Region
Hampshire
Base in Winchester or Southampton for 2 nights; do Portsmouth and the New Forest as day-trips by car.
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Key facts · United Kingdom
- Best months
- Apr–May, Oct
- Currency
- Pound sterling (GBP, £)
- Language
- English
- Plugs
- G · 230 V
- Time zone
- GMT, BST from late March to late October
Rules in force · 8Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
- Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
- Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
- Britain and Ireland ↗Neither the UK nor Ireland is part of Schengen: days spent here do not count towards the 90/180-day Schengen limit, and a Schengen visa does not admit you to either country.
- Britain and Ireland ↗The island of Ireland runs on two currencies: euro in the Republic, pound sterling in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Carry a card that pays in both without fees.
- Britain and Ireland ↗Both islands drive on the left. Speed limits are in miles per hour in the UK (including Northern Ireland) and in kilometres per hour in the Republic of Ireland.
- United Kingdom ↗Most visitors who do not need a UK visa now need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before travelling; this includes EU nationals. Irish citizens are exempt. Check the UK government site for your passport.
- United Kingdom ↗The UK is outside the EU and the Schengen area; a Schengen visa is not valid for the UK.
- United Kingdom ↗Driving is on the left; London has congestion and emissions charges for most vehicles, so do not drive in the city.
Hampshire is a county of two cities and two national parks, spread across 60 miles of coast and chalk downland. Trains link Winchester, Southampton and Portsmouth in 20–40 minutes, but the New Forest and the South Downs need a car. Sleep in Winchester for the cathedral and Austen, in Southampton for rail links and the airport, or in Portsmouth for the ferries and the historic dockyard. Two nights covers the cities; add a third for the forest.
Where to sleep
Sleep base
- SouthamptonCity guide
Rail hub, airport, Titanic trail, ferry and cruise terminal.
Best May–Sep
JFMAMJJASOND
Day trip
- PortsmouthCity guide
Historic dockyard, ferries to France and the Isle of Wight.
Best May–Sep
JFMAMJJASOND - FordingbridgeCity guide
Gateway to the New Forest and Rockbourne Roman Villa.
Best May–Sep
JFMAMJJASOND
Plan the nights
How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags
Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags
Night sequences
- 2 nights
- Winchester 2, Portsmouth as a day-trip
- 3 nights
- Winchester 2 + Southampton 1 (or the New Forest if you have a car)
- Hampshire's coast is 60 miles as the crow flies but around 250 miles of inlets and estuaries — driving between coastal towns takes longer than the map suggests.
- New Forest ponies and cattle have right of way; do not feed them and drive slowly.
Day-trips door to door
| To | From | Door-to-door p50 | Last return | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portsmouth | Winchester | 45 min | check | Historic dockyard needs 3–4 hours; trains run late. |
| Southampton | Winchester | 25 min | check | Titanic trail and the SeaCity museum; easy half-day. |
| New Forest | Southampton | 40 min | check | Car needed for the villages; ponies roam free on the roads. |
Bags between cities
Luggage forwarding is not standard in the UK; carry bags or use a left-luggage locker at Southampton Central or Winchester.
When to go
Months and weather
Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate
Seasons at a glance
Pick a month to see where to go.
Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table
| Country | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winchester | × | × | ok | ok | go | go | go | go | go | ok | ok | × |
| Southampton | × | × | ok | ok | go | go | go | go | go | ok | ok | ok |
| Portsmouth | × | × | ok | ok | go | go | go | go | go | ok | ok | ok |
| Fordingbridge | × | × | ok | ok | go | go | go | go | go | ok | ok | × |
| United Kingdom (country-wide) | ok | ok | go | go | go | go | ok | ok | go | go | ok | ok |
Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.
