Disembarkation and Rental Car Southampton

[twintravelingmama]

We will be disembarking at Southampton on 6 July. Ship is to dock at 5:30, so I'm sure they are hoping to have everyone off fairly early. We had planned to rent a van for our party of 6 to explore Winchester/Windsor prior to our 9 PM departure from Heathrow, but as it is a Sunday, the earliest the rental office opens is 10 AM. The rental office is Europcar on West Quay. Any idea how we can kill a few hours if need be with luggage in tow? Or, better yet, where we could possibly stow luggage for a few hours after disembarking? Lastly, is West Quay a walkable distance from the City Cruise Terminal, or will we need a taxi? Thank you!!

[John Bull]

Forget the 5.30 arrival time, disembarkation is usually around 7am unassisted, general disembarkation 7.30 to 9.30.

You'll not have much time to kill, and at that time on a sunday there's really nowhere to kill it, regardless of hauling luggage with you.

I'd be inclined to have a lazy buffet breakfast on board & be among the last to be thrown off the ship, then the timing will be about right

 

The Europcar depot is in a spur off West Quay Road (but still called West Quay Road, just to confuse visitors) and is quite literally a stone's throw from the terminal but outside the dock fence.

 

So only a one-minute walk if you climb the 10ft dock fence directly opposite the cruise terminal :rolleyes:, or more realistically a ten minute walk:

 

Go to your right when you leave the terminal, immediately outside Dock Gate 8 short-cut through the carpark of Holiday Inn, left onto West Quay Road, after the adjacent Renault car dealership bear left into the service road, after the Honda car dealership turn left. Your ship will be directly ahead of you but beyond the fence, Europcar and National are on your left.

https://www.google.com/maps?saddr=Herbert+Walker+Ave&daddr=W+Quay+Rd&hl=en&ll=50.900171,-1.411561&spn=0.005163,0.011255&sll=50.900827,-1.41111&sspn=0.005136,0.011255&geocode=FUauCAMd4Wvq_w%3BFVGxCAMdMXTq_w&oq=Europcar+West+Quay&t=h&dirflg=w&mra=prev&z=17

You can walk, or send a couple of folk to collect the vehicle, or take a short £5 taxi ride.

 

BTW, Europcar rent cars & vans. But a "van" in the UK is a "panel van" in the US. Hopefully you've rented a 4/5-seater car or similar ;)

 

JB :)

Edited May 22, 2014 by John Bull

[twintravelingmama]

Forget the 5.30 arrival time, disembarkation is usually around 7am unassisted, general disembarkation 7.30 to 9.30.

You'll not have much time to kill, and at that time on a sunday there's really nowhere to kill it, regardless of hauling luggage with you.

I'd be inclined to have a lazy buffet breakfast on board & be among the last to be thrown off the ship, then the timing will be about right

 

The Europcar depot is in a spur off West Quay Road (but still called West Quay Road, just to confuse visitors) and is quite literally a stone's throw from the terminal but outside the dock fence.

 

So only a one-minute walk if you climb the 10ft dock fence directly opposite the cruise terminal :rolleyes:, or more realistically a ten minute walk:

 

Go to your right when you leave the terminal, immediately outside Dock Gate 8 short-cut through the carpark of Holiday Inn, left onto West Quay Road, after the adjacent Renault car dealership bear left into the service road, after the Honda car dealership turn left. Your ship will be directly ahead of you but beyond the fence, Europcar and National are on your left.

https://www.google.com/maps?saddr=Herbert+Walker+Ave&daddr=W+Quay+Rd&hl=en&ll=50.900171,-1.411561&spn=0.005163,0.011255&sll=50.900827,-1.41111&sspn=0.005136,0.011255&geocode=FUauCAMd4Wvq_w%3BFVGxCAMdMXTq_w&oq=Europcar+West+Quay&t=h&dirflg=w&mra=prev&z=17

You can walk, or send a couple of folk to collect the vehicle, or take a short £5 taxi ride.

 

BTW, Europcar rent cars & vans. But a "van" in the UK is a "panel van" in the US. Hopefully you've rented a 4/5-seater car or similar ;)

 

JB :)

Thank you so much, JB. You have been way more help than the rental company. The car we have reserved is an automatic transmission Volkswagen Sharan or similar. Hopefully that works for us!

[4774Papa]

We rented a car from Thrifty at Harwich and they were open earlier than 10am. Also, they had very good rates for a dropoff at Heathrow.

[John Bull]

Thank you so much, JB. You have been way more help than the rental company. The car we have reserved is an automatic transmission Volkswagen Sharan or similar. Hopefully that works for us!

 

VW Sharan was the one on their website which looked the obvious choice.

So much better than a workmen's panel van ;)

 

BTW to 4774 Papa - pick-up is a sunday, hence the later opening time.

Thrifty at Harwich's opening time on a sunday is .......................................................

8.30am on the Monday !!! :D

 

JB :)

[Bob++]

I see that they offer a Satellite Navigation System (satnav/gps) for £13.99. Not cheap, but a worthwhile extra in my opinion.