Plymouth Portsmouth Train

Plymouth is a city in the county of Devon in the south west of England. The city is roughly 190 miles from London and lies on the mouth of the rivers Plym and Tamar, where they join Plymouth Sound. Plymouth grew into a major commercial shipping port during the Industrial Revolution handling imports and passengers from the Americas while nearby Devonport grew as an important Royal Naval shipbuilding and dockyard town.

During the summer guided tours are available to the Royal Citadel which was built in 1666 to defend the port from naval attacks, to suppress Plymothian Parliamentary leanings and to train the armed forces. There is also Smeaton's Tower, built in 1759, and also there are 20 war memorials of which nine are on The Hoe including Plymouth Naval Memorial. A mile upstream and on the opposite side of the River Plym is the Saltram estate which has a Jacobean and Georgian mansion.

Plymouth is often used as a base by visitors to nearby Dartmoor, the Tamar Valley and the beaches of south-east Cornwall. Kingsand, Cawsand and Whitsand Bay are popular. Plymouth is also an important centre for watersports, especially scuba diving and sailing. The Port of Plymouth Regatta is one of the oldest regattas in the world, and has been held regularly since 1823. In September 2011, Plymouth hosted the America's Cup World Series for nine days.

Portsmouth is a city located in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Visitors to the city are spoilt with things to do and places to see. For those interested in naval history the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is a must. The Dockyard has 800 years of naval history and is the oldest dry dock in the world, as well as being the home for two-thirds of the Royal Navy's surface fleet. Alternatively, get a birds-eye view of the city and ascend the Spinnaker Tower or find out more about the historic landings at the D-Day Museum. Portsmouth's location makes it an ideal base for exploring the rest of Hampshire and the south of England. Discover the region's fascinating villages, towns, cities, waterfront and rolling countryside. Gosport is just on the other side of Portsmouth Harbour and can be reached by a four minute ferry ride. Gosport has a lovely combination of waterfront activities and peaceful countryside which visitors enjoy. Whilst there go onboard a Royal Navy Submarine, HMS Alliance, or go back in time and go aboard the first Royal Submarine, Holland 1. You can also follow the Waterfront Trail which is a 3km walk that links the town’s main attractions while gazing at the yachts gliding in and out of the marina.