Transfer: Southampton—London (incl. LHR/LGW) train, car, other?

[hawkesbaynz]

Used to live in New Zealand although born 60 miinutes from Southampton. Used this handle for another forum I was involved in when I lived there and seem to use if for all forums. Should really change it.

 

Agree you can stay in Southampton and easily train to Portsmouth for the Dockyards and Nelson's HMS Victory, Winchester, Salisbury and the lovely small town of Lymington. Also a ferry to the Isle of Wight.

[Thrak]

4 hours ago, phabric said:

If traveling on embarkment and disembarkment days, check out-

I have stayed at Premier Inn West Quay 3x.  A short taxi ride from National Express Coach and train station and dock.

 

www.premierinn.com

 

 

3 hours ago, hawkesbaynz said:

However for an overnighter I would stay at the Holiday Inn which is walkable to to one of the terminals although I believe they can arrange shuttles. My wife audits the med centres on Carnival ships and always stays there with her team (even tho we live 15 minutes away!!).

https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/gb/en/southampton/soahp/hoteldetail

 

We stayed at Premier Inn West Quay last time. Next time will be at Holiday Inn. We were unimpressed with Premier Inn. Different strokes...

[nbsjcruiser]

5 hours ago, hawkesbaynz said:

I live in a village on the edge of Southampton. We can see the cruise ships with a 5 minute walk from our house. Southampton is a great place to live but not sure if it is a wonderful holiday destination.

 

However for an overnighter I would stay at the Holiday Inn which is walkable to to one of the terminals although I believe they can arrange shuttles. My wife audits the med centres on Carnival ships and always stays there with her team (even tho we live 15 minutes away!!).

https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/gb/en/southampton/soahp/hoteldetail

 

There is a great Indian Restaurant adjacent https://www.kutis.co.uk/

 

However if I had a couple of days I would stay in Winchester which is a fabulous medieval city and the original capital of Wessex.

 

Only forty-five minutes from Cruise terminal and the train passes through. As stated there is no train from Heathrow to Southampton. There is a coach link to Woking train station which would be a pain with baggage.

 

This hotel has some reasonable deals https://thewinchesterhotel.co.uk/index.html or the Mercure is effectively in the centre of town in the the grounds of Winchester Cathedral. We often go there for overnight breaks. The pubs are fantastic.

Thanks very much for the inside info. I hadn't thought about Winchester. I'll check it out. We had pretty much settled on the Holiday Inn if we do stay in Southampton so good to get your take on it. Tks again.

[John Bull]

Late to this thread, but here are some pointers.....

 

LHR to Southampton by coach (bus) https://www.nationalexpress.com/en at about £24 per person, or by private transfer for about £100 the car eg with https://smithsairportcars.co.uk/

I don't know whether anyone's already mentioned those options 😉

By car it's about 90 minutes, by coach about 2 hours.

LHR to Southampton by train is convoluted and surprisingly expensive - not a sensible option for this route. Ships' transfer coaches only on sailing day. 

Post again a few months before your cruise for suggestions on timings etc 

 

Altho Southampton's not a tourist city it has enough of interest for a lazy day or two.

And because it's a railway junction, Southampton itself is a good base for day-trips by direct trains to places like historic Bath 90 minutes, ,the historic cathedral City of Salisbury 30 minutes (+ Stonehenge), the historic cathedral city of Winchester 15 minutes, the historic dockyard & ships and other attractions of Portsmouth 50 minutes, the Victorian seaside resort of Weymouth, the cathedral city of Chichester, the bohemian resort of Brighton

http://www.projectmapping.co.uk/Reviews/Resources/SWR map 6c.pdf

and

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

Off-peak return train fares are excellent value - put in dummy bookings on the website & click on "return"

Google those places including the word "visit" in your search.

 

City centre hotels in Southampton on the useful thumbnail map at the bottom of the page at https://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/southampton_accommodation.htm

Two hotel clusters to consider...........

