blloyd78

Apologies - I mentioned the wrong hotel 😞 We have used the Hilton Garden Inn "attached" to Terminal 2. It's a Hilton, pretty much the same the world over. So it's a safe choice. The views from the bar over the runways are excellent though. We've also stayed at The Thistle, but that is "attached" to Terminal 5 via the driverless pods. It's probably cheaper, but also slightly less convenient. Review here: https://www.journeyintodarkness.co.uk/thistle-terminal-5-hotel-heathrow-review

We have used the Holiday Inn Express "attached" to Terminal 2. It's a Holiday Inn Express, pretty much the same the world over. So it's a safe choice. We've also stayed at The Thistle, but that is "attached" to Terminal 5 via the driverless pods. It's probably cheaper, but also slightly less convenient. Review here: https://www.journeyintodarkness.co.uk/thistle-terminal-5-hotel-heathrow-review

I would suggest pre-booking a taxi for when you arrive at the Coach Station in Southampton - there are never any taxis waiting at the rank outside. https://www.journeyintodarkness.co.uk/national-express-to-southampton-cruise-terminal

No one enjoys a damp donkey

CPS is not cheap (or even reasonably priced), but at least your car is waiting for you when you return. We tend to choose the Stay-and-Park option at the Holiday Inn Express. It's located a bit out of town, but we find the combination of pre-cruise stay plus included taxi fares to and from the port to be excellent value (and cheaper than CPS). https://www.journeyintodarkness.co.uk/no-escape

Yup. We even have electricity and flushing toilets these days.

All of the taxis we have ever used in Southampton, from West Quay Cars or Radio Taxis, accept credit cards.

I can count on zero fingers how many times I have seen cabs waiting at the taxi rank outside the coach station. I've seen plenty of travellers queueing hopelessly to flag down a passing taxi though. I suggest taking a note of the local taxi company phone numbers and giving one of them a call when you arrive at the coach station. West Quay Cars: (+44) 02380 999999 Radio Taxis: (+44) 02380 666 666

70 miles is a not inconsiderable distance for a small country like the UK 😄

True. But Le Havre itself is nothing but an ugly old ferry port with little to see within walking distance of the dock.

For us, the real shame is that neither Le Havre nor Portland is a particularly exciting destination. Both are clearly itinerary fillers: * https://www.journeyintodarkness.co.uk/grey-town * https://www.journeyintodarkness.co.uk/pointless-portland

Thankfully tipping has not yet reached epidemic proportions like the US. That said, drivers do welcome tips if you are feeling generous.

I was always under the impression that additional hold space was carefully controlled to ensure sales could never exceed availability. However, I found this buried in the Terms & Conditions: I should note that I have never seen the hold completely full, even when all the seats are occupied. The driver does have options to maximise space; he could double-stack luggage for instance. I believe he can also load extra cases on the opposite side of the coach if required. Hope this helps.

If you pre-book your ticket, your seat is guaranteed. This screenshot is from the National Express website:

I have successfully cashed out all of my non-refundable OBC as cash (minus a few spins on the slots) several times now... 🤷‍♂️

1. Terminals 2 and 3 share the same coach stop (https://faq.nationalexpress.com/s/article/Where-are-your-coach-stops-at-Heathrow-Airport-1581438954890) 2. It is a ~500m walk from the coach station in Southampton to the Moxy. Unless you pre-book a taxi, you may find it faster to walk anyway. Yes, taxis accept credit cards.

Not on a scheduled airline, no.

It doesn't look far on Google because it isn't far in real life. 482 metres? That's what, 1.33 lengths of a modern cruise ship? That said, the walk from Premier Inn West Quay to the actual cruise terminals is much further. https://www.journeyintodarkness.co.uk/national-express-to-southampton-cruise-terminal

* Four terminals. Terminal 1 was decommissioned and partially demolished in 2015.

Isafjordur is very small and not very exciting in and of itself: https://www.journeyintodarkness.co.uk/yes-its-a-fjord-duh Akureyri is a much larger town, but still best viewed as a jumping-off point for other sights, such as the Godafoss waterfall: https://www.journeyintodarkness.co.uk/its-a-long-way-to-akureyri Zeebrugge is a working port. You will need to pay for a transfer into Bruges if you want to actually "see" anything of interest.

Thanks! I hope you found it useful.

National Express allow you to pre-book an extra suitcase for an additional fee. Yes, it's an annoyance, but at least you will get all your luggage onto the coach, guaranteed. We have travelled London-> Southampton several times with 20KG suitcase, roll-on and backpack each and never yet encountered any issues, although I do tend to pay extra for the roll-on, 'just in case'. https://www.journeyintodarkness.co.uk/national-express-to-southampton-cruise-terminal

And ETA checks will still be faster than recovering your luggage at Heathrow Airport 🤣

We've tried Bill's, Zizzi and l'Osteria at the West Quay shopping centre complex. They are all no fuss, chain restaurant affairs, but at least you know what to expect when you get there.

A folding scooter is a smart choice - the crew are usually quite happy to load into onto a tender so long as you can step aboard. Full size, fixed mobility scooters are banned from the tenders.