Safe place, if you know where not to go at night. Cheap ubers and local taxies. Very easy to navigate. Can walk absolutely anywhere. Great night life! Freshers events are amazing. There’s a free uni bus. So many beautiful places to go. The place has rich history. If you stay a bit after submissions you can enjoy the beach like you’re on holiday!
On 18th June 20
Safe place, if you know where not to go at night. Cheap ubers and local taxies. Very easy to navigate. Can walk absolutely anywhere. Great night life! Freshers events are amazing. There’s a free uni bus. So many beautiful places to go. The place has rich history. If you stay a bit after submissions you can enjoy the beach like you’re on holiday!
On 18th June 20
Living in Portsmouth
There’s always been a busy atmosphere to Portsmouth. It’s a large south-coast town with a strong navy flavour from it’s long history of sea warfare. However, boats aren’t all you’re going to see if you attend the University of Portsmouth... although we’ll be honest, you will see a lot of them.
When you’re exploring Portsmouth, the seafront is a good place to start. It’s about a 10min walk from the university and is used by the locals as well as tourists and students, so you can start getting a flavour for the place. Portsmouths position on the Solent (the channel of water that runs between the mainland and the Isle of Wight) makes it a good place to launch ships from, so there's almost always something happening down here. There’s a good beach, a funfair on Clarence Pier, some food outlets and shops, and as you head east to South Side Pier you’ll also find a beach and amusements including a boating lake, skate park and mini-golf. Half way between the two are Southsea Castle and Southsea Park.
For shopping you’ve got a lot of options. The Southsea area, particularly Albert Road, is know for it’s quirky shops housing independant traders, boutiques, craft shops, and retro gear. Commercial Road is more of your standard ‘high street’ shopping area. Finally, for those times when some serious retail therapy is needed, you have the Gunwharf Quays. This is a massive complex with over ninety designer outlets and big name brands, all in one area.
Portsmouth’s entertainment scene is large and varied so when night rolls around you’ve got some great venues to choose from. The Kings Theatre in Southsea often hosts touring West End shows, while the New Theatre Royal in the city centre houses performances from across the arts; from music and guest speakers to comedy and dance. For music and comedy acts you’ve got larger venues like the Guildhall down to more intimate places like the Wedgewood Rooms, as well as a host of pubs and clubs.
Getting active in Portsmouth is easy thanks to its great location. As well as all the obvious watersports and outdoor activities you’d expect in a town this size, the nearby Isle of Wight is an internationally acclaimed location for sailing. The most famous is Cowes Week, which sees over a thousand boats take part and the area around the Solent buzzing with visitors.
I really like boats
- HMS Victory: The flagship of half-blind, one-armed Lord Nelson (which makes him sound like a mad pirate. We promise he wasn’t) is moored there and it’s actually possible to go onboard and have a tour, just to remind you how much nicer your student halls are to live in!
- Mary Rose: a sunken Tudor warship that was brought up from the sea. She’s under constant restoration but often on display in a huge misty tank, used to keep the hull damp.
- HMS Warrior: This Victorian battleship was an absolute beast in her day - Britain’s first ever iron-hulled armoured warship. All three ships can be visited at the Historic Dockyard, however they do go off for maintenance sometimes so check their websites to make sure you don’t miss your favourite.
I really DON’T like boats
- Spinnaker Tower: At 170m high, this eye-catching landmarks is taller than the London Eye, and from the open-air viewing platform at the top, the views are epic.
- Gunwharf Quays: As well as all the shops. this massive retail complex houses a gallery, restaurants, cinema, nightclub, and a gym. That should keep you busy for a few hours!
- Go outside: For a good view of from the top and a bit of exercise you could always go up Portsdown hill. And then come down again and spoilt it all with some fish and chips!
Read Portsmouth Reviews
Gun Wharf is fab amazing outlets of the best shops. Also loads of little odd shops on Albert road etc Southsea is the best place to live.
