Southampton-London Transfers - Airport (LHR/LGW) - NEW THREAD!

[John Bull]

1 hour ago, IrieBajan54 said:

Arriving LHR at 7:20 a.m. on a Wednesday in November at Terminal 3. Have a choice of 10:00 or 11:50 a.m. for transfer to Southampton on National Express. Thinking of buying 10:00 a.m.  no changes-ticket as it seems two hours should be enough to get through immigration/customs. Is this doable and is it a short walk to the bus station? And if I get through even faster, where could I hangout (coffee) before going to bus station?

 

Immigration is the main pinch-point, not so bad if you have biometric passports

 https://photoaid.com/blog/biometric-passport/

Unless an officer feels your collar, customs is a wall-thru between the baggage hall & arrivals hall 

It's a ten-minute walk from T3 to LHR central bus station.

Your decision whether to buy changeable but yes, should be plenty of time if your flight is vaguely on-time and there's no massive hiccup.

 

Several outlets for coffee etc in T3 Arrivals Hall 

http://heathrow.airport-information.co.uk/restaurants/terminal-3.html

 

And one at central bus station.

 

Happy landings

 

JB 🙂

[IrieBajan54]

Thanks JB! I do have a biometric passport so hopefully it will be a walk thru. I read that most coffee shops in England don't usually sell drip/filtered coffee which is all I drink. Maybe, I'll get lucky.

[Cotswold Eagle]

6 hours ago, IrieBajan54 said:

I read that most coffee shops in England don't usually sell drip/filtered coffee which is all I drink. Maybe, I'll get lucky.

Yes, I’m afraid you’ll mostly find espresso-based drinks, either barista made or from a machine. I think filter coffee is still on the menu at Starbucks, but they may well have “run out”  (not bothered). There is not the demand or profit margin to keep a fresh pot running. 

 

The ubiquitous Pret A Manger, mostly known for its sandwiches and other food, does have filter coffee on their menu. But again most food stores will sell basically a long americano with or without milk as ‘white’ or ‘black’ coffee. 

[Ellis1138]

On recommendations from this forum, we chose Gunwharf limo to take us from Heathrow to our Southampton hotel.

 

The owner, Marc, drove us in a nice Chevy Suburban. He also replied to all my questions prior, through email and whatsApp.

 

The 190 GBP charge is more than others, but I feel it was worth it. 

[jas283a]

Just wanted to put out there that for those wanting a private transfer, we used  British Express Cars. Had looked at many options but found them the night before (which was good, because of an Airbnb situation gone south, we stayed somewhere different than anticipated). They weren’t the cheapest, but very reliable, even last minute, were there waiting 10 minutes early and handled everything very professionally. Couldn’t recommend them more highly!

[Ellis1138]

For LHR to Southampton:

We used Gunwharf Executive Travel, based on the recommendations here, the reviews and also the fact that it was the only company that replied to my inquiries. I booked an SUV because we had 2 checked bags, 2 large backpacks, 2 bags of medical equipment and then the personal item bags and didn't want a repeat of an Uber time when a car came that was too small to fit our stuff.

 

The SUV with a meet/greet at Heathrow to our hotel in Southampton was 190 british pounds.

 

Our driver was Marc. He was great at emailing and allaying any worries I had. I did have to put WhatsApp on my phone so that he could contact me on the day of scheduled pickup. The car was large and comfortable and held everything.

 

From our Southampton hotel to Horizon Terminal:

I had downloaded the Southampton Radio Taxi app. The morning of the cruise, I used the app to book the ride. The driver was on time and it was very reasonable, like 20 pounds with tip.

[marktwothousand]

I am coming into the port off a Virtuosa cruise. Will I be able to make a 3 PM LHR Return? is it trainable at that time or will I have to do a car to keep it tight? I don’t mind cruise ship shuttles, does MSC offer one?

Edited July 13 by marktwothousand

[hellokittyluver]

Just back from the Celebrity Apex. Took the train from Waterloo Station to Southampton Central. I had purchased the tickets on-line for the cheaper price. It was super easy. I was worried for nothing. At disembarkation, I used Blackberry cars for the trip back to LHR. The driver called me and it was super easy to find him at the port. I would recommend both. 

