John Bull's Awesome Advice

[3Kittens]

John your tips have always been bang on over the years. I need some suggestions:

Cruise embarks from Southampton.

 

Give me your thoughts re UK arrival. Heathrow or Gatwick? (my usual airlines use one or other). I've been thru Heathrow a few times, but only stayed in London. I've been thru Southampton, but never stayed. I've never been to Gatwick.

 

Have done London (can never have enough), really want to see Windsor though. If I stay in Heathrow area, and do Windsor, what else should I see.

Should I stay in Windsor area rather than Heathrow?

 

If I arrive in Gatwick, is there anything to see there, or should I head to Southampton. (overnight flight arrives early am).

I can do either pre or post cruise. Ideas for a quickie post cruise would be Wales, Jersey, Scotland or Ireland. Your thoughts…………………..

[John Bull]

Flattery will get you everywhere. ;)

 

Southampton is my neck-of-the-woods, I'm no expert on London or its airports so temper my thoughts with those of folk more knowledgeable about the big bad city.

 

Gatwick or Heathrow to Southampton?

Heathrow is closer. By private transfer, I guess around £90 compared to £120 from Gatwick.

By public transport - Heathrow is best by direct Nat Express coach. Gatwick generally considered best by train though there is also a direct Nat Express coach service. If it's a sunday there's no direct train (involves 2 or 3 train changes), so the direct Nat Express coach service is better. I think Heathrow is marginally cheaper, journey times from Heathrow by coach & Gatwick by train are about the same at around 2 hrs.

 

Those differences are fairly marginal, usual advice is to choose your flights by other criteria such as flight costs, times & convenience to your home airport.

 

But differences below are very significant, Gatwick is a great deal less convenient.

 

Hotel at Heathrow?

Windsor is quite close, only about 8 - 12 miles but I think by public transport involves changes and takes over an hour. Other options from Heathrow include

- Henry V111's Hampton Court Palace (if you google it, be sure it's this one cos there's another "Hampton Court" out in the sticks somewhere). Same logistics as Windsor - about 10 miles but inconvenient by public transport.

- Kew Gardens. Fairly easy by tube, just one change.

 

Hotels at Heathrow are likely to be cheaper than those in Windsor, but they tend to load the extras (food, bar prices, etc). And "Heathrow" is used to describe hotels some distance from the airport - including some quite close to Windsor :rolleyes: :)

Mebbe a hotel on the Windsor side (perhaps the outskirts of Slough, though Slough itself is very dull) with good transport to Windsor plus good public transport or included shuttle or Hotel Hoppa service to Heathrow. But more convenient to Windsor is likely to mean less convenient to Hampton Court, Kew, etc.

Definitely advice about hotels in or around Heathrow or Windsor needs to come from someone who knows the patch way better than me.

 

Hotel at Gatwick?

Gatwick is much closer to "the countryside" but there's nothing of interest convenient by public transport.

Ann Boleyn's Hever Castle is well worth a visit & in the gardens has a water maze which is great for those of us who still think we're a nine-year-olds ;)

But it's about 15 miles / 30 minutes into the countryside & I doubt there's decent public transport. For Royal Tunbridge Wells add the same distance again & you could combine the two into a little circular private tour. I wouldn't recommend either if you arrive on sailing day, even with an early flight & combined with a private transfer - but you could visit somewhere like Arundel Castle or Chichester or the Weald & Downland open-air museum (Singleton, nr Chichester) on your way through from Gatwick on sailing day if you can keep awake after a red-eye flight.

 

A post-cruise tour from Southampton?

Depends on how long you're planning & the transport you envisage - train, plane, ferry, car rental. And time of year.

Very broad subject, but here's some general thoughts:

 

Good direct flight options from Southampton to Jersey, Guernsey, Scotland (Edinburgh or Glasgow), Dublin & other routes including mainland Europe. So mebbe fly open-jaw from US to a London airport & back to US from Paris or Amsterdam or Glasgow or Dublin.

