Portsmouth Park & Ride, from First Bus

Located just outside the city, our Park & Ride is your easy route into Pompey. Whether you’re heading for the seafront, exploring the city, or soaking up its history, we’ve got your journey covered. With services running daily every 15 minutes, you can skip the parking hassle and be in the city in just 7 minutes. No stress, no fuss, just a fast and simple ride straight into heart of Portsmouth.

Service Name: PR1 (Daily), PR3 (Weekends Only)

Portsmouth Park & Ride

Fast, convenient travel into Portsmouth. Park for free and continue your journey by bus.

Key Facts
Route                         

PR1: Portsmouth Park & Ride - The Hard Interchange

PR3: Portsmouth Park & Ride - Southsea

Journey time

PR1: 7 minutes to the city centre

PR3: 16 Minutes to Southsea

Next bus

PR1: Every 15 mins 

PR3: Every 30 mins (Sat & Sun Only)

Parking spaces:
625 inc. 3 spaces for blue badge holders and 8 bays for blue badge/parents-and-child parking

Getting here

Address:

Portsmouth Park & Ride, Tipner Lane, Portsmouth PO2 8AN

What3Words:

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Portsmouth Park & Ride is located just off junction 1 of the M275.

Get Directions

Service information

  • Routes: 
    • PR1 (Daily)
    • PR3 (Weekends Only)
  • Destinations:
    • The Hard Interchange (PR1)
    • Southsea (PR3) 
  • Frequency:
    • Every 15 minutes (PR1)
    •  Every 30 minutes (PR3)
  • Operating Hours:
    • PR1: This service operates 07:00-19:00 M-F, 08:00-19:00 Sat and 09:00-17:45 Sun. The last bus returning to the P&R site from The Hard is 19:15 M-F & Sat and 18:00 Sun
    • PR3: This service operates 09:35-19:05 Sat & Sun. The last bus returning to the P&R site from Clarence Pier is 19:24 Sat & Sun.

The car park opens 30 minutes before the first bus departs and closes 30 minutes after the last bus leaves the site.

 
 
Mother and child cuddling whilst looking out of a bus window

PR1 Timetable  PR3 Timetable  PR1 Route Map  PR3 Route Map

Prices

Travel from just £5! Find the ticket that best suits your journey.

Choose tickets

Tickets are available for purchase from the First Bus App and driver

How Park & Ride works

1

Drive

Travel to the Park & Ride site and follow signs to the car park.

2

Park

Park your vehicle free of charge in one of the available spaces.

3

Buy a ticket

Purchase your ticket on the bus from the driver.

4

Ride

 Enjoy a quick, direct journey into Portsmouth.

Useful tools


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Maps

Find out more about our Portsmouth Park & Ride route.

More

Journey Planner
 
app
Download the First Bus App

Travelling by bus on Portsmouth Park & Ride couldn't be easier!

Download here


Frequently Asked Questions

Parking

​​​​​​​Overnight parking is not permitted at Portsmouth Park and Ride. Check the opening times for each site before you travel.

​​​​​​No, overnight parking is not permitted, so vehicles cannot be left on site for consecutive days. However, you’re welcome to use the Park & Ride service on multiple days — as long as you leave the site before closing each day and return to park again the next day.

​​​​​​You are not permitted to park at this site unless you use the Park & Ride bus service, or cycle into the city centre. Please note that you can walk to the Park & Ride site and then pay to use the bus into Portsmouth, or catch Portsmouth Park and Ride for intermediate stops served.

​​​​​​​The site offers safety and security with CCTV coverage operated by Portsmouth City Council, good lighting, clear lines of site across the car parks and security. There are regular car park patrols throughout the day. However, whilst all of these provisions are in place, in line with most car parks, parking of any vehicle is entirely at the owner’s risk.

​​​​​​​If your vehicle remains in the car park after closing hours, there is a £50 release fee. Blayde Security manages the site after hours. If you need help, please call them on 01329 234411.

​​​​​​​EV Charging points are available in Zone A. Use of these without using the Park & Ride service is not permitted (is this correct?)

