London to Southampton

I posted this on our Roll Call so apologies to those that may have already seen this, but I thought I would ask here also to see if there are options I don't know about and if it is advisable to go to Southampton day of cruise.

I've been going and forth with going the day before and going to Southampton, day of. Have also been weighing the options of hired car and taking train. Appears it's about 2 hours so a reasonably early departure from London "should" get in to Southampton in plenty of time (and it would give me another day in London.)

If I understand correctly, the train leaves from Waterloo? so we would have to get to train station (with luggage) from our hotel and then get cab from train station in Southampton to hotel or port? Whereas a hired car (Smiths or whomever) would pick us up at hotel in London and take us to hotel in Southampton or to ship depending on the day of arrival.

London Toolkit also indicates they have Southampton Cruise Ship Shuttles & Tour Transfers service (van), direct or stopping at Stonehenge, with hotel PU. Direct is £71 pp. Train appears to be £80.80 for 2 people. Price I had quoted from Woodford cars a couple weeks ago is £180 per vehicle.

Looks like car would be easiest and most expensive, Train would least expensive but you have to wrangle your luggage and then get taxi in Southampton.

These are just the options I've come up with so far. Some of you more experienced travelers or locals may have some better ideas.

TIA

Sandi

We always used car service and found it advantageous for us, not only for convenience of schlepping the bag to vehicle only once, but price is shared by travelers. Recently, we had Smiths from Heathrow to port at £74 for 4 of us. We paid more last year from Chelsea.

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£74 total for 4 or £74 for each of you?

I'm thinking the car would be advantageous in that we are going to be tired after London and it would be nice to not have to "figure stuff out" and haul luggage around. But the way I'm adding stuff to must see/do list saving £s is important too.

Hi Sandi,

You sail on a wednesday, so you'll be travelling to Southampton on a tuesday or a wednesday.

Most cruisers who spend pre-cruise time in London, and Londoners and Brits from further afield, travel down on sailing day - it's not a problem and of course gives you an extra day in London.

Travel time by road is something over 2 hours, by train it's about 90 minutes.

By train

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

Yes, trains depart from London Waterloo and are direct to Southampton central. .

A few trains are less than half the fare that you're quoting. For example on the current timetable for trains at 9.39am, 10.39, 11.39 and 12.39 it's anywhere between £9.10 and £17, depending how far out you book. You might not feel comfortable with the 12.39 (arrives 2.12pm) but excluding problems even that one is in good time for registration on your ship. If you plan to travel the day before, those promos apply to some later trains too.

But you do have to pre-book, and the price depends how far out you book. For instance those promo fares won't show until about seven weeks out but increase closer to the date. The tickets are only good for the time that you booked.

There are also direct trains from London Victoria, promo fares from as little as £5 per person.

Same pre-purchase terms.

Altho the train is direct it's over a much longer route, effectively two side of a triangle, and the journey time is around 2.5 hours.

Might suit if your London hotel is in the Victoria area.

If your hotel is near London Paddington station it's not too difficult to take the train from there, it involves one simple change of train. But no promo fares, expect to pay £40+ per person

No requirement to pre-book for trains, but walk-up fares are much steeper.

By scheduled bus

You've not mentioned the direct scheduled bus service provided by

https://beta.nationalexpress.com/

Fares £5 to £8, hourly service, travel time about 2hrs 20.

The service is from London Victoria coach station (just down the road from Victoria train station), your destination is Southampton coach station.

No requirement to pre-book for buses, but it's very strongly advised because they do book-out and it's only an hourly service.

Southampton central station and coach station are close together. Princess use two cruise terminals, Ocean and Mayflower. Both are vaguely walkable but better to take a taxi, about £8.

Tour-transfer bus (via London Toolkit)

This is a door-to-door service serving hotels throughout central London. Not every hotel, but almost-certainly from one just a few yards away. Usually pick-up is in vans, then a switch to the tour coach. Drivers handle your luggage.

Has a good reputation. If you choose it, buy your Stonehenge tickets with your coach tickets for guaranteed admission on arrival - tickets available at the gate are subject to availability & you don't want to find they're sold-out.