To make the best of a trip to rural Ireland or the Scottish Highlands you need to combine flight with car rental.

http://www.flybe.com/en/route-map/

Beware luggage costs, do a complete dummy booking for a true indication of cost.

Other airlines also fly out of Southampton, and out of Bournemouth which is about 25 miles away.

 

Elsewhere in England & Wales probably best to rent a car from Southampton & return it to your London airport. Travel by train is OK, but kinda limits you to town & city sights - places like Bath, Oxford, Stratford-upon-Avon, York.

 

This post with barely a check on the internet, so treat it as a rough guide.

 

JB :)

Edited June 20, 2014 by John Bull

[3Kittens]

You rock John Bull… but I already knew that.

 

Ok, I think Gatwick is crossed off list. We have a favourite little airline that goes to Gatwick rather than Heathrow, but was worried that other variables would be the kicker.

Heathrow it is.

 

If I use Air Canada, then we will be able to arrive at Heathrow during a decent hour, which translates to landing and going to bed UK time. (yay:D )

 

Do you have a favourite hotel suggestion in Southampton? Botley Grange, Mercure, Hilton, Jurys Inn, Novotel or ??????????????

 

You have certainly assisted in making the major decisions.

Cruise leaves June 27th. Guess we will miss the Order of Garter and Ascot:(

Thanks a bunch for all thoughts. Concise as always.

[John Bull]

Botley Grange & a number of other good hotels are "country hotels", far from ideal if you don't have personal transport. Botley Grange for instance is 6 miles from the centre of Southampton and even local shops aren't walkable.

The Hilton, on Southampton's boundary at Chilworth, is the same.

 

My choice would be the Mercure Dolphin, a former coaching Inn on the High Street, or if my pocket were a little deeper I'd try the new Pig in the Wall hotel which is also very convenient & embedded in the old city wall.

But that's because I like to choose hotels that reflect the country I'm in, and they do have the downsides of being historic buildings. The Dolphin for instance has creaky sloping wooden floors, the corridors are a rabbit warren, and rooms are a mix of sizes. Don't know any downsides to Pig in the Wall.

 

Of the modern cloned hotels, Premier Inn West Quay gets top marks on CC & TripAdvisor, Novotel is only marginally less-convenient & perfectly OK, Jury's Inn is also marginally less-convenient but is also in the middle of a roundabout (traffic circle) though very few foreign visitors are knocked down by the traffic each week ;)

Holiday Inn Herbert Walker Avenue is a great location if you're cruising out of City Cruise Terminal (RCI, Celebrity & others) cos it overlooks the ship, but it's a bit tired & dated compared to the average Hol Inn.

 

Useful location map at the foot of this link

http://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/southampton_accommodation.htm

Pig in the Wall not yet on the map, though it opened about a year ago - it's to the right of Blue 8, the Grand Harbour hotel.

(Its location on TripAdvisor is totally wrong).

 

I somehow contrive to miss the Order of the Garter & Royal Ascot every year. ;) Just not my scene.

 

JB :)

Edited June 20, 2014 by John Bull

[3Kittens]

:) thanks

[4774Papa]

We stayed at the Sheraton Heathrow. It was a bit older hotel, but clean and very close to the airport.

Prices were excellent, we paid less than $100 per night.

 

Also, if you rent a car from Thrifty, they have a rental office with cars right nest to the hotel. We did Windsor, Salisbury, Stonehenge ane Avebury in two days from there.

[3Kittens]

We like the idea of renting a car. It would enable us to see more in a shorter span of time.

[happy_travellers]

Hi John

We are taking the Explorer of the Seas April 24 round trip from Southampton.

We will fly into London and stay overnight. Where would be a great location to stay with easy access to get to Southampton and be good for sightseeing.

When we return to Southampton we may rent a car for a few days. Any suggestions on where to stop and stay on way back to London.

Thanks Karen

[bunzini]

We stayed at the Sheraton Heathrow. It was a bit older hotel, but clean and very close to the airport.

Prices were excellent, we paid less than $100 per night.

 

Also, if you rent a car from Thrifty, they have a rental office with cars right nest to the hotel. We did Windsor, Salisbury, Stonehenge ane Avebury in two days from there.

