John Bull

It's happened to me too - in the States, though for a trivial amount (card issuer told me that was normal- a little test purchase to see if it gets picked up). All too easy when not protected by a PIN (PINs seem to be catching-on in the US now?) But that's the card issuer's problem, whereas stolen cash would be my problem. Ditto your neighbour. And I still don't understand why you didn't use a card when you had insufficient local cash. JB 🙂 .

I'd be very very very very very very very very very wary of relying on that !!! No way can one find "easy options", not even in large cities, not even in capital cities. And any outlet that'll accept foreign cash is almost certain to do so at an extortionate rate of exchange. So you don't use credit cards for small purchases - nothing wrong with that. But why wouldn't you use one if you don't have local shrapnel & the only other alternative is to offer foreign currency - even in airport-land? I was a dinosaur - long after everyone else was using cards I continued to use cash everywhere. But I carried a card in case I didn't have enough cash - and that's in my own country ! JB 🙂

Excellent bed-time reading. For those of us with insomnia 🤣🤣🤣 JB 🙂

The first bit's easy. You can take the half-hourly direct train to Hampton Court station from central London's Waterloo station, or join it at Vauxhall station if that's more convenient to your hotel. Journey time 30 - 40 minutes, fare about £8. A five minute walk from the station over the RiverThames & Hampton Court Palace is on your right. It's well worth a visit, and two hours won't do it justice. The next bit's not so easy. Hampton Court to Windsor is about 15 miles. 30 minutes by road, but a tortuous 90 minutes by train since you start by going in the wrong direction to Clapham Junction where you change to a train to Windsor & Eton Riverside, fare £10. Then a ten-minute walk to Windsor Castle (note "castle", not "Palace") Again, 2 hours is less than optimal. Then easy back to London Waterloo Back to Windsor & Eton Riverside station for the half-hourly direct train to Waterloo. Journey time one hour, fare £11. https://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/ The krunch is Hampton Court to Windsor - the train will cost you more than an hour compared to a taxi. I'll leave a Londoner to guestimate the cost of a taxi, but phoning for one - or an Uber (are they even allowed?) - will be so much cheaper than hailing a traditional black cab. Check opening & closing times and figure how much time you'll have with either option. I didn't understand "............whether to do a transfer from London to Heathrow that includes a two hour stop at Windsor Castle on the day we embark" The day you fly out from LHR, or cruise out from Southampton?, JB 🙂

Figures from the ONS, or more-accurately PHE, have been in a mess since the govt stopped publishing figures for friday thro monday plus the plethora of bank holidays. I don't know about regional differences, but from a mini-peak of 87,000 (7-day average) cases mid-March it fell to 55,000 (7-day ave) at the beginning of April to 13,000 (7-day ave) at the beginning of May, to average of 6,000 in the past seven days. See this chart - and see the gaps too https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/uk/ JB 🙂

You're not really disagreeing with rka, who says " I do like to have some Euros with me. One never knows when some cash may be needed.". And I agree. But the exchange rate on credit cards is at or just above the wholesale rate - far better than any exchange bureau. And its as much money as you want, without having to worry about whether you'll survive on what you've got left or hunting for an exchange bureau. Safer too. A few pointers about cards..... It's already been mentioned that Visa & Mastercard are widely accepted, but not so with Amex or D/C. And don't rely on a single card - if you lose it or it's problematic you're in trouble. So carry two, ideally with a third in your cabin safe. High interest is charged daily on cash drawn on credit cards, so for cash at an ATM use your debit card, or if you have to use a credit card pay it off in full at the earliest opportunity rather than waiting for your monthly statement. Outlets, including ATMs, often offer you the opportunity to pay in the currency of your card instead of in local currency "for your convenience". In fact some unscrupulous vendors will automatically set the charge in your currency. So check before signing or wafting or entering your pin. INSIST on being charged in local currency because your card issuer will give you a much better exchange rate than outlets and foreign ATMs. It also allows you to see that your card is being charged what's on the sales ticket or on the check. Same applies to your on-board account if ship's currency isn't the same as your home currency - decline any offer to convert, pay as billed in ship's currency. But card issuers do charge a fee for foreign currency transactions. Normally not as much as their conversion rate saves you - but there are plenty of cards which don't charge a forex fee. It's probably worth getting one for a European cruise, and certainly worth getting one if you have further travels planned. Your fellow-countrymen can suggest cards which don't charge for foreign transactions. BTW there are (rare) occasions where cash isn't accepted & the only option is to use a card. Usually un-manned outlets like toilets & parking. Some local currency but most purchases by card is the way most of us travel JB 🙂

