Things to Do at Hms Victory

HMS Victory sits in Portsmouth's Historic Dockyard, her black and yellow hull gleaming with fresh paint that masks 258 years of naval history. Launched in 1765, this first-rate ship-of-the-line carried 104 guns and a crew of 850 men into the Battle of Trafalgar, where Admiral Nelson breathed his last on the orlop deck below. The smell of tar and timber fills the lower decks, where hammocks hang just inches apart and the headroom barely clears five feet. Admission costs £23 (about $29) for the full dockyard experience, and the audio guide is worth the extra £4 for Nelson's personal story. Skip the busy afternoon tours and arrive when they open at 10am - you'll have the gun decks almost to yourself.

Portsmouth is well connected by train from London (about 90 minutes from Waterloo) and the Historic Dockyard is a pleasant 10-minute walk from Portsmouth Harbour station - just follow the signs and the crowds. If you're driving, there's parking at the dockyard but it fills up quickly in summer. The M27 and M275 will get you there, though Portsmouth traffic can be a bit of a nightmare on weekends. Ferry connections from the Isle of Wight dock nearby too, so you could combine visits if you're island hopping.