- Holiday Inn (Herbert Walker Avenue, not the H.I.Express's which are on the city limits) and Premier Inn West Quay - blue 4 and 5 on the map, and other nearby hotels.  Very convenient to the city centre, "old town" and waterfront

- and the three very close to the rail station and Nat Express station. (green A and B on the map)

Those clusters are only 10 - 15 minutes apart, so both are tolerably convenient for the stations and the city centre. No hotel on the map is more than a £10 taxi ride from rail or bus stations or city centre attractions or cruise terminals. Princess normally berth at Ocean Terminal (berth 46, red D on the map) or Mayflower Terminal (red A)

All the hotels are perfectly acceptable for a few nights, though the Ibis Budget is a bit basic for more than a night, and Southampton Harbour Hotel might cost more than your cruise.

 

Winchester doesn't have the same direct train routes. Attractive but busy historic city and cathedral, worthy of a half-day visit from Southampton but IMHO not as convenient a base.

 

The historic ships & dockyard of Portsmouth, plus its seafront promenade, its D-Day museum, it's small Henry V111 castle, its forts etc is well worth two days and more, in which case it makes sense to book a hotel there rather than Southampton. Nat Express bus from LHR about 60 minutes longer than Southampton, private transfer about 20 minutes longer. Holiday Inn Express in Gunwharf Quays is ideally located - and handy to Portsmouth Harbour rail station or the Nat Express coach at The Hard travel interchange (Portsmouth Harbour station and The Hard travel interchange are the same place, just with different names to confuse tourists 😉),

Train or Nat Express bus to Southampton on your cruise day 60 minutes, about £10 pp

 

If you' need any further help, just ask

 

JB 🙂

 

 

[phabric]

I have stayed at Holiday Inn Herbert Walker (1x) and Premier Inn West Quay (3x).

 

I noticed a new hotel - Moxy, close to the Premier Inn West Quay.

 

Any opinions on this hotel compared to the others.

[phabric]

2 hours ago, nbsjcruiser said:

I hadn't thought about Winchester.

I arrived in terminal 2 after our overnight Air Canada flight from Toronto, Canada.  We walked through the airport and followed the signs to the  National Express Coach terminal. We took the Coach to Winchester.  The Coach dropped us off I would say the Main Street. Not knowing where the Mercure hotel was.  We went into the Visitor Information Center that was close by.  They were so helpful, she walked us out and around the corner and pointed down the street.  She also told us about a walking tour of Winchester for £5 (?).  We did this tour after checking in at the hotel.  We spend 2 nights at the Mercure hotel with the Heritage Package - breakfast for both mornings, 1 English Tea, 1 dinner, entrance to Winchester Cathedral.  We spend the next day exploring Winchester.

 

When you stepped out of the Mercure hotel, you were on Cathedral grounds so very convenient.  There was a closed off street for pedestrians with stores and restaurants close to the hotel.

 

Saturday, cruise day, I had booked West Quay car service (£30-40 (?)) to take us to Southampton.

 

National Express Coach, you can take the Coach for £3 (May 2021 price) a 35 minute ride to Southampton and a short taxi to the dock.

 

www.visitwinchester.co.uk

www.winchester-cathedral.org.uk

www.westquay cars.com

www.nationalexpress.com

Edited March 20, 2021 by phabric

[notentirelynormal]

The problem for me was I was not going directly from the airport to the port or back.  I was going to be staying a week before the cruise and a day afterwards.  That is where they became not the best choice.  Their specialty is not a local stop.  They even told me that.  They told me that they would be more expensive then other choices.

 

We are talking a car taking me from Point A to Point B.  We aren't doing a tour so we didn't need a knowledgeable guide.  Just someone to drive.  Frankly anyone can just drive.  That doesn't mean I don't want a recommendation for the drive but....it ends up being about the price at that point.  I contacted them (and their other companies) and even they suggested they weren't the best choice. 

