Southampton airport questions

[onthelake]

We are arriving in Southampton on November 1, 2016. We have been to/thru Southampton before and used London airports. A couple of my traiveling companions are not feeling up to dealing with the transit to a big airport and the long day of travel. I am looking at Southampton airport as a gateway for us and they have a user-friendly website but they are not showing flights beyond the end of October. Will this info appear on May 1? Will most, if not all the flybe routes be in service? We have flown easy jet and Ryanair before so we know the drill.

 

Also, we truly don't have a destination in mind other than 'Europe'. We have all been numerous times and are looking for a relaxing but interesting way to spend our time until November 19 when we will board a ship in Malaga to travel back to North America. But, there is a bit of can we get there from SOU?

 

Thank you in advance, all suggestions welcome 😉

[Twickenham]

I'm trying to wrap my head around your travel plans - you're arriving on a cruise to Southampton on Nov. 1, and leaving Malaga Nov. 19, and going *somewhere* in between... right? If so, why fly at all? Plenty of time to make your way to Malaga by train, or even incorporate an overnight ferry somewhere.

[onthelake]

I understand your point. Two of our party are not up to too much activity. The plan is to travel to a 'base' where some of us can enjoy the area, day trips, etc. while the other two take in as much as health and mobility allows. Our last trip, we stayed in London and the time before that, Paris. I am trying to make travel arrangements that are as stress -free and as physically simple as possible. But, with the lack of information on November flights from SOU, i don't know what my options are. Does that explain a bit better?

[UK Cruiser2]

I understand your point. Two of our party are not up to too much activity. The plan is to travel to a 'base' where some of us can enjoy the area, day trips, etc. while the other two take in as much as health and mobility allows. Our last trip, we stayed in London and the time before that, Paris. I am trying to make travel arrangements that are as stress -free and as physically simple as possible. But, with the lack of information on November flights from SOU, i don't know what my options are. Does that explain a bit better?

 

Flybe are based in Southampton and fly to a lot of destinations from Southampton airport.

 

http://www.flybe.com/

[FreestyleNovice]

The Netherlands, Amsterdam, all walkable and served by Flybe. Or a major German city? Or somewhere in the Alps? Denmark, Copenhagen? North Italy perhaps, renting a small home on the countryside with a rental car?

[moniquet]

Malaga will be warmer and more relaxing:) you could always get a flight from Gatwick. A train journey through Europe would be long, tiring and probably be more expensive than flying.

[John Bull]

Yes, Southampton is a laid-back & stress-free little one-terminal airport with two coffee shops, two or three flights per hour, & no long walks or long lines. :)

 

But Southampton to Malaga & other destinations in Spain & southern Europe are summer routes only, hence you're not finding flights :(

And sadly the same applies to Ryanair from nearby Bournemouth, another little provincial airport.

And just to rub it in, your date is only a few days out-of-season for a number of good options from both Southampton & Bournemouth.

 

Somewhere like Paris or Amsterdam or Munich is easy enough, but for November I'd be inclined to head much further south.

 

JB :)

Edited April 11, 2016 by John Bull

[onthelake]

Thank you all. Yes, I have been looking at flybe for a few days but most routes seem to stop at the end of October. I am trying to discover what routes still fly in November (preferably Tuesday or possibly Wednesday) and then make our destination choice from that list since we are flexible on that point.

[Globaliser]

Yes, I have been looking at flybe for a few days but most routes seem to stop at the end of October.

This is almost certainly due to the way that the scheduling seasons work. Northern winter 2016/17 scheduling season begins on the last Sunday in October, ie 30 October 2016. Schedules for northern summer 2016 are valid up to and including Saturday 29 October - and it looks like that is what you are seeing.

 

Re-reading your posts, I am not now sure whether you have actually gone beyond looking at Southampton airport's website in looking for flights. It's usually much better to go to the airlines' websites, once you know which airlines fly from that airport. I would be rather surprised to find that Flybe hasn't yet published northern winter 2016/17 schedules, but much less surprised to find that Southampton airport hasn't yet bothered to do the work to put them up.