We are staying at the Sheraton Heathrow post cruise for one night. Our plan was to go to Windsor for the day. We had hoped to cab from there as it is supposedly fairly close (10 miles). Does anyone have any experience with that? Also, is it likely we could get a cab back as well fairly easily? We could rent a car but I would probably freak out trying to drive on the other side of the road:)

[scottbee]

Ok, I think Gatwick is crossed off list. We have a favourite little airline that goes to Gatwick rather than Heathrow, but was worried that other variables would be the kicker.

Heathrow it is.

 

If I use Air Canada, then we will be able to arrive at Heathrow during a decent hour, which translates to landing and going to bed UK time. (yay:D )

 

My vote would be LGW/Gatwick followed by the hourly train service. Much more comfortable than the coach from Heathrow.

 

Also, if you're flying Air Canada, avoid the 777-300 HD (high density), which is what they're flying YVR-LHR now. AC changed the seating (10 across not 9, and tighter pitch) for a total of 100 extra seats vs their old 777-300s YIKES!

[John Bull]

Hi John

We are taking the Explorer of the Seas April 24 round trip from Southampton.

We will fly into London and stay overnight. Where would be a great location to stay with easy access to get to Southampton and be good for sightseeing.

When we return to Southampton we may rent a car for a few days. Any suggestions on where to stop and stay on way back to London.

Thanks Karen

 

Sorry, Karen, I'm a little confused (doesn't take a lot :D)

 

Are you planning to spend time in central London post-cruise?

And is your flight into Heathrow? Reasonably early in the day?

If so, you may find that travelling into central London for just that additional one overnite pre-cruise isn't worth the hassle. Better to stop at a Heathrow hotel & take in somewhere like Windsor Castle or Hampton Court (as my earlier post), then National Express or private transfer to Southampton next morning. You could even incorporate one of those or somewhere like Stonehenge/Salisbury or Winchester into a private transfer next morning.

 

But if your London sight-seeing is limited to that one pre-cruise overnite, then choose a hotel in or near County Hall, by Westminster Bridge. This is handy to most sights & nightlife, and for the train from London Waterloo station to Southampton next morning. Three trains per hour, buy your tickets at the station for about £36 p/p.

http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/planjourney/search

But pre-booking via

http://uk.megabus.com/megatrain.aspx

the tickets are as low as £6 - limited to just a dozen or less trains per day, but there's one or two that suit. Tickets from about 6 weeks out. Non-amendable, you must take the train that you book. No megatrain tickets on sundays.

 

A further option is the Cruisebus (privately-run, not ship's transfer) from either a Heathrow or central London hotel to Southampton via Stonehenge - Their post-cruise transfer in the opposite direction (Southampton to Heathrow & central London hotels) is much more comprehensive, also visits Salisbury cathedral, Bath & Windsor in a whistle-stop tour cos it doesn't have the time constraints.

http://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/heathrow_southampton.htm

(a lot of good London & Southampton logistics info on other pages of that website)

 

 

 

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Post-cruise driving tour.

You won't want to drive into London. :eek: Return the car to somewhere like Heathrow.

But Heathrow is only about 90 minutes from Southampton & central London a further 30-40 minutes, and there's little of interest on the direct route.

 

So spread your wings a little.

- Consider west of Southampton -the New Forest, Corfe Castle, the Jurassic coast (Lulworth Bay, Durdle Door, Weymouth, Portland, West Bay, Lyme Regis).

Then inland a little to return via mystical Glastonbury, the Dorset downs & villages, Sherborne, Shaftesbury's Gold Hill, Salisbury, Stonehenge.

 

- Or head to Bath, through the Cotswolds to Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick castle, then Oxford on your way to Heathrow/London..

