Where to stay after Disembarkation in Southampton,UK

[mrstanley]

Our Baltic cruise in 2019 ends in Southampton. We have been to London many times and thought about

spending 3-4 days in the UK before flying back to the USA from LHR. We have never been to Stonehenge or

Windsor Castle or any of the other sites in that area. We have done a British Isles cruise so we have been to

the port cities. Would staying in Hampshire be a good location?

[Gilly]

Yes, the New Forest is a beautiful area to explore and there are many other interesting places to visit throughout the county. Have a look here for some ideas. I think you could easily fill three or four days.

[poss]

I fell in love with Bath some years ago, and now every cruise where Southampton is in the picture, we stay in Bath — so close to so much (including Cotswolds) and itself a wonderfully handsome and very interesting city. (Feels like a "town," not a "city.") We love the Bath Priory Hotel, about a 7-10 minute walk to the center, through beautiful gardens and lots of fine historical buildings. The hotel is extremely handsome, with grounds that I could hang in all day and not be bored. Food good too. SO much to see not only in Bath itself, but within an hour or so from it (plenty to enjoy less than an hour away).

Edited August 20, 2018 by poss

[Hambagahle]

You could see both Stonehenge and Bath - if you don't mind driving in the UK. Rent a car in Southampton and take the M3 to the junction with the A303. Then go down the A303 towards Andover. Keep going and just after the large roundabout near Amesbury you will see Stonehenge on your right. After visiting it go on to Bath.

 

Returning to London to fly out you could spend a night or two in the Cotswolds - my favourite place is Broadway and the hotel the Lygon Arms. Just amazing! Lots of wonderful little villages to explore too. And maybe stop off in Windsor - practically at the end of the runway at LHR - for a few hours before checking the car in.

[Gilly]

If a more extensive driving tour is under consideration, I'd suggest simply getting a glimpse of Stonehenge by driving past on the way to the more accessible and attractive Avebury Stones (where one can walk amongst them and get a far better "feel" of the ancient landscape). Personally, though, I think it would be fun to explore the immediate area in more detail (Winchester, Chichester, Beaulieu etc) and save the Cotswolds for another occasion when you have more time to spare, but then I'm biased :cool:

[mrstanley]

Gilly.. We were thinking about having a guide/driver pick us up at the port in Southampton and then sightsee along the way until we get to

The Four Seasons Hotel in Hampshire. Stay in Hampshire for 3 nights and then go to LHR for a flight back to the USA. What do you think?

[mrlevin]

Gilly.. We were thinking about having a guide/driver pick us up at the port in Southampton and then sightsee along the way until we get to

The Four Seasons Hotel in Hampshire. Stay in Hampshire for 3 nights and then go to LHR for a flight back to the USA. What do you think?

 

Have you thought of getting a rental car? It would make touring easier.

 

Marc

[Bellaggio Cruisers]

Gilly.. We were thinking about having a guide/driver pick us up at the port in Southampton and then sightsee along the way until we get to

The Four Seasons Hotel in Hampshire. Stay in Hampshire for 3 nights and then go to LHR for a flight back to the USA. What do you think?

 

We were not comfortable driving in England so we had a private car drive us from LHR to Southampton. (Reverse of your trip).

Stayed locally. Day two, we hired a driver/ guide for the day. Went to Stonehenge and Bath. Day three, we took a taxi to se the local sights as well as walking.

Sheila

[Travelcat2]

Agree about driving in England - especially around Heathrow. My DH learned to drive in England and found driving there as an adult to be a challenge. On our last trip to England, we did have a driver which was great - both of us were able to enjoy the scenery instead concentrating on the narrow roads. In our case, I think that my DH got tired of me holding my breath every time we were on a two lane street that was so narrow that the foliage on the side of the road was hitting the car.

[Gilly]

We often wonder what became of the four elderly Americans who chatted to us on an inbound flight to London from Honolulu via SF. They planned to pick up a rental car that morning and drive to Edinburgh to attend the Tattoo that evening. "It's only a couple of hundred miles" they said. What were we to say, except that to make sure they didn't find themselves with a stick shift....

 

Mrstanley, if you are likely to feel uncomfortable driving then a driver is a good idea and you'll be able to relax and enjoy your time as much as possible. With three days to spend in the area, you have several choices: a day in Winchester would be interesting (Jane Austen is buried in the cathedral there and it's a very walkable city), you could easily spend a day in Portsmouth Dockyard where Nelson's flagship Victory is situated, alongside the Mary Rose and the Warrior, you might go over to the Isle of Wight and visit Queen Victoria's Osborne House and we haven't even mentioned the New Forest and Beaulieu ... The Four Seasons gets great reviews as does Limewood. I think you could have a fun time without going too far - and you'd still have Windsor for the last few hours on the way to the airport, too!