I've seen a few similar posts. The prospects of a positive test are quite slim, but if you want to cover that eventuality book a hotel with penalty-free cancellation with about 24 hours notice. Only some hotels offer free late cancellation, and most charge a room-rate premium of around 10% for cancellable bookings. If you choose that route, be sure to remember to cancel, perhaps by having "cancel hotel" tattoo'd across your forehead 😉 JB 🙂

Trains from Pompeii to Sorrento or back to Naples every half-hour, 7 days a week. And I agree with Cruisemom about the time you've allowed for Pompeii, when you get there you may agree or disagree. We also agree that altho Sorrento is charming it's pretty unremarkable, but then I think the same about Naples. Diff'rent folks, diff'rent strokes. But Sorrento is certainly a pleasant place to relax even if you have to wait an hour or more for a ferry, and a cool refreshing ferry-ride back to Naples. I share Eurocruiser's concerns about ferry ticketing - there should be no problem with a mid-afternoon ferry, but a late afternoon ne may book-out. If you really want to consider including everywhere, you could do it in reverse. The Sorrento ferry is very convenient to the ship. Decide whether you agree with us about Sorrento Train to Pompeii, see how Pompeii grabs you. Choose to spend the rest of the day there or head back to spend time in Naples -the station is convenient to the town The downside of this way round is that you'll be at Pompeii at the hottest time-of-day. In a nutshell, the same as Eurocruiser - keep the day fluid. JB 🙂

Much the same as Harter's & Globaliser's responses. Isolation rules in England have been relaxed, it's now a matter of doing the honourable thing. If a person is - or suspects that they are - infected, they should adopt as high a degree of isolation as is reasonably possible in their individual circumstances. It's their civic duty to to use common sense, wear a mask, avoid crowds, and particularly avoid contact with those who are vulnerable. Guidelines rather than rules, doubtless some don't follow the rules but its been that way for many weeks now and infection rates haven't risen and remain low. Harter has a personal view that the government "no longer cares that you are likely to pass on the virus", a view shared by many others but the government sees it as part of the strategy of "living with the virus". CDC currently requires that you provide an observed negative test no earlier than the day before your flight to the USA. For the CDC's observed test (face-to-face or by video link), the kit has to be supplied by the organisation carrying out the test, you cannot use your own home-testing kit. Take your booked test anyway in case your suspicions prove wrong and because you home test may have indicated a false positive. If your CDC-approved test is positive, it's probably best to book at a hotel which offers no-charge cancellations if you give 24-hours notification. I've seen a couple of CC posts by people who've done that anyway "just in case", to avoid a last-minute scramble for accommodation. And book cancellable face-to-face in-person tests at Lloyd's pharmacies & pay when you attend - It can take five days before you eventually get a negative test so that's the simplest & most economical way to do it. Obviously cancel any future bookings with them once you get a negative test, though apparently there's no charge for no-shows Any cost of cancelling your flight & re-booking at short notice will of course depend on the terms of your ticket. Check whether the various costs are covered by your travel insurance. There's a very high probability that you won't test positive, but it's best to know the score if you do. Guidelines & rules that we've quoted are current, but can change. They apply to England, they my be different when leaving the UK from Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-and-treatment/when-to-self-isolate-and-what-to-do/ JB 🙂 .

