Walk to South Street, beside Gosport bus station, buy an open return and take whichever boat is next. From 05:30 they leave Gosport on the hour and at quarter past, half past and quarter to, and about four minutes later you step off beside Portsmouth Harbour station.
Gosport Ferry's daily timetable, identical on its timetable page and in its downloadable timetable sheet; read on 15 October 2026. Gosport Ferry — Timetables · 2026-10-15
Start in Gosport, at the terminal on South Street next to the bus station. Get a ticket from the staffed booth at the entrance or the machines beside it, then walk down the pontoon. Coming back from Portsmouth, use the machines at the top of the pontoon on that side, since Gosport has the only ticket office.
Buy a return even if you only need one way. Gosport Ferry's price list has no single: an adult open return costs £5.60, valid on another day if you want, and children from 4 to 15 and over-65s pay £3.60. People crossing several times a week should look at the ten-trip ticket at £22.40 for adults or a season ticket, and a family of up to two adults and three children can travel together for £14.80.
Then stop worrying about times. Boats run every fifteen minutes, all week, and the crossing lasts about four minutes, so the clock only matters early and late: the first leaves Gosport at 05:30, the last at 23:50, and the final boat from Portsmouth goes at midnight.
The basic ticket on this crossing is a return, and it is open-ended, so the way back can be another day. Children aged 4 to 15 and passengers over 65 pay the same reduced fare, though the senior ticket is only valid after 09:30 on weekdays.
Ten-trip tickets come from the Gosport booth or the Portsmouth machines; 30-day and quarterly season tickets from the booth or online, with two working days to collect. The First City Card, which adds First buses within Portsmouth, is sold only at the booth.
| Adult | £ 5.60 |
| Child (4–15) | £ 3.60 |
| Senior (65+), after 09:30 on weekdays | £ 3.60 |
| Under 4 | Free |
| Bicycle, e-bike or e-scooter | £ 1.80 |
| Motorcycle | £ 2.40 |
| Family Saver (2 adults + 3 children) | £ 14.80 |
| Adult, 10 trips | £ 22.40 |
| Child or senior, 10 trips | £ 12.90 |
| Armed Forces, 10 trips | £ 22 |
| Bicycle or e-scooter, 10 trips | £ 5 |
| Motorcycle, 10 trips | £ 8.80 |
| Adult, 30 days | £ 90 |
| Adult with bicycle or e-scooter, 30 days | £ 112 |
| Adult with motorcycle, 30 days | £ 132 |
| Adult, quarterly (13 weeks) | £ 250 |
| Child or senior, quarterly | £ 138 |
| Adult with bicycle or e-scooter, quarterly | £ 305 |
| Student season, per school term | £ 195 |
| First City Card, adult day return with buses | £ 6.10 |
| First City Card, child or senior | £ 4.40 |
Gosport Ferry fares from 2 April 2026, read on 15 October 2026. Gosport Ferry — Tickets and Prices · 2026-10-15
On the DfT's NaPTAN positions the two terminals are about 660 metres apart, which is why the trip is counted in minutes. The alternative, in the words of the operator's own history, is the longer road route.
Portsmouth Harbour station is a junction for the Isle of Wight as well. Wightlink's FastCat to Ryde Pier Head starts from the same station, whereas the Ryde hovercraft uses its own base on the Southsea seafront. Drivers bound for the island from further west can take the Southampton to East Cowes car ferry.
The terminal is next to Gosport bus station and a short walk from the High Street, with a taxi rank outside. The ticket booth stands at the entrance, and the machines beside it take cash, cards and contactless, and give change.
Drivers dropping someone off can use the 20-minute bay on the Esplanade by the bus station. For longer stays the closest option is the South Street car park, also known as Walpole Park.
On the Portsmouth side the boat ties up at a pontoon beside Portsmouth Harbour railway station, with The Hard Interchange for First and Stagecoach buses, National Express coaches and taxis a short walk away.
There is no ticket office here: buy from the machines at the top of the pontoon. Parking is at Gunwharf Quays, Wickham Street, Gunwharf Road or Queen Street.
A bicycle, e-bike or e-scooter needs its own £1.80 return. A pedal bike that is fully folded goes free; electric bikes and scooters pay whether folded or not.
Both pontoons have wheelchair access, but on board wheelchairs stay on the main deck. The user travels free and the chair is charged; a powered chair or mobility scooter pays the motorcycle rate of £2.40.
Prams, pushchairs and dogs on a lead cost nothing, and neither do children under 4. Children over 10 may cross on their own.
The harbour boats have open and covered seating but no toilets, baby-changing or refreshments, and there are no luggage trolleys.
On Sunday 8 November 2026, serving and former armed forces personnel in uniform, wearing medals or a veteran's badge travel free to Remembrance services.
Gosport Ferry posts changes and disruption on a WhatsApp travel alerts channel, linked from its timetable page.
The crossing is far older than the company. The operator's own history cites a 1603 order of the Court of Exchequer giving Gosport's inhabitants the sole right to run the public ferry, and rowing wherries holding up to eight people did the work until steam. A chain-hauled floating bridge from 1840 carried carts, horses and cattle to Old Portsmouth until it gave up in 1959. The change that shaped today's route came in 1876, when the railway reached a new station on the Hard and the Act authorising it required a free public landing stage alongside.
Two rival launch companies, remembered as the Old and the New, then fought for passengers at the Hard until 1888, when they agreed to leave together at the sound of a bell and later to pool their takings; they merged in 1961, and Falkland Islands Holdings bought the business in 2004. The fleet today is three boats: Spirit of Gosport from 2001, Spirit of Portsmouth from 2005, kept mainly for summer cruises because of its bar, and Harbour Spirit, added in May 2015.
No. The cheapest everyday ticket is the open return. Adults pay £5.60, while children between 4 and 15 and seniors pay £3.60, and the return leg can wait for another day.
Midnight. Before that the late departures from Portsmouth are 22:40, 22:52, 23:07, 23:22 and 23:40; the last boat from Gosport leaves at 23:50.
The £3.60 senior return works on weekday crossings after 09:30 and without restriction on bank holidays and at the weekend.
No. It carries foot passengers plus bicycles, e-scooters and motorbikes; a motorcycle return costs £2.40.
None. Gosport Ferry's FAQs say there are no sailings on Christmas Day and only limited sailings on Boxing Day. The 2026 festive timetable had not been posted on 15 October.
The First City Card: £6.10 for an adult and £4.40 for a child or senior, covering the ferry plus First buses within the Portsmouth city zone. It is sold only at the Gosport ticket booth.
£90 for 30 days or £250 for a 13-week quarter for an adult, from 2 April 2026. Adding a bicycle raises them to £112 and £305.