Southampton B&Bs

[suzski]

Anyone stay at a Southampton B&B? I've seen several that look intriguing on TripAdvisor and am just wondering if anyone has any experience with them. At this point the plan is to fly in to LHR and commute (train, bus, private excursion...still undecided) down to Southampton where we will spend a couple of days before boarding our ship. We enjoy staying at B&Bs in the US and have stayed at a few abroad and it just seems like - price-wise - they are definitely the way to go. John Bull and other Brits, what say you? (please and thank you:))

[John Bull]

Hi Suzan,

 

No personal experience of local B&Bs, I have no need.

But I've seen a number recommended on TripAdvisor & CC. Some are called "Guest Houses", I'm none-too-sure of the distinction between B&B and Guest House, or whether there is any distinction..

Do go by recommendation, there's a wide range & some are geared to folk working temporarily away from home etc so not ideal for your purposes.

 

The best are generally in the Hill Lane area, north of the rail station - not as convenient for city centre facilities as the hotels, but with local neighbourhood shops & pubs. And some folk prefer living amongst the locals.

With luggage you'll need a short taxi hop from rail or coach stations, you might also prefer a taxi even without luggage to go to the city centre, or train station for day-trips to places like Salisbury/Stonehenge or Bath or Portsmouth or Winchester.

 

National Express coach (pre-booked) is cheapest & simplest transport from Heathrow (LHR), train is best from Gatwick (LGW).

A simple pre-booked private transfer will cost about £80 to £90 from LHR or somewhere over £100 from LGW, but of course it would cost more if your transfer included sight-seeing at Windsor, or Salisbury + Stonehenge, or Winchester.

 

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

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

www.smithsforairports.com

www.westquaycars.com

 

JB :)

[Bob++]

Bed and Breakfast in the UK is highly competitive, and in general the standard follows the price (or the other way round?).

 

Tripadvisor is a good source and we have used them on many occasions and found some excellent places. Not, sadly, in Southampton though.

 

You should expect - free parking, free wifi, and a decent shower or a tub. Some offer pre-booked evening meals, but there will usually be somewhere local to eat. They are unlikely to have a lift (elevator) so if mobility is a problem, check that the room is not up three flights of narrow stairs. Often it is not possible to book in before 4pm so be aware of that.

[suzski]

Thanks John Bull and Bob. I think I've decided that we'll spend one night in the Westminster area and one night in the Southampton area and that we will get a rental car so that we will have more flexibility. My husband has driven in the UK so this is not an issue. By doing this route we can pick up our rental after our flight, visit Westminster, and then check in to our B&B. There is an absolutely lovely one on TripAdvisor that looks like it is frozen in the 16th century with its half timber-framing. The reviews are great and by doing this it would give us a shorter day to recover from jet lag. The next day we could head down to Southampton and potentially book the original B&B I was looking at or pick another. We don't have any mobility issues so that is not a problem.

 

My only question - for my husband really - is it standard for rooms to have a television in the room? I know that the B&B in London we stayed in did have one but I'm not sure if that is common as in some countries (Costa Rica for example) it is the exception rather than the rule.

[Cotswold Eagle]

B&B is a term covering a wide range of accomodation, but generally in a decent tourist one, with a good rating, I'd expect a TV in the room.

 

The one you mention in Westminster sounds fascinating - would you mind sharing the name? There are few genuine and good tourist B&Bs in Central London.

 

Personally, I'd pick up the hire car after visiting and staying in Westminster - no need for one there and you would have to find somewhere to park, worry about congestion charging etc.

 

JB - I don't think there is a formal distinction (the ratings talk about guest accomodation, covering both B&Bs and guest houses) - personally in a B&B I would expect to be looked after by the owner, but a guest house might have staff and even a manager. It seems in cities the terms are sometimes used to mean cheap, very basic hotel!

[Bob++]

Are you sure about Westminster? This will mean driving in London, which is not an experience for the faint hearted.

[John Bull]

Are you sure about Westminster? This will mean driving in London, which is not an experience for the faint hearted.

 

 

Yikes - that suggestion had my eyes popping too.:eek::D

Driving in London is no fun. It's survival of the fittest, no prisoners taken.

A lot of one-way streets & no-right-turns, solid jams in many places, locals & taxi drivers rate accidentally being in the wrong lane a hanging offence, bus drivers will have you for breakfast, cyclists will cut you up, & if you un-knowingly venture into a buses-only lane, the buses are fitted with cameras & you're likely to get tickets in the post for violations. I frequently drove coaches in London, I had no choice, but if I go to London for any other reason I use the train & get around the city by tube - a car is a hindrance, not a help.

 

Then there's the parking.

In Westminster????

Betcha the place doesn't have its own parking. So half the day trawling for a space - and the other half figuring payment-by-phone.

You certainly won't want to use a rented car to visit the various places of interest, you will quite literally spend more time looking for parking than actually visiting.

The £8 daily congestion charge mentioned by the Eagle will be the least of your problems.

 

The very most driving you should do in London is to travel in & around by public transport, then rent a car for the journey down to Southampton. No parking or congestion-charge worries & a tolerably simple exit from the city, especially on a sunday - but very definitely not on a Friday, when half of London has the same idea.

In most of the UK including to, in, & around Southampton it's all pretty easy, as you seem to be aware.:)

But I'd still consider travelling down to Southampton by train & pick up a car there.

 

Whaddaya think lads?

Did I make the point sufficiently clear? :D

 

There are TVs in virtually all hotel & B&B bedrooms - I've never yet come across one without, but websites usually specify. Usually only the basic channels but that should be plenty. And premium channels on pay-per-view in hotel rooms & usually on the big screen in the main bar or a nearby pub - popular for soccer matches & such.

 

JB :)

[suzski]

The dangers of asking questions at the end of a long day are that one may enter the wrong destination....in this case I said "Westminster" when I actually meant WINDSOR. Sorry all.

 

The B&B is The Old Farmhouse and was built in the 15th Century. http://www.theoldfarmhousewindsor.com/

[John Bull]

The dangers of asking questions at the end of a long day are that one may enter the wrong destination....in this case I said "Westminster" when I actually meant WINDSOR. Sorry all.

 

The B&B is The Old Farmhouse and was built in the 15th Century. http://www.theoldfarmhousewindsor.com/

 

Phew :D:D:D

 

Much more sensible. And handy to Heathrow - you're unlikely to make more than half-a-dozen wrong turns ;)

 

Looks super on the website, a little bit of olde England.

 

JB :)

[Bob++]

Windsor... I did wonder.

 

When you go to the castle, be sure to ask, in a loud voice, what possessed them to build it under the flight path to Heathrow. Always good for a laugh.