Southampton Tours

[ship-disturber]

Has anyone every booked a private tour for a day trip from Southampton? We stop there on an upcoming cruise and would like to book at private tour?

[John Bull]

Being a local, I know a fair bit about the city & the surrounding places of interest.

But being a local, I only know about it from a local's perspective - I've never looked for a "tour" or a guide.

Bearing those two things in mind, here's my four-penn'orth.

 

Southampton isn't a tourist city, it's a working port & city. Although 2 or 3 or 4 ships turn around each day, Southampton is rarely a mid-cruise port-of-call so there's no great tourist infrastructure.

The city does have some sights, certainly enough to keep a busy tourist interested for half a day, or make that a full day for a lazy tourist.

Most sights, such as the Tudor Merchant's House & the Medieval Merchant's Hall, are on an easy circular walking tour in the old part of the city, these can be self-guided or you can join a walking tour or fix a private walking tour with

http://www.stga.org.uk/

The Bargate is right in the centre of the city, it was the main entrance to the walled city, a large part of the walls survive

The old part adjoins the new city centre shopping area at The Bargate (old part runs south from The Bargate, shopping centre runs north from the Bargate). At the other end of the main shopping street (Above Bar) is a new Sea City museum located in the Civic Centre.

So if you want to combine some interesting, if unexceptional, sights with some shopping, you can have a pleasant & inexpensive day.

Plenty of info at

http://www.visit-southampton.co.uk/site/historic-old-town

(check out maps & other pages on that website)

The city sights & shops are easily walkable from City cruise terminal & Ocean terminal, but from Mayflower or QE11 terminals you'll need a short £5 to £7 taxi ride.

 

Although Southampton itself is quite limited it's a great base for sights beyond the city, including some quite distant but very accessible for a day-trip by train. Here's a few examples:

 

http://www.beaulieu.co.uk/

Take the little http://www.hytheferry.co.uk/travel.php from Town Quay (ten to fifteen min walk from City or Ocean terminals) across Southampton Water to Hythe, & a 6 mile taxi ride from the taxi rank at Hythe pier across a corner of the New Forest to Beaulieu. Arrange a time for the driver to return for you - there's no taxi rank at Beaulieu. The place is worth a minimum of two hours, up to a full day. No guide required.

(I've just noticed, the Hythe Ferry map has the names of City & Mayflower terminals transposed)

 

Salisbury & Stonehenge.

Very easy to visit by train. Half-hourly direct service to Salisbury, journey time about 30 mins, day-return costs about £10. Take the Stonehenge ho-ho

http://www.thestonehengetour.info/route.shtml

from the station to Stonehenge, on the return alight in Salisbury city centre for the cathedral etc, then ho-ho or walk or taxi hop to the station for the return train.

There's an audio tour at Stonehenge, alternatively you can hire a private guide to collect you from the ship or meet you at Salisbury or at Stonehenge. This will be expensive, worthwhile only for folk with a deep interest in Stonehenge.

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

 

Bath.

A spa town with roman baths etc, magnificent Georgian architecture, Jane Austen connections. Very popular with visitors from overseas. About an hour by train, hourly service (passes through Salisbury, but you'll not have time to combine Bath & Salisbury). Guides available locally, either private or join a walking tour.

http://visitbath.co.uk/

 

Winchester

Only about 15 mins by train, about 3 direct trains per hour. Quite similar to Salisbury, the main attraction is its cathedral. Not so laid-back as Salisbury. I guess guides are available, but its easy to visit independently with a little research.

http://www.visitwinchester.co.uk/

 

Portsmouth & Southsea.

About 30 mins by train, half-hourly direct service. By remaining on the train past the main Portsmouth & Southsea station to its terminus at Portsmouth Harbour, you are right alongside the historic dockyard & ships. Much more to offer close by, such as Gunwharf Quays & Spinnaker Tower, then perhaps a short taxi ride to Southsea seafront for another batch of sights including the D-Day museum, the adjacent Southsea Castle (small, but free admission), & views across the Solent to the Isle of Wight. Again, there are doubtless local guides but no real need.

http://www.visitportsmouth.co.uk/

 

For all the above, the only transport you'll need is as mentioned, plus possibly a short taxi hop from ship to rail station - these places are easily walkable once you've arrived. Other than the Stonehenge ho-ho (which is essential) the ho-ho buses IMHO aren't worthwhile.