The nature reserve fee has in the past been included in the cablecar fare and in the taxi/van tour fare, with only hikers having to buy separately. But you both seem quite confident about buying them, so perhaps things have changed in the last few years. Anubi - yes your plan will work, though taxi drivers will want to persuade you to take their tour. Add about a 35 min walk from ship to bottom cablecar if you can't get a taxi. And it's not as leisurely a stroll as you might be anticipating from the Top of the Rock to the WW2 Tunnels - its a little up-and-down with switchbacks. But glorious westerly views over your ship & the Bay of Algeciras. Yes, you can take a taxi direct to the WW2 Tunnels. But I'm not sure whether your taxi-driver would have to pay the hefty vehicle entry for the Nature Reserve, which starts at the Moorish Castle. If so, get him to drop you where he can turn around just before the Moorish Castle (get him to point out the bus stop at the same time). Then it's only a couple of hundred yards to walk past the Moorish Castle (buy your Nature Reserve tickets there) to the entrance of the WW2 tunnels. Tours are accompanied (its a rabbit warren of tunnels), about every 1/2 hour I think. The exit is higher up the Rock - you can walk down the road or follow the guide back thro the tunnels to the entrance. A third option is to take an Upper Rock van tour from the cruise terminal (no pre-booking necessary). It visits St Michaels Cave, the apes' feeding station and the Great Siege Tunnel - above the WW2 tunnels & linked to them but the link is not open. Great vertical views from there down to the airport & border, and across to Spain The tour then returns to town > > > > > past the entrance to the WW2 Tunnels. So pay the driver and ask him to drop you there. Other folk do that. atobols - yes, your plan should work. If you take the steps down alongside the Charles V wall (between the apes' feeding station / glass floor and the apes' den) they're very steep & a little uneven - and in a straight line, so you need to take it very steady. At the apes' den, consider going off-route a little to walk the new Windsor Suspension Bridge (if you dare 😅) - I've not seen it. When you get down to the town its easy to take a wrong turn - anyone you see ask them to confirm you're heading the right way. Aim for the little Trafalgar Cemetery (sailors who died of their wounds after the Battle of Trafalgar, south of Cadiz, 1805). Then down Main Street for pubs, cafes, shops etc, and 20 - 25 mins back to the ship. JB 🙂

Not at all well-placed, peikris - on the city boundary, rather remote from the city centre & facilities😟. Makes much more sense for folk who have a car 5 miles from the city centre & cruise terminals.- about £16-£20 e/w by taxi. Nothing much locally either - 10 minute walk to a spread-out out-of-town shopping area with a Burger King, a KFC and a MaccyD. 15 minute walk in the other direction to West End local shops & a decent fish & chips takeaway. Nearest pub is Southampton Arms in Moorgreen Road, about 20 minute walk - a locals' pub, convivial, food is inexpensive & surprisingly good value. Or a 2.5 mile taxi ride to the village of Botley - Reggina's Italian restaurant and the Old Mill restaurant and 3 pubs. Or to Miller & Carter's steakhouse on Providence Hill - all quite expensive but excellent, best to book at any. How many nights? Can you switch hotels? Holiday Inn Express West isn't much better-located, but the Holiday Inn on Herbert Walker Avenue is right by City Cruise Terminal and with Southampton's downtown pretty-well on the doorstep. JB 🙂

No coach excursions to Stonehenge from Southampton, but very easy to DIY.. Take the train from Southampton Central station, 10 - 15 minute walk from Moxy. Buy return tickets for the direct half-hourly train to Salisbury about £12. Journey time about 35 minutes. Avoid saturdays or sundays if you can The Stonehenge Tour bus leaves from the station forecourt - small station, very easy to spot it. Catch a train that ties in with the Stonehenge Tour bus times Because independent travellers have to pre-book a timed arrival slot at Stonehenge, buy your Stonehenge tickets on-line with your tour ticket, or from the driver - their tickets have no arrival time restrictions, you just walk straight in. NB If you pay the driver on-the-day you'll need cash due to contactless card limits. Expect to spend about 60 to 90 minutes at Stonehenge. On the return journey to Salisbury there's an option to visit Old Sarum on the edge of the city - a hill fort that was the original city. Needs about 45 minutes. Then go back to the same bus-stop. You don't have to wait for the next Stonehenge Tour bus, your ticket is good for any Salisbury Reds bus - I think from that stop they all go to the city centre, but double-check with the driver. Old Sarum is uphill and rather exposed - not worthwhile unless you have the time, you're tolerably fit, and the weather's decent. Salisbury is a super little historic & laid-back city. Visit the magnificent cathedral - it has the tallest spire in the UK, one of the four original Magna Cartas, and the world's oldest clock. Entry by donation or combined Stonehenge/cathedral ticket. Cathedral not open for visiting on sundays. Make you way back to the station, a 15 minute walk or bus or taxi hop, for a train back to Southampton. https://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk https://www.thestonehengetour.info/ https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge JB 🙂