Overall, great city to live in! :)
Portsmouth is an affordable city and students go clubbing on Purple Wednesday's - a time when student's get into venues for less. Uber Eats let's you order deliveries 24/7 and is very convenient. Otherwise, there'll likely be a Tesco Express within walking distance of your accommodation. There's even a uni bus that goes around southsea and is useful if you live further away from campus in private accommodation. It's free for all students; you'll need to show the bus driver your student ID first though.
An affordable city to reside in as a student, cheap student nights and lots of activities to do when not studying. A small city too so everywhere is within walking distance.
It was really nice the town is compact, everything is near everything, it is near the seaside. you can find everything in the city. everything is at max 15 min distance. It has malls and restaurants.
Pretty good, just stay out of Sommerstown
Portsmouth is quite small and so the city centre is about 20 minutes away from the beach. There are loads of parks and A LOT of places to eat, as well as an insane amount of pubs and clubs to go to. Houses are general university prices, however they are cheaper than other cities such as Oxford and Bristol. It’s also only a 45 minute train journey away from London and a 40 minute train journey from Southampton so is easy access to other areas. Also the train from Southsea to Harbour or Fratton is a lifesaver as it allows easy access to other areas of the city.
Really good night life and shopping by the sea.
Such a compact city, didnt even need to use local buses as it was possible to walk everywhere! Great prices for the south too and some amazing restaurants and cafes about. I still visit often even though i have graduated
The university, its halls and the other student housing in the area is placed perfectly in the centre of the city! Never too far from restaurants, bars and clubs, with Gunwharf Quays within walking distance too!
It’s very affordable to live in Portsmouth
Even though the cost if living isn't hugely cheap, in Portsmouth most of the town caters for students so whether it's a night out or a bite to eat there's always somewhere affordable. The nightlife is amazing and you feel like you are there in a bubble with students.
Perfect for anything you need to do, beach, town, shopping retail outlets, countryside a 20 mins train away
I use uber everywhere which is fairly cheap too
Lots of affordable housing in Southsea/ Fratton area. Some great nightclubs (most notably The Astoria). City is very compact and flat so everywhere is accessible by bike/ walking.
Everything is so close it is easy to walk everywhere
All in all great area to live in.
Free university bus, Gunwharf and Commercial road are both good shopping areas, with Gunwharf offering lots of restaurants and a costume shop on Commercial road to buy things for the social nights out.
Expensive to get around but there are enough shops to keep you entertained and it’s very good value living so long as you hunt around for the best deal
Portsmouth has everything you need! I hope to continue living down here. Everything is cheap and there are lots of places to go
Best University Best Faculty Very Friendly and Helpful Environment One of the finest city.
The town is great as it has a lot of nice independent delis and cafes around southsea and Gunwharf Quays has most of what you’d want out of a shopping centre however some parts of Portsmouth are dodgy (Fratton and upwards) so be careful. The buses are a little over priced but the university supplies the students with a free bus that goes around southeast and fratton
Enjoyable city and beautiful sea front
Absolutely awful do not go here. Nothing about this was good
Couldn’t have chosen a better city to go to uni
Portsmouth is a lovely little city. The beach is always pleasant wvwn though its not sandy. The island is rich with history and great for photography. The social scene is amazing: loads of places to hang out, drink, shop and public transport is decent! + the uni bus takes you around most of the island for free.
Portsmouth is great like London but cheaper
Portsmouth is the best city I’ve ever lived in. Free uni bus, can walk everywhere otherwise, cheapest Uber’s, cheapest and most fun nights out in the south, cheap house rent, banging places to eat and drink - just don’t bother the crackheads
Amazing city with hestorical landmarks all around the city
Cheap student living. Different areas in Portsmouth for different vibes. Truly unique city. Small enough to walk everywhere but different and diverse enough to make it feel massive.
Great city, wouldn't mind moving there post uni.
I drive so public transport wasn’t an issue for me. The night life is really good
Not one bad thing I can say about Portsmouth
Cost of living in Portsmouth is unreasonably high for the city and location however is a decent city other than that
Pretty much everything is available. All required shops are 10 mins walk from the center of the city.
