Help With Train From Southampton Port to Gatwick

[The Traveling Man]

1 hour ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

Can you point to an example of this? Are you saying that check-in closes three hours before a flight somewhere? 

What I said is that many airports request that passengers arrive three hours before the departure time of the flight.  Some state this as a requirement, although sometimes that may be interpreted simply as a strongly worded request.  There are several airports, though, which do close their check-in counters two hours prior to flight time for international flights.  We have encountered this in Rome, Madrid, Barcelona, and Paris.  We have never been late for check in at any of those airports, but we have seen them close the gates behind us and have seen other passengers who arrived after us being turned away.

[gumshoe958]

12 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

What I said is that many airports request that passengers arrive three hours before the departure time of the flight.  Some state this as a requirement, although sometimes that may be interpreted simply as a strongly worded request.  There are several airports, though, which do close their check-in counters two hours prior to flight time for international flights.  We have encountered this in Rome, Madrid, Barcelona, and Paris.  We have never been late for check in at any of those airports, but we have seen them close the gates behind us and have seen other passengers who arrived after us being turned away.

I have never seen that in the UK, or indeed anywhere.

 

The OP hasn’t said which airline they’re flying but British Airways, Delta, JetBlue and Norse Atlantic, which all fly to the US from Gatwick, all close check-in 60 minutes before departure.

 

Edited May 12, 2023 by gumshoe958

[The Traveling Man]

17 minutes ago, gumshoe958 said:

Yes, so your cruise originated outside the UK whereas the OP’s is a closed loop. The UK Border Force is far more likely to take an interest in the former than the latter, hence your delays at passport control. After a closed loop cruise it’s rare to even see the Border Force at Southampton, let alone have to queue.

Thank you.  That's good to know.  Things can be quite different in the US.  We were on a closed loop cruise on the Sky this February from Miami to Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica and other countries before returning to Miami.  US Customs agents took more than two hours to process all the passengers returning to Miami.

[The Traveling Man]

11 minutes ago, gumshoe958 said:

I have never seen that in the UK, or indeed anywhere.

Rome, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona...

[gumshoe958]

Just now, The Traveling Man said:

Thank you.  That's good to know.  Things can be quite different in the US.  We were on a closed loop cruise on the Sky this February from Miami to Panama, Colombia, Costa Rica and other countries before returning to Miami.  US Customs agents took more than two hours to process all the passengers returning to Miami.

I can’t think why customs would take an interest in a cruise that had stopped in Colombia …

[The Traveling Man]

4 minutes ago, gumshoe958 said:

I can’t think why customs would take an interest in a cruise that had stopped in Colombia …

Actually, the big hang up on that cruise seemed to be Panama.  Most of the other countries that we visited allowed US citizens to visit with any form of government issued photo ID.  Panama required that we carry our passport - no photocopies accepted.

[Globaliser]

2 hours ago, The Traveling Man said:

There are several airports, though, which do close their check-in counters two hours prior to flight time for international flights.

 

I have never seen this anywhere, either.

 

It's possible that El Al does or has in the past applied such a rule, but it's the only airline I can think of that might.

[John Bull]

17 hours ago, The Traveling Man said:

On our last cruise arrival in Southampton, delays with Customs meant that it took two hours from the time we walked out of our stateroom until we got into a taxi. 

 

Customs at UK ports and airports is a walk-thru, you'll only be delayed if a customs officer or his four-legged friend takes an interest in you. You probably mean immigration, where there can be lines anywhere.

But on a British Isles cruise there'll be scant interest from immigration officers, and even if lines did build that'd be later on - the OP will be among the first off the ship.🙂

 

JB 🙂

 

[matamanoa]

There are still some factors that might impede with your getting to the station to catch the earlier train, such as the ship getting back to port later than anticipated and then waiting to get clearance so that passengers can disembark.  There are so many things to consider and we have learned from experience not to fly out on the same day as the ship returns to home port.  We fly out the following day and have a less stressful end to our holiday.