Climate strip
| Zone | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HampshireCounty-wide | cool | cool | ok | best | best | ok | hot | hot | ok | best | cool | cool |
- Hampshire
- Mild oceanic climate; July–August warmest at 21–23 °C (70–73 °F), January coolest at 4–7 °C (39–45 °F). Rain spread through the year; the chalk rivers and the forest stay green in summer.Mild oceanic climate; July–August warmest at 70–73 °F (21–23 °C), January coolest at 39–45 °F (4–7 °C). Rain spread through the year; the chalk rivers and the forest stay green in summer.
May–September is the best window for walking and the coast. July and August are the busiest, especially in the New Forest and Portsmouth.
Getting in and passes
Arrival times and regional passes
Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes2 partsGet in · Passes
Get in
| From | To | How | p50 | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| London Waterloo | Winchester / Southampton / Portsmouth | South Western Railway | ~1 h to Winchester, ~1 h 20 to Southampton, ~1 h 40 to Portsmouth | Direct trains roughly every 30 minutes; book off-peak for lower fares. |
| London Heathrow (LHR) | Hampshire | Rail via London, or coach | ~2 h door to Winchester | No direct rail from Heathrow; change at Waterloo or use a coach. |
| London Gatwick (LGW) | Hampshire | Rail via Clapham Junction or Reading | ~2 h to Southampton | Reading–Gatwick line crosses north-east Hampshire. |
| Southampton Airport (SOU) | Southampton / Winchester | Rail from Southampton Airport Parkway | ~10 min to Southampton, ~20 min to Winchester | Flights from northern England, Scotland, Ireland, the Channel Islands and near Europe. |
| Channel Tunnel (Folkestone) | Hampshire | Car via M20, M26, M25, M3 | 2–3 h in good traffic | Allow longer at peak hours (Mon–Fri 07:30–09:30, 16:30–18:30) and on holiday weekends.Allow longer at peak hours (Mon–Fri 7:30 AM–9:30 AM, 4:30 PM–6:30 PM) and on holiday weekends. |
| Portsmouth ferry port | Portsmouth | Ferries from France, Spain and the Channel Islands | check | Foot passengers can walk to Portsmouth & Southsea station. |
Regional passes
National Rail tickets
buyBuy point-to-point; off-peak returns are cheaper. A railcard pays off if you ride several days.
Stagecoach South day ticket
checkUseful for local buses within one town; county-wide bus travel is slow and expensive compared with the train.
Mid Hants Railway (Watercress Line)
checkHeritage steam line from Alton to Alresford; separate ticket, not part of National Rail.
Eat and move on
Regional food and where to go next
Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next
Regional food
| Dish | Where | Timing / trap |
|---|---|---|
| Hampshire pork — bacon, ham, sausages | County-wide, farmers' markets | The county's signature product; look for it at weekend markets. |
| Watercress | Chalk river valleys near Alresford and Winchester | Grown here since the 19th century; in season spring to autumn. |
| Chalk-stream trout and salmon | Itchen, Meon and Test valleys | Rod licence needed to fish; restaurants serve it locally. |
| Hampshire cheeses | Farm shops and delis county-wide | Tunworth, Old Winchester and New Forest blue are local names to look for. |
| Nepalese restaurants | North-east Hampshire (Farnborough, Aldershot, Basingstoke) | A strong local scene from the Gurkha community; good value. |
Go next
London
South Western Railway ~1 h from Winchester
Direct trains; the natural next base.
South East England
plannedRail or road
Region guide covering Sussex, Surrey, Kent and Oxfordshire.
United Kingdom
Rail nationwide
Country guide for planning the wider trip.
Planning aids
Built from this guide's own data
Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Going in…
Region in numbers
- Where to sleep
- 2 bases
- Day trips
- 3, 25 min to 45 min
- Nights suggested
- 2–3 nights
- Ways in
- 6 listed
- Best months
- Apr, May, Oct
Going in…
Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.
Pick a month.
Deep dive
Photos, reading and every source
Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources
Sources
Ask about Hampshire
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