Bath or Portsmouth/Southsea will be very full days, worth an early start, the others pretty easy.

 

If you want to tour by car, a whole host of other options are available. Google New Forest, Jurassic coast, Glastonbury/Wells/Cheddar. You can of course combine various options.

I really don't think you'll find a "guided tour" of these places. You may be able to meet up with a guide at some of them, but a good option is West Quay Cars. They're used a lot by CC members for airport transfers etc, but they've set up a subsidiary

http://www.discoverthesouth.co.uk/

These are driver/guides. Not qualified guides, but drivers hand-picked for their general knowledge of tourist sights & a friendly and informative disposition.A pretty pointless expense if you simply wanted to visit, say, Beaulieu motor museum or Portsmouth historic dockyard, but a good option for a tour.

 

JB :)

Edited October 24, 2012 by John Bull

[ship-disturber]

Being a local, I know a fair bit about the city & the surrounding places of interest.

But being a local, I only know about it from a local's perspective - I've never looked for a "tour" or a guide.

Bearing those two things in mind, here's my four-penn'orth.

 

Southampton isn't a tourist city, it's a working port & city. Although 2 or 3 or 4 ships turn around each day, Southampton is rarely a mid-cruise port-of-call so there's no great tourist infrastructure.

The city does have some sights, certainly enough to keep a busy tourist interested for half a day, or make that a full day for a lazy tourist.

Most sights, such as the Tudor Merchant's House & the Medieval Merchant's Hall, are on an easy circular walking tour in the old part of the city, these can be self-guided or you can join a walking tour or fix a private walking tour with

http://www.stga.org.uk/

The Bargate is right in the centre of the city, it was the main entrance to the walled city, a large part of the walls survive

The old part adjoins the new city centre shopping area at The Bargate (old part runs south from The Bargate, shopping centre runs north from the Bargate). At the other end of the main shopping street (Above Bar) is a new Sea City museum located in the Civic Centre.

So if you want to combine some interesting, if unexceptional, sights with some shopping, you can have a pleasant & inexpensive day.

Plenty of info at

http://www.visit-southampton.co.uk/site/historic-old-town

(check out maps & other pages on that website)

The city sights & shops are easily walkable from City cruise terminal & Ocean terminal, but from Mayflower or QE11 terminals you'll need a short £5 to £7 taxi ride.

 

Although Southampton itself is quite limited it's a great base for sights beyond the city, including some quite distant but very accessible for a day-trip by train. Here's a few examples:

 

http://www.beaulieu.co.uk/

Take the little http://www.hytheferry.co.uk/travel.php from Town Quay (ten to fifteen min walk from City or Ocean terminals) across Southampton Water to Hythe, & a 6 mile taxi ride from the taxi rank at Hythe pier across a corner of the New Forest to Beaulieu. Arrange a time for the driver to return for you - there's no taxi rank at Beaulieu. The place is worth a minimum of two hours, up to a full day. No guide required.

(I've just noticed, the Hythe Ferry map has the names of City & Mayflower terminals transposed)

 

Salisbury & Stonehenge.

Very easy to visit by train. Half-hourly direct service to Salisbury, journey time about 30 mins, day-return costs about £10. Take the Stonehenge ho-ho

http://www.thestonehengetour.info/route.shtml

from the station to Stonehenge, on the return alight in Salisbury city centre for the cathedral etc, then ho-ho or walk or taxi hop to the station for the return train.

There's an audio tour at Stonehenge, alternatively you can hire a private guide to collect you from the ship or meet you at Salisbury or at Stonehenge. This will be expensive, worthwhile only for folk with a deep interest in Stonehenge.

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

 

Bath.

A spa town with roman baths etc, magnificent Georgian architecture, Jane Austen connections. Very popular with visitors from overseas. About an hour by train, hourly service (passes through Salisbury, but you'll not have time to combine Bath & Salisbury). Guides available locally, either private or join a walking tour.

http://visitbath.co.uk/

 

Winchester

Only about 15 mins by train, about 3 direct trains per hour. Quite similar to Salisbury, the main attraction is its cathedral. Not so laid-back as Salisbury. I guess guides are available, but its easy to visit independently with a little research.

http://www.visitwinchester.co.uk/

 

Portsmouth & Southsea.

