Portsmouth and Bath tips

How many nights will you be in Bath? It's one of my favorite locations!

Here are some things I enjoy:
Roman Baths and Pump Room
Bath Abbey
Number 1 Royal Crescent
viewing exteriors of the Royal Crescent and the Circus
Holburne Museum
Prior Park Landscape Garden
Parade Gardens (you can get a really good look at the weir from here)
Walking the path beside the Avon and the Kennet and Avon Canal
Victoria Art Gallery
A walking tour - the Mayor's office has a free one but the times I've seen the group it's been huge but that was before Covid. I've taken a walking tour with a private guide as well as thru the Jane Austen Centre (during the JA Festival in September).
**Herschel Museum of Astronomy - I've not done this but it's on my list for next time, lol.

Not worth it:
Jane Austen Centre - She did not live here and they have nothing original of hers in the Centre. I did enjoy a walking tour they offered. Not sure if they do them when it's not the JA Festival in September.

There are tours by a company called Mad Max that can take you to the Cotswolds if you decide you don't want to drive it on your own.

One can spend the better part of a day at the dockyard as there is a lot to see.

Places I have bookmarked to see in the Portsmouth area are Portchester Castle, Titchfield Abbey, Winchester Cathedral, Tangmere Military Aviation Museum, Arundel Castle, and Goodwood Aerodrome (to see Spitfires). As a novelty site, English Martyrs Catholic Church in Worthing for its reproduction Sistine Chapel ceiling. Checking operating hours prior to going as a couple of my listed places are temporarily closed.

We are flexible on our time. If we spend two nights in Portsmouth the would spend 4 or 5 nights in Bath.

I agree that you should plan to spend most of the day at the dockyard in Portsmouth. There is so much to see. I think I was there a good six or seven hours.

For Bath, take one of the free walking tours offered by the Mayor of Bath's Honorary Guides

Just me, but I don't think Bath deserves 4-5 nights at the expense of Portsmouth. One consideration, is your larger itinerary, will you be other places before Portsmouth? Or fresh off a Transatlantic flight? Plans after Bath?

But for Portsmouth, I would stay right in central Portsmouth. Does not sound quaint, but the Holiday Inn Express at Gunwharf Quay is ideally situated. You can certainly look for other places, but this area is where you want to be. Right near there is a modern shopping area with shops and restaurants, a short walk to old Portsmouth and the Dockyards, and lots of pubs and restaurants within easy walking.

As for sights, The Dockyards is the main thing. Buy what is essentially a yearly pass, it will allow you to visit all attractions over a couple days. The highlights are the HMS Victory, The Mary Rose Museum, The HMS Warrior, The Submarine museum over in Gosport, and more. There is also a nice D-Day museum, with a pleasant beach nearby. You literally can not do all just all of the Dockyards in a day, maybe even two, then add on other sights.

I agree with Jamieelsabio’s assessment of Portsmouth. We took about 3 hours at the WWII museum and two full days (we walk slowly, but still) at the Dockyards and another day or two for the rest. We stayed in an Airbnb, but there was a well-located Premier Inn nearby. We took a day trip in the Cotswolds from Bath, as you plan, but honestly I wouldn’t recommend it if you have any other options. It was a lot of driving and a little time in 3 or 4 spots. We had a driver instead of taking MadMax. Maybe that would have been better.

We will be getting off a cruise ship in Southampton and driving to Portsmouth. so we should be over our travel fatigue. I am particularly interested in nautical things and WW2 sites, so I agree that it makes sense to spend more time in Portsmouth. The spouse isn't quite as interested as I am though. Has anyone taken the Hovercraft to the Isle of Wight? It might be a way of breaking up the boat/war museum/sites. Any suggestions on what to see or do for a few hours on the Isle of Wight.

Ooh, driving from Portsmouth to Bath, and a WW2 buff...Then you must simply reorganize your plans right now, and plan a half day visiting The Tank Museum. Simply the best tank museum in the world. Located a bit out of the way, on the other side of Poole, near Bovington. Search on YouTube, they have tons of videos, they actually garner a significant portion of their revenue off YouTube, but if you can swing it, you won't be sorry. Apologies to your wife.

Paul is absolutely right about the tank museum (haven't been myself but know a WW2 history fan who loves it). For Isle of Wight, my top recommendation is definitely Osbourne House- the country retreat of Queen Victoria and Albert- a very personal home and beautiful grounds for walking.