London to Southhampton

[oodeas]

What's the best way to get to Southhampton from London?

[spongerob]

How much do you want to spend? The BEST way is by private car service. It's also the most expensive. If you can share the cost with another couple or two, it can be pretty reasonable.

[Globaliser]

What's the best way to get to Southhampton from London?

Welcome to CC, oodeas!

 

Funnily enough, this question has been asked once or twice before. You might want to go and have a look at the Britain and British Isles forums, where you'll see lots of accumulated wisdom about it.

 

Also, if you're looking to do it other than by private car, you need to be more specific than "London". Where in "London" would you be starting from? The city or an airport? If an airport, which airport?

 

And if you're searching on CC or the Internet, you might want to note the correct spelling of "Southampton" - it only has one "h".

[oodeas]

Thanks for the info

[dorisday]

where are you travelling from, UK or abroad? If abroad which airport are you flying into?

 

These details make all the difference to your question.

 

Fill in the blanks & all the UK CC'ers will help you out with all you need to know :) :) :)

[oodeas]

coming from u.s. 2 days before cruise. any hotel info would help also. leaving on the golden sept. 9, 14 days to rome.

 

thanks again for any info.

[2ladies]

Investigate train from Waterloo Station. If you are staying around Victoria or Marble Arch, it is a short taxi ride away.

 

Its in the region of £20 for a weekend day return - usually cheaper than a single!!

 

However, investigate Megatrain. Doesn't run on Sundays I know. You can only book 45 days in advance and is silly money like £4 for two!!!! www.megatrain.com. Goes from Waterloo, same train as one of the scheduled ones, but with an additional car hooked on. And no, it is not a cattle car!!!!

[cnmiranda]

Here's a message of mine written previously so I copied and pasted it. I haven't been to London in a year and I'm guessing prices for cabs/bus have gone up due to fuel costs so prices are approximate:

 

By Rail to and from London: Pick up at Waterloo Station or from Southampton Station. The ride is approx. 1 hour and 18 minutes. Cost is about 24 pounds per person. Trains run every 15 to 30 minutes. This is the quickest way back and fourth. The rail website is http://www.nationalrail.co.uk

 

By Bus: Pick up at Victoria coach station or Southampton coach station. Ride is approx. 2 hours or more depending on traffic and costs about 19 pounds per person. You can check http://www.gobycoach.com for more info.

 

Via taxi/private coach: To and from London will cost approx. 90 pounds and again take 2 hours or more depending on traffic. Heathrow to/from Southampton is about 75 pounds.

[phabric]

We haven't gone yet but have been checking into things for our cruise. Check out http://www.nationalexpress.com.

[bankofdad]

We've booked private car hire through www.britishairportcars.co.uk. Learned about them on the British Isles boards, if I recall. You can reserve on-line (they responded very quickly), and can even pre-pay if you'd like, for a slight fee. The reservation confirmation that is emailed provides very detailed information on where to meet them at each location, etc.

 

Cost for Heathrow to Southampton is 121 BRP (unfortunately we can't pre-cruise - business schedule - so we'll be going right to the pier).

 

Southampton to London Central (post-cruise stay at the Ruebens) 141 BTP.

 

From the Ruebens (Central London) to Heathrow 49 BTP.

 

Price is per car, not person. Just DW & I traveling together, but I believe the vehicle would have fit four adults (they have an overview of vehicle types on their website).

 

Hope this helps! Have a great trip!

[Esprit]

I know it's easy for me to say as I live in London but the train from Waterloo (in central London) direct to Southampton is a doddle. Lots of cruise passengers go that way and the journey from the So'ton train station to the docks is a five minute taxi ride with loads of friendly taxi drivers waiting for each train that comes in.

 

Going by car from Heathrow or Gatwick seems an expensive option to me but then I know the way.

 

Like all means of travel you need to allow plenty of time (just in case). The hotels in So'ton are also very good should you decide to go the day before. You can then watch your ship berth the next morning as all the big hotels are right by the docks

 

Hope this helps

 

Peter

[phabric]

Esprit -

Since our cruise is not until 2007, I am in the planning stage. We were thinking of renting a car to go to Southampton for a few days to sightsee, returning by National Express and staying around Victoria Station for a few days. What are your thoughts on the National Express.