About 30 mins by train, half-hourly direct service. By remaining on the train past the main Portsmouth & Southsea station to its terminus at Portsmouth Harbour, you are right alongside the historic dockyard & ships. Much more to offer close by, such as Gunwharf Quays & Spinnaker Tower, then perhaps a short taxi ride to Southsea seafront for another batch of sights including the D-Day museum, the adjacent Southsea Castle (small, but free admission), & views across the Solent to the Isle of Wight. Again, there are doubtless local guides but no real need.

http://www.visitportsmouth.co.uk/

 

For all the above, the only transport you'll need is as mentioned, plus possibly a short taxi hop from ship to rail station - these places are easily walkable once you've arrived. Other than the Stonehenge ho-ho (which is essential) the ho-ho buses IMHO aren't worthwhile.

Bath or Portsmouth/Southsea will be very full days, worth an early start, the others pretty easy.

 

If you want to tour by car, a whole host of other options are available. Google New Forest, Jurassic coast, Glastonbury/Wells/Cheddar. You can of course combine various options.

I really don't think you'll find a "guided tour" of these places. You may be able to meet up with a guide at some of them, but a good option is West Quay Cars. They're used a lot by CC members for airport transfers etc, but they've set up a subsidiary

http://www.discoverthesouth.co.uk/

These are driver/guides. Not qualified guides, but drivers hand-picked for their general knowledge of tourist sights & a friendly and informative disposition.A pretty pointless expense if you simply wanted to visit, say, Beaulieu motor museum or Portsmouth historic dockyard, but a good option for a tour.

 

JB :)

 

John thank you so much for taking the time to provide me with such a detailed response. This will certainly be very helpful in planning my trip. It is very much appreciated.

[loma linda ca a & j]

Being a local, I know a fair bit about the city & the surrounding places of interest.

But being a local, I only know about it from a local's perspective - I've never looked for a "tour" or a guide.

Bearing those two things in mind, here's my four-penn'orth.

 

Southampton isn't a tourist city, it's a working port & city. Although 2 or 3 or 4 ships turn around each day, Southampton is rarely a mid-cruise port-of-call so there's no great tourist infrastructure.

The city does have some sights, certainly enough to keep a busy tourist interested for half a day, or make that a full day for a lazy tourist.

Most sights, such as the Tudor Merchant's House & the Medieval Merchant's Hall, are on an easy circular walking tour in the old part of the city, these can be self-guided or you can join a walking tour or fix a private walking tour with

http://www.stga.org.uk/

The Bargate is right in the centre of the city, it was the main entrance to the walled city, a large part of the walls survive

The old part adjoins the new city centre shopping area at The Bargate (old part runs south from The Bargate, shopping centre runs north from the Bargate). At the other end of the main shopping street (Above Bar) is a new Sea City museum located in the Civic Centre.

So if you want to combine some interesting, if unexceptional, sights with some shopping, you can have a pleasant & inexpensive day.

Plenty of info at

http://www.visit-southampton.co.uk/site/historic-old-town

(check out maps & other pages on that website)

The city sights & shops are easily walkable from City cruise terminal & Ocean terminal, but from Mayflower or QE11 terminals you'll need a short £5 to £7 taxi ride.

 

Although Southampton itself is quite limited it's a great base for sights beyond the city, including some quite distant but very accessible for a day-trip by train. Here's a few examples:

 

http://www.beaulieu.co.uk/

Take the little http://www.hytheferry.co.uk/travel.php from Town Quay (ten to fifteen min walk from City or Ocean terminals) across Southampton Water to Hythe, & a 6 mile taxi ride from the taxi rank at Hythe pier across a corner of the New Forest to Beaulieu. Arrange a time for the driver to return for you - there's no taxi rank at Beaulieu. The place is worth a minimum of two hours, up to a full day. No guide required.

(I've just noticed, the Hythe Ferry map has the names of City & Mayflower terminals transposed)

 

Salisbury & Stonehenge.

Very easy to visit by train. Half-hourly direct service to Salisbury, journey time about 30 mins, day-return costs about £10. Take the Stonehenge ho-ho

http://www.thestonehengetour.info/route.shtml

from the station to Stonehenge, on the return alight in Salisbury city centre for the cathedral etc, then ho-ho or walk or taxi hop to the station for the return train.

