Return Flight from Southampton Airport

[swcruise]

Hello All,

 

We return to Southampton from our cuise at 5.30 am, there is an option of a flight from Southampton airport at 9.20 which seems very doable. My questions :- are there usually taxis at the port, or is it safer to pre-book with a taxi company... Can anyone recommend a reliable taxi company, what should we expect to pay and how long will it take to the airport...

 

Many Thanks, S

[John Bull]

Yes, perfectly do-able, though forget 5.30am - around 7am is usually the earliest you can disembark (unassisted), first cabins for the general rota of assisted disembarkations is usually more like 7.30.

 

I'd suggest unassisted (don't leave your cases outside the cabin on the last night, instead haul your own bags from the cabin in the morning) because it avoids any lines for immigration or for taxis (there are plenty at the start), or the possibility of a bag being difficult to find in the cruise terminal. Plus on a weekday, one minute on the road before 7.30 is worth two after 7.30.

 

It's about 6 miles, depending on your cruise terminal. Fifteen minutes on a saturday or sunday,. Double that (at least) on a weekday, though taxi drivers know all the dodges.

So you're likely to be at the airport around 8am. Small airport, just one small terminal.

Most check-in times at Southampton airport are 35 or 45 minutes ahead of flight time, though they're very very strict on that - if it's 45 mins out then arriving 44 mins out means you miss your flight.

But you're likely to be there over an hour ahead of flight time.

 

Cost of a metered cab from the rank is about £20.

If you pre-book with a local taxi firm, such as http://www.westquaycars.com who are often used by CC members, it's cheaper - mebbe around £13.

http://www.smithsforairports.com are also highly recommended on Cruise Critic. That company's base is over20 miles away in Portsmouth, but if they have drivers based in Southampton they'll also be competitive.

 

JB :)

[swcruise]

Thank you John, it's a Sunday so rush hour traffic won't be a problem. I had hoped that disembarkation would start earlier than 7, but you make a good point about a missing bag etc when you are under time pressure so we will look at walking off with our bags...

 

We have never done unassisted disembarkation before, but in this case it makes more sense, will have to limit the bag to make getting on the lift and leaving the ship as easy as possible....

 

I will make a reservation with WestQuay taxis to be on the safe side.

 

We are cruising with RCI on Independence, do they have a set cruise terminal and berth ?

[John Bull]

Thank you John, it's a Sunday so rush hour traffic won't be a problem. I had hoped that disembarkation would start earlier than 7, but you make a good point about a missing bag etc when you are under time pressure so we will look at walking off with our bags...

 

We have never done unassisted disembarkation before, but in this case it makes more sense, will have to limit the bag to make getting on the lift and leaving the ship as easy as possible....

 

I will make a reservation with WestQuay taxis to be on the safe side.

 

We are cruising with RCI on Independence, do they have a set cruise terminal and berth ?

 

Usually City Cruise Terminal, berth 101.

That's the easiest, though it makes little odds - especially on a sunday.:)

 

Baggage re-claim can be a bit of a zoo, people & trolleys everywhere, which can make it slow & difficult (and occasionally painful on the shin :rolleyes:) to hunt & retrieve. Self-disembarkation resolves both that & a possible line at immigration. Customs is no worry - no line & no hold-up unless your collar is felt.

A car booked for 7.15 (they tend to arrive earlier) will get you to the airport about 75 mins ahead of your flight. Book your pick-up as Independence of the Seas rather than City Terminal, in case (unlikely) there's a change of berth.

 

JB :)

[Queensland Girl]

Hi John, We are disembarking from Adventure of the Seas on Friday 12th September in Southampton. There are direct flights from Southampton to Dublin ( Ireland) with an airline called Bee Fly. Do you know anything about this company and how far from cruise terminal to airport terminal. The flight leaves at 1.25 p.m. which means we would have plenty of time and not be rushing. Thanks for your continued help. Cheers Judy:):)

[Queensland Girl]

Hi John, The airline is called Flybee - sorry about this. Thanks

[scottbee]

Hi John, The airline is called Flybee - sorry about this. Thanks

 

only one E; Flybe. Just as confusing as QANTAS w/o a U.

 

The history is that at one point they were called "British European", hence the BE

[John Bull]

Hi John, We are disembarking from Adventure of the Seas on Friday 12th September in Southampton. There are direct flights from Southampton to Dublin ( Ireland) with an airline called Bee Fly. Do you know anything about this company and how far from cruise terminal to airport terminal. The flight leaves at 1.25 p.m. which means we would have plenty of time and not be rushing. Thanks for your continued help. Cheers Judy

 

Hi, Judy,

Well, you & Bee Scott sorted out the airline name between you before I arrived.;)

 

Well-known, well-established & respected budget airline.