 

- Or east to Portsmouth & Southsea - conjoined cities, Portsmouth is home of the Royal Navy & Southsea is a seaside resort - historic dockyard, seafront D-Day museum & adjacent little Southsea Castle, the ring of Palmerston's forts around the city, submarine & artillery museums, etc ad infinitum. Nearby Portchester Castle. And beyond to historic Chichester, the Weald & Downland museum at Singleton, Arundel Castle, then mebbe strike north toward London/Gatwick/Heathrow through the Sussex countryside

 

This is all tolerably easy driving.

For just Bath, or just Portsmouth & Southsea, it's very easy without private transport, the transport links are excellent & the cities easy to explore on foot, mebbe just the occasional bus or taxi hop.

I'd not recommend the other places by public transport, you really need a car for the scenery & the places of interest.

 

Google those places, figure which direction & how many nights, & we'll fill in the gaps.

 

JB :)

[John Bull]

We are staying at the Sheraton Heathrow post cruise for one night. Our plan was to go to Windsor for the day. We had hoped to cab from there as it is supposedly fairly close (10 miles). Does anyone have any experience with that? Also, is it likely we could get a cab back as well fairly easily? We could rent a car but I would probably freak out trying to drive on the other side of the road:)

 

 

Not a difficult route to drive, but add the collecting/returning (or the cost of delivery), the extras, the fuel, the parking & the general grief and it's just not worth the bother.

 

Best bet is to book a fixed-price private hire cab at your hotel (they're a lot cheaper than the London black cabs).

Yes, there are cab ranks at Windsor, no problem getting a cab back. But again, cheaper to book a private hire cab. So simplest is to arrange for the driver (or a colleague) to collect you from a pre-arranged place at a pre-arranged time.

 

There's public transport to Windsor but I think it's a bit convoluted, involves changes, and is much more time-consuming.

 

JB :)

[happy_travellers]

Sorry, Karen, I'm a little confused (doesn't take a lot :D)

 

Are you planning to spend time in central London post-cruise?

And is your flight into Heathrow? Reasonably early in the day?

If so, you may find that travelling into central London for just that additional one overnite pre-cruise isn't worth the hassle. Better to stop at a Heathrow hotel & take in somewhere like Windsor Castle or Hampton Court (as my earlier post), then National Express or private transfer to Southampton next morning. You could even incorporate one of those or somewhere like Stonehenge/Salisbury or Winchester into a private transfer next morning.

 

But if your London sight-seeing is limited to that one pre-cruise overnite, then choose a hotel in or near County Hall, by Westminster Bridge. This is handy to most sights & nightlife, and for the train from London Waterloo station to Southampton next morning. Three trains per hour, buy your tickets at the station for about £36 p/p.

http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/planjourney/search

But pre-booking via

http://uk.megabus.com/megatrain.aspx

the tickets are as low as £6 - limited to just a dozen or less trains per day, but there's one or two that suit. Tickets from about 6 weeks out. Non-amendable, you must take the train that you book. No megatrain tickets on sundays.

 

A further option is the Cruisebus (privately-run, not ship's transfer) from either a Heathrow or central London hotel to Southampton via Stonehenge - Their post-cruise transfer in the opposite direction (Southampton to Heathrow & central London hotels) is much more comprehensive, also visits Salisbury cathedral, Bath & Windsor in a whistle-stop tour cos it doesn't have the time constraints.

http://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/heathrow_southampton.htm

(a lot of good London & Southampton logistics info on other pages of that website)

 

 

 

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

 

Post-cruise driving tour.

You won't want to drive into London. :eek: Return the car to somewhere like Heathrow.

But Heathrow is only about 90 minutes from Southampton & central London a further 30-40 minutes, and there's little of interest on the direct route.

 

So spread your wings a little.

- Consider west of Southampton -the New Forest, Corfe Castle, the Jurassic coast (Lulworth Bay, Durdle Door, Weymouth, Portland, West Bay, Lyme Regis).

Then inland a little to return via mystical Glastonbury, the Dorset downs & villages, Sherborne, Shaftesbury's Gold Hill, Salisbury, Stonehenge.

 

- Or head to Bath, through the Cotswolds to Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick castle, then Oxford on your way to Heathrow/London..