 

Good luck with your plans - I hope it all works out for you.

 

Barb

[The Traveling Man]

4 hours ago, John Bull said:

 

Customs at UK ports and airports is a walk-thru, you'll only be delayed if a customs officer or his four-legged friend takes an interest in you. You probably mean immigration, where there can be lines anywhere.

But on a British Isles cruise there'll be scant interest from immigration officers, and even if lines did build that'd be later on - the OP will be among the first off the ship.🙂

 

JB 🙂

 

Yes, that has been our experience at most UK ports, including two Transatlantic cruises disembarking at Southampton.  On our most recent cruise to Southampton last September, however, we were delayed for almost two hours by Customs officers (or perhaps they were Immigration officers) who carefully examined the passports of everyone exiting the ship.  The ship was cleared for disembarkation at 7:00 AM.  We left our stateroom a couple of minutes after 7:00, took the elevator down to the gangway deck, and found ourselves in line behind about 1000 of the 3000 passengers on board.  It was almost 9:00 AM when we reached the taxi queue outside the terminal.  Our cruise experience may have been a rare anomaly, but I mentioned it as a caution to the OP, who has chosen to plan a very tight schedule for travel from the ship to the airport.

Edited May 13, 2023 by The Traveling Man

[The Traveling Man]

1 hour ago, matamanoa said:

There are still some factors that might impede with your getting to the station to catch the earlier train, such as the ship getting back to port later than anticipated and then waiting to get clearance so that passengers can disembark.  There are so many things to consider and we have learned from experience not to fly out on the same day as the ship returns to home port.  We fly out the following day and have a less stressful end to our holiday.

 

Good luck with your plans - I hope it all works out for you.

 

Barb

I agree wholeheartedly.  The ship could be late arriving in port.  Clearance to disembark could be delayed due to a medical emergency or an error on the ship's manifest.  Taxi drivers could be on strike.  The train could be delayed or cancelled for any number of reasons.  The point is, do you want to run the risk of missing your connection simply to save a few minutes or a few dollars?  You're on vacation.  Why intentionally leave yourself open to the stress of potentially missing your flight or your cruise?  The odds that a problem will occur may be low, but why risk it?  Allow plenty of time, enjoy a beverage or a meal while you wait, and chill out.

[Cotswold Eagle]

20 hours ago, The Traveling Man said:

Rome, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona...

None of those airports have a policy of closing check-in two hours before departure (which in any case would be an airline/ground handler decision).

 

There are a few airline/destination combinations that do have longer than normal (generally an hour) check-in cutoff. At CDG, for example, Air France has a few (mostly Africa or Caribbean) at 75 minutes, but only one at 120 minutes, their flight to Mali. 

 

But as another poster established earlier, at Gatwick the OP will almost certainly have a 60 minute cut off. 

[OverThinker]

I have a similar question as OP.

 

Getting ahead on planning.

Sail on Princess, roundtrip.
Southampton → Norway → Edinburgh → Southampton, disembarking Thu, Jul 3, 2025 (7AM).

 

 

Mixed Mexican and US passports in our group of 4.

Mom is 75, mobile, but not as much energy as the rest of us....  only Mom will depart from the UK on a British Airways flight Gatwick → Cancun, Mexico at 13:25 on disembarkation day (Thursday). 

3 of us are remaining in the UK travelling North, will rent a car at some point.

Am willing to walk-off with luggage early, though I read of people getting stuck in customs.

Do I have a problem making that flight on time? Reading the threads it appears to be hit or miss.

 

Rental car comes to mind, as we will need it for the rest of our journey, and drop it at Heathrow later on.  

 

Options I can think of:

• Rent car and race to Gatwick

     - best rental option and pick-up point

     - suggested route? 

           I noticed routes clock and anti-clockwise, or simply Google Maps at the time?

• Partly transfer service by coach / taxi
• Partly train to avoid traffic congestion?

 

Welcome your thoughts.

Edited July 20 by OverThinker

[John Bull]

25 minutes ago, OverThinker said:

I have a similar question as OP.

