Southampton & Car Rental

[AlibearNS]

Hi, we're going to rent a car to get to the Indy next month. Destination Southampton says there is an Avis and National 1.9 miles away from the City Cruise terminal. We're reasonably fit and don't mind a walk but not with luggage. Can we check in our luggage at the dock first and then drive on over to the rental area and walk back. Has anyone done this and is it easily done?

Question 2 (we're newbies) Is there a limit to the suitcases you can take onboard?

Thanks so much in advance for any advice given :)

Ali

[HeinBloed]

Hi, we're going to rent a car to get to the Indy next month. Destination Southampton says there is an Avis and National 1.9 miles away from the City Cruise terminal. We're reasonably fit and don't mind a walk but not with luggage. Can we check in our luggage at the dock first and then drive on over to the rental area and walk back. Has anyone done this and is it easily done?

Question 2 (we're newbies) Is there a limit to the suitcases you can take onboard?

Thanks so much in advance for any advice given :)

Ali

 

Choose...

 

AVIS:

 

 

The luggage check is at the left side facing to AVIS. We always do it: drop off the bag, return the car and then walk back only with hand baggage back to the cruise terminal.

 

Vice versa: one walk to the car rental, pick-up the car and then return to the cruise terminal to collect company and baggage.

 

Nobody checks the number of the baggage when everything is tagged and handed over to the porters. So do not worry.

 

If you climb over the building you can also choose National (Europcar/Alamo):

 

 

Regards

HeinBloed

[AlibearNS]

Hi, thanks so much for that. The pictures are fab.

Is that definitely the City Cruise Terminal for Royal Caribbean? It's just it looks so close and Destination Southamton's webpage says the nearest rental location is 1.9 miles away on WQuay Road. I was expecting quite a long walk!

[HeinBloed]

Hi, thanks so much for that. The pictures are fab.

Is that definitely the City Cruise Terminal for Royal Caribbean? It's just it looks so close and Destination Southamton's webpage says the nearest rental location is 1.9 miles away on WQuay Road. I was expecting quite a long walk!

 

The NORWEGIAN EPIC is berthing at the home terminal of RCI: City Center Terminal...

 

 

Definately not so far... only if the gate (No. 8) between AVIS and the ship is closed...

 

When the gate was open I walked less than 5 minutes to AVIS and 10 minutes to Europcar/National...

 

see here:

 

http://heinbloed-ncl.blogspot.com/2010/07/tag-43-auf-der-norwegian-epic-in.html

 

Regards

HeinBloed

[AlibearNS]

Thanks so much again. Certainly Avis looks to be the sensible choice but I've just researched both and unfortunately National are closer to our pick up point on the West Coast so it looks like we're going to have to navigate our way round that building after all :( Never mind, as long as we can drop luggage off first, a good walk will do us good :)

 

Does anyone know how early we can drive up to drop off luggage?

[sddsddean]

Does anyone know how early we can drive up to drop off luggage?

 

Certainly by 11am, probably 10.30am. When you drive into Southampton, try and work it to come in on the M27 then M271. Turn left at the bottom of the motorway towards the docks and there are illuminated signs directing you to the cruise ship(s), but you should be directed into Gate 8 and the City Cruise terminal for the Indy.

 

Simon

[HeinBloed]

It could be that you will be signposted via Gate 10...

 

 

They use normally Gate 10 to guide you to City Center Terminal...

 

 

But you should to exit via Gate 8 because otherwise you will get on the wrong side of the West Quay Road and need to make a 180° turn.

 

So once you passed here Gate 8 you make at the roundabout/rotary a left turn.

 

 

Europcar/National is in a little service road of West Quay Road. So keep left.

 

Regards

HeinBloed

[John Bull]

Thanks so much again. Certainly Avis looks to be the sensible choice but I've just researched both and unfortunately National are closer to our pick up point on the West Coast so it looks like we're going to have to navigate our way round that building after all :( Never mind, as long as we can drop luggage off first, a good walk will do us good :)

 

Does anyone know how early we can drive up to drop off luggage?

 

Coming from the west (eg M27/M271), gate 10 is easier to access than gate 8, since it avoids the West Quay Road traffic. When you turn right off the main drag onto West Quay Road, there's a long series of trafffic lights along West Quay Road, gate 8 is via the roundabout at the far end. But if you take a right at the first set of lights, this will take you direct to gate 10.

 

But when you've dropped your luggage, as Heinbloed's post its much much easier to exit at gate 8 (by the Holiday Inn), turn left at the roundabout onto West Quay Road, left at the first set of lights onto the service road running alongside West Quay Road, then first left alongside the Honda dealership into a spur road (confusingly also called West Quay Road). National are on the left-hand side. But if you forget to apply the brakes you'll crash through the building at the end of the road & end up back at the cruise terminal - thats how close it is :D

Walk back the same way, except you can cut through the Holiday Inn carpark. Well under 1/2 mile. :)

 

There is a theoretical limit to the amount of luggage you can take, about 100kg per person rings a bell, its probably on their website. But for the H&S of baggage handlers, make no more than (vaguely) 25kg per case.

 

John Bull

[AlibearNS]

Thanks so much for all your help (especially the tip about cutting through the carpark and all the piccys too) I'm loving this site and all the friendly people using it :D

[insidecabin]

Check the 1 way prices carefully loking for any deals.

 

We have found Enterprise and national the cheapest for us(they both have local depots at our end). usualy between £50-£70 one day one way.

 

National have a special rate(from £49) for airport one ways but often they have 1/2 price deals that can be better one way and allows any drop off location.

 

http://www.nationalcar.co.uk/Hotdeals/630/uk/zluk_airportconnect

 

Check under the alamo and europcar sites as well the prices vary

currently europcar has a 50% deal.