There's an audio tour at Stonehenge, alternatively you can hire a private guide to collect you from the ship or meet you at Salisbury or at Stonehenge. This will be expensive, worthwhile only for folk with a deep interest in Stonehenge.

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

 

Bath.

A spa town with roman baths etc, magnificent Georgian architecture, Jane Austen connections. Very popular with visitors from overseas. About an hour by train, hourly service (passes through Salisbury, but you'll not have time to combine Bath & Salisbury). Guides available locally, either private or join a walking tour.

http://visitbath.co.uk/

 

Winchester

Only about 15 mins by train, about 3 direct trains per hour. Quite similar to Salisbury, the main attraction is its cathedral. Not so laid-back as Salisbury. I guess guides are available, but its easy to visit independently with a little research.

http://www.visitwinchester.co.uk/

 

Portsmouth & Southsea.

About 30 mins by train, half-hourly direct service. By remaining on the train past the main Portsmouth & Southsea station to its terminus at Portsmouth Harbour, you are right alongside the historic dockyard & ships. Much more to offer close by, such as Gunwharf Quays & Spinnaker Tower, then perhaps a short taxi ride to Southsea seafront for another batch of sights including the D-Day museum, the adjacent Southsea Castle (small, but free admission), & views across the Solent to the Isle of Wight. Again, there are doubtless local guides but no real need.

http://www.visitportsmouth.co.uk/

 

For all the above, the only transport you'll need is as mentioned, plus possibly a short taxi hop from ship to rail station - these places are easily walkable once you've arrived. Other than the Stonehenge ho-ho (which is essential) the ho-ho buses IMHO aren't worthwhile.

Bath or Portsmouth/Southsea will be very full days, worth an early start, the others pretty easy.

 

If you want to tour by car, a whole host of other options are available. Google New Forest, Jurassic coast, Glastonbury/Wells/Cheddar. You can of course combine various options.

I really don't think you'll find a "guided tour" of these places. You may be able to meet up with a guide at some of them, but a good option is West Quay Cars. They're used a lot by CC members for airport transfers etc, but they've set up a subsidiary

http://www.discoverthesouth.co.uk/

These are driver/guides. Not qualified guides, but drivers hand-picked for their general knowledge of tourist sights & a friendly and informative disposition.A pretty pointless expense if you simply wanted to visit, say, Beaulieu motor museum or Portsmouth historic dockyard, but a good option for a tour.

 

JB :)

 

wow this has been so helpful - had originally planned on taking bus tours from london to bath, stonehenge, winchester , etc. but instead shall stay in southampton a few days before ship departure and go on train to these places on our own which is really what we like to do anyway !!

 

never knew about southsea d day museum- shall go there too !

 

thanks again !!!

[tomkc1]

Wonderful information, John. Thank you.

 

With your extensive knowledge of Southhampton, I wonder if you know of any way to store luggage for a few days near or at the docks? We'd like to spend maybe a week touring both England and France but don't want to haul around all the luggage associated with a 14 day cruise.

 

Thanks again, Tom

[John Bull]

Wonderful information, John. Thank you.

 

With your extensive knowledge of Southhampton, I wonder if you know of any way to store luggage for a few days near or at the docks? We'd like to spend maybe a week touring both England and France but don't want to haul around all the luggage associated with a 14 day cruise.

 

Thanks again, Tom

 

Hi Tom,

Left luggage in most of the UK (notable exception is central London) has been problematic for years. No facilities at the usual places - rail station. bus station etc.

Best I can suggest in Southampton is the De Vere Grand Harbour hotel. Just a short walk (even with luggage) from City cruise terminal & a £6 taxi hop from any other cruise terminal.

A charge of about £5 per item per day (free to residents), no need to pre-book. Used quite a lot by cruisers for day storage.

 

There is a left-luggage desk at Southampton airport (also £5 per item per day) but the airport is about 8 miles out of town.

 

Since its for a few days you might also like to check with

http://www.loknstore.co.uk/self-storage/southampton/

though that might be a blind alley, they're really geared to long-term storage.

 

JB :)

 

JB :)

[lovemykids2]

Being a local, I know a fair bit about the city & the surrounding places of interest.

But being a local, I only know about it from a local's perspective - I've never looked for a "tour" or a guide.

Bearing those two things in mind, here's my four-penn'orth.