[Globaliser]

6 hours ago, marktwothousand said:

... is it trainable at that time ...

 

Assuming (see your other post) that your cruise is arriving at Southampton, the train is not a particularly practicable option between Southampton and Heathrow.

[marktwothousand]

25 minutes ago, Globaliser said:

 

Assuming (see your other post) that your cruise is arriving at Southampton, the train is not a particularly practicable option between Southampton and Heathrow.

Oh dear me. This is truly unfortunate. I see cars are £150, which is unfortunately a lot for my budget.

 

My flight would be at 3 PM. I don’t mind taking a combination of trains and cars, if that’s a possibility.

[John Bull]

7 hours ago, marktwothousand said:

I am coming into the port off a Virtuosa cruise. Will I be able to make a 3 PM LHR Return? is it trainable at that time or will I have to do a car to keep it tight? I don’t mind cruise ship shuttles, does MSC offer one?

 

You have plenty of time for a 3pm flight from LHR.

You should aim to be there at least 2 hrs before your flight, 90 minutes is usually OK but there's a risk of delays eg at security.

 

But there's no direct train service Southampton to Heathrow, so it's slow, convoluted & surprisingly expensive.

 

Best value is by direct https://www.nationalexpress.com/en  coach (bus)

The 9.30am coach is ideal (gets you to Heathrow before 11.30) or if that's already fully-booked the 10.30am coach gets you there by 12.45pm, nearly 3 hrs before your flight

Fare is £17 per person, you're strongly advised to book soonest. You'll need to know your LHR terminal number. 

 

Virtuosa usually berths at 102, Horizon Cruise Terminal, it's only a 15 - 20 minute walk to Southampton Coach Station, or a taxi from the rank at the cruise terminal will cost about £6 to £8 - we sailed in on Virtuosa just a week ago, big ship but plenty of taxis at the terminal.

 

Most cruise lines offer a coach transfer to London Heathrow (and London Gatwick) but MSC might not be one of them because most passengers are Brits. But a cruise-sponsored transfer costs £70 & upwards per person.

 

BTW super ship, we enjoyed our little cruise

 

JB 🙂

 

 

[marktwothousand]

1 hour ago, John Bull said:

 

You have plenty of time for a 3pm flight from LHR.

You should aim to be there at least 2 hrs before your flight, 90 minutes is usually OK but there's a risk of delays eg at security.

 

But there's no direct train service Southampton to Heathrow, so it's slow, convoluted & surprisingly expensive.

 

Best value is by direct https://www.nationalexpress.com/en  coach (bus)

The 9.30am coach is ideal (gets you to Heathrow before 11.30) or if that's already fully-booked the 10.30am coach gets you there by 12.45pm, nearly 3 hrs before your flight

Fare is £17 per person, you're strongly advised to book soonest. You'll need to know your LHR terminal number. 

 

Virtuosa usually berths at 102, Horizon Cruise Terminal, it's only a 15 - 20 minute walk to Southampton Coach Station, or a taxi from the rank at the cruise terminal will cost about £6 to £8 - we sailed in on Virtuosa just a week ago, big ship but plenty of taxis at the terminal.

 

Most cruise lines offer a coach transfer to London Heathrow (and London Gatwick) but MSC might not be one of them because most passengers are Brits. But a cruise-sponsored transfer costs £70 & upwards per person.

 

BTW super ship, we enjoyed our little cruise

 

JB 🙂

 

 

How busy was it? Asking both from a debark POV but how the ship actually felt (lines, etc)

[John Bull]

7 hours ago, marktwothousand said:

How busy was it? Asking both from a debark POV but how the ship actually felt (lines, etc)

 

Max 6,500 pax., but I don't think she was full.

 

Best embarkation we've ever had.

Arrived 10.30am, bags taken from us, no line for registration or security, 5-minute hold & released in group of about 20 to avoid bunching, straight to cabin, cabin door open & cruise cards on inside of door, cabin already serviced.

Cases arrived mebbe an hour later, but left in a line along corridor.

 

For disembarkation there was quite a long line but it moved quickly, mebbe 10 mins in line, 20 mins total from call to terminal exit.

