cruise dock to portsmouth to london

[tucker1865]

Best way and cost for trip. Pickup at cruise dock, South Hampton, with luggage, go to Portsmouth (HMS Victory), wait a couple of hours and then to London near Hyde Park.

[John Bull]

Best way and cost for trip. Pickup at cruise dock, South Hampton, with luggage, go to Portsmouth (HMS Victory), wait a couple of hours and then to London near Hyde Park.

 

There are good train and coach options for both legs, and Portsmouth historic dockyard is right alongside the travel interchange at The Hard/Portsmouth Harbour Rail Station.

But using public transport your problem is storing your luggage. The only official left-luggage facility in Portsmouth is at the cross-channel ferry-port, about a ten-minute drive from The Hard.

This adds significantly to the cost & complication, and its actually worth considering stowing your luggage in Southampton.

Here's your options:

 

1. Take the National Express coach

http://www.nationalexpress.com/coach/index.cfm

from "Southampton coach station", (not cruise terminal or Red Funnel or University), to "Portsmouth International Port" (posh name for the ferryport). Service every 90 minutes, journey time about 45 mins, cost about £4 pp, advance booking strongly advised. Check your bags into left-luggage. See Q8 on http://www.portsmouth-port.co.uk/faqs Then take a taxi from the rank to the historic dockyard, about £10, unless there's a conveniently-timed shuttlebus.

 

For your onward journey after seeing the Dockyard/ships, take a taxi from the rank back to the cross-channel ferryport, collect your luggage.

If travelling to London by Nat Express coach, direct service roughly hourly, journey time about 2 hours, about £5 to £8 pp, again advance booking strongly advised.

If travelling to London by train, take a taxi to Portsmouth & Southsea station for the train to London Waterloo

http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/planjourney/search

Direct service approx every 30 mins, journey time about 1 hr 45, about £30 pp, no need to book. But you can pre-book train tickets from http://uk.megabus.com/default.aspx for as little as £4 on a limited number of these trains.

Both Victoria & Waterloo are reasonably close to Hyde Park, about a £10 to £20 taxi ride.

Total cost for two people, incl all taxis & left-luggage, can be as little as about £75

 

2. Taxi from any cruise terminal to Southampton De Vere Grand Harbour Hotel, stow your luggage (non-residents £5 per bag), & carry on to either coach or train station, total taxi cost about £10 - £12.

Same coach service as above, but stay on the coach to The Hard travel interchange, (simply "Portsmouth" on Nat Express website)alongside the Historic Dockyard

Or train from Southampton Central, half-hourly direct service, or more frequent with one simple change, to Portsmouth Harbour station alongside the Historic Dockyard.

nb this is the last station on the line, after the main Portsmouth & Southsea station.

Journey time 45 to 60 mins, £10 pp return No need to pre-book, buy at the station but ask for cheap-day-return tickets.

 

Return to Southampton by same method, return to De Vere Grand Harbour to collect your bags, then back to either coach or train station (taxi £10 or less, or even walk) for onward travel to London.

Coach fare to London about £17 pp but Nat Express often off fun-fares on this route for just £1 pp. Journey time about 2.5 hours.

Train fare to London about £35 pp, but you can pre-book with http://uk.megabus.com/default.aspx

for as little as £4 pp. There are two-three trains per hour, but Megatrain tickets are available on only on a limited number of these trains. Journey time 1hr 20 to 1hr 40.

Total cost for two, incl all taxis & luggage storage, about £65 if using megatrain to London. And total travelling time is about the same.

 

Just to confuse you a little more, there's another coach service from Southampton (Red Funnel terminal, a 5 min walk from the De Vere Grand Harbour) or Portsmouth (ferry port or travel interchange) to London Victoria offered by http://www.greyhounduk.com/

Their fares/funfares same as Nat Express.

 

For all websites - timetables are normally available only from 8 to 12 weeks out. If you can't get details for your travel date, choose an earlier date, same day-of-the-week.

 

3. Private transfer. Most frequently recommended on this forum are www.westquaycars.com and www.smithsforairports.com

A simple Southampton - central London transfer will be about £140, of course the routing via Portsmouth & the waiting time will add considerably to that.

But Smiths for Airports are Portsmouth-based, so it might be possible to store your luggage at their offices - this would hopefully allow you to book the two parts seperately without paying for waiting time.

 

I guess your best bet is to get quotes for those private transfer costs, then sit down with a coffee & a big bottle of headache pills & figure your options.

 

The dockyard & ships are well worth 3 - 4 hours.

 

JB :)

Edited December 27, 2011 by John Bull

[tucker1865]

Does Hertz (west quay rd) rent cars to Americans. Can I find a parking place near hyde park.

[Pennbank]

Does Hertz (west quay rd) rent cars to Americans. Can I find a parking place near hyde park.

 

I would say Yes, best to e mail them.

http://www.hertz.co.uk/rentacar/byr/index.jsp?targetPage=rentalQualificationsView.jsp#

 

Hyde Park Car Park, Entrance Park Lane, Its underneath Hyde Park its self

There may be one nearer Hotel

 

http://www.parkbcp.co.uk/london-parking/marble-arch.html

 

enjoy.

[John Bull]

Does Hertz (west quay rd) rent cars to Americans. Can I find a parking place near hyde park.

