Closest international airport to Southhampton?

[Kathy130]

Planning a cruise which starts in Southhampton. Flying in from New York. No direct flights listed....where's two other close airports? How would we get to the cruise terminal in Southhampton?/ Distance from major airports. Thanks so much in advance for your help.

[Budget Queen]

London. I highly recommend National Express bus, which has transfers to Southampton.

[HeinBloed]

You can go with Continental from Newark to Bristol.

 

All airlines to London-Heathrow and London-Gatwick are easy for Southampton while Stansted and Luton are somehow more difficult to reach.

 

Southampton itself has also an international airport which you can reach via other European hubs like Paris and other airports.

 

Regards,

HeinBloed

[Kathy130]

Thanks so much to both of you.

 

HeinBloed.....you are always the BEST in answering my European questions........

[LHT28]

a shorter distance from LHR

Probably easier to get transportation as well

 

http://www.mapquest.co.uk/mq/home.do

[scottbee]

Planning a cruise which starts in Southhampton. Flying in from New York. No direct flights listed....where's two other close airports? How would we get to the cruise terminal in Southhampton?/ Distance from major airports. Thanks so much in advance for your help.

 

Nice if you can get it;

SOU/Southampton (would require a change in Paris, Amsterdam or Frankfurt etc). Train Station at airport, and it's a 7 min ride (GBP 3) to Southampton Central (less than a mile from most docs)

 

Main Airports;

LHR/London Heathrow - Closest and largest of the London airports; however lacks rail service to the Southwest, so National Express coach to Southampton (about 2hr transfer).

LGW/London Gatwick - Excellent rail transfer (station at airport); Southern Rail (more comfy than the coach, but you need to drag your own luggage on/off). Just under 2hr by direct train

BHX/Birmingham - Looks like it's a long way away, but on the Southampton-Birmingham rail line, so it's only a 2¼ hr journey by rail. Station right at airport

 

Not recommended and/or no North American flights;

BRS/Bristol - Not recommended, smaller airport, and limited transportation options

BOH/Bournemouth - only 30 miles from Southampton, but very few flights -- mostly holiday destinations like Canaries, Spain & Cyprus

STN/London Stansted - wrong side of London

LCY/London City - also wrong side of London

LTN/London Luton - also wrong side of London

 

 

I highly recommend a search of this forum to ask questions about transfers. Personally I think the train is by FAR the easiest; but I have no problems dragging my luggage on and off, and frankly I like trains.

[HeinBloed]

 

Not recommended and/or no North American flights;

BRS/Bristol - Not recommended, smaller airport, and limited transportation options

 

The smaller airport is the advantage...

 

1. It's the ONLY overseas flight from Newark as the OP asked for flights out of New York.

 

2. I. e. there are not arriving numbers of flights at the same time and you get so quickly through immigration in Bristol. You can stay hours in Heathrow at immigration during the typical waves when all oversea flights arrive around the same time.

 

3. After you get quickly as well your baggage you can just grab opposite of the terminal a rental car for getting easily to Southampton and return the car there. It was very easy to drive.

 

Have not get out so easily and quickly from plane to car but in Bristol.

 

The time I get additionally I can use for a for sightseeing as Bath and Stonehenge are on the way to Southampton.

 

It's longer on the road but less in the airport.

 

Regards,

HeinBloed

[scottbee]

1. It's the ONLY overseas flight from Newark as the OP asked for flights out of New York.

Technically Newark is in New Jersey, but yes it is a New York Airport

 

2. I. e. there are not arriving numbers of flights at the same time and you get so quickly through immigration in Bristol. You can stay hours in Heathrow at immigration during the typical waves when all oversea flights arrive around the same time.

But a smaller immigration area, and there are still flights from non-schengen countries requiring clearance. Only a slight advantage.

 

3. After you get quickly as well your baggage you can just grab opposite of the terminal a rental car for getting easily to Southampton and return the car there. It was very easy to drive.

