Cheap shared transfers from Heathrow to Southampton

[MsScot]

Hi we are going to be flying from Edinburgh to Heathrow or Gatwick. I am travelling with 3 teenagers. What is the cheapest way to get from either airport to the Southampton cruise port. Happy to share coach transfers but can't find them. Or is it cheaper to get an Uber? I don't need fancy pants private transfers Thanks

[John Bull]

Most cruise lines (but not Fred) offer transfer coaches from LHR and LGW on sailing day - check with your cruise line. 

But those transfers are over-priced at $65 to $100 (yes, that's US dollars for US ships)

 

Fred (and Thomson/Marella?) offer coaches from Scotland to Southampton, but that'd be leaving from Scotland at daft o'clock. I think MSC still have an arrangement with Nat Express for coaches from anywhere in the UK, but I guarantee that'd be via at least one coach change (central London) - not a fun way to start a holiday

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From LHR a direct coach to Southampton coach station. 

https://www.nationalexpress.com/en

You should be OK by booking a coach which gives 90 minutes from touchdown to Heathrow central bus station (for terminals 2 & 3) or the Nat Exp stops on the concourses outside T4 and T5. 

For coaches from airports only, Nat Express tickets are transferable to an earlier or later coach, subject to a small admin charge  (not always charged)

It's possible to travel from LHR by RailAir bus to the mainline stations of Woking or Reading, for a direct train to Southampton central station. Not popular because it involves schlepping luggage from RailAir bus to train, it's a lot more expensive than Nat Express, and it's slower. But several chances per hour and no need to pre-book, so worth remembering as a Plan B if other arrangements go belly-up.

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From LGW (except on sundays) direct hourly trains to Southampton Central rail station  

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

Gatwick station is in South Terminal, there's a robot-driven shuttletrain between north & south terminals.

Buy cheap advance train tickets about six to eight weeks out if you are prepared to take the risk that you'll be in time for the train time that you booked. If you miss the booked train your pre-paid tickets are trash.

There's no direct train service from LGW on sundays - can still be done but involves a convoluted route and two train changes. So on a sunday its best to pre-book a direct Nat Express coach (7-day service).

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Southampton rail station and coach station are walkable (in decent weather) to City cruise terminal, other cruise terminals need a taxi hop of £6 to £10

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I only have experience of Uber for local trips, but I'm not so sure that'd be cheaper than a fixed-price pre-booked private taxi transfer of 65 to 88 miles to Southampton. As far as I know Uber's quoted prices are only ball-park and could be higher than quoted  if for instance demand is high or there's a traffic hold-up.

And the risk of no driver being available or willing to oblige.

Pre-booked transfer about £90 from LHR, about £115 from LGW. through https://www.smithsairportcars.co.uk/ or http://www.aquacars.co.uk/  

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There are direct FlyBe flights from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Southampton airport (SOU)

Taxi from Southampton airport to ship about £20 (or frequent train + taxi tho the total saving would be small)

 

JB 

 

 

[MicCanberra]

International friends have some nice transfers that include some places of interests along the way as well.

[Bob++]

On 2/23/2020 at 7:06 PM, John Bull said:

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There are direct FlyBe flights from Glasgow and Edinburgh to Southampton airport (SOU)

Taxi from Southampton airport to ship about £20 (or frequent train + taxi tho the total saving would be small)

 

JB 

 

 

I was wondering why the OP was going via LHR or GTW.  SOU direct seems so much better and  is far easier to negotiate than the others.

Edited March 1, 2020 by Bob++

[DreadPirateRobert]

Will it be difficult to get an Uber or taxi from LHR  to Portsmouth on a Friday morning? We're going to Portsmouth a few days ahead of our NCL cruise out of Southampton in May.

I'm quite certain that after a 9 plus hour flight we're not going to want to haul luggage around train or bus stations or negotiate transfers. Should we make some kind of advance arrangements or are we likely to find something on the spot

Thanks...

[Bob++]

A pre-booked car will almost certainly be the better option. Try the usual suspects. They are based in the Portsmouth/Southampton area so are relatively cheaper than those based around Heathrow.

 

http://www.smithsairportcars.co.uk/

http://www.aquacars.co.uk/

 

 

[DreadPirateRobert]

On 3/1/2020 at 10:04 AM, Bob++ said:

A pre-booked car will almost certainly be the better option. Try the usual suspects. They are based in the Portsmouth/Southampton area so are relatively cheaper than those based around Heathrow.

 

http://www.smithsairportcars.co.uk/

http://www.aquacars.co.uk/

 

 

Bob++

Thanks so much for the referral to Smithairportcars.  I e-mailed them last night and by midmorning today we were set up for all our transport needs. Their prices were quite reasonable and I can't say enough about their timely responses.

 

 

 

[Bob++]

If your Portsmouth stay includes a visit to The Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, be sure to buy tickets in advance for the discount. Also note that the Mary Rose exhibition, while it is within the Dockyard, is run as a separate business. Why they don't sell joint admission is a mystery to me.

 

https://www.historicdockyard.co.uk/

https://maryrose.org/

 

If you want to visit both, plan on spending a whole day there.

[John Bull]

On 3/4/2020 at 8:00 AM, Bob++ said:

 

https://www.historicdockyard.co.uk/

https://maryrose.org/

 

If you want to visit both, plan on spending a whole day there.