Fairly new, opened during the pandemic. No personal experience, but it's a slightly quirky Marriott brand - not the usual Marriott experience, designed to appeal to the younger set. Best bet for reviews is a booking agency, here are booking.com's reviews ................. https://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/moxy-southampton.en-gb.html?aid=376362&label=bh-yRUEyMXdyFdX6V220K8x8QS541115883818%3Apl%3Ata%3Ap1%3Ap22%2C563%2C000%3Aac%3Aap%3Aneg%3Afi%3Atiaud-1183547560947%3Akwd-1983705807%3Alp1006715%3Ali%3Adec%3Adm%3Appccp%3DUmFuZG9tSVYkc2RlIyh9YTQUGSsRwx9_llxDbUbGjaI&sid=07d12490bb05c128d7b4e5cb5de65d79&dest_id=5680001;dest_type=hotel;dist=0;group_adults=2;group_children=0;hapos=1;hpos=1;no_rooms=1;req_adults=2;req_children=0;room1=A%2CA;sb_price_type=total;sr_order=popularity;srepoch=1653480145;srpvid=0ed654a717b10185;type=total;ucfs=1&#tab-reviews Location is excellent - a stone's throw from the big West Quay mall & opposite the adjacent West Quay entertainment complex (multi-plex cinema, bowling alley, lots of restaurants - most with inside & outside dining). Beyond that the city wall & BarGate, which divides the new(er) main shopping street called Above Bar from old town (Below Bar). Most of Southampton's few sights are Below Bar eg Tudor Merchant's House & Gardens in Bugle Street City Cruise Terminal is a 10-minute walk (cut thro Holiday Inn's carpark), Horizon Cruise Terminal five mins beyond that, Ocean Cruise Terminal 15 minutes, all on level ground. Other cruise terminals are a short taxi hop (£10 or less). The restaurants in the West Quay complex are national & international brands - if you want something more traditional, individual, and proprietor-run head to the pubs & restaurants on the waterfront of old town - pubs like the Dancing Man and a hundred yards behind it in Bugle Street the Duke of Wellington, and restaurants like Ennio's and La Regata. All within a 10-minute walk. JB 🙂

Do you tip airport workers who load the carousel? 😉 The guy who takes your bags at the cruise terminal just puts them on a conveyor-belt, when they reach the ship, ship's crew does the rest. So nothing for port workers, altho I understand it's the norm in the US. Hotels - normally nothing for reception, most folk carry their own luggage but a pound or two if staff do it, usually nothing for housekeeping (although some folk leave a pound or two), or bar staff or breakfast. Evening dining is personal choice - if billed separately anywhere from nothing to 10%, certainly nothing if there's a service charge Taxis -nothing or rounding-up for short hops in town, £5 to £10 for longer-distance private transfers (always pre-book) such as Southampton to London. But there are no hard-and-fast practices - if you tip nobody anywhere you won't get chased down the street. But it's normal to show appreciation for anyone who goes the extra mile. JB 🙂

Follow Edinburgher's steps to search the Ports of Call forums. (it takes a few seconds for the cogs & wheels to load the magic). This is what came up when I typed "Dubrovnik" into the "other Mediterranean ports" forum .................. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=dubrovnik &quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=149 JB 🙂

I do wonder that myself, there's surely demand for it late in the day. Mebbe because it has a scheduled route round the island. Or mebbe to do with adverse currents. Does anyone else know? JB 🙂