 

I ended up booking Blackberry Cars.  Their prices were cheaper for the London to the airbnb part.  They were great to work with.  We went back and forth several times.  I had 5 trips I needed to book and I needed two cars for all but one of those trips.  I had even planned a stop over on the way to the pier. 

 

That was 9 cars I was paying for.  They allowed  different prices for the people and luggage cars.  I mean my suitcase doesn't need a Mercedes, right?

 

And then our cruise got cancelled AGAIN.  So after spending all this time, getting everything arranged AND paying for it through Paypal our cruise got cancelled.  Insert heavy heavy frustrated sigh here.

 

I have rebooked our cruise for 2022 but instead of leaving out of Southampton we will be doing a 21 day round trip from Barcelona.  After the cruise we will fly to London for a week.  I will most definitely be booking Blackberry Cars again.  It will be the to/from but also the one day trip I had planned before.

 

 

[Ashland]

5 hours ago, notentirelynormal said:

The problem for me was I was not going directly from the airport to the port or back.  I was going to be staying a week before the cruise and a day afterwards.  That is where they became not the best choice.  Their specialty is not a local stop.  They even told me that.  They told me that they would be more expensive then other choices.

 

We are talking a car taking me from Point A to Point B.  We aren't doing a tour so we didn't need a knowledgeable guide.  Just someone to drive.  Frankly anyone can just drive.  That doesn't mean I don't want a recommendation for the drive but....it ends up being about the price at that point.  I contacted them (and their other companies) and even they suggested they weren't the best choice. 

 

I ended up booking Blackberry Cars.  Their prices were cheaper for the London to the airbnb part.  They were great to work with.  We went back and forth several times.  I had 5 trips I needed to book and I needed two cars for all but one of those trips.  I had even planned a stop over on the way to the pier. 

 

That was 9 cars I was paying for.  They allowed  different prices for the people and luggage cars.  I mean my suitcase doesn't need a Mercedes, right?

 

And then our cruise got cancelled AGAIN.  So after spending all this time, getting everything arranged AND paying for it through Paypal our cruise got cancelled.  Insert heavy heavy frustrated sigh here.

 

I have rebooked our cruise for 2022 but instead of leaving out of Southampton we will be doing a 21 day round trip from Barcelona.  After the cruise we will fly to London for a week.  I will most definitely be booking Blackberry Cars again.  It will be the to/from but also the one day trip I had planned before.

 

 

Blackberry is who we used from Heathrow into the city for a pre-cruise stay and then used Smith For Airports from our London hotel to Southampton and the return back to Heathrow. Both companies provided us with great service !!

[notentirelynormal]

21 hours ago, Ashland said:

Blackberry is who we used from Heathrow into the city for a pre-cruise stay and then used Smith For Airports from our London hotel to Southampton and the return back to Heathrow. Both companies provided us with great service !!

 

I just kept getting told they don't normally book in just London which is why I ended up booking Blackberry.  Not through Smiths but their other company (there are three that are owned by the same company but different names) even though I thought the interaction I had with them was great, helpful and polite.  I just felt that if I was going to use Blackberry for the 3 London trips I might as well use them for the Southampton part as mostly the prices were the same.

[Ashland]

9 hours ago, notentirelynormal said:

 

I just kept getting told they don't normally book in just London which is why I ended up booking Blackberry.  Not through Smiths but their other company (there are three that are owned by the same company but different names) even though I thought the interaction I had with them was great, helpful and polite.  I just felt that if I was going to use Blackberry for the 3 London trips I might as well use them for the Southampton part as mostly the prices were the same.

I got the recommendation to use these two different companies from some real experts on this board. I seem to remember it was the difference of the locations they each serve. Worked out well for us and would do it this way again.

[gnome12]

You don't use a company based in Southampton to get you from the airport to a London Hotel. And if you have an early flight, you would probably want a company based in Southampton to pick you up early and get you to the airport.

[phabric]

If going to and from LHR to a London hotel I have used 4x www.justairports.com.