Like all budget airlines you need to run a dummy booking to check the add-ons before arriving at a final cost, but Flybe are better than most.

And like all budget airlines their pricing is fluid, generally increasing dramatically closer to the date.

On random dates 4 to 6 months out, base fares for that route start at £30. :cool:

Same route next week fares range from £135 to £180. :eek:

 

Yes, plenty of time to get to the airport - look over your balcony & watch swcruiser labouring down the gangways with their bags :D, then after a room-service coffee, get dressed, saunter up to the buffet for a leisurely breakfast before you're thrown off the ship with the other stragglers sometime before 10am.:cool:

 

Journey time about 15 minutes after 9am, same taxi advice as for swcruiser.

Or you could walk (15 - 20 mins) or taxi (about £5) to the rail station. About 3 trains per hour, cost about £3 per person, journey time 10 mins to Southampton Airport/Parkway.

 

JB :)

Edited January 29, 2014 by John Bull

[insidecabin]

I tested the run to the airport on the 14 Jan(Tues)

 

Airport to near the port 12:00pm(ish) 12 mins

Near the port to the airport 4:00pm 25mins(took 30 but I missed one short cut)

 

So it can be very variable depending on traffic and if you have the lights with or against you.

 

On some ships if you qualify you can be on the VIP/priority 1st of the ship group with assisted bags.

 

If you turn up before the allotted times often the ship has cleared and they will let you off anyway.

[Queensland Girl]

Thanks John for the information - will book airline tickets today. Thanks Judy

[Guernseycruiser]

Just to give you a "heads up", Flybe like most low cost airlines charge significantly if you go over your luggage allowance. I usually take some small scales with me to check prior to the aiport, to ensure I am not having to open up my suitcase at the desk to move items around. You can check in online, or at the kiosk at the airport, and you then take your luggage over to the self weigh area. There are no check in staff. There is a LARGE screeen which advises of the weight of the luggage, and a slot to insert your credit card. I have not been over the allowance, however I can see that there is no "human" intervention if you are just a little over.

[braxx20]

Can anyone help us on this? Looked at British rail from LHR to SH airport - no terminal in the city??

Fare was unbelievable at 125 Pounds per person

 

I thought there was rail service to SH city center. Is there another rail line or bus line?

 

Not going til October but need to book Mileage Award travel while it is available.

 

Thanks for any help.

[John Bull]

Can anyone help us on this? Looked at British rail from LHR to SH airport - no terminal in the city??

Fare was unbelievable at 125 Pounds per person

 

I thought there was rail service to SH city center. Is there another rail line or bus line?

 

Not going til October but need to book Mileage Award travel while it is available.

 

Thanks for any help.

 

SH airport?

According to the web, that's the code for Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

So a train journey from London Heathrow for £125 would be both a bargain - and a miracle :D

 

If you mean Southampton, the airport code is SOU, the rail code for Southampton central is SOU and the rail code for Southampton airport is SOA

 

For whatever reason the national rail website currently isn't showing all the options, so here's the website of the train operator:

http://www.southwesttrains.co.uk/

Your start point is Heathrow (your terminal) Bus.

Your destination is Southampton Central.

Trains call at Southampton Airport on the way through.

 

Fares from around £30.

There's no direct rail link from Heathrow to Southampton, the options include into London & out again, or a series of train changes, or a shuttlebus (included in the fare) to a mainline station (Reading or Woking) where you transfer to a direct train to Southampton.

That shuttlebus + direct train is the quickest & easiest, but journey time is something over two hours. About the same journey time as a National Express coach direct from Heathrow to Southampton, which at £18.30 is almost half the cost and oh-so-simple .

 

So most folk use the Nat Express coach, though I don't know if that ties in with your Mileage Award.

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

Just like the rail shuttlebus, your start point is Heathrow bus station (a short & well-signed walk from T's 1-3) or the coach lane on the concourse outside T4 or T5.

Your destination is Southampton coach station. Don't select "cruise terminal", which only applies to Fred Olsen sailings.

Booking is pretty essential.

 

Southampton rail & coach stations are a short distance apart, each has a taxi rank, and all cruise terminals are a £5 to £8 taxi ride

 

JB :)

Edited January 30, 2014 by John Bull

[braxx20]

Thanks for the help - sounds good!