Their tour-transfers in the opposite direction (Southampton to London) are better value because they include several places of interest - the time constraint of cruise check-in time means just the one stop en-route to Southampton.

Ship's transfer buses

Most cruise ships offer a transfer from central London, usually from Victoria coach station. Always over-priced, but Princess are cheaper (no, make that "less expensive") than most.

Private transfer

You already know your stuff, but around £110 to £130 is closer to the mark :)

JB :)

DH and I did the BI cruise out of Southampton in May. We took the train from Waterloo to Southampton and it was easier then I expected and very cheap with ticket purchase in advance. I will admit to being very intimidated before arriving in the U.K. And taking our first train ride.

Some of us here in the US don't really have and or use any form of commuter train (that's us) so from that point of view I will say. It was all rather straight forward and the people at the train station were extremely nice and helpful.

DH and I both had 1 large suitcase a medium duffle type that slipped on the handle and a backpack. We did not have any difficulty getting our bags on. My only regret was not purchasing a ticket in advance for the way back to London as it was quite a price difference.

Good luck and enjoy your cruise.

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Hi Sandi,

 

You sail on a wednesday, so you'll be travelling to Southampton on a tuesday or a wednesday.

 

Most cruisers who spend pre-cruise time in London, and Londoners and Brits from further afield, travel down on sailing day - it's not a problem and of course gives you an extra day in London.

 

Travel time by road is something over 2 hours, by train it's about 90 minutes.

 

By train

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

Yes, trains depart from London Waterloo and are direct to Southampton central. .

A few trains are less than half the fare that you're quoting. For example on the current timetable for trains at 9.39am, 10.39, 11.39 and 12.39 it's anywhere between £9.10 and £17, depending how far out you book. You might not feel comfortable with the 12.39 (arrives 2.12pm) but excluding problems even that one is in good time for registration on your ship. If you plan to travel the day before, those promos apply to some later trains too.

But you do have to pre-book, and the price depends how far out you book. For instance those promo fares won't show until about seven weeks out but increase closer to the date. The tickets are only good for the time that you booked.

 

There are also direct trains from London Victoria, promo fares from as little as £5 per person.

Same pre-purchase terms.

Altho the train is direct it's over a much longer route, effectively two side of a triangle, and the journey time is around 2.5 hours.

Might suit if your London hotel is in the Victoria area.

 

If your hotel is near London Paddington station it's not too difficult to take the train from there, it involves one simple change of train. But no promo fares, expect to pay £40+ per person

 

No requirement to pre-book for trains, but walk-up fares are much steeper.

 

By scheduled bus

You've not mentioned the direct scheduled bus service provided by

https://beta.nationalexpress.com/

Fares £5 to £8, hourly service, travel time about 2hrs 20.

The service is from London Victoria coach station (just down the road from Victoria train station), your destination is Southampton coach station.

 

No requirement to pre-book for buses, but it's very strongly advised because they do book-out and it's only an hourly service.

 

Southampton central station and coach station are close together. Princess use two cruise terminals, Ocean and Mayflower. Both are vaguely walkable but better to take a taxi, about £8.

 

Tour-transfer bus (via London Toolkit)

This is a door-to-door service serving hotels throughout central London. Not every hotel, but almost-certainly from one just a few yards away. Usually pick-up is in vans, then a switch to the tour coach. Drivers handle your luggage.

Has a good reputation. If you choose it, buy your Stonehenge tickets with your coach tickets for guaranteed admission on arrival - tickets available at the gate are subject to availability & you don't want to find they're sold-out.

Their tour-transfers in the opposite direction (Southampton to London) are better value because they include several places of interest - the time constraint of cruise check-in time means just the one stop en-route to Southampton.

 

Ship's transfer buses

Most cruise ships offer a transfer from central London, usually from Victoria coach station. Always over-priced, but Princess are cheaper (no, make that "less expensive") than most.

 

Private transfer

You already know your stuff, but around £110 to £130 is closer to the mark :)

 

JB :)

John Bull, are you familiar with International Friends? I just tried to book a tour/transfer London via Stonehenge to Southampton and my credit card company won't allow the charge. They told me they had fraud cases against them. I'm confused! I've googled them a lot and haven't seen anything negative.

