London transportation - Heathrow and Southampton

First time to London and have already gotten a ton of information from reading these boards. Maybe too much information because my head is spinning. I need help sorting through my options, please.:confused:

We plan to spend a few nights in London to sightsee before our cruise out of Southampton. We're flying into Heathrow on a Tuesday or Wednesday. The cruise departs Southampton on Sat. Aug 26.

I'm open to staying anywhere reasonable in the city. I wanted to get the travel plan figured out and then stay where it makes the most sense.

Regarding getting into the city, the Heathrow Express looks extremely convenient, but it only goes to Paddington.

To get to Southampton, it looks like rail or bus are my best options. At first I was going to go Waterloo rail, but I just found out it's under construction for the month of August and service is greatly reduced, if not non-existent. Paddington also has rail service to Southampton with a change of trains in Reading. Then there is the National Express bus to Southampton from Victoria station. The bus seems to be popular.

IMO rail looks best to get into the city and bus looks best to get to the port. Paddington and Victoria stations are not close to each other, but it looks like I need to choose a hotel in either one district or the other.

Here are my questions:

I haven't seen much info here on CC about the Reading train option. I'm sure that is because Waterloo is a much better option. I think it is a minor inconvenience to change trains. But now that there is construction at Waterloo, should I go with the Reading option so that I can stay near Paddington which is where the Heathrow Express runs? Or is this just going to be a headache getting to Southampton?

Should I drop the rail idea, and double down on the bus, taking it both between Heathrow/London and London/Southampton? I understand road congestion is a huge issue. I've also read that on Saturdays in the summer the roads to Southampton become clogged with folks going to the beaches. Should I be concerned?

It's looking like it's a choice between bus for both legs or rail for both legs because of the distance between Victoria and Paddington unless we get a cab or take our luggage on the tube. But maybe someone sees something I'm missing?

Your thoughts?

Victoria is a better location for a short visit to London. Paddington isn't terrible, but it is a bit further away from the main attractions.

Bearing in mind that you will have cruise luggage and may have to negotiate escalators or lifts at Reading, I would say that the coach is the easier option.

Waterloo is not closing down, and outside the usual rush hours, it may not be as bad as you think.

Paddington to Southampton by train has a couple of disadvantages.

It involves a change of train at Reading. The station at Reading recently went through a multi-million -pound re-vamp and I don't know how easy or difficult the change.

Waterloo to Southampton you can pre-purchase ridiculously cheap tickets (between £1 and £10) via https://uk.megabus.com/megatrain.aspx whereas there are no cheap fares from Paddington (regular fare over £40). So if you had a hotel in Paddington it'd actually be cheaper to take a taxi to Waterloo for a train to Southampton.

Because of its re-vamp work, I can imagine Waterloo sometimes being mayhem at commuter times. But, like Bob, I seriously doubt it being a big problem on a Saturday morning.:)

Nat Express bus from Heathrow to Victoria, hotel in Victoria, Nat Express bus to Southampton is pretty simple and almost-certainly cheapest overall.

But yes, the motorway to Southampton on a summer Saturday can get log-jammed, especially following an accident. And the Nat Express drivers have to follow the prescribed route, so can't take to the back roads to avoid the log-jams. Small risk, but a risk nonetheless.

All three districts have excellent tube and ho-ho links for sight-seeing. Waterloo is easily the best-placed of them for sights within walking distance, but the poorest for travel from Heathrow and hotels are more expensive.

So there's no best or worst, just different pros & cons.

Me? I'd book a private transfer from Heathrow to Waterloo (about £40), a Waterloo / County Hall hotel, and megatrain tickets to Southampton.

But others will choose differently. And your visit won't fall apart whichever you choose.

JB :)

I have stayed at the Premier Inn Waterloo close (walking distance) to the Waterloo train station.

I have used http://www.justairports.com a private car hire from LHR to my London hotel, use your London hotel's postal code to get a quote, cost is per car.