How to use the Service

Find a parking space and park your car free of charge. Then, simply board the next bus into the city and buy your ticket if you haven't already done so on the First Bus App. You'll find information on all our ticket prices and options above.

The sites is signposted to on blue road signs from most major routes. For Sat-Nav users, the postcodes for our site is: Tipner Lane, Portsmouth PO2 8AN

​​​​​​​No, there’s no need to book. Simply follow the four easy steps: drive to the site, park for free, buy your ticket on the bus, and ride into Portsmouth.

​​​​​​​No, no registration is required. Simply park up for free, board the P&R service, purchase a ticket from your driver and enjoy your day! 

​​​​Yes, this is valid for the duration stated on the ticket. E.g. 1 day.

​​​​​​​Yes, you can use a Park & Ride ticket for journeys starting at any stop along the PR1 or PR3 routes. Tickets can be purchased at any point along the service directly from your driver.

Stops & Destinations

Don’t worry — all our Park & Ride buses are equipped with audio and visual next stop announcements to guide you along the way. The driver will be happy to help if needed, and you can also use the First Bus app to track where you are along the route.

​​​​​​​Yes- Gunwharf Keys is located just a short distance from the Hard interchange, where the PR1 service terminates.

​​​​​​​Yes, Portsmouth Harbour station is located close to the Hard and Portsmouth & Southsea short walk from Victoria Park. Both of these locations are served by our services

Payment & Tickets

Find a parking space and park your car free of charge. Then, simply board the next bus into town and pay the driver with cash, contactless debit/credit card if you haven't already got your ticket on the First Bus App. Full details of all our tickets for Park & Ride can be found above

Yes. We have a full range of tickets available for a day, or a 10/20/50-day Flexipass can be purchased.

​​​​​​​No, concessionary bus passes are not accepted on the Park & Ride service. Standard Park & Ride fares apply.

​​​​​​​Yes. However, if one or more of your group want to travel back to your car, to drop off shopping for example, and then return into the city centre, your ticket will allow you to do this. Nobody in the party will be allowed travel without a valid ticket.

​​​​​​​Group tickets can be bought for groups of 5 people travelling together. These tickets can be bought from your driver, or on the First Bus App

Vehicle & Site Restrictions

The maximum headroom and height restriction for the park & ride car park is 2.1m (6 11).  If you would like advice on alternative city parking for your large vehicle, motorhome or minibus whilst visiting the city, please call Portsmouth County Council on 023 9268 8290.

Accessibility

​​​​​​​All our buses are fully accessible for wheelchairs and buggies with step-free entrances that can be lowered to kerb height and have fold out ramps - just ask the driver if you need to use it. Inside the bus there are designated spaces for both wheelchairs and buggies as well as priority seating for mobility-impaired passengers, next stop audio/visual announcements and colour contrasting step edges and vehicle handrails. Class 2 mobility scooters with 3 or 4 wheels are accepted up to 600mm wide and 1000mm long

Facilities

The following facilities are available at the Park & Ride site:

  • Bus terminus
  • Accessible toilets
  • Baby change
  • Waiting area
  • Live departure information
  • Car park
  • Blue badge holders parking x 3
  • Blue badge holders/parent and child parking x 8
  • EV charging in Zone A

Pets

​​​​​​​Up to two well behaved dogs are allowed on any one bus at a time, at the driver’s discretion, provided they’re not a nuisance or danger to other passengers. Where appropriate, they must travel in accordance with the Dangerous Dogs Act. The driver can ask you to leave the bus with your dog at any time if they believe it poses a danger to anyone. We will always accept:

  • Guide dogs for the blind, including a guide dog in training with a registered puppy walker who has their ID card
  • Hearing dogs for deaf people
  • Assistance support dogs

Support

Contact the First Bus Lost Property Team using our Lost Property form, who will check to see if it has been handed in. If we have an item matching the description, we will contact you to provide you with a lost property reference and a time and place of where you can collect the item from. Any lost property found on our vehicles, providing the item is not perishable, will be kept for one month.

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