 

No problem renting from Hertz & no need for an international driving licence, but do pre-book.

Bear in mind that unless specified otherwise, shift-stick transmission is the norm.

Many cars in the UK run on diesel (derv) rather than gas. Very little difference, but do be sure to fill with the correct fuel.

 

If you've not been to central London before, think very carefully before deciding whether to drive, few visitors do.

1. Driving in central London is slow, congested, complicated, with many one-way streets, gyratory systems and illegal right turns. London drivers are both selfish & unforgiving.

2. Depending on what time of day you enter central London, you will need to pre-pay the city council's congestion charge of about £8. You'll need the car's licence number. Avis will help you sort this when you pick up the car.

3. Parking in central London is difficult & expensive, typically £4 per hour or £26 per 24hrs.

There are a number of carparks around Hyde Park, which to choose depends on your hotel location.

http://en.parkopedia.co.uk/parking/london/

 

Even if you choose to drive to London, it's much much simpler to leave the car in the carpark & sight-see using public transport or you'll spend all day looking for parking places. The tube or a ho-ho are your best options.

 

JB :)

[sddsddean]

Bearing in mind the luggage storage problems outlined by JB and then the parking problems in London, have you though about hiring the car, going to Potsmouth, then to your London hotel and de hire the car? I'm sure there will be a drop off somewhere round Hyde Park or Park Lane. Then use public transport round London and you have the option of tube, train or bus to LHR (where I assume you will be flying from). I've done this in Florida where hiring a car at FLL (cruising into Ft lauderdale) and driving to MIA has worked out much cheaper than other options.

 

Simon

[tucker1865]

Looks like the best option is to rent a car, visit Portsmouth, drive to London, and return the car after dropping our luggage. Thanks again

Edited December 27, 2011 by tucker1865
misspelling

[John Bull]

Looks like the best option is to rent a car, visit Portsmouth, drive to London, and return the car after dropping our luggage. Thanks again

 

A sensible compromise :)

Solves the luggage problem, gives you flexibility.

Pick up at West Quay Road depot, Southampton, and drop at Marble Arch depot, 200 yards from the NE corner of Hyde Park.

Excluding any car-hire discounts, this option will cost you about £200 including fuel, sat-nav, Portsmouth parking, London congestion charge.

If you don't return til next morning (Marble Arch depot closes 6pm) add up to £26 overnight parking nearby.

 

For Portsmouth, aim for Gunwharf Quays, Park Road, Portsmouth zipcode PO1 3TZ. This has an underground carpark just a five minute walk from the historic dockyard. You may care to take in the adjacent Spinnaker Tower - superb experience/views in clear weather. Wide selection of eateries in the Dockyard & Gunwharf Quays.

About 20 miles/40 mins from Southampton.

http://www.welcometoportsmouth.co.uk/

 

If time permits, consider moving on from Gunwharf/Historic Dockyard to the seafront at Southsea, a five minute drive. Carpark at D-Day museum & Southsea Castle zipcode PO5 3AA. Also good views across the Solent to the Isle of Wight

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=St.+George's+Rd%2FB2154&daddr=50.790113,-1.0959574+to:Clarence+Esplanade&hl=en&ll=50.793078,-1.104813&spn=0.022733,0.044804&sll=50.784532,-1.097002&sspn=0.011369,0.022402&geocode=FR4VBwMdOivv_w%3BFeH-BgMd60bv_ynN2CsAm110SDGQIUBKQfQQEw%3BFQDYBgMdOl7v_w&vpsrc=6&mra=dme&mrsp=2&sz=15&via=1&t=m&z=14

 

Portsmouth to Hyde Park is about 70 miles, 1hr 40.

Pretty simple & easy driving, you stay on the A3(M) > A3, all divided highway to within 8 miles of Hyde Park before life gets complicated ;)

 

Remember to pay the London congestion charge when you collect the car, you can do this on-line at Hertz office. No congestion charge if you go into London after 6pm, or on saturdays/sundays.

 

JB :)

[Hurrijane]

Hoping someone sees this old thread. What's the best way to get from Portsmouth to London these days?

[Bob++]

Hoping someone sees this old thread. What's the best way to get from Portsmouth to London these days?

 

By train.

[John Bull]

Hoping someone sees this old thread. What's the best way to get from Portsmouth to London these days?

 

Can I presume central London?

It would be different advice for transport to Heathrow or Gatwick airports.

 

National Express coach

http://www.nationalexpress.com/home.aspx

Has the advantage that it calls at the cruise terminal (Portsmouth International Port), & cheaper than the train.

Best to pre-book.

Takes you to Victoria coach station in central London.

 

Or train

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

Quicker than the coach & (I think??) better frequency. No need to pre-book.

You'll need a taxi hop (probably less than £10) or shuttle to Portsmouth & Southsea rail station.

Takes you to Waterloo train station in central London - which may or may not be more convenient than Victoria for your chosen London hotel.

 

Times, journey times, fares on those websites.

 

Or private transfer.

Portsmouth-based operators used regularly by CC members (mainly for Southampton cruises) include http://www.smithsforairports.com and http://www.aquacars,co.uk

E-mail for details, off the top of my head I guess somewhere over £100 for a sedan.

 

JB :)

[sandancer]

Or National Coaches from Portsmouth Harbour bus station (The Hard) to Victoria Coach Station.