Lovely city, mix of shops and beaches. Very few concert venues and not many concerts if you're into alternative music (Enter Shikari does come to Portsmouth sometimes though). Buses are expensive but it's easy to walk because the land is mostly flat
Some great shopping and dining places all around especially gunwharf quays. Good bus and train links and great night life we love a purple Wednesday
I wasn't sure at first but Southsea is amazing.
Very affordable city with amazing views to the beach and relaxing environments.
Safe place, if you know where not to go at night. Cheap ubers and local taxies. Very easy to navigate. Can walk absolutely anywhere. Great night life! Freshers events are amazing. There’s a free uni bus. So many beautiful places to go. The place has rich history. If you stay a bit after submissions you can enjoy the beach like you’re on holiday!
Portsmouth is a really beautiful city and the nights out are the best
everything is in walking distance
I dont find much to complain about, I feel like it is a nice place however there can be times where it feels like there isn't much to do.
great place for a student aas everything iss reasonably priced and in close proximity.
Everything is easy access with the university bus. Housing is a bit pricey but there is lots to do in such a vibrant city
Cost of living is quite expensive especially halls like Catherine house who are so over priced. However moving into a house after first year proved to be much more cost effective. Plenty of places to eat out. The night life is really good, a couple different clubs to choose from. Loads of different shops from high street to designer. Public transport services are great especially they uni bus.
Complete range You have an outlet, with super fancy shops, and a town center with the cheaper basic shops. A vue cinema (the cheapest of cinemas) Pleanty of clubs and bars Lots of connecting busses Some places are a little bit pricy, but nothing extortionate. But also, cheap places too. Clubs have good discounted nights and are very busy Pleant of things to do that arent drinking too Beach near by, cinema, swimmimg pools, rock garden, bowling, many resturants, game bars, pub quizzes, shopping and so much. Worth a look on groupon, lots of cheap day out things here that a lot of people dont realise is here. Keep and eye out for events, like christmas market and vintage kilo sales. A lot of students miss these and its a shame.
The free uni bus only goes one way round and it doesn’t run at night
Shops are super close, either clothing or food everyone can choose, huge variety, a lot of great clubs in here
There’s numerous clubs for different tastes of night out. There’s multiple high streets and no shortage of restaurants and eateries. The famous Gunwharf Quays is a fantastic outlet.
Great city, most sunny days in UK per statistics
- good clubs all near the university - good shopping close by ( Gunwharf keys)
Gnwharfquays and cascades shopping center are go for shopping but the rest is not good in general or it's bad value for money
Portsmouth is quite an underrated city and I really enjoyed living there. You’ve got all the big supermarkets to choose from and most accommodation for students is right on campus. I do not really care about nights out, but the times that I did go everywhere was extremely crowded, which will definitely want to make you want to stay at home if like me you do not like to be smushed in a crowd of sweaty strangers...
A lot of criminality and homeless people, apart from that, quite cheap.
The safety should be improved in the night
I cannot rate it enough, I loved it.
The city is catered for students so there’s always deals about! Gunwharf is more on the expensive side but they do student discount evenings which is so good.
Great nights out with loads of places to go. Gunwharf is a plus with lots of fab bars and variety of restaurants
The prices are reasonable and everything you could ever need is nearby
There are multiple train stations and loads of buses to get you around. The main night clubs are all close together meaning the night life is great as you can hop around & go to wherever is best! Portsmouth has some great shopping experiences with Gunwharf Quays located a 15-20 min walk from university accommodation and the town centre 5 minutes in the other direction.
Portsmouth is a really small but busy city. There is plenty to do, and good nights out available in lots of places.
Portsmouth is great for a night out and is extremely cheap in regards to rent - I found that living by the sea was a massive positive too!
Depends who you are. If you are a relatively smart with what you buy you'll survive
A lot of fun as the nightlife is always very alive, though the recent increase of reported crime in Portsmouth does leave a lot of people on edge
Portsmouth has really good public transportation and shops.