 

Leaving the Cotswolds for another time means you'll have to return as well :cool:

[Loratheexplorer]

Hi, we stayed at the Four Seasons Hampshire after our Baltic cruise on Explorer last year. It was a delightful location, we loved the hotel. It was easy access to many charming towns. The hotel concierge set us up with a car and driver and helped us create several great intineraries. Highly recommend.

[mrlevin]

We have taken two driving vacations around UK and generally have not had any issues; although the car rental near Eustis Station was hard to find. We took a week centering on Cotswolds and Bath where we drove around Hampshire, too. Our GPS took us through a farmers field when road by Highgrove was washed out. We also took three week driving trip to North England and Scotland; Manchester is easier for car pick up and drop off than London.

 

Next year, after our cruise, we are planning a one month driving trip again England and Scotland. We were going to fly round trip LGW to Glasgow but I think we have now decided to drive the entire trip; so, we will in fact drive length of island from Southhampton to Castle of Mey.

 

Thanks for the recommendation of Four Seasons; I think we will make it our headquarters for visits to Highclere, Winchester Cathedral, Osbourne House, Windsor, and (hopefully) Frogmore House. Due to timing of show at Chatsworth, we are going to have to head north directly from cruise so Hampshire will actually be in early July at end of tour (so Frogmore unlikely).

 

I understand that we all have our preferences but sometimes we like to be in charge of our itinerary. We have also driven on left side in Japan and South Africa. We also have a three week driving trip of New Zealand coming up this January.

 

We very much like to travel around UK; one month cruise and one month driving trip this year; we hope in future to be able to stay for the entire summer.

 

Marc

[Gilly]

Marc, your itinerary sounds like fun! We've not made it to Frogmore yet either - getting the dates right is tricky. Driving here is different from in the US though, isn't it? We do a three/four week road trip in the US each year and love it - we see places that would otherwise pass us by and enjoy being able to stop and linger or pass right on through places as the mood takes us.

 

The Four Seasons is well located in the New Forest, as is an alternative, Lime Wood. Which show do you plan to visit at Chatsworth? (where I can recommend The Peacock btw - not quite the Four Seasons (!) but a smart and comfortable place to stay)

[mrlevin]

Gilly, the RHS show 5-9 June. We have been to Chelsea before and were going to throw in the RHS shows at Harrow and Hampton Court but my wife has agreed to just Chatsworth (as the house will also be open). Castle of Mey and Balmoral for her means I get to throw in around a dozen new distilleries for me this trip; well worth the compromise. I will look at the other properties you recommended; I think I found a good one on Islay and Ballater but still filling the dance card (can you recommend a hotel in Liverpool and/or Blackpool?).

 

Marc

[mrstanley]

Loratheexplorer.... Thank you for your advice on staying at The Four Seasons Hotel. I'm thinking 3 nights there after the cruise and letting the Concierge get tour guides for us. Sounds like a perfect spot to stay and see the beautiful English countryside. We will be

flying back from LHR to Atlanta after.

 

Gilly... Thank you for your suggestions on what to see in your beautiful country.! If you think of anything else just post it for me.

I sure hope we have some cool weather when in Hampshire...I'm not good with heat as I live in north Florida and I'm always in

air conditioning most of the year.

[Gilly]

Marq, I'd stay well clear of Blackpool as far as hotels are concerned - very much the faded glory and even the best hotels are so-so. Better keep it as a day trip and stick with a nicer hotel somewhere else (maybe in the Lake District where there are some gorgeous places to stay). I know Liverpool reasonably well and depending on your preferences can offer a couple of suggestions - the standard modern Hilton product which is ideally situated right in the modern centre with the docks (Tate Gallery,museums etc) and shopping just a short walk away or the smaller, rather lovely individual Hope Street Hotel which is by the Philharmonic and the cathedrals in a fine Georgian area. There is so much to see and do in Liverpool - galleries, museums, grand civic buildings, you could stay a week ;p

 

Mrstanley I'm happy to help where I can - I think there was a recent conversation here with more details about Portsmouth, too. I'm sure you'll be pleased with your choice but come back another time and explore the Cotswolds ;)

[Pamela1]

Gilly, the RHS show 5-9 June. We have been to Chelsea before and were going to throw in the RHS shows at Harrow and Hampton Court but my wife has agreed to just Chatsworth (as the house will also be open). Castle of Mey and Balmoral for her means I get to throw in around a dozen new distilleries for me this trip; well worth the compromise. I will look at the other properties you recommended; I think I found a good one on Islay and Ballater but still filling the dance card (can you recommend a hotel in Liverpool and/or Blackpool?).