[notentirelynormal]

4 hours ago, gnome12 said:

You don't use a company based in Southampton to get you from the airport to a London Hotel. And if you have an early flight, you would probably want a company based in Southampton to pick you up early and get you to the airport.

 

Which is what I learned after countless hours going back and forth with several companies.  It is why I went with Blackberry.  Since they also go to Southampton and their price was almost exactly the same I saw no reason not to stay with them.

[Ashland]

On 3/22/2021 at 9:01 AM, notentirelynormal said:

 

Which is what I learned after countless hours going back and forth with several companies.  It is why I went with Blackberry.  Since they also go to Southampton and their price was almost exactly the same I saw no reason not to stay with them.

Enjoy however you decide to arrange transportation...I'm sure you'll be happy with your choice.

[MrsTocko]

I have a couple of general, yet specific questions.

 

I know that nothing is TYPICAL right now, so past knowledge is what I am looking for.

 

Which pier in Southampton does NCL dock at?  Looks like there are 3 docks/piers for cruise ships.  I would like to try to choose my hotel based on that.

 

For those that have traveled to England with NCL booked airfare (no way I can get roundtrip for DH and 1 for what I paid through NCL), do they fly into Heathrow or Gatwick? or is it random?

 

We missed seeing a few things when we were in London in 2017.  So we are deviating a couple of days before our cruise to allow us the time to do them.  Everything is near Waterloo Station, so that would be the best station to travel into/out of (The Tower, Tower Bridge, Parliment, Crown Jewels.)

 

OPTION 1: Land on Friday Morning, drop luggage at waterloo area hotel, do our tourist thing, then crash for the night.  Get up on Saturday and take the train to Southampton - and repeat tourist stuff, before Cruise leaves on Sunday. We previously stayed at the Holiday Inn - Bloomsbury, and know that we can catch the HOHO from down the street.  also that the tube is a block away, at Russell Square.

 

OPTION 2: Land on Friday Morning, make our way to Southampton, play tourist Friday afternoon.  Saturday, get up and go to London do the things, and return.  Final sightseeing in Southampton would be Sunday morning.

 

Option 2 is my preferred - in terms of luggage and all.  But I was having trouble finding reasonable rates from the Airport to Southampton.  We don't mind a bus, but we would rather NOT have to change trains and what not with luggage.

 

Thoughts?

[John Bull]

14 hours ago, MrsTocko said:

I have a couple of general, yet specific questions.

 

I know that nothing is TYPICAL right now, so past knowledge is what I am looking for.

 

Which pier in Southampton does NCL dock at?  Looks like there are 3 docks/piers for cruise ships.  I would like to try to choose my hotel based on that.

 

For those that have traveled to England with NCL booked airfare (no way I can get roundtrip for DH and 1 for what I paid through NCL), do they fly into Heathrow or Gatwick? or is it random?

 

We missed seeing a few things when we were in London in 2017.  So we are deviating a couple of days before our cruise to allow us the time to do them.  Everything is near Waterloo Station, so that would be the best station to travel into/out of (The Tower, Tower Bridge, Parliment, Crown Jewels.)

 

OPTION 1: Land on Friday Morning, drop luggage at waterloo area hotel, do our tourist thing, then crash for the night.  Get up on Saturday and take the train to Southampton - and repeat tourist stuff, before Cruise leaves on Sunday. We previously stayed at the Holiday Inn - Bloomsbury, and know that we can catch the HOHO from down the street.  also that the tube is a block away, at Russell Square.

 

OPTION 2: Land on Friday Morning, make our way to Southampton, play tourist Friday afternoon.  Saturday, get up and go to London do the things, and return.  Final sightseeing in Southampton would be Sunday morning.

 

Option 2 is my preferred - in terms of luggage and all.  But I was having trouble finding reasonable rates from the Airport to Southampton.  We don't mind a bus, but we would rather NOT have to change trains and what not with luggage.

 

Thoughts?

