Booking Transportation from Gatwick airport to Southampton Pier UK

I just realized that I did not arrange for transportation to the port through our cruise line. Can anyone suggest a company that would be easy to book transportation in a van rather than a tour bus to the Southampton port. Will a company arrange for us to share the van with others going to the same port, so as to reduce the rate. What is an acceptable rate?

If you post this on the PORTS OF CALL boards for EUROPE there is a sub-forum for the British Isles and there are a few resident experts who will be able to help you.

There are no shared shuttle services from Gatwick to Southampton. The most commonly mentioned car services are Smith’s for airports or west quay cars.

Another set of options are the bus or the train, both of which are less expensive but require a little more effort on your part.

The train from Gatwick to Southampton is pretty straightforward. The Station is built into the airport so no problems with luggage on stairs.

There is a direct train every hour, it takes just under 2 hours, and costs about £16 (depending on when you book).

Coaches are also direct, but less frequent and take longer.

My family received excellent service from Blackberry Cars. We reserved a vehicle to take us from Heathrow to our hotel in Central London for forty nine pounds for three passengers and three large pieces of luggage. They charged us a few days later one hundred fifteen pounds for transportation from the Central London hotel to our hotel in Southampton. I personally recommend them and will use them again when I return to London with my family.

You are going straight from the Gatwick to board the ship? Or need to just get into Southampton.

You are coming from the U.S.?

I would say take the train or hire a private car service. The train is easy enough, just purchase tickets before.

If you are flying in the day of your cruise from the U.S. not having 24-hour buffer on an international flight is something I would not do. I would want to get into London the day before and enjoy the city. There you can take an easy 90-min train ride to Southampton.

From the train station its a very quick taxi ride to the port.

The cheapest option is most likely the train, depending on how many pax. They will have direct trains, but also others that have 1 or more connections. From experience, travelling with extensive baggage on trains is never easy, especially when making connections. Not much storage space for cases, even in 1st Class carriages.

Our preference is a limo service and around London we use Addison Lee. They use estate cars/station wagons, which have lots of storage space in the boot. Reservations can be made online. We used them from a Tower Hill hotel to Tilbury Cruise Terminal and the cost was UKP 55, when a black cab would have been UKP 70 to 80. To use rail, with taxi to the station and then taxi to the cruise terminal would have been only a couple of pounds cheaper.

Endorse what Heidi 13 says re going by rail.

A good, inexpensive, reliable option.

1. The station is beneath your feet at the airport.

2. Trains run direct to Southampton at xx:09 every hour (not Sundays). Takes just under 2 hours.

3. 5 minute cab ride from Southampton station to the ship.

4. Book in advance here . I am currently seeing one-way fares from GBP5.