You can use http://www.internationalfriends.co.uk. They go on embarkment and disembarkment days. They can pick you up from certain London hotel in a small coach and take you to Victoria Coach to switch to their bigger coach. You go direct to Southampton or a stop along the way.

Thanks Bob and John Bull! Your extensive posts and solid advice are a great service to the CC community. I'm dropping the train through Reading to Southampton option. It's a great relief to know that you don't think the situation at Waterloo is so bad. At this point I've located a couple of hotels in Waterloo area and a couple in the Victoria area. It's a toss up for me, but I'm sure either way it will work out fine.

One other question: I found out there is an express train from Gatwick Airport. I've read much more about the Heathrow Express than the Gatwick Express, except that I know the Gatwick Express goes into Victoria. I don't know if a flight into Gatwick even makes sense for me. But any thoughts on that train? The Heathrow Express has convenient luggage racks and goes directly to the station. I imagine the Gatwick Express is the same? Just looking at all the options.

I should take the underground from Heathrow to Victoria (you will have to change but that's easy, I should do it at South Kensington) and the National Express bus from Victoria to Southampton.

I should take the underground from Heathrow to Victoria (you will have to change but that's easy, I should do it at South Kensington) and the National Express bus from Victoria to Southampton.

As always, it comes down to how much baggage and whether you can handle it. I always get a laugh when somebody uses the phrase cruise luggage. I pack for a cruise the same way I pack for any holiday trying as much as possible to minimize what I take so have no problem transporting my luggage between various means of transport; whether it be the coach or the train or to the cruise terminal from arrival in Southampton.

If you have no problem with your baggage, the tube out of Heathrow is not a terrible way to go. To get to Victoria, your best bet is change from the Picadilly line train at Hammersmith to the District line train which almost always will go to Victoria. It's a simple across the platform change, no stairs, no escalators, no lifts. Get off the middle track and walk across to the tracks against the wall. Hex to Paddington requires either an underground trip or taxi and ultimately there isn't very much time saved although the carriages are a tad more conducive to baggage but the tickets are expensive whereas using the tube can be part of a zone 1-6 travel card and you're finished with paying after another modest fare for sightseeing for the rest of that day.

But again, how much luggage do you have and can you negotiate whatever with it.

I have stayed at the Premier Inn Waterloo close (walking distance) to the Waterloo train station.

 

I have used www.justairports.com a private car hire from LHR to my London hotel, use your London hotel's postal code to get a quote, cost is per car.

 

You can use www.internationalfriends.co.uk. They go on embarkment and disembarkment days. They can pick you up from certain London hotel in a small coach and take you to Victoria Coach to switch to their bigger coach. You go direct to Southampton or a stop along the way.

Thank you for the recommendations on private transport companies. I will look into quotes. By "stop along the way" I take it to mean arranging for sightseeing on the day we head to the cruise terminal. Some visits take longer than others. Do you have a specific recommendation for something that is worthwhile on the way that wouldn't take too long?

As always, it comes down to how much baggage and whether you can handle it. I always get a laugh when somebody uses the phrase cruise luggage. I pack for a cruise the same way I pack for any holiday trying as much as possible to minimize what I take so have no problem transporting my luggage between various means of transport; whether it be the coach or the train or to the cruise terminal from arrival in Southampton.

Yes, it really is all about how much luggage you have isn't it? I'm determined to keep it to one backpack and one medium rolling bag for each of us. The issue with cruises is formal nights. I can get away with a dress that takes very little luggage space, but my husband wears a suit. And then there's the dress shoes. We might have to skip formal night this time.<sigh>

On our first cruise I spent more time doing laundry than I cared to because I insisted on packing light. The second one, we took so much that we needed a large rolling duffle in addition to our regular bags. I would never try to get on public transportation with that much luggage.

However, even one rolling bag can be too much if the subway/underground/tube or other form of commuter transport is packed. So then it becomes a matter of timing to avoid the rush hours.

