London/South Hampton

[dcruisers]

How far is London from SouthHampton port? We have never been to England - so are considering a TA out of either Harwich ( read that it is 90 miles from London) or South Hampton/London. Whichever one we choose, we plan on a couple of days pre-cruise in London.

Thank you!

[John Bull]

Southampton (spelling), Harwich & Dover are all about 80 miles / 90 minutes from London, all in different directions.

It's only cruise lines :rolleyes: that label any of them as "London".

 

Public transport between any of these ports & central London is fast, direct, frequent & reasonably inexpensive. Pros & cons between getting to the three, but Harwich has the poorest service - hourly service by train & no convenient bus service.

Excellent transportation too, between central London and its two inter-continental airports, Heathrow & Gatwick. But between airports & ports it's poor, only Southampton has direct services (train or bus to Gatwick, bus to Heathrow), for Dover or Heathrow broadly you need to travel from airport to central London & out again to the port. And for Harwich you also have to make your way across the centre of London to the rail station that serves Harwich.

Cruise lines provide (payable) transfers between ship and central London / Heathrow / Gatwick.

 

And of course you can fix private transfers, anywhere between £90 (Southampton - Heathrow) & £150 (Gatwick - Harwich)

 

Unless you want to spend time in England but outside London, can I suggest that you choose a cruise which goes to your preferred destinations, or even your preferred cruise line, rather than choosing between departure ports. Although there are transportation differences, those differences are comparatively minor.

And don't worry whether you fly into Heathrow or Gatwick, again the differences are minor. So choose on other criteria such as cheaper or more convenient flights, or your preferred airline.

 

For same-day flights after your cruise you will generally need afternoon flights, but that depends on a number of factors. It might be an idea to run by details of any prospective cruise & flight time on this board before committing. As well as flight time, include port, airport, date, & day-of-the-week, all of which affect travel timings.

 

Yes, two - or three - days pre-cruise in central London is ideal, & you can travel to any of the ports on the morning of your sailing.

 

JB :)

Edited March 27, 2014 by John Bull

[Bob++]

The only thing I would add is that you should try to add a day or two extra for London. You will be tired when you arrive so will probably only have one full day to see whatever sights interest you.

 

Your choice of hotel may also reflect that - Victoria/Westminster for the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey, The London Eye; or The City (which can be cheaper at weekends) for The Tower, Tower Bridge, St Pauls, The Shard etc.

 

They are not that far apart, but with limited time, you don't want to spend too much of it just travelling.

Edited March 27, 2014 by Bob++

[dcruisers]

John Bull and Bob++-.......... Thank you for taking the time to give such thorough and detailed information.

We will definitely be researching cruises that have the ports that we would prefer. However, thanks to you both, I am more aware of the logistics of London/ airports and getting to/ from the ports........as well as locations for hotel and sights we want to see.

Your information is very much appreciated!

[John Bull]

Southampton (spelling), Harwich & Dover are all about 80 miles / 90 minutes from London, all in different directions.

It's only cruise lines :rolleyes: that label any of them as "London".

 

Public transport between any of these ports & central London is fast, direct, frequent & reasonably inexpensive. Pros & cons between getting to the three, but Harwich has the poorest service - hourly service by train & no convenient bus service.

Excellent transportation too, between central London and its two inter-continental airports, Heathrow & Gatwick. But between airports & ports it's poor, only Southampton has direct services (train or bus to Gatwick, bus to Heathrow), for Dover or (delete Heathrow, insert Harwich) broadly you need to travel from airport to central London & out again to the port. And for Harwich you also have to make your way across the centre of London to the rail station that serves Harwich.

Cruise lines provide (payable) transfers between ship and central London / Heathrow / Gatwick.

 

And of course you can fix private transfers, anywhere between £90 (Southampton - Heathrow) & £150 (Gatwick - Harwich)

 

Unless you want to spend time in England but outside London, can I suggest that you choose a cruise which goes to your preferred destinations, or even your preferred cruise line, rather than choosing between departure ports. Although there are transportation differences, those differences are comparatively minor.