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John Bull, are you familiar with International Friends? I just tried to book a tour/transfer London via Stonehenge to Southampton and my credit card company won't allow the charge. They told me they had fraud cases against them. I'm confused! I've googled them a lot and haven't seen anything negative.

 

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The cruise tour-transfers promoted on London Toolkit are the ones run by International Friends.

Both organisations are long-established and reputable, I cannot believe there is any corporate fraud.

Couldn't find anything on the 'web either.

Perhaps there has been some sort of outsider-hacking or employee fraud at Friends International which has resulted in your card issuer blocking transactions until it's resolved.

Or, I have heard of folk with non-UK cards having their payments declined by other UK merchants including major organisations like National Express (buses) and Premier Inns. Such is the way when machines take over from people. So possibly the rep from your card issuer got their wires crossed and it's the card that you're using - in those cases folk used other cards and they worked fine.

But importantly you mention International Friends, so can I presume your problem was with a direct booking with them?

If so, no worries.

Book via https://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/southampton_london_transfers.htm

At £84 including Stonehenge admission it's actually £5 cheaper than booking direct with International Friends :)

JB :)

The cruise tour-transfers promoted on London Toolkit are the ones run by International Friends.

Both organisations are long-established and reputable, I cannot believe there is any corporate fraud.

Couldn't find anything on the 'web either.

 

Perhaps there has been some sort of outsider-hacking or employee fraud at Friends International which has resulted in your card issuer blocking transactions until it's resolved.

Or, I have heard of folk with non-UK cards having their payments declined by other UK merchants including major organisations like National Express (buses) and Premier Inns. Such is the way when machines take over from people. So possibly the rep from your card issuer got their wires crossed and it's the card that you're using - in those cases folk used other cards and they worked fine.

 

But importantly you mention International Friends, so can I presume your problem was with a direct booking with them?

If so, no worries.

Book via https://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/southampton_london_transfers.htm

At £84 including Stonehenge admission it's actually £5 cheaper than booking direct with International Friends :)

 

JB :)

Yes, I tried booking them on London Toolkit.

Yes, I argued with my major credit card company, that it was a well established company, etc. And they said that company was flagged in their system with fraud.

And I so want that tour booked for next May!

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As a Londoner I’d say the train leaving waterloo after 10am will be quieter so no real luggage issues. The underground is another matter, so I wouldn’t battle that with luggage.

Now these here trains have had a few reliability issues recently so I’d give yourself at least 2 hours extra to get to Southampton.

Stonehenge isn’t exactly en route, just an observation on that driving tour.

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twoznuff2 & John Bull

I'm also in the "never ride a train" (or bus or subway/tube) camp. Cars are it around here so all of these transportation options are very intimidating. I really, really appreciate all the help that is given on these boards.

I really want to do the train and you've given me confidence that we can do it and save some money too. We are staying in Notting Hill (what can I say, I saw the movie and couldn't pass up the chance.)

Our flight leaves at 12:55 so stopping at Stonehenge isn't an option for us.

It looks like it is pretty straightforward to get to Victoria from Notting Hill but would have to make a change to get to Waterloo. Might just be easier to take the train that takes a little longer and not have to deal with making a lot changes.

And that extra day in London will be great.

As a Londoner I’d say the train leaving waterloo after 10am will be quieter so no real luggage issues. The underground is another matter, so I wouldn’t battle that with luggage.

Now these here trains have had a few reliability issues recently so I’d give yourself at least 2 hours extra to get to Southampton.

Stonehenge isn’t exactly en route, just an observation on that driving tour.

Are you saying we shouldn't attempt the underground with luggage?

Are you saying we shouldn't attempt the underground with luggage?

I avoid if you can: lots of escalators for a start. The tube is also v busy before the 10am. So be ready for some manoeuvrings if you have large luggage.

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Smm0218

DH and I are definitely in the same only car camp. I was pretty nervous about trains/tubes etc before we arrived and our very first attempt at getting on the train from Gatwick airport to Waterloo near our hotel was a bit of a fail (not a big deal). We found the proper area to wait for the train but we were not prepared for the Londoners who are frequent travelers on the train to be so quick to get on an off. (We missed that first train. Again not a big deal train ran about every 30 min or so. Having watched the process once we were more confident when the next train arrived so we got on with little difficulty and I found the folks are the train were so incredibly friendly and understanding with us looking a bit unsure of ourselves.

