Best way to get to Southampton from Wales / Haverfordwest

[Presto2]

To anyone who lives in that part of the world, my friend would be eternally grateful if anyone could give her some good advice.

She is on her first cruise with us and lives in Haverfordwest. At the moment she is being collected by coach from Pont Abraham a M4 service station.

It is a way from her home and a taxi is about £100 ...

Can anyone who may have done this route before or lives close by give me any tips to pass on re the best way to get from Haverfordwest to Southampton?

Many thanks 

 

Have created a roll call for specific info

 

Edited March 18, 2023 by Presto2

[Host Hattie]

Train with a change in Cardiff?

[wowzz]

Train is the answer,  I'm seeing return fares of just over £100.

 

[Presto2]

1 hour ago, Presto2 said:

To anyone who lives in that part of the world, my friend would be eternally grateful if anyone could give her some good advice.

She is on her first cruise with us and lives in Haverfordwest. At the moment she is being collected by coach from Pont Abraham a M4 service station.

It is a way from her home and a taxi is about £100 ...

Can anyone who may have done this route before or lives close by give me any tips to pass on re the best way to get from Haverfordwest to Southampton?

Many thanks 

 

Have set up a roll call if anyone can be more specific re a transfer

 

Just a concern that she would travel the day she sails ..... that would worry me ..

[Presto2]

Think she has the coach fare included ........... if I was going by train I'd go the day before and stay at a hotel. Perhaps we are too careful ...

[Host Hattie]

She should be able swap the coach for OBC. What time is the coach pick up ? 

[Presto2]

22 minutes ago, Host Hattie said:

She should be able swap the coach for OBC. What time is the coach pick up ? 

She is not sure yet to be honest ------ I will double check.

It is all so new to her --- very excited and we want it to the best experience ever 😉

[John Bull]

5 hours ago, wowzz said:

Train is the answer,  I'm seeing return fares of just over £100.

 

 

4 hours ago, Presto2 said:

Just a concern that she would travel the day she sails ..... that would worry me ..

 

I/m seeing the same as wowzz - return train fare from Haverfordwest £104.90, with a window of about 40 minutes to change train at Cardiff 

Early-morning start  at  6.09  to arrive Southampton at 12.02pm or 7.17am to arrive at 1.04pm 

 

Or a train at a much more sociable hour the previous day, say 11.19 to arrive 5.05pm or 1.15pm to arrive 7.09pm, both with the same good window for a change at Cardiff. Same return fare plus a Southampton hotel room for less than a taxi to the coach pick-up point, and a lazy lie-in both days. 

 

National Express coach would be via a change in London and take 11hours. 

Half the cost of the train but definitely needs an overnight Southampton hotel.

 

Ship's coach pick up time probably won't be known until a week or two before the cruise - planning what coaches go where and when depends on how many passengers are booked from where. But again, expect an early start plus the £100 and an hour to get to the pick-up point.

I see that as a poorer option than the train, and If the cruise fare includes the ship-sponsored coach passengers usually have the options of free port parking or on-board credit (to spend on drinks, excursions, dining upgrades etc).

 

I see the train as by far the best option, at what time & on which day is more a personal choice.

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

(destination is Southampton Central station)

 

Just MHO as always

 

JB 🙂

Edited March 18, 2023 by John Bull

[wowzz]

Personally,  given current strike actions, I would go the day before my cruise, and stay overnight in Southampton.  Much less stress. 

As always,  JB is spot on.

[Cardiff girl]

I agree about considering an overnight stay, with so much travel disruption. I've stayed near the station and enjoyed meeting others I'd met through roll calls on here and Facebook.

If you're driving down to meet her, hotels offer parking and transfer deals - an extra evening with your friend? 

I've also been offered a lift on a roll call. It was after I'd booked the train, but you never know. Happy travels! 

[Presto2]

10 hours ago, Cardiff girl said:

I agree about considering an overnight stay, with so much travel disruption. I've stayed near the station and enjoyed meeting others I'd met through roll calls on here and Facebook.

If you're driving down to meet her, hotels offer parking and transfer deals - an extra evening with your friend? 

I've also been offered a lift on a roll call. It was after I'd booked the train, but you never know. Happy travels! 

We have stayed in Southampton a number of times but the journey where it was the trip from hell where it took us 7 hours to get home has made the idea of the coach ideal for hubby. Less stressful. Plus we are in school until the Thursday tea time so by the time we got there it would be time to go to bed.

 

Thanks to everyone else for your ideas. I have passed them on. My friend uses a walking stick though so I think the changing trains mid way and dragging suitcases may be difficult.

 

 

[Host Hattie]

There are lifts between platforms at Cardiff Central so it's not a particularly difficult change.

In this case trains are normally just across the platform from each other. 

[Cardiff girl]

1 hour ago, Host Hattie said:

There are lifts between platforms at Cardiff Central so it's not a particularly difficult change.

In this case trains are normally just across the platform from each other. 

She could book assistance at stations:

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations_destinations/plan-assistance.aspx

[longstrider]

aa coach solution is Intercruises

 : we havent used them so should n't  really comment 

N