Great night life. Great takeaways.
Good facilities I feel a big supermarket closer to the guildhall would be much better
Uni gives free buses so can get around if just outside main area, shopping you have gun wharf or main town but about 25 min walk between
Loads of transport links. Prices for eating out are good. Food prices in shops are high
Very good location by the sea and all near supermarket shops restaurand pubs and clubs
Not much public transport but no need as you have two large shopping complexes every single shop you will ever want or need, and every restaurant and fast food you’ll need, and supermarkets and everything you could possibly want
Everything is really accessible. There are so many options for going out. It’s all very student friendly, even Gunwharf.
Something for everyone, no matter your interests
Bit of a dive in places but gunwharf is nice
Nice place to live, bit crowded, locals are a bit scary, don't eat at ken's chicken, do eat at alis kabab up by pryzum
Great city to study in. Everythhing is close by!
Always plenty to do and easy to travel and navigate around the city. Friendly locals and shopkeepers on every doorstep and always help in the community if you need it.
Average, actual town is horrid thpugh
The city is amazing and it has a lot of things to do
Go to Gunwharf Quays and shop in the greatest outlet at the ocean. The nights out in Portsmouth are always exciting and a laugh
Easy to get around and cheap food
A small city, great transport links. Probably the best place in the world to pub crawl. Lacking on clubs if that’s your scene.
Free uni bus, decent place for students
Great student city! Students everywhere andlot of things tailored to students. Makes it great. Nigths out are crowded but you make friends quite easily.
A great city if you're looking for nights out and a social vibe, but not great for arts or culture
Very good shopping in here and the cost of living is not high at all
Uni has a free bus from Mo-Fr which is great otherwise everything is a walking distance. The coastal part of city, Southsea is beautiful full of shops, pubs, restaurants. I love that Portsmouth is full of independent shops.
I wouldn't eat out too often unless you have some money coming in as you should try and cook to gain some experience but there are lots of nice places to eat out if you have the money! - I hate clubbing and prefer pubs hence why nights out is only one star for me personally but public transport and everything else is great.
This city meet all of the criteria. It is designed for students and not only. Accommodation is cheap, there are two shopping centres, lots of place to eat and party. Ubers, taxis, trains and buses available.
Not a wide range of things to do, think that’s why everyone went out all the time. Town centre could be improved
Cost of living ia good compared to elsewhere
There is a lot of stuff but it’s spread out
Lovely area with plenty of things to explore, nightlife is great and there is a wide variety of eating facilities
It’s an beautiful city with amazing landscapes
Free uni bus and also Gunwharf shopping centre what more could you ask for
Uni buss makes traversing the city very easy and free.
Decent city - definitely has areas to improve but from a student point of view it has everything I need. We have a free university bus but it only goes one way in a loop and is often cramped.
Plenty of research required for local amenities
Nights out are student centered so cheap entry and cheap drinks. Eating out is typical places but they all do student discounts.
The town has great shops and restaurants and everyone has had plenty of brilliant night out!
Affordable way of living, lots of students about, decent shops and great for student nights out:)
university bus was great, lots of shopping and great nights out
Lovely area which caters for every need
The city works well for students with everything you could want/need, even if you just want to get home.
Plenty of places to go and plenty of places to eat, plus Gunwarf at your disposal! Many food shops and supermarkets to shop at spread over many areas making them very accessible. I mostly used the uni bus, but there are plenty of public buses running on a good time scale and there are 3 train stations (fratton, Portsmouth and Southsea, Portsmouth harbour). Shopping is great- Gunwarf, commercial street and Southsea mall
3 major train stations spread across the city, a free uni bus make transport very easy. Outlet centre is perfect for student shopping sprees.
Plenty of affordable student houses, loads of restaurants and fun things to do, numerous shops, both independent and chain. Plenty of great nights out and good public transport.
Loads of pubs and clubs, gunwharf for outlet shopping and restaurants and free uni bus!
Pubs everywhere. Good nights out. And every shop needed