a strong accent!

Free WiFi is available in most cafés and restaurants.

The local emergency number is 999, while 112 works throughout the EU as well.

General shopping hours are:

Small shops generally open 6 or 7 days a week, from 10am - 6pm. Larger stores commonly remain open until 9PM, while hypermarkets are often open 24/7.