Yes, most cruise lines issue tender tickets, usually on the morning. They'll announce the where (a bar, the theatre, or wherever) & the when the previous evening and in the ship's newspaper, in elevators etc. If you're keen to get off early, get to the ticketing venue half-an-hour or more early - if you get there at the appointed time you'll find there's already a line. Just one of you can usually go on behalf of a small group (take their cruise cards in case you're asked). You are then free to do your own thing anywhere on the ship, while listening for your numbers to be called to go to the tender point. But on some ships you go to the appointed place (usually a dining room or the theatre) when you're ready to leave - you stay there until you're called & you're accompanied in a group to the tender point. Sounds horrendous, but every time we've encountered that system it has worked very well. Yes, ships always prioritise their tour groups. But on Santorini the tour groups are taken further down the coast by one set of tenders to the little ferry-port of Anthinios, where the road goes down to the port. The rest are taken to the pier below Fira by a different set of tenders - I've never heard of any tour groups being taken to that pier., so there's usually no priority for tour groups tendering in Santorini. NB. Taking a ship's tour avoids the cablecar / donkey / ferry options, so is relatively quick to depart. But most ships' tours end in Fira, with tour passengers joining the line for the cablecar to get back to the ship. Just pre-Covid one cruise line (Celebrity I think) returned their tour groups via Athinios, thereby avoiding the long cablecar lines. It's worth checking whether your ship will be doing that, which will avoid all the hassle getting back. Finally, a reminder of my earlier post - for any tendered destinations the "last tender time" to get back is usually 60 minutes before sailing (30 minutes in berthed ports). But that's when you have to be on the pier, not when you have to be back on the ship - so the length of the line for tenders is irrelevant. JB 🙂

That's the norm., because the ferry / waterbus / call-it-what-you-will only operates from the tender pier to Oia, but not the other way round. Buses from Oia to Fira can be over-subscribed, so allow time to wait for the next one or find a taxi or van. Fira has plenty to offer, so don't risk delays from Oia. The cablecar is frequently over-subscribed (check with passengers from other ships when they have to be back at the pier) and the line can be huge. See my earlier post - assuming that you have half-decent mobility, get to the top cablecar station at least 40 minutes before last-tender time. If the line's too long, walk down the zig-zag path to the pier - it's not too strenuous & takes 25 to 30 minutes. JB 🙂

Quarantine in England is currently a very relaxed ruling, it relies on the good sense and honour of the infected person to avoid contact with others for five days. Heathrow is just inside the M25 London ring road and, in line with Globaliser's post, it's pretty-well all urban sprawl inside the M25 ring road - and indeed beyond it. So look west , between LHR and Reading or toward Oxford. But (good spot by Harters) altho Richmond is inside the M25 sprawl, it's one of the rare exceptions, with huge Richmond Park and other open areas close by. And only about 10 miles from LHR. Bear in mind that your LFT must be taken no sooner than the day before your travel, so if (and it's probably better than a 99% chance) you test negative you'll need to cancel the hotel. So you need to book with late cancellation rights. Plenty of hotels offer cancellation rights, though many require 3 + days notice, which won't fit your needs. Richmond Hill hotel allows free cancellation up to 2pm on the first day of the booked stay, though like most others which allow free late cancellation a stay will cost about 10% more with those cancellation rights. If I booked on those terms for an unlikely scenario I think I'd tattoo a reminder to cancel on my forehead 😉 https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-and-treatment/when-to-self-isolate-and-what-to-do/ https://www.booking.com/hotel/gb/richmondhillhotel.en-gb.html?aid=376362&label=bh-yRUEyMXdyFdX6V220K8x8QS541115883818%3Apl%3Ata%3Ap1%3Ap22%2C563%2C000%3Aac%3Aap%3Aneg%3Afi%3Atiaud-1183547560947%3Akwd-1983705807%3Alp1006715%3Ali%3Adec%3Adm%3Appccp%3DUmFuZG9tSVYkc2RlIyh9YTQUGSsRwx9_llxDbUbGjaI&sid=07d12490bb05c128d7b4e5cb5de65d79&all_sr_blocks=23163911_91468128_0_2_0;checkin=2022-06-15;checkout=2022-06-16;dest_id=231639;dest_type=hotel;dist=0;group_adults=2;group_children=0;hapos=1;highlighted_blocks=23163911_91468128_0_2_0;hpos=1;matching_block_id=23163911_91468128_0_2_0;no_rooms=1;req_adults=2;req_children=0;room1=A%2CA;sb_price_type=total;sr_order=popularity;sr_pri_blocks=23163911_91468128_0_2_0__20298;srepoch=1653387816;srpvid=6f5e49138d1c06b7;type=total;ucfs=1&#hotelTmpl JB 🙂

