Advice - transportation Southampton to London after cruise

[sunnysunshine]

Hello! I am hoping to get some guidance on transportation from Southampton to London. We will be traveling on a Sunday in April 2024 and will need to get from the cruise port (assuming disembarkation by 8:30) to our London Hotel (The Dilly) to drop our bags, then on to Buckingham Palace for a pre-purchased tour by 12:15. Should we try to go by train (and if so, to Waterloo then Piccadilly Circus?) or would it be better to take a cab/private car and if so, what is a recommended cab service? Thank you so much for your help.

[sddsddean]

If it was me, I'd take the train from Southampton Central (walkable if you are coming into City Cruise terminal...probably a cab otherwise) to Waterloo (as this is the fastest route for you). You can pre book tickets 12 weeks out. From Waterloo, don't bother mucking about with the tube...take a black cab from outside the station. As its Sunday, it shouldn't take more than about 10 minutes.

 

Simon

[GreenDice]

On 1/27/2024 at 11:09 AM, sddsddean said:

take the train from Southampton Central to Waterloo

@sddsddean Is the train station typically busy on disembarkation morning? Not knowing when we actual disembark, I have to assume ticket reservation may not be the best idea. Train reservation for a later time could work but force us to wait at the station if the ship is on time. Since our arrival is at 6:00am, we are thinking about purchasing tickets at the station. Is it correct that there is no savings on reserving peak hour train tickets?  Thanks.

[sddsddean]

As it’s a Sunday I don’t think the station will be busy. Also the trains will be running to a Sunday timetable…possibly half as many trains as a work day, but at least one or two an hour as this is a mainline route…I can check that later. As to buying tickets at the station, this is not a problem, but you will be paying a fair bit more. I think the walk up fare is around £40. I’ll look into it tomorrow and let you know.

 

Simon

[John Bull]

 On current prices (likely to increase by about 5%, probably April or May) a walk-up ticket costs £43.

No "peak" rate on sundays, so off-peak and anytime are the same cost.

The cheap advance ticket means specifying a train time but costs £9.20.

So for two people that inconvenience saves £67.60 - that's quite a few beers.

 

f you're willing to disembark unassisted (haul your cases from your cabin) it'll be about 7 am.

You should have no difficulty scooting thro terminal formalities and hop in a taxi from pier to central station (£10 or less) for a booked 07.52 train. The ship won't be cleared for disembarkation until about 07.00, you'd be very very unlikely to make the previous train, the 07.20 - so booking the 07.52 is a no-brainer.

 

First tranche of assisted disembarkation is usually 07.30. If you're allocated a later disembarkation time you can normally request an earlier slot, citing your onward transportation. You're unlikely to be asked for proof, but a timed train ticket would do the job.

Whilst the 07.52 is a possibility, the 08.25 is sensible. 

 

JB 🙂

[GreenDice]

3 hours ago, sddsddean said:

As it’s a Sunday I don’t think the station will be busy.

@sddsddean @John Bull Sorry. I kind of hijacked the thread by mistake. I should be more clear. I was asking the same question about transportation to London but it is for a different cruise. Mine is scheduled to dock at Southampton 6:00am on a Thursday.

[sddsddean]

9 hours ago, GreenDice said:

@sddsddean @John Bull Sorry. I kind of hijacked the thread by mistake. I should be more clear. I was asking the same question about transportation to London but it is for a different cruise. Mine is scheduled to dock at Southampton 6:00am on a Thursday.

Ah-ha! That changes things a bit. I'd still go for the train, but definately decide on a time and book early...you'll see the prices below. You should easily be able to get a train by 0800, so thats the first one I'll show. The latest day I could book is Thursday 18th April (12 weeks ahead), so think seriously about doing this.

 

Walk up fare this morning (any train) £52

 

Thurs 18th April  dep 0800  arr 0926    £23.50

                                   0815       0951    £52

                                   0830       0953    £20.90

                                   0900       1024    £16.10

  then every 30 mins   0930       1049    £14.50

 

So the later you leave it, the cheaper it is. Having said that, the first 2 or 3 trains could be quite crowded as essentially this is a commuter route. If it works in with your timings, I'd be inclined to for the 0930 train as it gives you a bit of wiggle room, but its up to you. Note : if you pre book you MUST go on that train.

 

Simon

[John Bull]

2 hours ago, sddsddean said:

Ah-ha! That changes things a bit. I'd still go for the train, but definately decide on a time and book early...you'll see the prices below. You should easily be able to get a train by 0800, so thats the first one I'll show. The latest day I could book is Thursday 18th April (12 weeks ahead), so think seriously about doing this.

 

Walk up fare this morning (any train) £52

 

Thurs 18th April  dep 0800  arr 0926    £23.50

                                   0815       0951    £52

                                   0830       0953    £20.90

                                   0900       1024    £16.10

  then every 30 mins   0930       1049    £14.50

 

So the later you leave it, the cheaper it is. Having said that, the first 2 or 3 trains could be quite crowded as essentially this is a commuter route. If it works in with your timings, I'd be inclined to for the 0930 train as it gives you a bit of wiggle room, but its up to you. Note : if you pre book you MUST go on that train.

