Feasibility of a London Day trip on B2B?

[neeuqdrazil]

I, like so many of you, had a TA cancelled (mine was in September), and I'm now thinking that, next year (or the year after), I might want to do a B2B, starting and ending in NYC. But one of the joys, for me, of the TA experience is getting to spend some time in London - I always need to stock up on Fortnum & Mason tea, hit Irregular Choice for a new pair of shoes, and swing by the yarn store for a little browse. 

 

Has anyone done a flying London trip on a B2B? 

 

My other thinking was to do a B2B, but schedule it for when QM2 proceeds on to Hamburg, so I'd have a few days in London in the middle - has anyone done this? 

 

[Guest SilverHengroen]

Too risky IMO. All being perfect it'd be doable, even doable without too much time pressure, but with transport infrastructure being what it is that 2h coach/taxi journey or 90m train ride can quickly balloon unbelievably (particularly if you're talking replacement bus on a cancelled train service!). For a 5pm all aboard time for a 6pm departure, I wouldn't want to be leaving London any later than 2pm (and that's without any major disruption). 

[BklynBoy8]

neeuqdrazil,

If you get a chance to spend a day in London, we enjoyed our two stays there.

 

It is a really different city to visit away from the US with such interesting sights. So different from seeing on travel logs and pictures.

 

We also enjoyed trying the different restaurants especially a Pub for Fish & Chips with a Pint of Guinness, a Roast Beef dinner in

Simpson's in the Strand and High Tea in the Waldorf on the Strand...

 

Enjoy London...

[exlondoner]

I think a four day stay while QM2 goes to Hamburg is a much better idea, though you miss Hamburg, also a lovely city. On a day trip to London you spend such a large proportion travelling, and what you do see is rushed. If you stay a few days, you can relax, visit different sites as you want, and not be anxious. The train from Soton goes to Waterloo, which is conveniently central. Stay in one of the hotels on the South Bank and you can walk to many places and take the bus to most of the rest. London is a wonderful city for ambling around, nearly every street has an unexpectedly interesting building.

[rafinmd]

How a

8 hours ago, exlondoner said:

I think a four day stay while QM2 goes to Hamburg is a much better idea, though you miss Hamburg, also a lovely city. On a day trip to London you spend such a large proportion travelling, and what you do see is rushed. If you stay a few days, you can relax, visit different sites as you want, and not be anxious. The train from Soton goes to Waterloo, which is conveniently central. Stay in one of the hotels on the South Bank and you can walk to many places and take the bus to most of the rest. London is a wonderful city for ambling around, nearly every street has an unexpectedly interesting building.

How about modifying this with an open jaw.  QM2 to Hamburg, at least overnight there, and then about a 10-hour return by train (or air) to London:

 

https://www.seat61.com/Germany.htm#London_to_Osnabrück,_Bremen,_Hamburg

 

You could possibly even book the round trip and ask for a deviation for 2 nights off the ship with all but an overnight bag secure in your cabin.

 

Roy

[Bigmike911]

On 6/25/2020 at 2:16 PM, neeuqdrazil said:

I, like so many of you, had a TA cancelled (mine was in September), and I'm now thinking that, next year (or the year after), I might want to do a B2B, starting and ending in NYC. But one of the joys, for me, of the TA experience is getting to spend some time in London - I always need to stock up on Fortnum & Mason tea, hit Irregular Choice for a new pair of shoes, and swing by the yarn store for a little browse. 

 

Has anyone done a flying London trip on a B2B? 

 

My other thinking was to do a B2B, but schedule it for when QM2 proceeds on to Hamburg, so I'd have a few days in London in the middle - has anyone done this? 

 

Yes, except I went to Scotland for the four days. I booked it as two one way crossings, left my big bag in Southampton (a service Cunard offers on board) and it was in my new suite when I got back to QM2.  By the way Fortnums has tea on line and you can order any kind you want. I start my day with Fortnum's Royal blend and later in the hot Texas afternoon, put more cold water in the post for a glass or two wonderful of iced tea. There is a twenty or thirty pound shipping charge, but if you want a quantity, you can order the refills as opposed to the metal tins, which weigh less. It comes quickly with DHL. 

