Southampton to Heathrow

[Host Kewlguy]

We are arriving at the Port of Southampton at 6am in April and will be flying back home from Heathrow at 4 pm the same day. My question is what would be the best way to get to Heathrow from Southampton port. I'm assuming it would be the coach verses the train. Just wanted to confirm this.

[Globaliser]

This is a frequently asked question in the Britain and British Isles forums. You might want to do a few searches in them.

[Queenk2]

We have used private trnsfers from this company more than once. They are reliable and pleasant to deal with. I am using them again this coming July. Cheryl is prompt in her replies and her service is wonderful. You can reach them at: cheryl@bcfinch.freeserve.co.uk . The name of the company is Woodford Chauffeur Cars

[hrob777]

Modern and comfortable bus drops you off at Hearthrow. Underground walkway connects to air terminals. Fares are very reasonable and they even have a senior discount.

 

At Southhampton, you will need a short taxi ride to pier.

 

http://www.nationalexpress.com/home/hp.cfm

[Host Kewlguy]

Thank you for your replies.

[Queenk2]

Kewlguy...easier than gettting to Newark

[pondhopper]

Train involves several changes or one change to a bus so I would go for the bus or a pre-arranged taxi. Bus is cheap but I have seen people with more than a couple of bags or an oversized bag have problems (though going TO heathrow you usually use the main luggage compartment so probably okay). A pre-booked taxi is usually £90-110 depending on number of people and bags. I have seen private transfers noted which seem nice though sometimes prices sound quite high.

[SteveS]

We have taken National Coach from London to Southampton and Dover then back to Heathrow. The service was great. And reasonable! And there are no stairs.

[Host Kewlguy]

The Coach definitely sounds the best to us. We checked the national express web site and it's about $53.00 US per person which is certainly more reasonable than the cruise line transfers. They recommend buying your tickets online and choosing a later time which can usually be moved up to an earlier time if necessary.

[2ladies]

Kewlguy - when you look at the National Express website, take a look at 'fun fares'!!!

[Globaliser]

You'd have to check to make sure, but I believe that fun fares are not available to/from airports.

[handfordr]

There is a range of 3-4 transfer options between Southampton and Heathrow all of which are suitable for different needs.

 

The National Express Bus runs from Southampton to Heathrow broadly hourly. Adult fare is 13.40 GBP, journey time a little under 2 hours.

Buses are comfortable with onboard washrooms. For cruise passengers the big disadvantage is the luggage allowance in the hold on your ticket. 1 case, maximum 20 Kg. Its up to the discretion of the driver if he takes on more. He doesn't weigh the cases and the drivers normally apply common sense. However if the bus is full, you get a jobsworth or you're way over the allowance you may be refused boarding.

The tedious bits are at either end of the journey. A short transfer of about 1km depending on birth from ship to bus/rail station. At Heathrow the coach station is between Terminals 1,2,3. Its about a 10 minute walk to the check-ins with luggage trolley friendly underground walkways. If you're using Terminal 4 (BA) you have to catch the Heathrow Express train (free) that runs every 15 minutes over to T4. Rail stations are deep underground both at the centre and T4 with lifts and escalators

 

Rail is the other public transport option. Big problem is that you have to alight at Woking Station then catch a RailAir bus (included in the ticket) Overall time is very similar to the coach and normal fares are more expensive so at first sight its 2nd best.. However the RailAir bus from Woking stops at T4, on its way into the airport so if you're flying out of there its worth considering. Standard adult single fare is 26.30, so its a lot more expensive than the bus.

Unlike the bus the limit on luggage is what you can carry.

 

A private car should cost around 125 GBP door to door from cruise terminal to airport terminal. Journey time is around an hour or a little over.

Fine if there are two of you. European cars have relatively small trunks, so problems if 3 large cases or more requiring you to upgrade to a larger car.

 

If you're a family or small group the best value is a fixed price shuttle bus. FCMBS have 8 seater buses for private hire at a fixed price of 145 GBP.

These buses can carry a minimum of 16 cases in addition to hand luggage. Larger buses are available that are even more economical.

 

If you have a few hours to spare in between disembarkation and your flight out there is the opportunity of sightseeing within your transfer.

Stonehenge and Windsor are only small detours. If you use a private hire taxi or bus you should pay about 50-60 GBP more for a visit to Stonehenge with about an hour at the monument (not including admission fees).

Windsor is only about 8 miles from Heathrow. FCMBS are based at Heathrow and can offer a service where they drop you in Windsor and you leave your luggage on the bus.

You then sightsee Windsor, Eton, Runnymede etc and they collect you at a prearranged time for the final leg to Heathrow. Again this adds 50-60 GBP to the transfer.