 

Simon

 

I agree with every word of Simon's post (now there's a first 😃)

It used to be that all trains which arrived in London before 10am were expensive, but now there are a couple of advance bargains.

Yes, commuters to London - plus folk with business meetings in London

 

For the 8am you need to disembark unassisted, I rate the 9am as the best compromise.

 

JB 🙂

[sddsddean]

5 minutes ago, John Bull said:

 

I agree with every word of Simon's post (now there's a first 😃)

 

Wonders will never cease!!😁

 

Simon

 

PS I'm semi retired now too JB...sold the truck 2 weeks ago!

[Globaliser]

2 hours ago, sddsddean said:

Note : if you pre book you MUST go on that train.

 

sddsddean is right about this if you book those cheaper fares, which are Advance fares that are valid only on the booked train.

 

If you want flexibility, you can also choose to pre-book a flexible ticket which (on that route) is at the Anytime (walk-up) fare of £52.00. You might choose to do so in order to avoid the hassle of buying a ticket after reaching the station. If you pre-book a flexible ticket, you will be asked to specify a train - but you do not have to travel on that train even though you have pre-booked, and you can travel on any train for which the ticket is valid (which on that route is, I think, every train).

[John Bull]

7 minutes ago, sddsddean said:

Wonders will never cease!!😁

 

Simon

 

PS I'm semi retired now too JB...sold the truck 2 weeks ago!

From experience.....

Selling the truck was a wise move, otherwise you'd still be leaned-on to help out last-minute when they're in need 🙄

 

Less driving = more cruising 🙂

 

JB 🙂

 

 

[GreenDice]

@sddsddean@John Bull@Globaliser

Thank you all for the detailed responses. I planned to self disembark and spend more time in London before taking a train to Paris. I was wishing we can catch a train as early as 7:00.  The ship has to be on time and getting to Southampton Central in an hour. Perhaps I was over optimistic.

[sddsddean]

There is no way I’d aim for a 0700 train (and I know the way to the station!). Realistically 0800 is the earliest I’d go for, but even that could be tight.

 

Simon

[Globaliser]

27 minutes ago, GreenDice said:

I planned to self disembark and spend more time in London before taking a train to Paris.

 

What time is your train to Paris?

[John Bull]

1 hour ago, GreenDice said:

@sddsddean@John Bull@Globaliser

Thank you all for the detailed responses. I planned to self disembark and spend more time in London before taking a train to Paris. I was wishing we can catch a train as early as 7:00.  The ship has to be on time and getting to Southampton Central in an hour. Perhaps I was over optimistic.

 

 

6 am is the time that the ship berths.

I see them sailing in on the few mornings that I'm up at that ungodly hour.

 

By the time it's tied-up, gangways set, ship cleared by immigration, etc it'll be around 7am for unassisted disembarkation and the first tranche of assisted disembarkation 7.30..

So the prospects of a train at 7 am are nil, nought, nowt, zilch, zero 🙁.

 

If you want to maximise your time in Paris at the expense of missing London entirely there are one-hour flights to Paris from Southampton airport

 

JB 🙂

[GreenDice]

1 hour ago, Globaliser said:

What time is your train to Paris?

I pushed out the departure as late as possible. It is currently at 5:30pm. I should have around 7-8 hours in London. I have been in London a few years back. So just to have lunch and spend few hours there.

 

33 minutes ago, John Bull said:

So the prospects of a train at 7 am are nil, nought, nowt, zilch, zero 🙁.

I better adjust my expectations.

 

33 minutes ago, John Bull said:

If you want to maximise your time in Paris at the expense of missing London entirely there are one-hour flights to Paris from Southampton airport

No. We are scheduled to spend 5 days in Paris. No hurry to get there.

Edited January 29 by GreenDice

[Globaliser]

28 minutes ago, GreenDice said:

I pushed out the departure as late as possible. It is currently at 5:30pm. I should have around 7-8 hours in London. I have been in London a few years back. So just to have lunch and spend few hours there.

 

Realistically, I don't think there's any way you'd be able to get that much time in London. You'll probably need to store your bags somewhere, which would take time; and then you'd also have to allow time to retrieve them before your train to Paris. At some stage, you'd need to transfer yourselves and your bags across town from Waterloo to St Pancras. And you do have to allow time for check-in (including security and immigration) at St Pancras before boarding your train; Eurostar's recommendation is to arrive at St Pancras 90 minutes before departure time, and ISTR that there were times recently when you really needed that much time. So lunch, yes, but probably very little more than that.

[GreenDice]

3 hours ago, Globaliser said:

You'll probably need to store your bags somewhere

I was planning to go to St Pancras first and store the luggage there. There are luggage lockers available, right? I hope my information I had is not too old.

[Globaliser]

1 hour ago, GreenDice said:

I was planning to go to St Pancras first and store the luggage there. There are luggage lockers available, right?