 

- Or east to Portsmouth & Southsea - conjoined cities, Portsmouth is home of the Royal Navy & Southsea is a seaside resort - historic dockyard, seafront D-Day museum & adjacent little Southsea Castle, the ring of Palmerston's forts around the city, submarine & artillery museums, etc ad infinitum. Nearby Portchester Castle. And beyond to historic Chichester, the Weald & Downland museum at Singleton, Arundel Castle, then mebbe strike north toward London/Gatwick/Heathrow through the Sussex countryside

 

This is all tolerably easy driving.

For just Bath, or just Portsmouth & Southsea, it's very easy without private transport, the transport links are excellent & the cities easy to explore on foot, mebbe just the occasional bus or taxi hop.

I'd not recommend the other places by public transport, you really need a car for the scenery & the places of interest.

 

Google those places, figure which direction & how many nights, & we'll fill in the gaps.

 

JB :)

Thanks for the wonderful advice and I am sure to have more questions. I have already been to Rye, Canterbury, Leeds Castle, Sandwich and Deal on previous cruise stops.

Karen

[3Kittens]

The "P in W" here we come. Thanks John, it looks great.

The City of Southampton should give you a stipend! Or in the very least, the local businesses should be slipping a few quid into your pocket. You are their best advertiser:D

Thanks scottbee for the heads up. We're in & out of YYZ. But were thinking of taking the triple 7 back home. I wonder if they will have changed that configuration for YYZ by next year? Anything to make another Cdn buck.:rolleyes:

[bunzini]

Not a difficult route to drive, but add the collecting/returning (or the cost of delivery), the extras, the fuel, the parking & the general grief and it's just not worth the bother.

 

Best bet is to book a fixed-price private hire cab at your hotel (they're a lot cheaper than the London black cabs).

Yes, there are cab ranks at Windsor, no problem getting a cab back. But again, cheaper to book a private hire cab. So simplest is to arrange for the driver (or a colleague) to collect you from a pre-arranged place at a pre-arranged time.

 

There's public transport to Windsor but I think it's a bit convoluted, involves changes, and is much more time-consuming.

 

JB :)

That was just what I needed to know. I thank you for the information!

[happy_travellers]

Hi John

I think we will take your suggestion and do Bath and London by train from Southampton.

 

Here is my plan. Arrive night before cruise in Southampton.

After cruise May 4 take train to Bath and stay 3 nights. Then take train from Bath to London and stay in Paddington area for 3 nights (close for train coming from Bath and also to go to Heathrow).

Any thought about where to stay, see and do.

 

Please give me straight up advice if the plan is workable or not.

 

I appreciate all suggestions. Karen

[John Bull]

Hi John

I think we will take your suggestion and do Bath and London by train from Southampton.

 

Here is my plan. Arrive night before cruise in Southampton.

After cruise May 4 take train to Bath and stay 3 nights. Then take train from Bath to London and stay in Paddington area for 3 nights (close for train coming from Bath and also to go to Heathrow).

Any thought about where to stay, see and do.

 

Please give me straight up advice if the plan is workable or not.

 

I appreciate all suggestions. Karen

 

IMHO a perfectly sound plan, Karen. :)

Though without some form of transport in Bath, I do wonder whether it's worthy of three nights. Do you plan to visit anywhere from your Bath base?

The city itself is well worth a full day, but with two overnites you'd get most of Day 1 and the whole of day 2 in Bath.

If you've seen your fill you can head for London bright & early next morning,

Or if you find more to see or do than I'm thinking, you can spend as much of Day 3 as you want in Bath before heading to London late in the day. Booking the third night in a London hotel gives you that flexibility on Day 3.

 

And/or if you've not been to Salisbury & Stonehenge before, consider breaking your journey to Bath. Salisbury is on the line to Bath.

Half-hourly service from Southampton to Salisbury, hourly service from Southampton or Salisbury to Bath.

Provincial railway stations in the UK don't have a left-luggage facility, but the Cat Tavern at the end of the forecourt of Salisbury station does.