JB :)

 

Thanks for much for an amazing account of ways to get around and tour from Southampton! I took the liberty and copied and pasted your information onto the Crown Aug 10 and 18, 2013 website (shutterfly) we are doing in addition to the CC to help us get to know the lay of the land. Please post something on either ( or both) if you don't want me to use the fantastic information you have taken your precious time to write. We are so grateful for your knowledge and helpfulness but, understand if you don't wish it to be "re" posted.

[John Bull]

Thanks for much for an amazing account of ways to get around and tour from Southampton! I took the liberty and copied and pasted your information onto the Crown Aug 10 and 18, 2013 website (shutterfly) we are doing in addition to the CC to help us get to know the lay of the land. Please post something on either ( or both) if you don't want me to use the fantastic information you have taken your precious time to write. We are so grateful for your knowledge and helpfulness but, understand if you don't wish it to be "re" posted.

 

Happy to help. Feel free to re-post ;)

And to ask for more detail/other options.

That's what CC is all about

 

JB :)

[loma linda ca a & j]

Happy to help. Feel free to re-post ;)

And to ask for more detail/other options.

That's what CC is all about

 

JB :)

 

because of all your advice in touring several towns from southampton,

we are staying at premier inn for 5 nights before our Brit Isles 29 jun 2013 cruise

 

now need some more advice for after our cruise july 11 - 17

 

leaving from southampton, we want to spend 3 or 4 nights in chester &

2 nights in stratford upon avon before flying home on july 17 from heathrow

 

what would be the most efficient way to get to those places ?

thanks for whatever you can advise/suggest !

Edited January 16, 2013 by loma linda ca a & j
add words

[John Bull]

because of all your advice in touring several towns from southampton,

we are staying at premier inn for 5 nights before our Brit Isles 29 jun 2013 cruise

 

now need some more advice for after our cruise july 11 - 17

 

leaving from southampton, we want to spend 3 or 4 nights in chester &

2 nights in stratford upon avon before flying home on july 17 from heathrow

 

what would be the most efficient way to get to those places ?

 

thanks for whatever you can advise/suggest !

 

Boy, you can pick 'em :p

No direct service by train or Nat Express coach on any of those segments.:rolleyes:

 

The coach is generally cheaper - but train tickets do vary according to the time of day. Train is normally quicker.

But I think you're going to have to get out paper & pencil & compare the availability, timescale, cost etc of the two options for each segment, including the time of day you're planning to travel.

If your date is too far out for the timetables, for your research pick a random date closer in on the same day of the week Timetables/prices are unlikely to change, but check your date later to confirm.

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

http://coach.nationalexpress.com/

 

If you are seniors & all or most of the segments will be by train, work out whether a railcard is worthwhile. The card costs £28, but gives a 33% saving on all fares. Foreign national seniors are entitled to buy a railcard, simply show ID to buy it at the station with your first tickets.

http://www.senior-railcard.co.uk/

 

For the coach, bear in mind the luggage limitation is two 44lb cases plus hand-luggage per person. Not strictly enforced, but if your luggage is way in excess you may have to pay extra, or - though its unlikely - in theory the driver can decline to accept it if the coach is full & everyone has luggage and this puts the vehicle over its legal weight limit.

http://www.nationalexpress.com/coach/ourservice/luggage_policy.aspx

 

A further option is to rent a car. This would give you the flexibility to plan your own route & visit places on the way.

Don't be too concerned about "the wrong side of the road" - cars are right-hand-drive so the correct side of the road is pretty natural, most of the roads are divided highway, roads are well-signed, & busy enough that in the main you simply follow others. For your costings, a compact will cost in the order of 15pence (£0.15) per mile for gas.

 

Chester is a long haul & involves a 7 hour coach journey, or several train changes, or a long drive on a motorway network which can get clogged north of Stratford/Warwick. The centre is quaint & atmospheric, but there are many alternatives much closer to Southampton/Stratford-upon-Avon.

Do you have a special reason to visit Chester? Or could you visit Chester from a port-of-call stop at Holyhead or Liverpool?

 

JB :)

Edited January 17, 2013 by John Bull

[Cotswold Eagle]

I echo JB's 'Boy, you can pick 'em' and add a crikey!