 

No lockers, as far as I know. But the company that operates the left luggage service at railway stations does have a location at St Pancras. Details are available on https://www.excess-baggage.com/our-locations.php or https://www.left-baggage.co.uk/en/locations (they're the same company).

[travelbuds]

The train seems to be mentioned many times in these posts involving transportation between London and Southampton. Wondering why coach or bus travel such as National Express is not mentioned. Just curious as I will be staying at the Southampton Holiday Inn after arriving at Heathrow earlier in the day. Thanks.

[sddsddean]

1 hour ago, travelbuds said:

The train seems to be mentioned many times in these posts involving transportation between London and Southampton. Wondering why coach or bus travel such as National Express is not mentioned. Just curious as I will be staying at the Southampton Holiday Inn after arriving at Heathrow earlier in the day. Thanks.

The best way from London (the place) to Southampton is the train. However, if you are coming direct from Heathrow to Southampton, the best way is the National Express coach (as we have mentioned many times!). If you are staying at the HI at Herbert Walker Ave, you can walk from Southampton coach station to the HI in 10 mins.

 

Simon

[Globaliser]

2 hours ago, travelbuds said:

The train seems to be mentioned many times in these posts involving transportation between London and Southampton. Wondering why coach or bus travel such as National Express is not mentioned. Just curious as I will be staying at the Southampton Holiday Inn after arriving at Heathrow earlier in the day.

 

As sddsddean has said, for some specific journeys such as Heathrow to Southampton, routing and frequency considerations mean that a direct National Express coach may be the best option for that journey. There are other journeys for which that is also true. Similarly, there are other journeys like central London to Southampton for which the train is clearly the best option for routing and frequency reasons. This reflects the fact that Heathrow is not in (or anywhere near) central London - that's the primary reason why the answers are different for these two different journeys.

 

More generally, if both rail and road are viable and equally convenient routes for any particular non-local trip, rail will usually be faster, more predictable and more comfortable. This is why (as a massive generalisation) it tends to be more expensive to take the train than to take the coach. Central London to Southampton is an example of that. If you happen to be staying next door to Victoria Coach Station, then the National Express coach may be a decent option. But if it's equally convenient to get to London Waterloo (railway) station, and you're not having to watch every penny, the train will generally get you to Southampton more quickly and in more comfort.

[John Bull]

1 hour ago, Globaliser said:

 

As sddsddean has said, for some specific journeys such as Heathrow to Southampton, routing and frequency considerations mean that a direct National Express coach may be the best option for that journey. There are other journeys for which that is also true. Similarly, there are other journeys like central London to Southampton for which the train is clearly the best option for routing and frequency reasons. This reflects the fact that Heathrow is not in (or anywhere near) central London - that's the primary reason why the answers are different for these two different journeys.

 

More generally, if both rail and road are viable and equally convenient routes for any particular non-local trip, rail will usually be faster, more predictable and more comfortable. This is why (as a massive generalisation) it tends to be more expensive to take the train than to take the coach. Central London to Southampton is an example of that. If you happen to be staying next door to Victoria Coach Station, then the National Express coach may be a decent option. But if it's equally convenient to get to London Waterloo (railway) station, and you're not having to watch every penny, the train will generally get you to Southampton more quickly and in more comfort.

 

 

Very much the same as my post in your other thread, hence my needing to know where you were coming from.

Train travel in S.E.England is London-centric*, so plenty of choice from Heathrow to London but from Heathrow to elsewhere in the country travel by train has its complications.

National Express fills the gaps, hence Heathrow to Southampton by National Express is direct, much cheaper and actually far quicker than by train.

The only disadvantages are that Nat Express' luggage allowance is only one checked case and one cabin case per person although you can book & pay for additional luggage, and the service from Heathrow isn't as frequent so pre-booking  is very strongly advised.

 

The frequency of trains from Heathrow (via a difficult change in central London, or a slow & laborious RailAir bus from Heathrow to a mainline station) and no need to pre-book makes the train a useful Plan B should other arrangements go belly-up.
But the train from Heathrow is never a Plan A.

 

JB 🙂

* I only put that in to wind-up my London friend, Globaliser. In jest, G. 😏

[travelbuds]

16 hours ago, sddsddean said:

.......... However, if you are coming direct from Heathrow to Southampton, the best way is the National Express coach (as we have mentioned many times!). If you are staying at the HI at Herbert Walker Ave, you can walk from Southampton coach station to the HI in 10 mins.

 

Simon

Thanks. That's what we are planning to do. Hoping for no rain!

[red4u2]

May I ask about the opposite direction?  Southampton after cruise to London? we are doing 2 days post cruise at the Hilton Metropole. We are looking to take National bus from Southampton to Victoria Coach station and then an Uber to the hotel. Any thoughts would be great!  we will have a few pieces of luggage and I walk with a cane at times, so a train with stairs wouldn't be good for us.  And our flight home is from Heathrow, so either and Uber or lift?  or National bus from Victoria Station?  

  Any thoughts would be appreciated.