Stash your bags there & catch the Stonehenge ho-ho from the station. No need for pre-purchase of timed Stonehenge tickets, you can buy these on the bus. The ho-ho to Stonehenge is about 30 minutes e/w, expect to spend about 90 mins at Stonehenge (worth longer than before because of the new visitor & interpretation centre). Then hop off the bus in Salisbury city centre for a look round the cathedral & historic centrefor an hour or two, before ho-ho (if timing works out) or local bus or taxi or 15 minute walk back to the station, collect your bags, & on to Bath in time for tea.

http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/planjourney/search

http://www.thestonehengetour.info/

 

Can't help with hotels in Paddington, not an area I know well, but others doubtless can - mebbe on a fresh thread dedicated to it?

Or check out TripAdvisor, probably a more comprehensive site for that sort of question.

But yes, Paddington does make sense with your travel plans. Ideally perhaps an hotel on the Oxford Street / Marble Arch side of the station, since that's where some of the sights are. And ignoring any feeder routes, the nearest ho-hos are at Marble Arch, the junction of Oxford St & Park Lane.

 

JB :)

Edit. Just noticed your sailing day (4th May) is a public holiday in the UK. Since you'll already be in Southampton to board your ship it shouldn't make any difference other than if you want to stock up on wines, sodas etc, the stores may not open til around 10am instead of 9am.

Edited July 17, 2014 by John Bull

[chubbypiggy]

Hi JB,

 

Just recently came back from my Transatlantic cruise; I followed your suggestions for my 8 hours port stop at Southampton, and it turned out very nice. Thank you. :)

 

I just booked my Transatlantic cruise for next April, and now am looking for flights from BCN (Barcelona) back to U.S. I would like to use American Airlines miles, and so far, the only option available is from BCN to LGW (London Gatwick) and 4 hours later, connection flight from LHR (London Heathrow) back to U.S.

 

My questions are:

1. What options do I have to get from LGW airport to LHR airport?

2. I would like to get to LHR airport at least 2 hours before the connection flight leaves, which mean I have maximum of 2 hours to get from LGW to LHR, is that possible?

3. What are your thoughts on connecting flight in London from two different airports?

 

Thank you in advance for your assistance. :)

[John Bull]

Hi JB,

 

Just recently came back from my Transatlantic cruise; I followed your suggestions for my 8 hours port stop at Southampton, and it turned out very nice. Thank you. :)

 

I just booked my Transatlantic cruise for next April, and now am looking for flights from BCN (Barcelona) back to U.S. I would like to use American Airlines miles, and so far, the only option available is from BCN to LGW (London Gatwick) and 4 hours later, connection flight from LHR (London Heathrow) back to U.S.

 

My questions are:

1. What options do I have to get from LGW airport to LHR airport?

2. I would like to get to LHR airport at least 2 hours before the connection flight leaves, which mean I have maximum of 2 hours to get from LGW to LHR, is that possible?

3. What are your thoughts on connecting flight in London from two different airports?

 

Thank you in advance for your assistance. :)

 

Glad I was able to help re Southampton.:)

 

But Gatwick to Heathrow isn't my specialised subject.

Hopefully others can be more specific, but to the best of my knowledge:

 

I don't think your luggage can be checked through, at least not with just a four-hour margin, and not at all with a number of airlines.

You'll need to allow mebbe an hour between touch-down & arrivals hall at Gatwick, perhaps as long as 90 minutes since you're not a UK/EU citizen - that depends on other flights arriving about the same time.

 

National Express operate several buses per hour between the two airports (£25 pp), but take between an hour & 90 minutes plus waiting time, so I really don't think you have the wiggle room.

 

There's no direct train service.

 

By pre-booked car it's theoretically 40 minutes between airports. Very vague guess at around £60

And if you're going to consider those flights that's surely the only way to transfer.

But the route is on one of the most congested parts of London's orbital motorway, the M25, and traffic can play havoc with the timings. So it depends on the time of day, day of the week, and pure chance, whether & by how much you'll be delayed.

 

Couldn't find a check-in deadline on AA's website, only a vague 2-hour rule-of-thumb. And different terms for AA's Advantage customers.

