What to do in Portland, England

[Karen2912]

We are arriving in Portland, England on the cruise ship Koningsdam, what is there to do in this area. Any suggestions??

[turnip eater]

http://www.portlandtourism.co.uk :)

[Karen2912]

Many thanks for information

[Dorset cruise fan]

Try http://www.discoverdorset.co.uk/cruise-shore-excursions/

 

I have seen their buses out and about and had feedback from their scheduled excursions but according to the link above they also do cruise excursions tailored to you. Being a Dorset girl myself I love the countryside around here and we are in an area of outstanding natural beauty. If you prefer beaches and a town then stay in Weymouth but if you want to see some beautiful countryside then I'm sure the above can take you to Lulworth Cove, Durdle Door, Corfe Castke etc. Alternatively, if you wanted to go west from Weymouth then the swannery at Abbotsbury is unique, especially if it's breeding season and Chesil Beach is also pretty stunning.

[PNW Traveler]

Try http://www.discoverdorset.co.uk/cruise-shore-excursions/

 

I have seen their buses out and about and had feedback from their scheduled excursions but according to the link above they also do cruise excursions tailored to you. Being a Dorset girl myself I love the countryside around here and we are in an area of outstanding natural beauty. If you prefer beaches and a town then stay in Weymouth but if you want to see some beautiful countryside then I'm sure the above can take you to Lulworth Cove, Durdle Door, Corfe Castke etc. Alternatively, if you wanted to go west from Weymouth then the swannery at Abbotsbury is unique, especially if it's breeding season and Chesil Beach is also pretty stunning.

 

We used Discover Dorset for a small group tour in 2015, visiting Lulworth Cove, Durdle Door, Corfe Castle, and driving through the countryside. It was a good tour with a great guide. We did not spend time walking around in Weymouth, but the driver did provide a nice overview while we drove through the town. This is a lovely area of England.

[John Bull]

There will be shuttlebuses from the ship to the seafront at Weymouth, about a 10 - 15 minute ride. Weymouth is a Victorian seaside resort, with seafront, little shop-lined cobbled streets, smugglers museum, a bit of a harbour, and plenty of pubs and fish&chip shops. Good enough for a lazy day.

 

If you want to spread your wings further, fix a private tour (or tour-share via your ship's RollCall) or rent a car to see places beyond. But be aware, car rental depots (we call them car hire, not car rental) are all a taxi ride from both the ship and the shuttlebus drop-point, and I don't know if any offer delivery. Google "Weymouth car hire" & e-mail for any delivery arrangements.

 

Consider

- west to Abbotsbury (swannery) & along the Jurassic coast as far as West Bay & Bridport & mebbe as far as Lyme Regis.

- north to Maiden Castle (earthworks, not a stone castle), the market town of Dorchester, & beyond via the Dorset downs & villages like Cerne Abbas as far as Sherborne

- east to places like Bovingdon tank museum, Monkey World, Corfe Castle, Lulworth Cove & Durdle Door.

 

You can alternatively visit Dorchester by train. Or even those eastern places by taking the train to the little rail station at Wool & a taxi from there, but that would be a little complicated & moderately expensive.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

 

Of all those places, I'd go along with the other replies & opt for Corfe Castle, Lulworth Cove & Durdle Door. And if not self-drive & if time allows, mebbe walk the coast across the downs from Lulworth Cove & meet the driver at the parking lot at Durdle Door.

 

And don't forget Portland Bill, the craggy headland under which your ship berths. On a tour, leave it til last, a sensible tour driver will allow for delays getting back to the ship at the end of the day & you can spend unspent wiggle-time driving the Bill.

Or if you're the energetic type, pre-book off-road bikes & spend your day on Portland Bill.

http://portlandbikehire.com/

 

Unless there's a more-convenient port of call, at Portland your ship will probably offer excursions to Salisbury / Stonehenge (3.5 hours round-trip driving time) or Bath (4 hours round-trip driving time). Or you could do either by rented car. But it's a long haul, & only worthwhile if those places are on your bucket-list.

 

Lots of threads about Portland & Weymouth on this forum. Go back to the Britain forum & at the bottom of the page in the "search this forum" box type in "Portland".

This will bring up all previous threads, including tour operators, car rentals etc.

 

JB :)

Edited October 26, 2016 by John Bull

[Karen2912]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions xxx

[sandra_t]

We also docked at Portland and used Dorsettours.com. They are located on Portland. Also here is the Portland Tourist website: http://loveportland.co.uk/