 

Altho tickets allow only one tour of each ship (and yes, because its a charitable institution & not funded by the govt / Royal Navy there's an extra charge to visit Mary Rose), dockyard admission tickets are good for a year

So because Robert is planning a few days in Portsmouth and a full dockyard day might be dockyard over-load, spread the time in the dockyard  /ships over two or three days interspersed with other attractions in Portsmouth & the surrounding area.

 

And there are plenty of other attractions......

 

Within about 100 yards of the dockyard gate, Gunwharf Quays and its Spinnaker Tower (worth going up only on a clear day).

 

 A 15-minute walk or very short taxi hop to Old Portsmouth and its defensive fortifications.

And its pubs (the Spice Island Inn & the Still and West are both located right at the mouth of Portsmouth Harbour)

 

 Southsea seafront, a five-minute taxi or bus ride, has

- a D-Day museum.

- next door to that is Southsea Castle, from which Henry V111 watched Mary Rose capsize & sink (so much for Britain's much-vaunted prowess at seamanship ). The castle is small, but admission is free.

- lots of smaller memorials & attractions like the Aquarium.

- great views across the Solent to the Isle of Wight. And to the Solent Forts, part of the ring of fortifications around Portsmouth (google Palmerston's Follies)

- the hovercraft ferry to the Isle of Wight.

 

A great 2-mile waterfront walk, a leisurely hour, between Southsea Castle and the Historic dockyard (or your hotel)

https://goo.gl/maps/smy6ffYtwHLjwoen6

 

Out of the city.....

- the Royal Navy Submarine museum, HMS Alliance, is in Gosport, on the other side of Portsmouth Harbour entrance. 

Access via the frequent Gosport Ferry (about 50 pence) close to the dockyard, and a 15 minute walk, or via the dockyard waterbus (Submarine museum and waterbus included in dockyard ticket)

- Fort Nelson. One of that ring of forts surrounding Portsmouth, its on Portsdown Hill, with panoramic views of the city. And it houses an excellent artillery museum. Free entry, but it's a  9 mile / 15 minute / £15? taxi ride from the dockyard. No taxis available there, so fix up for the driver to return for you in 60-90 minutes or use Uber.

- train to the cathedral city of Chichester. Hourly direct service, 30 mins, £9 round-trip fare.

- many other places that I can suggest if you rent a car for a day.

 

BTW, Southampton is about an hour from Portsmouth by train or National Express bus. Fare about £10.

Or if you're feeling lazy get a quote from Smiths.  

 

JB 

 

 

 

 

[DreadPirateRobert]

Bob++ and JB, 

Thanks for the suggestions and thoughts.

We only have part of a Friday, a Saturday and part of a Sunday before we have to be in Southampton ( providing our cruise doesn’t get canceled by one or several governments....)

We are going to have to get in as much as possible but HMS Victory and The Mary Rose are absolute musts. 

[MicCanberra]

On 3/6/2020 at 1:03 AM, John Bull said:

 

Altho tickets allow only one tour of each ship (and yes, because its a charitable institution & not funded by the govt / Royal Navy there's an extra charge to visit Mary Rose), dockyard admission tickets are good for a year

So because Robert is planning a few days in Portsmouth and a full dockyard day might be dockyard over-load, spread the time in the dockyard  /ships over two or three days interspersed with other attractions in Portsmouth & the surrounding area.

 

And there are plenty of other attractions......

 

Within about 100 yards of the dockyard gate, Gunwharf Quays and its Spinnaker Tower (worth going up only on a clear day).

 

 A 15-minute walk or very short taxi hop to Old Portsmouth and its defensive fortifications.

And its pubs (the Spice Island Inn & the Still and West are both located right at the mouth of Portsmouth Harbour)

 

 Southsea seafront, a five-minute taxi or bus ride, has

- a D-Day museum.

- next door to that is Southsea Castle, from which Henry V111 watched Mary Rose capsize & sink (so much for Britain's much-vaunted prowess at seamanship ). The castle is small, but admission is free.

- lots of smaller memorials & attractions like the Aquarium.

- great views across the Solent to the Isle of Wight. And to the Solent Forts, part of the ring of fortifications around Portsmouth (google Palmerston's Follies)

- the hovercraft ferry to the Isle of Wight.

 

A great 2-mile waterfront walk, a leisurely hour, between Southsea Castle and the Historic dockyard (or your hotel)

https://goo.gl/maps/smy6ffYtwHLjwoen6

 

Out of the city.....

- the Royal Navy Submarine museum, HMS Alliance, is in Gosport, on the other side of Portsmouth Harbour entrance. 

Access via the frequent Gosport Ferry (about 50 pence) close to the dockyard, and a 15 minute walk, or via the dockyard waterbus (Submarine museum and waterbus included in dockyard ticket)

- Fort Nelson. One of that ring of forts surrounding Portsmouth, its on Portsdown Hill, with panoramic views of the city. And it houses an excellent artillery museum. Free entry, but it's a  9 mile / 15 minute / £15? taxi ride from the dockyard. No taxis available there, so fix up for the driver to return for you in 60-90 minutes or use Uber.

- train to the cathedral city of Chichester. Hourly direct service, 30 mins, £9 round-trip fare.

- many other places that I can suggest if you rent a car for a day.

 

BTW, Southampton is about an hour from Portsmouth by train or National Express bus. Fare about £10.

Or if you're feeling lazy get a quote from Smiths.  

 

JB 

Great information