But you'll see that getting to Heathrow is likely to take about two hours from touch-down at Gatwick, excluding delays.

 

General advice on the web seems to be a minimum of five hours between flights, but if it's a weekend you can certainly trim that.

 

I'm not going to risk suggesting you go for those flights if your onward ticket's not amendable, but see what others think. Both here (mebbe on a fresh appropriately-headed thread) & on TripAdvisor.

 

Would be useful to quote date & times.

 

Can you use your air-miles for just the t/A flight, & find an earlier flight out of Barca?

 

JB :)

[chubbypiggy]

Hi JB,

 

Thank you for the information.

 

The ship's debarkation time indicates 6 a.m. and Princess' website says no flight before 10 a.m. The flight I have in mind will be 10:15 a.m. The flight out of BCN will be on a Saturday (May 9, 2015).

 

It sounds kind of complicated and risky; I guess I will just cross out that choice and continue to look for flights that have connection at LHR.

 

Thank you.:)

[pfibilly]

Thanks for the wonderful advice and I am sure to have more questions. I have already been to Rye, Canterbury, Leeds Castle, Sandwich and Deal on previous cruise stops.

Karen

 

We are looking for advise for post cruise in or near London. Will disemabark in Southampton early Sat am and use Princess transfer to Victoria Station. Want to make the most of 2 days and was looking for hotel/touring suggestions. Thanks!

[John Bull]

We are looking for advise for post cruise in or near London. Will disemabark in Southampton early Sat am and use Princess transfer to Victoria Station. Want to make the most of 2 days and was looking for hotel/touring suggestions. Thanks!

 

If you're planning to take ship's transfer coach to Victoria, & you're in town for just two days that's probably the best area to book a hotel.

Coaches go to Victoria coach station, a few hundred yards from Victoria rail station.

Victoria has a good mix of international chain hotels, boutique hotels, and small & inexpensive (for central London) family-run hotels. St James' Court, Rubens at the Palace, Luna & Simone, and Hilton Doubletree Victoria are among those I've seen recommended on this forum, but the choice is huge.

Excellent bus & rail links if you want to take a trip out of the city, tho' central London is worth two days & more.

Buckingham Palace close by.

Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Churchill's War Rooms, & other sights walkable.

Choose a hotel convenient to a tube (metro) station & a ho-ho route for those sights that are further away.

 

For your orientation, the yellow route on this ho-ho map covers the major sights. Victoria is at the bottom near the centre.

http://www.theoriginaltour.com/UserFiles/OriginalTourMap.jpg

 

As an alternative to ship's transfer coach, if you want a taste of England outside London without impinging too much on your time in the city, consider the privately-run Cruise Tour Bus. This provides a coach service from your ship to your London hotel via the cathedral city of Salisbury, world-famous Stonehenge, & Windsor (castle) at £85 per person, an excellent use of your time. Seen it recommended on this forum a number of times, details at

http://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/southampton_cruise_shuttles.htm

BTW, there's stax of excellent info about London on other pages of that website.

If you use that service you could just as easily choose a hotel in another part of central London, though Victoria is a good compromise between cost & convenience.

 

JB :)

[John Bull]

Hi JB,

 

Thank you for the information.

 

The ship's debarkation time indicates 6 a.m. and Princess' website says no flight before 10 a.m. The flight I have in mind will be 10:15 a.m. The flight out of BCN will be on a Saturday (May 9, 2015).

 

It sounds kind of complicated and risky; I guess I will just cross out that choice and continue to look for flights that have connection at LHR.

 

Thank you.:)

 

A Saturday !!! :)

Makes a delay between airports much much less-likely.

I'm not the expert you need, but being a Saturday it's worth checking deeper into the viability. :)

 

JB :)

[chubbypiggy]

A Saturday !!! :)

Makes a delay between airports much much less-likely.

I'm not the expert you need, but being a Saturday it's worth checking deeper into the viability. :)

 

JB :)

 

 

Thank you JB.:)

[pfibilly]

Thanks JB for all the advice. Much appreciated!!!