 

Southampton-Stratford-LHR would be pretty easy and manageable. Adding Chester to the mix makes it difficult and means you have one very long segment - either Southampton-Chester or Chester-LHR, which would pretty much eat up a day.

 

It's probably a toss up between a car and the train for me.

[Globaliser]

what would be the most efficient way to get to those places ?

Driving, definitely. Trying to do this by public transport will be inefficient.

 

The only exception to this is that you may find it cheaper to transfer to Heathrow to pick up your rental car before setting off up north. But you should price up the option of renting at Southampton with a one-way drop off fee as well, for comparison.

[loma linda ca a & j]

thank you all for your time & effort in answering my request !

 

the reason i had chosen chester & conwy to spend a few days

is that part of my husband's heritage is from that area-

all the castles and walled towns are so interesting -

we love all that stuff !

 

there are 2 busy bus tours from chester

 

when we are in port of liverpool, we are doing the beatles tour -

we do not go to holyhead on our cruise

i just do NOT think i can talk my husband into driving a car -

ok he just walked in - asked him and he said absolutely NOT :eek:

 

so if we eliminate stratford, we can train to london from southampton and then train to chester - correct ?

 

maybe go one day on train to stratford while we are in london precruise

 

when i make up my mind about something i usually make it work somehow :confused:

 

thanks everyone !!! anymore help will be deeply appreciated !!:)

[John Bull]

thank you all for your time & effort in answering my request !

 

the reason i had chosen chester & conwy to spend a few days

is that part of my husband's heritage is from that area-

all the castles and walled towns are so interesting -

we love all that stuff !

 

there are 2 busy bus tours from chester

 

when we are in port of liverpool, we are doing the beatles tour -

we do not go to holyhead on our cruise

 

i just do NOT think i can talk my husband into driving a car -

ok he just walked in - asked him and he said absolutely NOT :eek:

 

so if we eliminate stratford, we can train to london from southampton and then train to chester - correct ?

 

maybe go one day on train to stratford while we are in london precruise

 

when i make up my mind about something i usually make it work somehow :confused:

 

thanks everyone !!! anymore help will be deeply appreciated !!:)

 

Yep, cheapest by train from Southampton to Chester (£19.50 on current timetable) is the 10am to London Waterloo station, cross by tube to London Euston station for the Chester train, arriving 2pm That ticket includes the tube fare across London - its a direct tube line with no changes, but a Londoner might suggest that with luggage you'd do better to taxi the two miles from Waterloo to Euston.

Other routes & times - journey times don't vary hugely, but ticket prices are up to £100 :eek:

 

North Wales is a lovely place to visit. Frequent trains from Chester to Conwy if you want a cheap & interesting day-trip. An hour each-way, cost £18 for a "cheap day-return"

If you take the train to Conwy, it's a "request stop". They're very rare on the train network, but means you have to inform the guard on the train that you want to get off at Conwy, or it'll blast straight through. The guard can explain what you do for the return journey. From there you could also visit nearby Llandudno & the Great Orme. Post again for transport info if its of interest.

North Wales is all about heading up into the "mountains", impossible by train, but that's where Busybus excels.

 

Chester to London takes just over 2 hrs, prices from £14 to £68, the cheaper options involve a simple change at Crewe.

 

A day-trip from London's Marylebone station to Stratford-upon-Avon is a very viable option, though again ticket prices vary hugely. But, for instance, the 9.10am goes direct to Stratford-upon-Avon, takes 2 hours, 6.5 hours is plenty in Stratford, then the 5.34pm direct back to London, arriving 7.40pm. Total cost £18 per person. And of course no hauling luggage.

 

All this info from that rail website. If you--know-who is determined not to drive, you're gonna have to mull over that train website & jot down the best options. I can't link journey details, the web-page times out.

But your plans can work very economically :)

 

JB :)

[loma linda ca a & j]

john bull,

 

must have forgotten to click on submit reply

cuz just finished writing you a long response & thank you !!

anyway the gist of it was that i spent a few hours checking out all the train routes

and came up with very similar connections to yours -

so relieved we'll be able to get from southampton to london to chester

same for stratford upon avon !

it is going to be an amazing unbelievable month in the british isles !!!

 

thank you again for all you have done for us and others on cc !!