Fairly easy to drive. For someone stepping off a 6 hour flight, driving on the (to an American) wrong side of the road on UK A&B roads is going to be a bit of a shock. The 80 mile drive on the A38, B3130, A37, A362 & A36 to Southampton. You of course can take the M4, A33, M3; but it increases the distance by 40% and you bypass Stonehenge. Oh, and very limited coach, and no rail service. LHR, LGW, BHX are all better choices to get from Airport to Southampton

 

The time I get additionally I can use for a for sightseeing as Bath and Stonehenge are on the way to Southampton.

yes, you could, the definite advantage of coming from the west.

[HeinBloed]

But a smaller immigration area, and there are still flights from non-schengen countries requiring clearance. Only a slight advantage.

 

Even flights from Schengen-countries are cleared when entering UK - because UK does not participate to the Schengen treaty at the borders. Only passengers on UK and Ireland flights do not need to be cleared when entering the UK.

 

Regards,

HeinBloed

[Kathy130]

Additional thanks here.....now to absorb it all and print out these notes.

[newport dave]

Believe me, getting through immigration at Bristol is ten times easier and quicker than Heathrow and Gatwick.

[scottbee]

Even flights from Schengen-countries are cleared when entering UK - because UK does not participate to the Schengen treaty at the borders. Only passengers on UK and Ireland flights do not need to be cleared when entering the UK.

 

Regards,

HeinBloed

 

Yes, I realize that, but the level and detail of checking is much higher on non-schengen/EU countries. Yes, BRS is going to be slightly better only for being a smaller airport. I note you took no time to address any of the other concerns. BRS is still not recommended for getting to Southampton for a cruise for so many other reasons.

[LHT28]

This site has lots of good info from London airports to cruise terminals as well as hotels etc...

http://www.londontoolkit.com/mnu/heathrow_airports.htm

 

I agree that coming from N.A. I can barely find my luggage let alone drive 2 hr to the port

We always manage to get disrupted sleep on the overseas flights

[sonjafogg]

Why not start off with a night near Heathrow in Windsor - only 12 miles from Heathrow - get a good B&B in Windsor before going to Southampton.

 

Windsor will not let you down.:)

 

Try http://www.langtonhouse.co.uk for loads of travel info or http://www.windsor-information.co.uk

[NorbertsNiece]

Yes, I realize that, but the level and detail of checking is much higher on non-schengen/EU countries. Yes, BRS is going to be slightly better only for being a smaller airport. I note you took no time to address any of the other concerns. BRS is still not recommended for getting to Southampton for a cruise for so many other reasons.

 

Just wanted to say that I agree with you.

[John Bull]

WoW ....can't believe the suggestion of Bristol airport!:eek:

 

It's 9 slow miles into that city for Bristol-Southampton cross-country trains, which are slow & comparatively infrequent, there's no direct coaches either from the airport or the city, the shortest route by road to Southampton is slow and evil, slower than going two sides of a triangle (M4/A34), which is way over 100 miles. No fun to collect a car, drive over 100 mls in a country that insists on driving on the wrong side of the road, drop luggage, & return car - after an overnight flight??? Wouldn't be so bad if it were the cheapest option - but it isn't, and by a long chalk. Taxi/private hire from Bristol will also cost more than Heathrow and about the same as Gatwick - if you choose that option, from any airport, hunt the web like crazy for a sensible price - some of the figures I see on this site are scandalous.

 

The two basic options are London (Heathrow) & London (Gatwick), no other route makes sense. Let other considerations, such as airfares, dictate which of the two.

Scottbee has neatly summarised the transfer options - Heathrow it's National Express coach (but theoretically 2 x 44lb cases plus hand luggage per passenger) or rail-link coach to Woking rail station then frequent train (one through-ticket, a little more trouble & expense, but no luggage limits) or for Gatwick the train is best by a country mile (and the train ride IS through the country, road transport is boring tarmac)

 

Southampton airport via a european hub like Paris or Amsterdam will be expensive, other airports will involve long & comparatively-difficult transfers.

 

Taxi from Southampton rail or coach station to any cruise terminal will be £5 to £10.

 

If you want a sight-seeing diversion on your RETURN journey, Windsor is close to Heathrow or Hever Castle is near Gatwick, both offer a selection of routes to the nearby airport if there's a traffic problem, 'though you'd need a private hire car esp with luggage. But I do recommend you keep your outbound travel simple.