 

However, if Flybe's northern winter schedules are now up, but they don't include any flights from Southampton, then I would be asking some more questions about what's happening.

[John Bull]

This is almost certainly due to the way that the scheduling seasons work. Northern winter 2016/17 scheduling season begins on the last Sunday in October, ie 30 October 2016. Schedules for northern summer 2016 are valid up to and including Saturday 29 October - and it looks like that is what you are seeing.

 

Re-reading your posts, I am not now sure whether you have actually gone beyond looking at Southampton airport's website in looking for flights. It's usually much better to go to the airlines' websites, once you know which airlines fly from that airport. I would be rather surprised to find that Flybe hasn't yet published northern winter 2016/17 schedules, but much less surprised to find that Southampton airport hasn't yet bothered to do the work to put them up.

 

However, if Flybe's northern winter schedules are now up, but they don't include any flights from Southampton, then I would be asking some more questions about what's happening.

 

Hi G,

I spoke to Flybe on the phone - their winter schedule will be published at the end of this month into the beginning of May.

But they currently offer bookings through next winter on a lot of routes, so I wouldn't hold much hope of the absent seasonal routes appearing for November.

 

Furthest south I could find were Lyon and Bergerac - destinations that really need a rented car to be worthwhile. Alternatively, Amsterdam is only an hour from Southampton & should be pleasant enough. And there'll surely be flights from there to Malaga - though Schipol airport is a massive contrast to sleepy little Southampton airport.

 

JB :)

Edited April 11, 2016 by John Bull

[onthelake]

JB, Thank you so much for taking the time and trouble to make that call! I think my companions need to make the effort (and it really is a small effort) to travel to Gatwick with its gateway possibilities.

 

The trip is really a graduation gift to my DS who is graduating from university with a microbiology degree. We need to make the most of the trip. (Says proud mother 😃).

[Lutèce]

Why not take the ferry to Caen, pick up a hire car, and amble down through France and Spain? You have almost 3 weeks to do it and you would get a different perspective from port stops in either country.

[Lutèce]

Why not take the ferry to Caen, pick up a hire car, and amble down through France and Spain? You have almost 3 weeks to do it and you would get a different perspective from port stops in either country.

 

And before anyone jumps in saying how eye-wateringly expensive a cross border one way drop-off can be, it's very simple. You all check into a hotel in Hendaye - the French side of the border, drop your car off at the Avis depot there. Then take the local train - 4 minutes/ approx 10 euros or taxi 7 minutes approx 16 euros to Donostia/San Sebastian Airport - the Spanish side -and pick up your car from there. Then drive back to your hotel. There is no problem/cost involved in DRIVING either side of the border.

Or if you don't want to stay overnight in Hendaye, just leave the rest of your party people-watching in a café while you collect the car and then drive on to stay in San Sebastian - my second favourite European city.

[John Bull]

Why not take the ferry to Caen, pick up a hire car, and amble down through France and Spain? You have almost 3 weeks to do it and you would get a different perspective from port stops in either country.

 

Well worth considering if you're happy to drive. :)

Ferries from Portsmouth (about 25 miles from Southampton, bus or train) go to Le Havre, or Ouistreham (Caen), or Cherbourg.

Pick up a rental car there - explore D-Day sights. Paris (best park the car up for Paris), mebbe a bit of Brittany, the Loire Valley & its chateaux, Bordeaux & its vineyards, etc.

 

Won't disagree with Lutece about cross-border rentals France/Spain, but that doesn't work for renting from the UK - so your journey would start with a Channel crossing as foot-passengers.

 

JB :)

[Lutèce]

Sorry - should have made myself clear. I did mean as foot passengers of course!:)

Actually driving should be fine as they will be on (for them ) the right side - literally - of the road!

[onthelake]

Thank you for your input. Two of our party are in their late 70's and have some health problems. They have made it clear that they want to come but they have limited endurance. There are options/choices I would definitely take advantage of if our group was a little more physically able. Southampton airport sounded like a great choice since we have 19 days to arrive in Malaga. I am still hopeful and appreciate all the input 😃