Depends on what you want to see. Going in (from outside the harbour) or coming in (from inside the harbour). There's a difference...Enigmatically wrote:I'd like to as it happens. Where to watch from is a question though. The obvious places will get packed
The best views to see the approach of QE BEFORE it enters Portsmouth Harbour is anywhere from Southsea Castle in the east, and westwards along Southsea Beach, Clarence Pier, The Long Curtain (moat defences), The Garrison Church, The Square Tower, The Hot Walls (Sallyport Beach) and up to the Round Tower.
The deep water channel (which is clearly identified by the newer larger navigation beacons) literally runs parallel just offshore to Southsea beach and has unobstructed views. After QE passes the Round Tower and through into Portsmouth Harbour, the views from there will be very limited due to the height of the surrounding buildings on both sides of the harbour.
If you're driving to Southsea Beach or Southsea Common, theres plenty of seafront car parking spaces. If you're coming by train, get off at Portsmouth & Southsea station (or Portsmouth Harbour station) and get a taxi/bus to Clarence Pier (with its tacky little funfair and the hovercraft terminal to the Isle of Wight).
I would personally give the Round Tower a miss. Yes, I know it's a traditional place to see ships come in or go out from Pompey, buts its a very small viewing area which will be packed with press and media types doing interviews, asking silly questions and no doubt will call the QE "a large boat". Plus, there's only one way up and down to the viewing platform via a very tight narrow stone staircase which rules out access to wheelchair users and the elderly. The Round Tower is 600 years old and was not really designed to accommodate large numbers of people. Once the QE has passed the Round Tower, you then won't see her again as the surrounding buildings block the view of the Harbour, so you'll have to move elsewhere if you want to see more.
The best views of QE INSIDE Portsmouth Harbour after passing the Round Tower will be from Portsmouth Point (aka 'Spice Island'), which is a very short walk from the Round Tower. It has some good traditional pubs but is awful for parking as the streets are incredibly short and narrow. This oldest part of Portsmouth is where Britain's last battleship, HMS Vanguard ran aground on its way out of the harbour to the scrapyard.
Alternatively, after the Round Tower, quickly make your way around the Camber Docks (fish market) to the dockyard 'Hard' area and go up the 180m tall Spinnaker Tower, located inside Gunwharf Quays shopping centre. Up there, you can see the entire Solent, Isle Of Wight and all of Portsmouth Harbour. Take your camera to get some unusual 'above the QE' photos instead of the usual side-on shots. Head for Portsmouth Harbour Railway Station if you don't know the area. Gunwharf Quays is literally next door to the station. Gunwharf Quays is a shopping centre that was built on the former HMS Vernon base site and still retains some of the original buildings. Has some nice shops, restaurants and a multiplex cinema too.
You could take a short Gosport Ferry trip across to Gosport (from Portsmouth Harbour railway station) to see the reverse angle of the QE against the Portsmouth skyline and naval base, instead of against the backdrop of Gosport.