Very quick & easy getting off & on at the ports-of-call

 

No crowding during cruise except "shopping street" on deck 6 for "White Night" party, & exiting theatre - there are only doors at back of the auditorium.

Mebbe elsewhere that we didn't experience.

 

Very few bar staff serving tables, general rule was go to the bar, like in a pub. The only place that was a big problem was the pool bar, which always but always had a slow-moving line & took about 10 mebbe 15 mins. But we quickly cottoned-on that the little bar in the buffet ("Market Place") just a few steps away never had more than one or two people waiting.

The couple of times we needed to go to Guest Services (Deck 5) there was no line & we were served very quickly

 

Included evening dining.  Was allocated to early or late and quoted as something like between "5.45pm and 8.00" or "8.15 and 9.30".  Long story short - it's actually traditional dining with early sitting at 5.45 & late sitting at 8,15, same table every night. We had been allocated "early" & switched it to "late"  - we did that twice & got confirmation both times but our cruise card still said "early". So we just rolled-up at any time & each time Maitre D' got us a table without a fuss.

That poor head-office organisation plus lack of other information, and inaccurate information too, was our main gripe.

Hint - for live TV in the cabin select ship's safety video (I'm not kidding) then scroll thro it in different languages & you'll come to TV programmes !!!

MSC is heavily into technology - when you understand it and it works it's great. If you don't have a cell-phone life might be a little difficult - fortunately my other-half knows her way round QR codes & such.

 

Ship is clean, modern & stylish. 

It's big but we'd chosen our cabin well (near the rear main elevators) & most places were very easy to get to.

Passengers were mainly Brits, atmosphere on board was very cordial & friendly

 

Minor niggles, as per most cruises, but thoroughly enjoyed.

 

JB 🙂

 

Edited July 14 by John Bull

[ATG]

On 7/8/2024 at 12:25 PM, Ellis1138 said:

For LHR to Southampton:

We used Gunwharf Executive Travel, based on the recommendations here, the reviews and also the fact that it was the only company that replied to my inquiries. I booked an SUV because we had 2 checked bags, 2 large backpacks, 2 bags of medical equipment and then the personal item bags and didn't want a repeat of an Uber time when a car came that was too small to fit our stuff.

 

The SUV with a meet/greet at Heathrow to our hotel in Southampton was 190 british pounds.

 

Our driver was Marc. He was great at emailing and allaying any worries I had. I did have to put WhatsApp on my phone so that he could contact me on the day of scheduled pickup. The car was large and comfortable and held everything.

 

From our Southampton hotel to Horizon Terminal:

I had downloaded the Southampton Radio Taxi app. The morning of the cruise, I used the app to book the ride. The driver was on time and it was very reasonable, like 20 pounds with tip.

We also used Gunwharf and they were great. Marc had me text when we cleared passport control and was waiting for us by the time we did the long walk to baggage claim and made it into the terminal.  He was very friendly and we had a great conversation. I would definitely recommend him to anyone. The cost was very worth it to us after the long flight.

[ddr1948]

We arrive on Oct 1 at 2 p.m. into LHR via Air France from the US (Terminal 4).  We are considering a 4 p.m. National Express to Southampton (with changeable tickets).

We have never been into LHR.  We have 5 pieces of luggage. Are there luggage carts available?  How far is the walk to board the National Express bus?  Gumshoe958 and others, thanks for all of the great information.

Dan

[gumshoe958]

6 hours ago, ddr1948 said:

We arrive on Oct 1 at 2 p.m. into LHR via Air France from the US (Terminal 4).  We are considering a 4 p.m. National Express to Southampton (with changeable tickets).

We have never been into LHR.  We have 5 pieces of luggage. Are there luggage carts available?  How far is the walk to board the National Express bus?  Gumshoe958 and others, thanks for all of the great information.

Dan

Hi Dan,

 

Yes there should be luggage carts (or trolleys as they’re known in the UK) available in the reclaim hall.

 

At T4, National Express serves bus stops 13 & 14 outside the exit from the arrivals hall, on the same level. So a very short walk.

 

You should easily make the coach, but please note it departs T4 at 4:15 - make sure when booking you select Terminal 4, NOT Heathrow Central Bus Station as they are nowhere near each other.

[ddr1948]

@gumshoe958Thank you for the response and clarification. Really appreciate all of the great information you (and others) have provided.

