Getting to campus
Life on campus
Wherever in the city you live, it's quick and easy to make your way to our campus or get about the city.
You'll have plenty of options, too – from walking or cycling, to catching the free University bus – and you can find out more about each in the list below.
Take a walk
Portsmouth is fairly flat and the best way to get to know the campus is on foot. If you need a smartphone-friendly walking map and an estimate of how long your journey takes, use the My Journey Portsmouth website. You can also plan your journey using our Campus Map.
Take your bike
Cycling around the city is a speedy, low-cost way of getting around campus. It's also great for exercise and reducing your carbon footprint.
There are cycle pathways on the quieter roads around Portsmouth. You can find out where the cycle pathways and quieter roads are from this Portsmouth City Council cycling map.
There are a range of facilities available for staff and students to use across campus, including a number of covered cycle cages with swipe card access, and bike lockers which are highlighted on our active travel facilities map.
Take the University bus
We run 2 free bus services to campus for our staff and students – the U1 takes a circular route around Portsmouth, while the U2 runs out to our Langstone campus and back.
Term-time bus services
The U1 and U2 services run Monday to Friday during term-time. The University Bus service will run between the following dates during the 2022/23 Academic Year:
- Monday 19 September 2022 - Friday 16 December 2022
- Monday 9 January 2023 - Friday 31 March 2023
- Monday 24 April 2023 - Friday 16 June 2023 (U1 service only).
The service stops at all FirstBus stops along the route (only times for the main stops listed above are shown in the U1 timetable). Users may need to put their arm out to get the bus to stop.
U1
The University Bus is free if you show your student card. It's convenient and frequent, with buses running every 15 minutes during weekdays in term time. It takes a one-way circular route, stopping at:
- Bransbury Park, Eastney
- Prince Albert Road
- Francis Avenue
- Fratton Bridge
- Winston Churchill Avenue
- Cambridge Road
- Elm Grove
- Kings Theatre
- Festing Road
- Eastney Health Centre
About the service:
- Service available on a first-come, first-served basis
- If the bus is full, you'll need to wait for the next one
- No alcohol is allowed on the bus
- The bus doesn't run at weekends, during the academic holidays or on public holidays
View the route map and download the Monday-Friday term timetable.
U2 - Langstone Sports Bus
Our Sports Bus makes travel to Langstone Sports Site simple. The Sports Bus is free to use for students, you’ll just need your student card to get on. The Sports Bus runs Monday-Wednesday, with an extended timetable on Wednesdays for BUCS games.
The bus also collects from Albert Road traffic lights bus stop (by Bodrum restaurant), with no drop-off until Langstone.
On the return to University, the bus will drop off at Albert Road traffic lights bus stop, but no collections will be made.
About the service:
- Free service, if you show your student ID card
- Service available on a first-come, first-served basis
- If the bus is full, you need to wait for the next one
- No alcohol is allowed on the bus
- Service is for students doing sporting activities at Langstone Campus only – not for local journeys to Albert Road
Take a public bus
If you live in other areas of the city you can also use public bus services to the city centre, which are run by First Bus and Stagecoach. Many of these services operate on weekends, public holidays and outside of term-time but you'll have to buy a ticket.
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 (First Bus) and 20 (Stagecoach). If you want to go further afield, you can catch a direct bus to Southampton or Chichester.
If you regularly use the bus, consider getting a monthly or season ticket to save money compared to buying daily tickets.
Where e-scooters can and can't be used
E-scooters cannot be used:
- on pavements
- on University land such as Ravelin Park and University building courtyards
- in University buildings, including bringing e-scooters inside halls of residence or educational buildings for storage
They are allowed in the same places that bicycles are - on the road, in bike lanes and in some shared spaces. You should be especially careful and respectful around other road users, particularly pedestrians, as they may not be able to see or hear you coming.
If you want to use an e-scooter to get about the city, you must use one from the official rental scheme, as private e-scooters are illegal in public places.
Issues with e-scooters
Anyone can report misuse of publicly-rented e-scooters, including dangerous riding and bad parking, directly to the operator VOI using their reporting form. Staff and students can also report any accidents or incidents on campus to the University's health and safety team.
For more information on e-scooter use and safety:
Cars and parking
It's not usually worth bringing a car to Portsmouth, as the campus and city centre is compact - and it's easier and cheaper to walk, cycle, scoot, or take a taxi for many journeys. Parking, congestion and air pollution are big issues in the city, and it can also be tricky to park. Not driving is one easy way you can save money and do your bit for the environment.
Parking in the city
If you do have to bring a car with you to university, in many areas of the city you will need a residents' parking permit to park outside your home. There are also limits on the number of vehicles registered per household, and increasing costs for each vehicle - so it's worth thinking carefully about whether you need a car. Portsmouth City Council will only issue you a permit if your car is registered with the DVLA at a Portsmouth address, which also means reissuing your driver's license and informing your insurance company.
University car parks
A parking permit is required to park in any of the University car parks. Students can only apply for a car parking permit if they are a registered disabled blue badge holder, or if they live outside the PO1 - PO6 areas and have exceptional circumstances or restricted public transport.
For more information on car parking at the university, please email car.parking@port.ac.uk or call +44 (0)23 9284 6677.