Which UK Airport for Southampton

[Franknca]

We've sailed out of Dover before and used Heathrow for our flight. We are looking at a cruise that starts in Rome and ends in Southampton and I'm wondering if there is a better airport to return to San Francisco than Heathrow?

Frank-in-CA

[spongerob]

The only alternative international airport is Gatwick. It's a bit more difficult to get to than Heathrow, and it takes longer so you can't book as early a flight as you might out of Heathrow. I am not sure if Princess provides shuttle service to and from Gatwick.

[Toto2Kansas]

We used Heathrow and the Princess transfers to the ship and private transfers afterward. Princess WAS charging $76 each way pp last summer for the transfers. If you can not find a group to share with on a private tour, the Princess transfers are your least expensive alternative.

[katisdale]

We flew out of Gatwick using Princess transfers and all was well.

[Logie]

I flew in and out of Heathrow and used a car service http://www.woodfordchauffeurcrs.co.uk and they were very reliable.

 

Either airport will work and I beleive Gatwick is a bit further away, but what ever airport you can get the best price go for it.

[JLC@SD]

We've sailed out of Dover before and used Heathrow for our flight. We are looking at a cruise that starts in Rome and ends in Southampton and I'm wondering if there is a better airport to return to San Francisco than Heathrow?

Frank-in-CA

We are flying into Edinburgh for a pre-cruise stay prior to boarding the Golden Princess in Southampton. We will fly from Edinburgh to Southampton, to bypass London's airports.

 

You can check an see where you can fly to, from Southampton, to then fly to SFO.

[chasetf]

We've sailed out of Dover before and used Heathrow for our flight. We are looking at a cruise that starts in Rome and ends in Southampton and I'm wondering if there is a better airport to return to San Francisco than Heathrow? Frank-in-CA

We have flown out of Gatwick and it is very convenient. I would recommend it. Southampton might have less options, and be more expensive, offsetting the cost of the transfer to Gatwick..

[Franknca]

We are flying into Edinburgh for a pre-cruise stay prior to boarding the Golden Princess in Southampton. We will fly from Edinburgh to Southampton, to bypass London's airports.

 

You can check an see where you can fly to, from Southampton, to then fly to SFO.

 

When I checked the Southampton airport web site, it didn't seem like it flew across the pond just to other European countries. Do you know if their are flights from Southampton all the way to SFO?

 

BTW, thanks to all that responded. It gives me a better feeling for my options.

Frank

[alibail]

When I checked the Southampton airport web site, it didn't seem like it flew across the pond just to other European countries. Do you know if their are flights from Southampton all the way to SFO?

 

BTW, thanks to all that responded. It gives me a better feeling for my options.

Frank

 

Southampton is a small airport, it can not handle large transatlantic aircraft.

 

Heathrow is your closest major airport to Southampton. Followed by Gatwick.

[dallas16]

No flights from Southampton to SFO

Try Manchester as flights are often cheaper from there then from London

You can get cheap flights from southampton to Manchester

Try British airways

Cheap flights with

 

WWW.FLYBE.COM

[Host CJSKIDS]

I flew in and out of Heathrow and used a car service http://www.woodfordchauffeurcrs.co.uk and they were very reliable.

 

Either airport will work and I beleive Gatwick is a bit further away, but what ever airport you can get the best price go for it.

 

We also used the same company last summer and they were fantastic. We flew out of Heathrow as well.

[Normandie-BCN]

The nearests international airport from Southampton is Gatwick. To get the airpor you have, besides limousines, ship shuttle, etc. the train. You have a train every 2 hours direct and in the middle with a change of train. Trains in England are not cheap.

 

Moreover, you have the National Express' bus from any major airport in England to Southampton. Most are direct, other you have to change of bus at Victoria Bus Station. You may see:

 

http://www.nationalexpress.com/

 

The bus is the cheapest way and the most practical one.

[Franknca]

The nearests international airport from Southampton is Gatwick. To get the airpor you have, besides limousines, ship shuttle, etc. the train. You have a train every 2 hours direct and in the middle with a change of train. Trains in England are not cheap.

 

Moreover, you have the National Express' bus from any major airport in England to Southampton. Most are direct, other you have to change of bus at Victoria Bus Station. You may see:

 

http://www.nationalexpress.com/

 

The bus is the cheapest way and the most practical one.

 

Again, thanks to all in helping me with my planning information.

Frank

[Globaliser]

Can I help clear up some of the confusion and misunderstanding.

 

Heathrow is closer to Southampton than Gatwick. By road, it's almost 25 miles further to get to Gatwick, but even as the crow flies (taking the shortest possible, very slow, route), Gatwick is slightly further away than Heathrow.

 

In any event, Heathrow is the only airport in the UK that has non-stop flights to San Francisco.

 

If you do choose to fly on a connecting itinerary from Gatwick, for all practical purposes there are no direct National Express coaches from Southampton to Gatwick. The better connections involve changing at Heathrow. Although you can connect via Victoria, I would not recommend this because there is a longer journey time to reach central London, and the road from central London to Gatwick is long and slow.

 

However, the direct train from Southampton to Gatwick runs once an hour during the day.

 

Hope this helps.

[Franknca]

Can I help clear up some of the confusion and misunderstanding.

 

Heathrow is closer to Southampton than Gatwick. By road, it's almost 25 miles further to get to Gatwick, but even as the crow flies (taking the shortest possible, very slow, route), Gatwick is slightly further away than Heathrow.

 

In any event, Heathrow is the only airport in the UK that has non-stop flights to San Francisco.

 

If you do choose to fly on a connecting itinerary from Gatwick, for all practical purposes there are no direct National Express coaches from Southampton to Gatwick. The better connections involve changing at Heathrow. Although you can connect via Victoria, I would not recommend this because there is a longer journey time to reach central London, and the road from central London to Gatwick is long and slow.

 

However, the direct train from Southampton to Gatwick runs once an hour during the day.

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

Yes, this all helps. Looks like Heathrow is going to be the better choice, if I can get a non-stop polar flight. I'm finding a lot of plane changing flights that would require a lengthy stop over due to customs. I know BA flies direct but I've had poor experiences with them. I do like Virgin.

Frank

[Globaliser]

Virgin flies Heathrow-San Francisco once a day. The flights also carry a Continental code, so you may want to have a look to see if there are cheaper fares if the flight is booked on the CO code.

 

BA flies twice a day. So does United, but if you're wary about BA then UA really doesn't even get a look in!