car journey experiences

[freshnotfrozen]

we live near middlesbrough and wonder if we dare drive down to southampton on embarcation day.any tips would be appreciated.

[Cruachan]

we live near middlesbrough and wonder if we dare drive down to southampton on embarcation day.any tips would be appreciated.

 

With an early start and one eye on the various road reports there's no practical reason why you shouldn't be ok.

 

But personally, I think I would find the whole deal way too stressful. We live in York and have always spent the night before the cruise either with family in Basingstoke or in a Southampton Hotel. On one occasion the hotel stay was part of the package, the remaining times we paid ourselves.

 

Several of the Southampton hotels also do cruise package deals that include free parking for the duration of the cruise, so you may want to consider that if you didn't get free parking as part of your deal. I found that a night in a hotel on a bed and breakfast basis with the cruise parking included in the cost, worked out at around the same price as the parking alone with CPS.

 

J

[capnpugwash]

The Mercure Dolphin is one such hotel, which has a cost of atound £95 B & B including 14 days parking plus they provide a free cab to and from the cruise terminal.

[garigoun]

The Mercure Dolphin is one such hotel, which has a cost of atound £95 B & B including 14 days parking plus they provide a free cab to and from the cruise terminal.

 

 

Is that for the room Cap'n or pp.?

G.

[garigoun]

Belay my last Cap'n. Just checked and it's for the room. Wish I'd known before

I booked the Ibis.

G.

[capnpugwash]

Is that for the room Cap'n or pp.?

G.

 

For the room including breakfast and parking, and it is quite a nice place and walkable if you want to Ocean and QE11 terminals, but they offer a free local taxi each way so why walk.

[thranite]

For the room including breakfast and parking, and it is quite a nice place and walkable if you want to Ocean and QE11 terminals, but they offer a free local taxi each way so why walk.

 

Only one breakfast pp? There are those on this board whose need that would not meet.

 

:D

[capnpugwash]

Only one breakfast pp? There are those on this board whose need that would not meet.

 

:D

 

The good thing is that those to whom you refer will be boarding soon after the one breakfast and be able to quickly head to King's Court for the next two snackettes, which can be followed by lunch.

[Cruachan]

The good thing is that those to whom you refer will be boarding soon after the one breakfast and be able to quickly head to King's Court for the next two snackettes, which can be followed by lunch.

 

MODS!!!!

 

I'm being savagely and ruthlessly bullied here!

 

Hee hee hee.

 

:D:D:D

 

J

 

PS - you forgot to mention that I would have loads of time between the hotel breakfast and boarding time to seek out other breakfast possibilities with which Soton is no doubt awash.

[Mr&MrsHendricks]

we live near middlesbrough and wonder if we dare drive down to southampton on embarcation day.any tips would be appreciated.

 

 

It's certainly do-able....but i wouldn't risk it. Too much stress and hassle and worry of it all. Too much at stake too.

 

We always head down the day before and either stop with relatives in London, or find a hotel in/near Southampton.

 

Plus we always go by train too, as it's a 300 miles to Southampton and it's just so easy a journey by rail. The thought too of having to drive all the way home after a fine holiday doesn't appeal either!

 

The journey is simple enough: N East to King's Cross... tube or cab to Waterloo... 1 hr 20m or so and you're at Sou Central.

 

East Coast run trains to KGX from Darlo every half hour or so and SouthWest trains leave Waterloo pretty frequently.

 

However we tend to catch the Grand Central train from Eaglescliffe as whilst there are fewer train it's easier for us to get to, and they're far more spacious than being crammed into an East Coast. http://www.grandcentralrail.com/

 

Something to bear in mind though, that the EARLIEST return train you can get from Southampton to Waterloo on an off peak ticket is the 0900hrs.

 

Another consideration is the Cruise Connect bus which takes you direct to the quayside. But that's £105 per person return, and leaves Washington Services at 0500hrs. And that's just silly.

[Lanky Lad]

I have driven from Bury to Southampton and it takes about 6 hour, it's not a heard drive, but I always go down the day before, it would be too stressful to go down on the day.

[britsbest]

We are going down Sunday this week before we embark on our first Cunard cruise on Monday. Staying at De Vere Grand Harbour (for good or ill, heard differing reports). The cost includes car parking but its deffinately not free parking........thats on a Monopoly board only !!