 

ann & jim

Edited January 17, 2013 by loma linda ca a & j
add words

[crafty sue]

How about getting the ferry across to the Isle of Wight - you can get there in a hour, down southampton Water - and there is so much to see on the Island, such as Osbourne House - Queen Victoria's house open to the public. You could spend a day on the island or book a hotel there for a night or two

[Cotswold Eagle]

john bull,

 

must have forgotten to click on submit reply

cuz just finished writing you a long response & thank you !!

anyway the gist of it was that i spent a few hours checking out all the train routes

and came up with very similar connections to yours -

so relieved we'll be able to get from southampton to london to chester

same for stratford upon avon !

it is going to be an amazing unbelievable month in the british isles !!!

 

thank you again for all you have done for us and others on cc !!

 

ann & jim

 

I use the Stratford - London Marylebone route occasionally (will be on it next week, as it happens). The direct service (and any shown as one change at Leamington Spa) is run by Chiltern Railways and, as you have found, you can get some great advance fares. Only downside is it it's not a very frequent service, so make sure you don't miss your train. The station in Stratford is an easy walk from the centre - head downhill generally!

 

Do not use any service connecting through Birmingham to London Euston - takes much longer, you have to change stations in Birmingham, and will be much more expensive :)

[loma linda ca a & j]

How about getting the ferry across to the Isle of Wight - you can get there in a hour, down southampton Water - and there is so much to see on the Island, such as Osbourne House - Queen Victoria's house open to the public. You could spend a day on the island or book a hotel there for a night or two

that sounds like it would be another marvelous day !!!:)

[Jartaud]

May be able to find a customised trip with a tour company that specialises in that sort of thing. Single Step Tours operates out of Southampton area, but also runs tours of North Wales, Liverpool.

[John Bull]

May be able to find a customised trip with a tour company that specialises in that sort of thing. Single Step Tours operates out of Southampton area, but also runs tours of North Wales, Liverpool.

 

Hadn't heard of Single Step Tours. Seems to be a one-man-band run by a guy called Peter, operating from my home town of Romsey, near Southampton.

I get the impression he's a (retired / semi-retired ?) history teacher at a Southampton school.

Majors on western front sites of WW1 (Ypres, Flanders, etc), for large groups & school parties. I've driven coachloads of kids on such tours, very interesting. Mebbe he was the guide on one of those trips?

But he also offers tours from Southampton to places like Bath & the New Forest.

Which kinda demonstrates the limitations of tour guides from Southampton. Apart from walking tours of old-town Southampton conducted by volunteers, there's very very limited demand for guides so the few have to be all things to all men. A guide like Peter might take a tour to the Jurassic coast one day, then next day a tour to Stonehenge, then next day a tour to Stratford, then next day a tour to Canterbury,then a 3-day tour of his pet interest, the battlefields of Flanders.

 

Hence West Quay Cars created their Discover the South arm, using those drivers who are most experienced, communicative & knowledgeable but are not qualified guides. If there's no tour work for them on a given day, they''ll be driving airport transfers.

And hence coach tour groups going to places like Bath or Stratford-upon-Avon or London usually pick up their guides at their destination.

Broadly the same situation at Dover.

Tours from London are the big exception - there's so much demand every day for tours to all those places that a guide based in London can specialise.

 

Can't comment of One Step, other than that he seems a professional & genuine guy.

Couldn't find any link to north Wales & it doesn't really make sense. Mebbe a different operator with similar name.

 

JB :)

[fivecontinents]

Hello,

We are arriving in Southampton on April 30,2013 from a cruise. We would like to visit Stonehenge, Bath, and Windsor on our way to London. We will be staying in London for 5 nights once we arrive. I have found a company called Londontoolkit who will pick us up at the cruise terminal, collect our luggage, and give us a full day of touring and then drop us off at our hotel in London. Can anyone tell me if they have ever used this company and if they were pleased with the tour and the transfer to their hotel? Thank you kindly.

[John Bull]

Hello,

We are arriving in Southampton on April 30,2013 from a cruise. We would like to visit Stonehenge, Bath, and Windsor on our way to London. We will be staying in London for 5 nights once we arrive. I have found a company called Londontoolkit who will pick us up at the cruise terminal, collect our luggage, and give us a full day of touring and then drop us off at our hotel in London. Can anyone tell me if they have ever used this company and if they were pleased with the tour and the transfer to their hotel? Thank you kindly.