I hope you give it a try I think it was a great experience.

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twoznuff2

I know we won't try it from Heathrow, I just don't think I could deal with it after flying all night. But I really would like to try the train to Southampton.

Linda, thanks for the advice. May have to figure out another way to get to train station.

Here are the ways I've experienced Southampton/London in the last 6 months. I've ridden private car from Gatwick airport to Southampton with Smith's. I've ridden a private bus arranged by my TA from London Waterloo area to Southampton. I've also taken the train from Southampton to Bath, and I've taken the National Express bus from Southampton to London Victoria Station. I've also booked an International Friends tour bus from Southampton to London with Bath/Cotswalds for my mother, and booked her a private transfer via Smith's.

My thoughts are: Easiest is Smith's but it's also the most expensive, generally. As I recall, it was around 80-90 GBP, one way. It's pretty competitive cost-wise though if you have a party of 4 or more.

Cheapest was National Express Bus. As I recall, it was 11 GBP for 2 of us, one-way. We took an Uber from the port to the bus station in Southampton (7 GBP), and again from London's Victoria Station to our hotel (10 GBP?). So total of 28 GBP, one way for 2 people.

I had no trouble booking the International Friends tour from Southampton to London (via Bath & the Cotswalds) for my mom, and she really enjoyed it. I did think though that it was pricey at roughly 100 GBP per person. By comparison, my wife and I took the train from Southampton Central to Bath Spa for 11 GBP each, and from Bath Spa to London for 23 GBP each.

Taking a train in the UK is pretty easy, even with heavy luggage. My main concern with that is finding space for the luggage, once on the train. There are luggage racks on the train, but they get filled up early. You may have to rearrange other folks luggage (which they generally don't appreciate) in order to fit yours on. I actually think taking a National Express bus is easier (as the bus driver will help you get the luggage into the compartment on the underside of the bus) but the journey is less comfortable (my wife got motion-sickness from the stop and go traffic in London). Years ago, I lugged our luggage on London's bus and underground system, exhausting myself in the process. I much prefer hiring a taxi or taking an Uber to get from Waterloo/King's Cross/Victoria train stations to our hotel(s) in London.

The tube is a great way to get around London. :)

But can be a royal pain with luggage. :( Escalators, stairs, inclined passages, crowded trains & sometimes crowded platforms.

Yes, Notting Hill Gate to Victoria by tube is direct, & Waterloo would involve at least one change - but it needs a Londoner to advise whether either is sensible with luggage.

By taxi, Waterloo is 4 to 5 miles from Notting Hill. For that sort of distance it's cheaper to call a taxi than to hail a black cab. But it's only a mile further than Victoria and the journey time & afore-mentioned promo train prices mean that Waterloo makes more sense.

Heathrow to central London by train is easy with the Heathrow Express, but the fare is heavy - unless you book many weeks ahead, its about the same for two people as a pre-booked private transfer, around £45.

The Heathrow Express goes to London Paddington, only a short cab ride from Notting Hill.

Heathrow to central London by road you'll be mixing it with the commuter traffic between about 7am & 10am.

So there are pros & cons, car vs train.

JB :)

Thanks guys. I've pretty much decided it's car from Heathrow to London. I don't sleep well as it is, I suspect after an all night flight, finally getting to go to Britain, sleep will be hard to come by. I'm not going to try to figure out trains when half awake. Where we are staying has offered to arrange a car at a very reasonable cost and I took them up on it.

I really would like to take a train to Southampton though, sounds like cab to Waterloo would be my best bet to do that. We will each have carry-on size bag with one other small bag but why fight stairs escalators etc with luggage if we don't need to.

Yes, I tried booking them on London Toolkit.

Yes, I argued with my major credit card company, that it was a well established company, etc. And they said that company was flagged in their system with fraud.

And I so want that tour booked for next May!