Dan

[sailing canary]

My original flight today into LHR T5 has been cancelled and I am now arriving at 19.15. I had booked with National Express to Southampton, but the later arrival means I won't get to Southampton Coach Station until after 22.00. I am concerned (elderly, solo female) about getting to my hotel at that time. Are there taxis at the coach station? Would I be better to forget about the coach and book a private transfer? What would you recommend?
Thanks

[PORT ROYAL]

1 hour ago, sailing canary said:

My original flight today into LHR T5 has been cancelled and I am now arriving at 19.15. I had booked with National Express to Southampton, but the later arrival means I won't get to Southampton Coach Station until after 22.00. I am concerned (elderly, solo female) about getting to my hotel at that time. Are there taxis at the coach station? Would I be better to forget about the coach and book a private transfer? What would you recommend?
Thanks

A long flight is draining, then add private car travel, after midnight hotel check in, no restaurant dinner (room service only) etc., would add to one’s tiredness.  Suggest overnight at Heathrow, room service dinner, then travel, refreshed, by National Express or private car after a good breakfast.

Edited July 18 by PORT ROYAL
Typo

[gumshoe958]

9 hours ago, sailing canary said:

My original flight today into LHR T5 has been cancelled and I am now arriving at 19.15. I had booked with National Express to Southampton, but the later arrival means I won't get to Southampton Coach Station until after 22.00. I am concerned (elderly, solo female) about getting to my hotel at that time. Are there taxis at the coach station? Would I be better to forget about the coach and book a private transfer? What would you recommend?
Thanks

There is a taxi rank at Southampton coach station, but there’s no guarantee that any cabs will be waiting that late. Uber operates in Southampton though, so that would be an obvious solution.

 

@PORT ROYALmakes a good suggestion though. There is a very nice (albeit not especially cheap) hotel, the Sofitel, connected directly to T5 and a multitude of other hotels to suit all tastes and budgets a short bus or taxi ride away. 

[EuroDate20]

Greetings!  Is it recommended to reserve seats on the National Express bus from Heathrow to Southampton?  We have our tickets, but specific seats can be reserved for a small fee.  Are there certain seats that have stronger connectivity to WiFi or seats that aren't desirable?  TIA!

[gumshoe958]

41 minutes ago, EuroDate20 said:

Greetings!  Is it recommended to reserve seats on the National Express bus from Heathrow to Southampton?  We have our tickets, but specific seats can be reserved for a small fee.  Are there certain seats that have stronger connectivity to WiFi or seats that aren't desirable?  TIA!

That’s really down to personal preference. I guess most people would prefer not to sit next to the toilet, and the front is presumably most popular (hence why they generously let you pay extra to sit there). 
 

But unless you absolutely have to sit up front, there’s no reason to pay any extra.

[John Bull]

3 hours ago, EuroDate20 said:

Greetings!  Is it recommended to reserve seats on the National Express bus from Heathrow to Southampton?  We have our tickets, but specific seats can be reserved for a small fee.  Are there certain seats that have stronger connectivity to WiFi or seats that aren't desirable?  TIA!

 

 

Most LHR>to>Southampton coaches actually start at Victoria coach station in central London, so the choice of unreserved seats will be limited.

 

If you wish to choose specific seats, those behind the rear axles tend to be a bit more bouncy, thus a bit more problematic for those who suffer from motion sickness. And the bathroom on most (all?) NE coaches is in the rear corner.

 

JB 🙂

 

[gumshoe958]

12 hours ago, John Bull said:

 

 

Most LHR>to>Southampton coaches actually start at Victoria coach station in central London, so the choice of unreserved seats will be limited.

 

If you wish to choose specific seats, those behind the rear axles tend to be a bit more bouncy, thus a bit more problematic for those who suffer from motion sickness. And the bathroom on most (all?) NE coaches is in the rear corner.

 

JB 🙂

 

You can only pay to reserve the front five rows I believe. Otherwise it’s a free-for-all.

[sciteach11]

Can anyone recommend a private transfer that can accommodate a large family (6 people) and provides carseats or boosters for young children? We haven't booked a London hotel yet so our pick up spot is flexible, and we will be embarking from Southhampton.