 

NCL normally berth at City Cruise Terminal (berth 101). Rear rooms at Holiday Inn look over the berth, or from a room at the front you can watch your ship steaming up Southampton Water *

Premier Inn West Quay, Leonardo Royal, and quirky Pig-in-the-Wall are very close and a number of other hotels in the area, and the city centre (The Bargate) is a 5 to 10 minute walk..

https://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/southampton_accommodation.htm (the thumbnail map at the bottom also shows cruise berths etc. And other pages are very useful for logistics in London)

 

Most trans-Atlantic flights go to Heathrow, comparatively few scheduled flights go to Gatwick. Virgin Atlantic & Norwegian are amongst those which have had scheduled trans-Atlantic flights into Gatwick, but the expectation is that with significantly-reduced flights in the future it's Gatwick flights that'll be culled. So odds are that it'll be Heathrow. Not that it matters which airport, both have good transport links to central London & Southampton & transfer costs are tolerably similar - it's just the choice of public transport that differs.

 

Two nights in Southampton  has the major disadvantage that you'd be spending well over 3 hours travelling to & back from London. And that's by train - easily the quickest way. The train fare would be balanced out by the significantly lower hotel rates in Southampton. But, as I found out when checking for another US member, the direct trains from Waterloo to Southampton (2 or 3 per hour) are not currently showing, presumably because of minimal demand due to Covid, so from memory fares about £40 walk-up, or as low as £10 to £20  for pre-booking from about six weeks out.

 

Finding reasonable rates airport to Southampton - isn't that for Option One??

From LHR the direct National Express coach costs about £17 pp & takes about 2 hours. Less than a dozen coaches each day, but almost certainly more than the current Covid skeleton service.

https://www.nationalexpress.com/en

By train takes longer because there are changes, and it costs more than twice as much. 

By pre-booked private transfer (I can make suggestions) costs south of £100 for a sedan, takes about 90 minutes. 

 

From LGW a direct hourly train service (station in the airport) takes about 2 hours, fare can be as low as £5 pp for tickets pre-purchased from about six weeks out

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

There's also a Nat Express coach service, but train is preferable.

Private transfer from LGW to Southampton about £125, takes about 2 hours.

 

If you want to spend more time in the big bad city, you could spend all your time there and take the train to Southampton on cruise morning. Poorer frequency on a sunday, but no worries on a cruise morning by train, or private transfer £135 - £145), or cruise tour/transfer via Stonehenge with https://www.internationalfriends.co.uk/london-heathrow-to-southampton-via-stonehenge.html

 

JB 🙂

* At about 4,30 in the morning 😋

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MrsTocko]

6 minutes ago, John Bull said:

 

NCL normally berth at City Cruise Terminal (berth 101). Rear rooms at Holiday Inn look over the berth, or from a room at the front you can watch your ship steaming up Southampton Water *

Premier Inn West Quay, Leonardo Royal, and quirky Pig-in-the-Wall are very close and a number of other hotels in the area, and the city centre (The Bargate) is a 5 to 10 minute walk..

https://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/southampton_accommodation.htm (the thumbnail map at the bottom also shows cruise berths etc. And other pages are very useful for logistics in London)

 

Most trans-Atlantic flights go to Heathrow, comparatively few scheduled flights go to Gatwick. Virgin Atlantic & Norwegian are amongst those which have had scheduled trans-Atlantic flights into Gatwick, but the expectation is that with significantly-reduced flights in the future it's Gatwick flights that'll be culled. So odds are that it'll be Heathrow. Not that it matters which airport, both have good transport links to central London & Southampton & transfer costs are tolerably similar - it's just the choice of public transport that differs.

 

Two nights in Southampton  has the major disadvantage that you'd be spending well over 3 hours travelling to & back from London. And that's by train - easily the quickest way. The train fare would be balanced out by the significantly lower hotel rates in Southampton. But, as I found out when checking for another US member, the direct trains from Waterloo to Southampton (2 or 3 per hour) are not currently showing, presumably because of minimal demand due to Covid, so from memory fares about £40 walk-up, or as low as £10 to £20  for pre-booking from about six weeks out.

