Transfer back to London after cruise with sightseeing

[RSLeesburg]

I am looking at booking transfers from London to Southampton for our July Anthem cruise - considering Blackberry.  But after the cruise, I was wondering if there were any that ran transfer plus a sightseeing stops.  I noticed that RCI offers two but then they go to airport after tour and we are going to hotel afterwards.  

[John Bull]

International Friends is a long-established coach operator who added cruise tour-transfers about 6 years ago. Well received by CC members.

Pre-cruise tour-transfers are quite limited because of the need to register at cruise terminals mid-afternoon, their three post-cruise transfers to London are much more comprehensive.

The service is just for cruise passengers, and is from the ship via the listed sights to hotel drop-offs in  Heathrow or central London. 

https://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/southampton-from-london-via-stonehenge.html

 

(useful logistical info about London on other pages of that website)

 

JB 🙂 

Edited April 5, 2022 by John Bull

[phabric]

I have used www.internationalfriends.co.uk from Southampton and Dover to London.

 

They picked us up in a large Coach at the ship’s dock.  We had stops at Salisbury, Stonehenge, Windsor.  At Windsor they transferred the luggage and passengers to a van being dropped of at London hotels.  They dropped me off at the door of my London hotel around 6pm (not quite sure of the time).  
 

Buy your tickets for Stonehenge and Windsor through them to save time at the sites.  They do not stop for lunch, guide advised to purchase food at Salisbury to eat on Coach or bring something from the ship to eat.  We were told a time at each stop to return to the Coach.

[Wayfairers]

In 2016 we used Smith’s for Airports.  Didn’t make any stops but it was a private transfer so I suspect we could have.  I think they may have gone out of business based on a quick google search.  Have you tried Tours by Locals or a similar company?

[RSLeesburg]

On 4/4/2022 at 8:37 PM, John Bull said:

International Friends is a long-established coach operator who added cruise tour-transfers about 6 years ago. Well received by CC members.

Pre-cruise tour-transfers are quite limited because of the need to register at cruise terminals mid-afternoon, their three post-cruise transfers to London are much more comprehensive.

The service is just for cruise passengers, and is from the ship via the listed sights to hotel drop-offs in  Heathrow or central London. 

https://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/southampton-from-london-via-stonehenge.html

 

(useful logistical info about London on other pages of that website)

 

JB 🙂 

Excellent - this is exactly what we were looking for!  Thanks.  

[jdw123]

On 4/4/2022 at 8:37 PM, John Bull said:

International Friends is a long-established coach operator who added cruise tour-transfers about 6 years ago. Well received by CC members.

Pre-cruise tour-transfers are quite limited because of the need to register at cruise terminals mid-afternoon, their three post-cruise transfers to London are much more comprehensive.

The service is just for cruise passengers, and is from the ship via the listed sights to hotel drop-offs in  Heathrow or central London. 

https://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/southampton-from-london-via-stonehenge.html

 

(useful logistical info about London on other pages of that website)

 

JB 🙂 

So can you recommend someone else.  International Friends just cancelled their Cotswold Villages, Downton Abbey locations & Country Pub Lunch to London we had with them on 13 August 2022.  Shortage of guides.  And we already have their other two options covered.  😞  

[GloriaF]

Following this thread for 2023. 

[John Bull]

On 4/9/2022 at 5:12 PM, jdw123 said:

So can you recommend someone else.  International Friends just cancelled their Cotswold Villages, Downton Abbey locations & Country Pub Lunch to London we had with them on 13 August 2022.  Shortage of guides.  And we already have their other two options covered.  😞  

 

That's a great shame, and there's no other coach operator offering cruise tour-transfers.

 

Have you checked whether your ship offers a transfer with a stop or two on the way?

 

Best I can suggest is a private tour-transfer.

Most likely is "Discover the South",  a touring arm of West Quay Cars, used by many cruise passengers for simple  transfers from Southampton to London and its airports. They can tailor a tour/transfer to your requirements. The drivers that West Quay allocate to Discover the South jobs aren't qualified guides but are their most knowledgeable, experienced and customer-friendly drivers.

Being private tours, the cost will be a lot higher than seats-in-bus, but it costs nothing to get an e-mailed quote.

. https://www.cruisesouthampton.com/places/discover-the-south

 

JB 🙂

Edited April 11, 2022 by John Bull

[phabric]

If you are interested from London www.evanevantours.com goes to -

- Blenheim Palace

- Downton Abbey Village

- Cotswolds 

 

I took this tour.and enjoyed it.

 

[GloriaF]

The Cotswolds and Downton Abbey Village are two places I want to visit in 2023. I made a note, thanks for the info, phabric!

 

Would love any info available for the best tours for seeing such places where films like Harry Potter and TV shows like Father Brown and Midsomer Murders were set?  Thanks!

Edited April 14, 2022 by GloriaF

[John Bull]

Duplicate

Edited April 15, 2022 by John Bull

[John Bull]

18 hours ago, GloriaF said:

The Cotswolds and Downton Abbey Village are two places I want to visit in 2023. I made a note, thanks for the info, phabric!