 

Getting ahead on planning.

Sail on Princess, roundtrip.
Southampton → Norway → Edinburgh → Southampton, disembarking Thu, Jul 3, 2025 (7AM).

 

 

Mixed Mexican and US passports in our group of 4.

Mom is 75, mobile, but not as much energy as the rest of us....  only Mom will depart from the UK on a British Airways flight Gatwick → Cancun, Mexico at 13:25 on disembarkation day (Thursday). 

3 of us are remaining in the UK travelling North, will rent a car at some point.

Am willing to walk-off with luggage early, though I read of people getting stuck in customs.

Do I have a problem making that flight on time? Reading the threads it appears to be hit or miss.

 

Rental car comes to mind, as we will need it for the rest of our journey, and drop it at Heathrow later on.  

 

Options I can think of:

• Rent car and race to Gatwick

     - best rental option and pick-up point

     - suggested route? 

           I noticed routes clock and anti-clockwise, or simply Google Maps at the time?

• Partly transfer service by coach / taxi
• Partly train to avoid traffic congestion?

 

Welcome your thoughts.

 

Mom's flight from Gatwick.

You're likely to be able to disembark unassisted (haul your own bags from your cabin) from around 7am, or the first tranche of standard disembarkation is usually 7.30 (if you're allocated a later disembarkation, ask at Guest Relations for the earliest tranche, citing mom's onward travel.) 

 Immigration at Southampton is usually quick, Customs is a walk-thru unless your collar is felt, especially with an early disembarkation expect to be at the Cruise Terminal entrance within 20 minutes.

 

Easiest & cheapest is to buy an Advance train ticket from Southampton Central to Gatwick airport, advance tickets are available from 12 weeks out, but are valid only for the train booked. But tickets bought at the station cost only £21.

Trains approx every half-hour.

Southampton Central station is a 5 - 10 minute taxi ride from the cruise terminal, Gatwick Airport station is in the airport's South Terminal, needs internal transportation if flying from the North Terminal.

 

On the National Rail website

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

select your start & finish stations, date and earliest time.

Importantly click on Route via / avoid, and enter  Stopping at HAVANT. 

This gives the times of all trains going via a simple same-platform change of train at Havant. (the alternative is via a much more difficult change of train at big & busy Clapham Junction)

Best train time to give a decent time window at both ends is the 08.50, Mom will arrive at Gatwick at 11.05.

If alternatively you want to aim for the 08.20 that one arrives at 10.39. If you've bought an Advance ticket for it but miss it, hand over your advance ticket at the station booking office & pay the balance of the standard anytime fare of £21. 

 

Or Princess' first transfer coach to Gatwick will depart about 8am.

I think they recommend that folk don't use it if their flight is before 1pm.

Ask about that & the cost on the Princess forum.

 

If alternatively you want to drive Mom to Gatwick you'll need to book a car for early collection. Expect the drive to take up to 2 1/2 hrs at that time of day.

If you have a sat-nav you might prefer to take the cross-country route via Storrington, preferred by many taxi drivers to avoid the M3 / M25 / M23 loop, which can get really screwed-up by an accident or even a broken-down lorry. 

Bearing in mind you have to collect a car  (& the paperwork) it's no quicker than the train or Princess coach.

 

Then to head north (M1 ?) the M25 clockwise is 20 miles shorter, generally a half-hour or more quicker & no Dartford Crossing fee or delay.

But if Mom's on the train you won't have to go near London or the M25 and you'll save hours 

 

Kinda depends how you think Mom will cope with the train or Princess coach 

 

JB  🙂 

 

[OverThinker]

Great input, THANK YOU JB!!!

Somewhat of a struggle to identify the train on National's site.  Was a whole lot easier to go to Southern and select from there. 

 

Train may be less stressful on traffic impacts.  Also I would probably save 1 day's car rental as our flight leave LHR around 2:40pm, just late enough to push us into next day's rental if we pickup 8AM and drop noon.

 

Answer set, thank you.