 

Finding reasonable rates airport to Southampton - isn't that for Option One??

From LHR the direct National Express coach costs about £17 pp & takes about 2 hours. Less than a dozen coaches each day, but almost certainly more than the current Covid skeleton service.

https://www.nationalexpress.com/en

By train takes longer because there are changes, and it costs more than twice as much. 

By pre-booked private transfer (I can make suggestions) costs south of £100 for a sedan, takes about 90 minutes. 

 

From LGW a direct hourly train service (station in the airport) takes about 2 hours, fare can be as low as £5 pp for tickets pre-purchased from about six weeks out

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

There's also a Nat Express coach service, but train is preferable.

Private transfer from LGW to Southampton about £125, takes about 2 hours.

 

If you want to spend more time in the big bad city, you could spend all your time there and take the train to Southampton on cruise morning. Poorer frequency on a sunday, but no worries on a cruise morning by train, or private transfer £135 - £145), or cruise tour/transfer via Stonehenge with https://www.internationalfriends.co.uk/london-heathrow-to-southampton-via-stonehenge.html

 

JB 🙂

* At about 4,30 in the morning 😋

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you.  I still have time, cruise is in July 2022, so I know many things many change.  But I will keep this post in my head and come back for the websites.  Neither DH nor I will want to travel to port morning of cruise from London. We will also want the chance to explore around Southampton a bit.

 

If we did stay the 2 nights at the port, the time on the train allows us to make our plan. And then relax a little on the way back to Southampton. We are easy going, early risers, so grabbing a coffee and pastry and getting on the train sounds like a great way to kill time while waiting for places to open for tourists...and a snack for the way back, because we will want to eat dinner in Southampton.

 

Thanks again

 

 

[John Bull]

6 minutes ago, MrsTocko said:

Thank you.  I still have time, cruise is in July 2022, so I know many things many change.  But I will keep this post in my head and come back for the websites.  Neither DH nor I will want to travel to port morning of cruise from London. We will also want the chance to explore around Southampton a bit.

 

If we did stay the 2 nights at the port, the time on the train allows us to make our plan. And then relax a little on the way back to Southampton. We are easy going, early risers, so grabbing a coffee and pastry and getting on the train sounds like a great way to kill time while waiting for places to open for tourists...and a snack for the way back, because we will want to eat dinner in Southampton.

 

Thanks again

 

 

 

 

Can't give you precise details because of incomplete train timetables, but the cost of a train to London early-morning is pretty prohibitive - trains which arrive in London after 10am are massively cheaper & would cost even an early-riser only an hour or so in London. So get up at my time of the morning 😉

But you're not constrained by the need to return to Southampton to start your cruise same-day, so you could return in the evening. But restaurants & pubs in Southampton stop taking food orders around 8.30 to 9.00pm, so I suggest you aim to dine in London (along the South Bank of the Thames?) or be back in Southampton by 8pm.

 

JB 🙂 

[goofysmom99]

I know next April is a ways out, but assuming the world gets back to some semblance of normalcy, I have a question about transfers from the pier to LHR.  Smiths is no longer on my short list so is Blackberry FROM the pier to LHR pretty much the same as Aquacars and Westquay?  Or is Blackberry better TO the pier?  I'm more interested in reliability/service than minor differences in price.  Thanks in advance. 

[scottbee]

On 3/30/2021 at 7:21 AM, MrsTocko said:

Thank you.  I still have time, cruise is in July 2022, so I know many things many change.  But I will keep this post in my head and come back for the websites.  Neither DH nor I will want to travel to port morning of cruise from London. We will also want the chance to explore around Southampton a bit.

 

If we did stay the 2 nights at the port, the time on the train allows us to make our plan. And then relax a little on the way back to Southampton. We are easy going, early risers, so grabbing a coffee and pastry and getting on the train sounds like a great way to kill time while waiting for places to open for tourists...and a snack for the way back, because we will want to eat dinner in Southampton.