 

Would love any info available for the best tours for seeing such places where films like Harry Potter and TV shows like Father Brown and Midsomer Murders were set?  Thanks!

 

The main Harry Potter locations (not my sort of genre, I've never read a book or seen a film) are up in the north-east of England & in Scotland. And of course at London's Kings Cross station.

But the studio scenes were filmed at Warner Bros studios near Watford, 20 miles north-west of  central London. The Harry Potter Tour is a big attraction there. By train or bus or tour-bus .

Google The Harry Potter Tour.

 

Father Brown is mainly filmed in the West Country - Gloucestershire & the western Cotswolds, and into Somerset..

Quite spread-out locations, difficult to fit into a tour. (Another series I've not seen)

 

Midsomer isn't a town, indeed it shouldn't be, cos 250+ murders is quite a high crime rate for one little market-town.😄 

The series set in multiple towns & villages, and across the counties of Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, within a 50-mile arc of London. Needs an aficionado to map and drive all the places, I don't know if there are any Midsomer Murder tours available from London

 

Downton Abbey is set in Highclere Castle, near Newbury, Berkshire . 65 miles by train from London plus taxi from Newbury, or 35 miles by road from Southampton, or tour buses from London. Google "Downton Abbey Tour" 

 

JB 🙂

Edited April 15, 2022 by John Bull

[Crown Vic]

We booked a car and driver for the day from Aquacars.co.uk from Southampton to London and stopped to do some sightseeing including Highclere. Not a particularly inexpensive way to go but provided maximum flexibility. BTW, best to book your Highclere tickets ahead if planning a visit to ‘Downton Abbey’. Good luck! Cheers!

[Cotswold Eagle]

14 hours ago, John Bull said:

Father Brown is mainly filmed in the West Country - Gloucestershire & the western Cotswolds, and into Somerset..

Quite spread-out locations, difficult to fit into a tour. (Another series I've not seen)

The main base for Father Brown is the village of Blockley in the north Cotswolds, about 3 miles from Moreton-in-Marsh station (trains take 1 hour 30 minutes from Paddington station in London). As it happens I live very close by. Blockley church and vicarage are used for Father Brown’s. But as JB says, other locations are scattered round the Cotswolds. We get visitors coming to see the church (many of whom are confused to find it  Anglican). 
 

I have seen one private ‘Father Brown’ tour from London that heads to Blockley, but most visitors arrive on local private tours or independently. Blockley is not a regular tourist destination and fortunately we don’t get any of the big coach tours, who would find it extremely difficult to get into the village and park. 

[GloriaF]

Thanks John Bull, Crown Vic and Cotswold Eagle for the replies!

 

To clarify,  Harry Potter question was for my husband...I've seen many of the movies bc of going w/him.  I realized Midsomer Murders were filmed in various villages, and I did find a walking tour on your own or a group tour.  I would prefer the walking tour, I think.  The areas are always so beautiful and quaint to us, and can imagine dawdling in admiration and snapping photos on a tour.  We watch and enjoy various British tv series on our local PBS (public broadcasting stations) from the silly Britcoms like Keeping up Appearances, As Time Goes By, to series dramas like Midsomer Murders, Agatha Christie, etc.  I will look into tours as time gets closer.

 

In addition, DH would love to hike, he finds the idea of walking across fields with fences and gates, the "no paths barred" idea intriguing.  He has done 500 miles across northern Spain on the Camino del Santiago pilgrimage, but I am not up to such adventures!  Shorter, easy day hikes maybe.  But to do such in-depth sightseeing will take weeks, not a couple of days.  We would need to find accomodations less expensive than the usual hotels we stay in.  I don't really know why I am including this last paragraph except as a "get-to-know-you" .  I truly appreciate all the info I have received from posting on cruise critic.  

[Crown Vic]

8 minutes ago, GloriaF said:

Thanks John Bull, Crown Vic and Cotswold Eagle for the replies!

Pleasure, GloriaF. Both JB and Cotswold Eagle are super helpful. 

BTW, DH would enjoy the Warner Brothers’ Harry Potter Studio Tour. We booked through Goldentours.com. The tour included transportation from Central London.

Enjoy your trip. Cheers!

[jdw123]

On 4/10/2022 at 9:28 PM, John Bull said:

 

That's a great shame, and there's no other coach operator offering cruise tour-transfers.

 

Have you checked whether your ship offers a transfer with a stop or two on the way?

 

Best I can suggest is a private tour-transfer.

Most likely is "Discover the South",  a touring arm of West Quay Cars, used by many cruise passengers for simple  transfers from Southampton to London and its airports. They can tailor a tour/transfer to your requirements. The drivers that West Quay allocate to Discover the South jobs aren't qualified guides but are their most knowledgeable, experienced and customer-friendly drivers.

Being private tours, the cost will be a lot higher than seats-in-bus, but it costs nothing to get an e-mailed quote.

. https://www.cruisesouthampton.com/places/discover-the-south

 

JB 🙂

Thank you!!