 

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Again, I've surfed the 'net and not found any similar problem with International Friends either. I'd have thought it would have been mentioned on CC, TripAdvisor, etc as happened with Premier Inns, National Express, etc. :confused:

Seems you have a few options

- since your card problem was with London Toolkit, book direct with International Friends. Costs an extra £5 each but "job done" https://www.internationalfriends.co.uk/london-heathrow-to-southampton-via-stonehenge.html

- try London Toolkit with a different card. As long as its a credit card your money isn't at risk.

- wait a few weeks and try again with the same card.

- dig deeper with your card issuer or surf deeper than I've done, to get to the bottom of it.

JB :)

We used Smiths for airport for Heathrow to Southampton in September. We stayed in Southampton and visited Stonehenge, etc from there.

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Again, I've surfed the 'net and not found any similar problem with International Friends either. I'd have thought it would have been mentioned on CC, TripAdvisor, etc as happened with Premier Inns, National Express, etc. :confused:

 

Seems you have a few options

- since your card problem was with London Toolkit, book direct with International Friends. Costs an extra £5 each but "job done" https://www.internationalfriends.co.uk/london-heathrow-to-southampton-via-stonehenge.html

- try London Toolkit with a different card. As long as its a credit card your money isn't at risk.

- wait a few weeks and try again with the same card.

- dig deeper with your card issuer or surf deeper than I've done, to get to the bottom of it.

 

JB :)

Thank you John Bull, you rock!!

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Thank you John Bull, you rock!!

 

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Update...I emailed International Friends and explained the situation. They graciously offered to call me and complete the booking transaction! Problem solved :-)

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Update...I emailed International Friends and explained the situation. They graciously offered to call me and complete the booking transaction! Problem solved :-)

 

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That's great.

Yes, I tried booking them on London Toolkit.

Yes, I argued with my major credit card company, that it was a well established company, etc. And they said that company was flagged in their system with fraud.

And I so want that tour booked for next May!

 

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Today I booked with my TD Visa (Canadian) through London Toolkit for July for Southampton to London.

Once I had completed the form, an E-Ticket (pending order) showed with a confirmation number.

It said -

"If your payment card is registered outside the UK and you do not regularly make payments outside your country on the Internet, it is likely your card issuer declined it at first, to prevent fraudulent activities, you will need to call them before you try again on our site".

On the my E Ticket (pending order) page, it said "View your booking", I clicked on, logged in using my Confirmation number, my tour showed. I went to my TD Visa account and my payment is showing under Pending. I received an email with my same confirmation number a few minutes later.

I used them from Dover to London, a great way to see other places and be dropped off at your London hotel.

Thanks guys. I've pretty much decided it's car from Heathrow to London.

I have used http://www.justairports.com car service to/from LHR/London hotel. Use your hotel's postal code to get a quote.

It is nice to be met after baggage area and be driven direct to your hotel after a long flight.

The tube is a great way to get around London. :)

But can be a royal pain with luggage. :( Escalators, stairs, inclined passages, crowded trains & sometimes crowded platforms.

Yes, Notting Hill Gate to Victoria by tube is direct, & Waterloo would involve at least one change - but it needs a Londoner to advise whether either is sensible with luggage.

 

By taxi, Waterloo is 4 to 5 miles from Notting Hill. For that sort of distance it's cheaper to call a taxi than to hail a black cab. But it's only a mile further than Victoria and the journey time & afore-mentioned promo train prices mean that Waterloo makes more sense.

 

Heathrow to central London by train is easy with the Heathrow Express, but the fare is heavy - unless you book many weeks ahead, its about the same for two people as a pre-booked private transfer, around £45.

The Heathrow Express goes to London Paddington, only a short cab ride from Notting Hill.

Heathrow to central London by road you'll be mixing it with the commuter traffic between about 7am & 10am.

So there are pros & cons, car vs train.

 

JB :)

There is an alternative to the Heathrow Express: GWR offers a train from London Paddington to Heathrow (and presumably vice versa) through their Heathrow Connect service. The trains run every 30-45 minutes; the fares are much cheaper than the Heathrow Express (we paid roughly 10 GBP each), but I think the journey might be 10-20 minutes longer than the Heathrow Express (?).

See link below:

https://www.heathrowconnect.com/