And don't worry whether you fly into Heathrow or Gatwick, again the differences are minor. So choose on other criteria such as cheaper or more convenient flights, or your preferred airline.

 

For same-day flights after your cruise you will generally need afternoon flights, but that depends on a number of factors. It might be an idea to run by details of any prospective cruise & flight time on this board before committing. As well as flight time, include port, airport, date, & day-of-the-week, all of which affect travel timings.

 

Yes, two - or three - days pre-cruise in central London is ideal, & you can travel to any of the ports on the morning of your sailing.

 

JB :)

 

Ooops. Just corrected a typo. :rolleyes:

 

JB :)

[duchess nan]

Not sure if this is the right place to ask for more info on transfer time from Southampton to Heathrow, specifically wondering if traffic will be worse on a Saturday (Aug 2)? In southern CA I would tell someone to triple normal driving time on freeways on a Saturday due to all the tourist traffic in the summer season. We are looking at a 12:45 flight to Munich from LHR with Southampton disembarkation time of 8:00. Probably will book private car transfer. Oceania suggests no flights before noon, TA recommends nothing before 12:30, but 12:45 still sounds close to me. Any advice would be appreciated.

[John Bull]

Not sure if this is the right place to ask for more info on transfer time from Southampton to Heathrow, specifically wondering if traffic will be worse on a Saturday (Aug 2)? In southern CA I would tell someone to triple normal driving time on freeways on a Saturday due to all the tourist traffic in the summer season. We are looking at a 12:45 flight to Munich from LHR with Southampton disembarkation time of 8:00. Probably will book private car transfer. Oceania suggests no flights before noon, TA recommends nothing before 12:30, but 12:45 still sounds close to me. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

No worries :cool:

 

On summer Saturdays traffic is very heavy - but in the opposite direction :)

Southampton to Heathrow (& on further into London) is normally lightly-loaded & sweet as a nut on a Saturday.

Expect the 65 miles to take 90 minutes or less.

 

And latest check-in for European flights is usually no more than 45 minutes ahead of flight time, though you should really plan to be at the airport a bare minimum of 90 minutes out to allow for lines, particularly at check-in & security.

 

Private transfer will cost upward of £90.

Try http://www.smithsforairports.com and http://www.westquaycars.com

Both are based at the Southampton end, & are frequently recommended on Cruise Critic.

 

JB :)

[duchess nan]

Thank you John Bull for your prompt response. I truly appreciate the information and advice. I guess we will go for the 12:45 flight. We are so excited to be visiting your beautiful country. Thank you again.

[CarolRoy]

Does anyone know what Princess or Royal charges for transfers from Southhampton to any of the airports. Looking at a transaltantic cruise and cannot find the info anywhere at the cruise line sites.

[baggal]

Does anyone know what Princess or Royal charges for transfers from Southhampton to any of the airports. Looking at a transaltantic cruise and cannot find the info anywhere at the cruise line sites.

 

Its not on the Princess website. They say you have to call your travel agent and book through them since its a transfer and not an excursion. I believe we are paying $54 per person (or something very close to that) for a direct transfer from Southampton to Heathrow.

[ginal]

I just looked at my paperwork and it $54 a person like the previous poster said. Just call Princess they can tell you. It is different for every port.

[skypig]

I just looked at my paperwork and it $54 a person like the previous poster said. Just call Princess they can tell you. It is different for every port.

 

Wow! That is almost half of what Royal Caribbean is charging. My transfer for May TA is $101 from Southampton to Heathrow!

[John Bull]

Wow! That is almost half of what Royal Caribbean is charging. My transfer for May TA is $101 from Southampton to Heathrow!

 

We were on Adventure ots out of Southampton last year, and yes, that's what RCI were charging then.

Considerably more than a private transfer for two.

 

JB :)