 

Marc

 

Hi Marc,

 

You have had really good advice on here and Gilly seems to have great information about the south of England and i might follow it myself some day! :D.

My advice would be about Islay. There are lots of distilleries on Islay but its quite a job to work out how you are getting there and your travel plans. If you are driving then its quite a journey to Kennacraig from (Glasgow for instance) maybe 3 hours and you will have to book in advance. If you fly, there is a twice daily (weather dependant) crossing but you will need to hire a car at Port Ellen as the public transport is limited and doesn't cover most of the distilleries.

You would also need to stay at least 1 night as with all the travelling it wouldn't be possible to do in a day.

The Machrie hotel is very nice but remote as are most places on the island but there is Bowmore which is busier.

Hope your drive round the UK is lovely and lucky that you have plenty time to plan your trip....you will be like a kid in a sweet shop with all the choices.

Have fun making your decisions.

 

Pam.

[poss]

I hope I'm not being too intrusive. Marc, etc. can you tell me, please, where you like to stay in Bath and Cotswolds? (Less expensive than Four Seasons if possible.) As I mentioned in an earlier post, we like the Bath Priory (especially the grounds and the stroll into town), but might want to try something different next time. And I have no clue about Cotswolds (though I've done some reading).

Also: Is the area that mrstanley is speaking about even more handsome than Bath and Cotswolds — or just a different cup of tea?

Thank you.

[Pamela1]

Hi Marc,

 

You have had really good advice on here and Gilly seems to have great information about the south of England and i might follow it myself some day! :D.

My advice would be about Islay. There are lots of distilleries on Islay but its quite a job to work out how you are getting there and your travel plans. If you are driving then its quite a journey to Kennacraig from (Glasgow for instance) maybe 3 hours and you will have to book in advance. If you fly, there is a twice daily (weather dependant) crossing but you will need to hire a car at Port Ellen as the public transport is limited and doesn't cover most of the distilleries.

You would also need to stay at least 1 night as with all the travelling it wouldn't be possible to do in a day.

The Machrie hotel is very nice but remote as are most places on the island but there is Bowmore which is busier.

Hope your drive round the UK is lovely and lucky that you have plenty time to plan your trip....you will be like a kid in a sweet shop with all the choices.

Have fun making your decisions.

 

Pam.

 

Silly me, i should have said the pre booking would be for the ferry...:D

 

Pam.

[mrlevin]

Pam, yes the ferry. We would plan on three or four nights. I found Glenegedale Guest House which seems to have fantastic reviews but should research more.

 

Gilly, i am lifetime diamond with Hilton so Liverpool Hilton sounds wonderful, we will make Blackpool an enroute stop after we leave Liverpool.

 

poss, for Bath, we stayed at the Hilton for four nights and used it as central point both to see Bath (wonderful city) and day trips to Cotswolds, Cardiff, Stonehenge, and Salisbury. If you drive, Bath is a wonderful hub from which to see a large area.

 

Marc

[Gilly]

Poss, we live in the Cotswolds, north of Bath so I'm happy to offer suggestions depending on what you're looking for. We're off to shop and visit an exhibition in the city tomorrow actually ;-) There's an independent, locally owned group of country hotels around here which includes Calcot Manor - reasonably priced but refined and smart, but they are generally out in the sticks rather than city centre places. An alternative would be Cheltenham, perhaps, Burford or Broadway, as suggested by Hambagahle here. I'd say the Cotswolds are a bit like the Berkshires - rolling hills and quaint stone villages, whereas the New Forest is rather wilder and more wooded. Completely different landscapes with a different set of features.

 

Marq I think the Liverpool Hilton will suit you well in that case. I recommend taking in Crosby en route to Blackpool to see Antony Gormley's installation Another Place (if the tide is right) We love Chatsworth but haven't made the flower show there - our son's partner works for the RHS (has Chelsea and Hampton Court in her portfolio) and tells us we should go, but there are too many places to go and so little time!

 

Pamela, I would love to trade tips for Scotland with you at some point, please!

[poss]

Gilly, thank you ever so much for being willing to help. I definitely need it. I feel uncomfortable pursuing the topic on someone else's thread, so I think I'll start a thread of my own, i.e. asking for help with Cotswolds. I've done plenty of reading, but things are all running together. I know that whatever input I receive from you and other kind Regent cruisers would be very helpful indeed.

[Gilly]

Poss, drop me an email to gill679 with the usual at gmail address and we can continue the conversation however you'd like to!