Best way from Southampton cruise terminal to Southampton Airport?

[abefroman329]

Hi all -

 

We're considering renting a car to get from Southampton to our final destination, but need to pick up the car at SOU. What's the best way to get there from the cruise terminal: Taxi or Cunard transfer? I'd prefer not to take a taxi to Southampton Central and a train to the airport from there.

 

Thanks!

[silver service]

Simply take a taxi.

[Victoria2]

Enterprise Car rentals have a Southampton Docks depot if that's of any use.

[abefroman329]

Enterprise Car rentals have a Southampton Docks depot if that's of any use.

 

Avis is the cheapest by far for our itinerary and their only location is at the airport.

[IDB37]

Taxi to airport is around GBP25. Journey around 20 mins.

[luckymal]

Taxi to airport is around GBP25. Journey around 20 mins.

The taxi fare to the airport very expensive to my mind, the local council have no control what they charge why you may ask I was told the airport is outside the city boundary. If you choose to take a taxi ask the drivers how much, and barter:(

[Wiltonian]

The taxi fare to the airport very expensive to my mind, the local council have no control what they charge why you may ask I was told the airport is outside the city boundary. If you choose to take a taxi ask the drivers how much, and barter:(

 

If you begrudge £25, get a taxi to Southampton Central railway station, and take a 10 minute train journey to the airport.

 

If you want ultimate economy, walk to the Central railway station; it's less than a mile.

 

Stuart

[hamrag]

Use cabit for your taxi ride, the cost will be less....they have always met our needs at a sensible price!

[LeCommandant]

Hi all -

 

We're considering renting a car to get from Southampton to our final destination, but need to pick up the car at SOU. What's the best way to get there from the cruise terminal: Taxi or Cunard transfer? I'd prefer not to take a taxi to Southampton Central and a train to the airport from there.

 

Thanks!

Hello,

 

You can order an Uber. The average cost for that trip is 10£ to 14£.

[abefroman329]

If you begrudge £25, get a taxi to Southampton Central railway station, and take a 10 minute train journey to the airport.

 

If you want ultimate economy, walk to the Central railway station; it's less than a mile.

 

Stuart

 

We might do a taxi to Southampton Central and a train to the airport.

 

I've never bartered for anything in England and don't intend to start when I arrive next month.

[pepperrn]

We might do a taxi to Southampton Central and a train to the airport. I've never bartered for anything in England and don't intend to start when I arrive next month.

If you've much luggage, using cab and train will mean some carrying of bags at both rail stations.

 

At the start of your cab journey, ask the cab driver to drop you "on the London side" of Southampton station, this will avoid having to use the bridge (and stairs or lifts/elevators) across the tracks to get to the correct side of the station.

 

My vote would be for a cab direct from Ocean Terminal to Airport; saves hauling luggage about.

[goodsailors]

If you are counting the pennies get Avis to deliver the car to the docks at no charge. Problem solved.

[abefroman329]

If you are counting the pennies get Avis to deliver the car to the docks at no charge. Problem solved.

 

The trouble is that I reserved an automatic and need an automatic, and with my luck, they'd bring me a car with a standard transmission.

[goodsailors]

The trouble is that I reserved an automatic and need an automatic, and with my luck, they'd bring me a car with a standard transmission.

 

Equally no guarantee they will have an automatic at the airport, been there, done it, got the tshirt.sorry.

[abefroman329]

Equally no guarantee they will have an automatic at the airport, been there, done it, got the tshirt.sorry.

 

If that happens, we'll just walk to the rail station and get on the train, and it'd be much easier to sort that out at the Avis location than the docks.

[ToadOfToadHall]

The trouble is that I reserved an automatic and need an automatic, and with my luck, they'd bring me a car with a standard transmission.

 

2 months ago in Southampton I left the hotel for a walk in the morning. There was a car in the road (thankfully it was the road to the hotel, and little else, so no traffic). It was all over the place, ended up driving into the curb at 90 degrees. And then did not move. I stood and watched and the passenger door opened and they asked me to help them. The driver (an American) could not work out how to get the car into reverse. I lent over him and popped it into reverse for him. "How on earth did you do that !!?" So I explained it all to him and he was very grateful. I did offer to reverse it for him but he declined and managed okay after that. I assumed it must have been the first time he'd driven a manual.

 

But remember that hardly any cars in the UK are automatic so I'd not be surprised if you end up with a manual as the rental companies can't have that many anyway.

[Host Hattie]

35% of new registrations are automatics so hopefully you will get what you booked

[Ben_83]

Have many people had problems with ordering an auto rental car and getting a manual? I use rental cars for work often and always request an auto, I have never once been given a manual. I am happy to drive a manual but have found that by requesting an auto I am far more likely to get an upgrade. Rental companies often have less of the lower graded autos and if none are available they give a higher graded auto at no extra cost.

[abefroman329]

But remember that hardly any cars in the UK are automatic so I'd not be surprised if you end up with a manual as the rental companies can't have that many anyway.

 

I asked in the Avis UK thread on Flyertalk what my odds were of receiving an automatic if I booked an automatic and I was told "quite good," but that my odds of receiving an automatic were low if I booked a manual.

 

If they can't provide us with an automatic, we'll walk to the Southampton Airport Parkway station and get a train. It's a perfectly acceptable plan B, and as I said yesterday, it seems that would be more easily sorted at the airport location than at the docks, should an Avis employee turn up at the docks with a car with a manual transmission.

[abefroman329]

Have many people had problems with ordering an auto rental car and getting a manual? I use rental cars for work often and always request an auto, I have never once been given a manual. I am happy to drive a manual but have found that by requesting an auto I am far more likely to get an upgrade. Rental companies often have less of the lower graded autos and if none are available they give a higher graded auto at no extra cost.

 

That's interesting, I was wondering what would happen if they were out of compact cars with automatic transmissions, but had cars with automatic transmissions in a higher category, whether they'd give us a free upgrade or tell us we would need to pay the difference.

[Ben_83]

That's interesting, I was wondering what would happen if they were out of compact cars with automatic transmissions, but had cars with automatic transmissions in a higher category, whether they'd give us a free upgrade or tell us we would need to pay the difference.

 

I normally use Enterprise, my experience with them has been if you have pre ordered the car either online or by phone and there isn't one when you arrive you will be upgraded free of charge. If you just walked in to rent on the day and they had no compact autos I guess you would have to pay for a larger size that did have autos available - however I can't say for sure as I always prebook.

 

I have just checked Avis UK booking conditions and it says "If there are no vehicles available in the group you booked, the rental location will try to find you a vehicle from a higher group at no extra cost. If they can only find a vehicle of a lower group and you agree to rent this vehicle, you will only be charged for the value of that vehicle."