 

If you shop at Fortnums in person, they have a special where you can fill a small grocery trolley and ship the goods to the US for 25 pounds. I always do that with spices, preserves and marmalades in the mix with the tea. 

Edited June 27, 2020 by Bigmike911

[navybankerteacher]

Hardly worth the effort: off the ship by 8:00 might put you in London by 10:00 add 30 minutes to get to a place you want to hit means 10:30.  To be reasonably comfortable about making sailing you would want to leave London by 2:00 PM - or your last stop at 1:30.   That maximum of three hours effective time in London  against five hours hustling (and perhaps worrying about delay getting back to Southampton) is a bad trade.

[Brindlebury]

Let the ship sail on to Hamburg and give yourself the time in London. You will never regret it.

As others have said, if you choose the 1 day on a B2B, half the time will be in transit, and you will forever be rushing and looking  at your watch. Trust me, once you're there you'll relish the unhurried time.  

For 7 years now, we've taken a December westbound crossing on the QM2 preceded by 2 weeks in London.  There is never  enough time in this most wonderful of cities.  And what a joy to step aboard the QM2 again for the return trip.  

I can think of nothing lovelier.   

May we all be sailing again soon!

[BlueRiband]

I did the four days in London while the ship was continuing on to Hamburg.  Glad I did and got to do the main "tourist things".  I booked a sedan transfer to my London hotel and also arranged pickup for the return WB sailing.

 

Many will recommend that you NOT try to get to London if you are on a B2B turnaround in Southampton.  As other have said you will spend most of your time in transit and in a constant state of anxiety over getting back to the ship in time.

 

Cunard offers tours for those on B2Bs but the options will depend entirely on how many passengers are doing this.  Windsor castle, New Forest, Maritime Museum, and Bombay Distillery are some of the tours that were offered in the past.  There is a bus shuttle to the West Quay shopping but it's nothing special. 

[david,Mississauga]

6 hours ago, BlueRiband said:

 ... There is a bus shuttle to the West Quay shopping but it's nothing special. 

 

West Quay has a Marks and Spencer, something not available in Canada for about 20 years. I need not elaborate about the many delectables that we purchase to bring home. It is also a good source for reasonably-priced Champagne, etc, for the return crossing.

 

Although we have not yet done a B2B as such, we spent a night in Southampton prior to a w/b crossing and did go into London for part of the departure day many decades ago. The QE2 had a delay and boarding was put back to 9:00 p.m. Cunard arranged complimentary coach tours to a variety of destinations, but we had a day left on our Britrail Pass so we went into London on our own. We would not have done that if the departure was the usual 5:00 p.m

[exlondoner]

37 minutes ago, david,Mississauga said:

 

West Quay has a Marks and Spencer, something not available in Canada for about 20 years. I need not elaborate about the many delectables that we purchase to bring home. It is also a good source for reasonably-priced Champagne, etc, for the return crossing.

 

 

And the cakes in the John Lewis Café are extra specially delicious. Important, of course, because everyone knows you don't get any food on Cunard. 😀

[neeuqdrazil]

3 hours ago, david,Mississauga said:

 

West Quay has a Marks and Spencer, something not available in Canada for about 20 years. I need not elaborate about the many delectables that we purchase to bring home. It is also a good source for reasonably-priced Champagne, etc, for the return crossing.

 

M&S is one of the places that I always hit. My favourite linen shirt came from there the first time I did at TA (eastbound, with a couple of days in London on the back end. I spilled something on my top at breakfast, and rather than venturing halfway across the city to get back to my AirBnB to change, I stopped in at M&S, and bought new clothes. 😛

 

But I think that the consensus is that the one-day London is just too much. I'll either do the 3 days in London, or do what I had planned to do this year, and fly to London, spend a few days there, and then get on the ship for the return voyage. (Much depends on how my company decides to deal with untaken vacation from this year, and whether I can afford to take 3 weeks of vacation.) 

Edited June 28, 2020 by neeuqdrazil

[MarkBearSF]

If doing the West Quay shuttle, one essential stop is Boots (Drug Store) since, by that time, inevitably there are some odds, ends, and essentials to stock up on. Occasionally the Daily Programme mentions something like a &5 fee for the shuttle, but we’ve never seen anyone charged.