Yes, a city - but quite an attractive one. And with direct trains to Portsmouth, Southampton & Brighton. Slightly longer journey times & slightly higher fares because it's further east. As a base for a week you'd need to build in some day-trips .... Hourly bus service from Chichester to the Weald & Downland open-air Museum, linked in Alaskan's first post, and well worthwhile. Created by dismantling historic buildings in the south of England that were in the way of road improvements & such, transporting them to the site at Singleton and faithfully re-building them. One of the buildings, Court Barn, is from my home village and features in the TV series "The Repair Shop". And a short train ride to Arundel. Lovely little town. Its castle, built in 1067 (one of the first castles of William the Conqueror) has been extended over the centuries so it incorporates elements from pretty-well every century, making it a great place to understand the evolution of castles. https://www.arundelcastle.org/ Portsmouth is another easy and good day-worth, or even two https://www.historicdockyard.co.uk/site-attractions JB 🙂

No, there are no Nat Express coaches which go from Dover to Heathrow - you'd need one from Dover to Victoria coach station in central London, where you change to a coach going to LHR. That's two tortuous sides of a triangle as per my last post, 4 hrs 10 mins to 5 hours, depending on connection times in London. https://book.nationalexpress.com/ The direct route by car or ship's transfer bus takes half that time. JB 🙂

A sunday morning 🙂. Yes, play safe by disembarking unassisted (haul your own bags from your cabin), usually 7am or a little earlier. Altho Anthem is a big 'un, disembarking before the first tranche of passengers (about 7.30) assures you of speedy formalities in the cruise terminal unless a four-legged customs officer chooses to single you out. There should be a line of taxis at the terminal. Being a sunday there's always the risk of engineering work on the rail track, so take the taxi all the way to the airport. On a sunday the airport is no more than 20 mins away - taxi fare from the rank a little over £20, or pre-booked a little under £20 https://westquaycars.com/ You'll be there before 8am. It's a small traveller-friendly single-terminal airport. I laugh when I see for Southampton what is clearly generic airport advice, for instance "allow two / three hours" or "boarding gates may be a long walk from check-in". Errrr, no you don't need to, and no, they're not 🙄 Loganair check-in for domestic flights usually opens two hours before flight time & closes 30 minutes before. Refreshments in the terminal hall and upstairs Bon voyage JB 🙂