Yes, it really is all about how much luggage you have isn't it? I'm determined to keep it to one backpack and one medium rolling bag for each of us. The issue with cruises is formal nights. I can get away with a dress that takes very little luggage space, but my husband wears a suit. And then there's the dress shoes. We might have to skip formal night this time.<sigh>

 

On our first cruise I spent more time doing laundry than I cared to because I insisted on packing light. The second one, we took so much that we needed a large rolling duffle in addition to our regular bags. I would never try to get on public transportation with that much luggage.

 

However, even one rolling bag can be too much if the subway/underground/tube or other form of commuter transport is packed. So then it becomes a matter of timing to avoid the rush hours.

No arguments from me but everybody has to deal with their own set of circumstances. Taking the tube out of Heathrow is not a problem. The line starts there and the carriages do have a little space here and there for luggage but no overhead racks or stuff like that.

As far as formal night, to me it is an oxford button down shirt a tie and no jeans. I can also stuff a sports jacket in my luggage and voila. Formal night. Others of course might not feel the same way and really get dressed up. I will never criticize anybody who feels differently of course.

It's not just the luggage, although it is safe to assume that anyone going on a cruise will have more than a commuter, it's the thought of negotiating an unfamiliar transport system, lugging whatever luggage I have, after a seven hour flight (or more) and getting through Heathrow customs and immigration.

Considering the costs of a cruise and a london hotel, the extra cost of having a driver meet me at the airport and take me straight to my hotel, far outweighs the relatively small extra outlay.

Thank you for the recommendations on private transport companies. I will look into quotes. By "stop along the way" I take it to mean arranging for sightseeing on the day we head to the cruise terminal. Some visits take longer than others. Do you have a specific recommendation for something that is worthwhile on the way that wouldn't take too long?

If you fix a private transfer you have a wide range of options for a tour-transfer.

- Windsor (close to Heathrow, thus better for post-cruise depending on your return flight time. Or more economical as a day-trip from your London base)

- Winchester (close to Southampton and directly on the route thus no extra drive time)

- Highclere Castle (Downton Abbey in the TV series, if that's your thing - adds about 30 mins to drive time)

- Stonehenge & Salisbury (adds about 50 mins to drive time. Pre-purchased timed tickets to Stonehenge strongly advised)

- plenty of other options depending on your interests.

All these options will be much more expensive than a simple hotel-to-ship private transfer because you'll be paying the driver's waiting time and any extra mileage, and waaaay more expensive than using train or Nat Express bus for a simple transfer.

The only shared tour-transfer to Southampton that I'm aware of is the International Friends' cruise bus linked in Phabric's post. Collects you from your central London hotel (or a very close-by hotel if yours isn't on the list) & takes you to your ship via a 90 minute stop at Stonehenge. Includes Stonehenge tickets with immediate access on arrival - no "timed" ticket required. Obviously your luggage is not a problem with this tour-transfer.

The trip is actually a little cheaper if booked through consolidator London Toolkit.

https://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/southampton_london_transfers.htm

The tour-transfer is restricted by the need to arrive in Southampton around lunch-time for registration. They offer a wider choice of tour-transfer in the opposite direction (ie post-cruise) because there's no deadline for arriving in London.

BTW, that London Toolkit page (and the train link from that page) gives a précis of other transfer options discussed on this thread.

It's also an extremely useful website for hotels, logistics etc in London and Southampton - do browse some of the other pages.

Incorporating a sight-seeing opportunity into a transfer by Nat Express bus or train is fraught with difficulties such as your luggage, and not worth considering.

JB :)

Me? I'd book a private transfer from Heathrow to Waterloo (about £40), a Waterloo / County Hall hotel, and megatrain tickets to Southampton.

But others will choose differently. And your visit won't fall apart whichever you choose.

 

JB :)

As a follow-up, this is the way we're going to go. Thanks for all of the helpful suggestions to my post.

Great site lots of info https://www.londontoolkit.com/

John