[Lise Dagenais]

coming from u.s. 2 days before cruise. any hotel info would help also. leaving on the golden sept. 9, 14 days to rome.

 

thanks again for any info.

We will be on the same cruise

We will also be 3 days prior of the cruise in London and we booked the transfer from Victoria station with Princess

maybe we will meet

L.D.

[Esprit]

They are very good.The journey from So'ton to Victoria should be about 2 hours (120 miles approx') assuming it doesn't stop at a motorway service station for a toilet break.

 

Coaches usually pull up right by where the ship berths and the facilities are all quite new whether your ship berths at the QE2 or the Mayflower Terminals.

 

Anything else? just ask

 

Peter

[2ladies]

Hi Peter - just booked Megatrain(www.megatrain.com) for £2.50 for two people!! Goes from Waterloo and then we will get a cab.

 

Coming back on a Sunday, so no Megatrain - sob sob!!! Booked National Express Coach Funfare etc. at £10.30 for two. But have to get a cab to coach station presumably!! How far is it to the coach station? We have booked on the 10.30 am train, and I hope we have sufficient time!!

[phabric]

I was wondering if I should book the 10:30, would that be too early. What have other people booked.

[2ladies]

We have booked the 10.30. They like to start embarking at about ll.00 am so I should think we are about right!!!

[phabric]

Do I understand this right. Ship docks at Southampton at 7am, we disembark, cab to National Express for 10:30 bus, but they don't let you on until 11. I was wondering if the 10:30 would be too early, or take the later one.

[Photo Oracle]

You seem to know a bit about London. We will be three people with luggage of course. Flying into Stanstead, and need to get to Sea Princess at Southampton.

 

Best suggestion?

[Photo Oracle]

Hi Peter,

We will be traveling from US to Stanstead and then will need to get to Sea Princess at Southampton within 5-6 hours. Since there will be 3 of us, and the ladies always forget how to pack light . . . rail seems out of the question.

 

Your suggestions?

[Globaliser]

We will be traveling from US to Stanstead and then will need to get to Sea Princess at Southampton within 5-6 hours.

This is quite a tall order. You will definitely need a car service. Even then, you're cutting it quite fine. The road journey on its own from Stansted to Southampton could easily take four hours if you're travelling in heavy traffic, although in light traffic it can be done in two. (I suspect that you're more likely to encounter light rather than heavy traffic, though, if you're on Sea Princess as this should be a Saturday morning.) You are depending on there being no inbound delays for your flight, though. You definitely have less margin here than if you were flying to Heathrow.

[jazzy_cazy]

In answer to someone elses question the coach park to the terminal is really not far at all. Would take no more than 10 mins by car/taxi but sometimes theres a bit of a queue to get to the terminal with embarkation/disembarkation so perhaps a little longer with that.

 

xjcx

[Esprit]

Hi everyone

 

As my fellow Englishman has said to travel from Stanstead to So'ton on the same day as embarkation could be tricky with Traffic. The M25 motorway can be a pig sometimes and there are major roadworks on the north of London section that are going on for ages.

 

Personally (if flying into the UK) I would travel down the day before and book into one of the many hotels right by the docks. I driven once to So'ton on embarkation day and even allowing for delays on the M25 it still took longer than I planned and I drive on that road loads of times.

 

Can't help with coach terminals and gven the choice I'd rather get the train from Waterloo to So'ton.

 

So'ton isn't a bad place to chill out before you get on board and has a good size shopping centre (called West Quay) where you can grab a coffee on the terrace looking across to the docks. The ships are easy to see as the buildings aren't tall around them. Shopping centre to docks is a 5 min taxi ride.

 

Hope this helps

 

Peter

[bvillemiss]

I am flying into Southampton from the U.S. before the cruise but haven't noticed anyone else doing this. Did I make a huge mistake? Cannot understand why more don't do this so there must be a good reason??????

[herb]

I am flying into Southampton from the U.S. before the cruise but haven't noticed anyone else doing this. Did I make a huge mistake? Cannot understand why more don't do this so there must be a good reason??????

 

From New York City (Kennedy Airport) there are no flights to Southampton. All flights go to London.