 

As JB pointed out, trains are more expensive (and waaaaay more crowded) if you plan to arrive in London prior to 10a, or plan to leave between 3-6p due to the commuter traffic.

Staying in London, it's dead simple to get to the port reliably same day, it's 1h30 on the train, with 3x trains an hour, and as you're leaving London not arriving during the morning rush, trains should be pretty empty. Perhaps if you do want to explore Southampton, plan on staying one day, but if you're planning on exploring London, it really does make more sense to stay in London, rather than stay outside, and cram yourself into commuter rail into the city early morning

 

[MrsTocko]

On 6/12/2021 at 4:07 PM, scottbee said:

 

As JB pointed out, trains are more expensive (and waaaaay more crowded) if you plan to arrive in London prior to 10a, or plan to leave between 3-6p due to the commuter traffic.

Staying in London, it's dead simple to get to the port reliably same day, it's 1h30 on the train, with 3x trains an hour, and as you're leaving London not arriving during the morning rush, trains should be pretty empty. Perhaps if you do want to explore Southampton, plan on staying one day, but if you're planning on exploring London, it really does make more sense to stay in London, rather than stay outside, and cram yourself into commuter rail into the city early morning

 

DH has now told me that he is ok NOT going back into London to see Parliament, The Crown Jewels, The Tower, and The Bridge (I think it is the Tower Bridge, as I think that "London Bridge" is by The London Eye right?).  He wants to be sure that we do get back to Stonehenge though.  Anyway, if we DO go back to London, will be on a Saturday morning to Waterloo station, do the things I listed, then back to Southampton. So a crowded train won't bother us too much.  But now I am going to check again different day trip options from Southampton to Stonehenge. Last time we were in England, we did the Windsor/Bath/Stonehenge tour from London.  Will see what I can find.  Most likely will be the same tour, but that is OK too.

[Jadn13]

I just  received a very reasonable quote from Blackberry Cars.

Pick up in Mayfair to LHR  

It’s worth reaching out for anyone who may be pricing out 2022 trips. 

[RSLeesburg]

15 hours ago, Jadn13 said:

I just  received a very reasonable quote from Blackberry Cars.

Pick up in Mayfair to LHR  

It’s worth reaching out for anyone who may be pricing out 2022 trips. 

Thanks for tip.  My wife and I were just discussing planning for our cruise next summer, as we plan to stay a few nights in London - probably in Mayfair area, and debating on whether to take a car down in the morning to Southampton, or head down the night before.  

[njkruzer]

On 6/5/2021 at 5:13 PM, goofysmom99 said:

I know next April is a ways out, but assuming the world gets back to some semblance of normalcy, I have a question about transfers from the pier to LHR.  Smiths is no longer on my short list so is Blackberry FROM the pier to LHR pretty much the same as Aquacars and Westquay?  Or is Blackberry better TO the pier?  I'm more interested in reliability/service than minor differences in price.  Thanks in advance. 

Why have you taken Smiths off your short list?  Used it 2017 from Southampton to Lhr with no problems.   Need to go to Southampton from London in October. 

[goofysmom99]

24 minutes ago, njkruzer said:

Why have you taken Smiths off your short list?  Used it 2017 from Southampton to Lhr with no problems.   Need to go to Southampton from London in October. 

They left me in the lurch, so to speak, in 2019.  I'd been emailing them without response with updates on my delayed flight.  Finally, just as we were pushing back from the gate at JFK, I received an email cancelling my reservation.  That was some gut punch.  Fortunately, AA's wifi worked so I was able to search for and book Blackberry, pay via Paypal, and receive a confirmation, all within the span of 5 minutes, while we were still taxiing.  I'd used Smiths for years and I'm sure they're still fine, just not for me anymore.  (BTW, the gentleman from Blackberry drove a brand new BMW.  Nice ride and even nicer driver.)  Even though it's months away, I've already booked with Blackberry.  Ticking off that box gave me a confidence boost that cruising will back to normal by then.