 

The operator is International Friends, you can get reviews & more info if you google that name. They use London Toolkit as an agency, I don't think it makes any difference who you book with.

An established & reputable tour operator, though they only started the cruise tour/transfers a year ago. I've only seen a couple of cruise tour/transfer reviews on CC, both very positive.

 

Not available if you're on a smaller ship (though possibly if they were providing the service for another ship you could taxi-hop to its cruise terminal), and although they want money up-front they've been reserving the right to cancel up to a couple of weeks out, when they have guaranteed numbers. That may change as they get experience of demand.

No luggage limitation - like ship-sponsored transfers (but unlike Nat Express), they don't book out every seat because they know that their luggage lockers wouldn't cope with a coach full of cruisers.

 

Salisbury+Stonehenge+Windsor, and especially Stonehenge+Bath+Windsor makes for a very long day, but great value & pretty painless.

 

In the reverse direction (London to ship) its much more limited because of the time limitation for registeringat the ship.

 

In your situation, I'd go for it :)

 

JB :)

[Macama]

Hello, from what I've read in the forum are Southamton area. We are a Spanish couple who does not know English, we're doing it with google translator, and we would like if you can You will inform us the way to go about 09:00 AM from the Gatwick airport to the cruise terminal.

 

best regards

[John Bull]

Hello, from what I've read in the forum are Southamton area. We are a Spanish couple who does not know English, we're doing it with google translator, and we would like if you can You will inform us the way to go about 09:00 AM from the Gatwick airport to the cruise terminal.

 

best regards

 

 

Hola Macama.

 

Train

Train is quickest, very easy, £14.80 per person. Buy ticket at Gatwick station.

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

Monday to Saturday, direct train.

Gatwick airport 09.11am arrives Southampton central 11.01am,.

or

Gatwick airport 10.09am arrives Southampton central 12.01pm.

 

Sunday, one change of train.

Gatwick airport 08.47am arrives Southampton central 10.46am .

or

Gatwick airport 09.44am arrives Southampton central 11.46am

 

Coach (bus)

takes about 2hrs 40 minutes, £18per person. Buy tickets on internet.

Every day, direct coach.

http://www.nationalexpress.com/

Gatwick Airport 09.55am arrives Southampton coach station 12.35pm

 

In Southampton, taxi from central train station or coach station to cruise terminal about 5 to 10 minutes, about £5 to £8

 

JB :)

[VMax1700]

Hola Macama.

 

Train

Train is quickest, very easy, £14.80 per person. Buy ticket at Gatwick station.

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

Monday to Saturday, direct train.

Gatwick airport 09.11am arrives Southampton central 11.01am,.

or

Gatwick airport 10.09am arrives Southampton central 12.01pm.

 

Sunday, one change of train.

Gatwick airport 08.47am arrives Southampton central 10.46am .

or

Gatwick airport 09.44am arrives Southampton central 11.46am

 

Coach (bus)

takes about 2hrs 40 minutes, £18per person. Buy tickets on internet.

Every day, direct coach.

http://www.nationalexpress.com/

Gatwick Airport 09.55am arrives Southampton coach station 12.35pm

 

In Southampton, taxi from central train station or coach station to cruise terminal about 5 to 10 minutes, about £5 to £8

 

JB :)

 

Hola Macama

 

Tren,

El tren es mas rapido y es mas facil. UK£14.80 por persona.

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

Comprar la tarjeta en la estacion de tren.

Lunes a Sabado es directo.

Salida Aeropuerto Gatwick a 09.11h, llegar Southampton estacion Central a las 11.01h.

o

Salida Aeropuerto Gatwick a 09.44h, llegar Southampton estacion Central a las 11h.46.

 

Domingo: uno cambio de tren.

Salida Gatwick a 08.47h, llegar Southampton a 10.46h.

o

Salida Gatwick a 09.44h, llegar Southampton a 11.46h

 

Autobus:

el tiempo de viaje es 2h 40m. uk£18. comprar internet:

http://www.nationalexpress.com/

Salida aeropuerto Gatwick a 09.55h, llegar Southampton estacion de Autobus 12.35h.

En Southampton el taxi de estacion de Autobus o estacion de tren a terminal de cruceros es UK£5 -£8. Se tarda 5 a 10 minutos.

Edited June 15, 2013 by VMax1700