There are lots of beautiful villages within about a 20 mile radius of Southampton - including in the Test Valley, in the Meon Valley, in the New Forest, even across the water on the Isle of Wight. And many are IMHO more attractive in themselves than Brockenhurst. They're fine if you just want to relax. But unless you rent a car you'll find yourself rather trapped in most of them because few have a rail station (and express trains don't stop at the few which do, so the service isn't frequent). And rural bus routes are very limited, slow, convoluted & infrequent. I lived in a village in the Test Valley - no railway, the bus service close to my home was just twice on tuesdays & twice on thursdays, and the service on the main road about a mile from home was every two hours - that was all just to go five miles to the nearest town. This is where Brockenhurst scores so highly - a pleasant little rural village in beautiful surroundings and with excellent transport links. Three other options .......... 1. Cities. Lots to see & do - without any transport, or use frequent city buses, or the occasional short taxi hop. And rail services for more-distant day-trips. Hence my suggestion of Portsmouth & Southsea, which has enough to keep you occupied for a week or more. And if it doesn't, there are direct hourly-or-better trains to Southampton, Winchester, Chichester, Salisbury, Arundel, even bohemian Brighton and a dozen other places plus ferries to the Isle of Wight. The ancient cities of Winchester or Salisbury or even Georgian/Roman city of Bath are other possibilities - all have a direct train service to Southampton but limited other direct services, and the cities themselves are rather limited for a 7-day stay. Or Southampton itself - not a tourist city, but has a few sights worthy of interest and the wide selection of hotels, restaurants, pubs, shops etc that you'll find in most cities. But as a railway hub its major attraction for visitors is as a base for easy visiting of numerous places on day-trips. http://www.projectmapping.co.uk/Reviews/Resources/SWRNETWORK Dec 2021.pdf 2. Village locations further from Southampton but with the same transportation advantages as Brockenhurst - perhaps in the West Country or Cotswolds. I'll leave others to suggest places. 3. Rent a car. This would allow you the freedom to choose a multitude of village locations on the Jurassic coast, in the Dorset downs, up on Salisbury Plain, in those New Forest, Test Valley & Meon Valley villages, the South Downs behind Arundel, or the Isle of Wight. And the opportunity to explore places off the beaten track. I hope this helps more than it confuses. 😉 JB 🙂

Wow - that's less than a week from now 🙂 Yes, those cruises from Mayflower terminal. Happy sailings JB 🙂

Yes, if you like a quiet and attractive village near Southampton and with good public transport options, Brockenhurst nicely fits the bill It's in the New Forest National Park, Carey's Manor is on the edge of the village just a ten-minute walk from the railway station and village centre. The other well-known hotel in Brockenhurst is Balmer Lawn, a further 5 - 10 minutes walk & surrounded by the New Forest. Or the Thatched Cottage hotel is a quintessential English period property, just a two-minute walk from the station. We've not stayed at any of the hotels, but we know the village fairly well. Brockenhurst has several decent pubs, restaurants, a couple of tea-rooms, and local shops. Altho it's only a small village (it'd bore you after a day or two), mainline trains stop here because it has a branch line to Lymington. So half-hourly -or-better (or poorer-on-sundays) direct mainline service west to Bournemouth, Poole, Dorchester & Weymouth and east to Southampton & Winchester (and other routes like Portsmouth or Salisbury with a train change at Southampton) Plus half-hourly trains on that branch line to the Solent coast at the yachting town of Lymington - and a ferry from there across to Yarmouth, on the Isle of Wight. Any of those places fit comfortably into a day trip. https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ Brockenhurst is also on two of the three New Forest ho-ho routes. The New Forest isn't just forest, it's a mix of woodland and heathland with wild ponies plus a smattering of cattle, pigs, asses, deer etc. Lots of walkks, cycle hire at the station. https://www.morebus.co.uk/about-NFT About 5 miles from Brockenhurst is the village of Beaulieu, home of a complex which includes the National Motor Museum, The Bishop's Palace, the Abbey ruins, and a small "secret army" museum - this was a training school for spies who were parachuted into France in WW2 to liaise with the French resistance. https://www.beaulieu.co.uk/ Or for something completely different - for a base with everything pretty-well on your doorstep consider the conjoined cities (only locals know where one ends & the other starts) of Portsmouth & Southsea. Portsmouth - home of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth's Historic Dockyard is worth a full day and more with visits to The Mary Rose, Nelson's HMS Victory & Warrior, the workshops & sheds, plus outliers by boat to https://www.nmrn.org.uk/our-museum/submarine and https://www.nmrn.org.uk/our-museum/explosion Pubs & fortifications of Old Portsmouth, shopping & entertainment complex and Spinnaker Tower at https://gunwharf-quays.com/, fast-ferries to Ryde, Isle of Wight. Southsea - holiday resort, seafront esplanade with Henry V111's small Southsea Castle, adjacent D-Day museum & other attractions, views and hovercraft ferry across the Solent to Ryde, on the Isle of Wight. Direct trains to Southampton, Chichester, Arundel, Brighton But this ain't no country village, it's very much a city break JB 🙂