Getting There -- Portsmouth is served by Exits 3 through 7 on I-95. The most direct access to downtown is via Market Street (Exit 7), which is the last New Hampshire exit before crossing the river to Maine.
In 2000, discount airline Pan Am (tel. 800/359-7262; www.flypanam.com) launched operations out of a former military base on Portsmouth's outskirts. The only airline that serves Portsmouth (don't expect onward connections), it has flights to a limited but growing roster of second-tier airports, including Gary, Indiana; Sanford, Florida; and Baltimore. Call or check the carrier's website for an updated list of airports currently served.
Amtrak (tel. 800/872-7245; www.amtrak.com) operates four trains daily from Boston's North Station to downtown Dover, New Hampshire; a one-way ticket is about $15 per person, and the trip takes about 1 1/4 hours. You then take the #2 COAST bus (tel. 603/743-5777; www.coastbus.org) to the center of downtown Portsmouth, a 40-minute trip that costs just $1.
Greyhound (tel. 800/229-9424; www.greyhound.com), C&J Trailways (tel. 800/258-7111; www.cjtrailways.com), and Vermont Transit (tel. 800/552-8737; www.vermonttransit.com) all run about five buses daily from Boston's South Station to downtown Portsmouth, plus one to three daily trips from Boston's Logan Airport. The one-way cost for each service is about $15. A one-way Greyhound trip from New York City's Port Authority bus station to downtown Portsmouth is about $44 and takes about 6 1/2 hours.
Visitor Information -- The Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce, 500 Market St. (tel. 603/436-1118; www.portcity.org), has an information center between Exit 7 and downtown. From Memorial Day to Columbus Day, it's open Monday through Wednesday, 8:30am to 5pm; Thursday and Friday, 8:30am to 7pm; and Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 5pm. The rest of the year, hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30am to 5pm. In summer, a second booth is at Market Square in the middle of the historic district. A good website with extensive information on the region may be found at www.seacoastnh.com.
Parking -- Most of Portsmouth can be easily reconnoitered on foot, so you need park only once. Parking can be tight in and around the historic district in summer. The municipal parking garage nearly always has space and costs just 50¢ per hour; it's located on Hanover Street between Market and Fleet streets. Strawbery Banke Museum also offers limited parking for visitors.
There's also now a free "trolley" (tel. 603/743-5777) circulating central Portsmouth in a one-way loop from July to early September. It hits all the key historical points. Catch it at Market Square, Prescott Park, or Strawbery Banke.