 

Regards

 

John Bull

[HeinBloed]

I am really sorry that Lufthansa has withdrawn Bristol from its network...

 

So easy handling:

 

 

I do not go by public transport and rent a car as we are doing pre-cruise and and go next day to the cruise terminal first to deliver our bags... and collecting car in Bristol is much more easier than in Heathrow:

 

 

You just walk opposite of the terminal.

 

Yes - the roads are more adventurous...

 

 

but not more stressful than this from Heathrow to Southampton...

 

 

and on the way to Southampton you have

 

 

and Bath

 

 

A great OPTION to get to your cruise to Southampton and a question of individual preferences.

 

Regards,

HeinBloed

[John Bull]

Hi Heinbloed,

 

Sorry, still have to strongly disagree.

Yes, the smaller local airports certainly have their advantages, I use them a lot. But Bristol to Southampton has too many disadvantages, and its far from local! The shortest route - as per your photo - is over an hour longer than Heathrow, and if you want to go via Stonehenge it is quicker from Heathrow than from Bristol!

 

There's nothing "challenging" about being stuck behind a line of trucks for mile after mile on the A36. "Boring & frustrating" is much more accurate, and part of it known locally as "Death Valley" because of the high accident rate. From Heathrow at least it's divided freeway all the way to Southampton, with just one well-sign turn-off. Both choices are stressful for a foreign visitor after an overnight flight (and 5 lost hours on that flight) so the OP is not going to want to explore Bath on the way, esp if he is driving.

 

Easiest & quickest driving in the south of England is motorways, most attractive & interesting is the minor roads.

The A36 is one of the worst examples of a road which falls between the two - almost all single carriageway with slow & heavy traffic esp trucks, frequent junctions, traffic islands & turn-offs, and traffic-clogged urban ring roads round the outskirts of towns - yet little of interest unless you go off-route.

Yes, I can see the opportunity it offers you to visit Bath or the West Country's many other attractions - but the short daytime flight from Germany into a country you know well is very different.

 

Regards, John Bull

[scottbee]

Heinbloed; you've summed it up beautifully, in this one picture.

 

 

I can think of virtually no one that would find this drive (from Bristol) along very narrow roads as 'easy' and 'low stress'

[HeinBloed]

I can think of virtually no one that would find this drive (from Bristol) along very narrow roads as 'easy' and 'low stress'

 

I have not say "low stress" - I said "no more stress than..."

 

But it was a beautiful ride for my co-driver who enjoyed the beautiful English landscape while I was driving...

 

Regards,

HeinBloed

 

By the way: I was not the original poster of Bristol... but when I read it here in this forum I tried it by myself because I like the suggestion not flying Heathrow or Gatwick or flying flybe - and although there is no public transport: I feel very sorry that Lufthansa has suspended the service to Bristol.

[Globaliser]

I can think of virtually no one that would find this drive (from Bristol) along very narrow roads as 'easy' and 'low stress'

That's not narrow - I'm not sure I'd even slow down for that bus! ;)

[John Bull]

 

(Globaliser)That's not narrow - I'm not sure I'd even slow down for that bus!;)

 

So you'd overtake the van & truck right now? :eek:

Regards, John Bull

[Globaliser]

So you'd overtake the van & truck right now?

Well, OK, I suppose that might be taking it a bit far. That could put a real dent in my day.

 

But no self-respecting London driver would regard a coach coming one way and a car going the other way on that road as in the least bit width-restricted. ;)

[John Bull]

Well, OK, I suppose that might be taking it a bit far. That could put a real dent in my day.

 

But no self-respecting London driver would regard a coach coming one way and a car going the other way on that road as in the least bit width-restricted. ;)

 

 

Even west-country drivers would agree with you there!:) And to be fair, most of the route is way easier than the eg in the photo, but the traffic is very slow & overtaking opportunities few.:( .........regards, Chris

[HeinBloed]

And to be fair, most of the route is way easier than the eg in the photo, but the traffic is very slow & overtaking opportunities few.:( .........regards, Chris

 

like this?

 

 

It was better than Sudoku... you full concentration and high attention and fast reaction... and I will never understand why only the driving wheel is on the right side instead of mirroring everything...

 

Regards,

HeinBloed