St. Pancras to Southampton

[seacrystal]

We will be going on the Princess British Isles cruise on August 1, 2015. We will be spending five days pre-cruise in Paris and taking the Eurostar to St. Pancras. Originally our thought was to book a car service from the station to Southampton but since we will already be there, we are wondering if it is a better idea to take a train to Southampton? We willing be spending the night before the cruise at the Premier Inn West Quay.

 

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated on the most cost effective way of getting from St. Pancras to Southampton.

[Amerryscot]

I can't copy the info, so here's how to get the best info for using public transport (which would be the most cost effective rather than using taxis).

 

Go to http://www.travelinesw.com

 

Your starting point is St Pancras International. Your end point is Southampton Mayflower. The journey involves two underground trains and a rail service and takes 2 - 2.5 hours depending on specific timings.

 

There is also a 2-hour National Express coach service from Victoria.

[insanemagnet]

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated on the most cost effective way of getting from St. Pancras to Southampton.

 

Easiest would be a taxi from St Pancras to Waterloo, and then a train to Southampton.

[Amerryscot]

Looking at the National Express website, there is a coach from Victoria to the Southampton Cruise terminal.

 

There is a tube direct from KX to Victoria then a 10 minute(?) walk to the coach terminal. This is likely to be the easiest public transport route as it only involves two modes.

[tartanexile81]

We do this journey regularly, including using the Premier Inn West Quay and we actually find it easier to go by underground in London.

 

Take the Victoria line from St Pancras to Oxford Circus then change to the adjacent platform to take the Bakerloo line to Waterloo. It is really quick and there are no stairs. I guess it will depend on how much luggage you have. We find the taxi journey very slow and very frustrating. We are always really anxious we will miss our connection at Waterloo and the meter keeps ticking away......

 

If you're looking for cheaper options did you know about megatrain website where you can get tickets Waterloo to Southampton, 6 weeks before departure, for only a few pounds. I told people on my current roll call about it and some of them only paid £1!

 

At Southampton, there are taxis waiting and it's only a few minutes to the hotel.

Edited August 13, 2014 by tartanexile81

[seacrystal]

Wow! The power of Cruise Critic!:D:D

 

Thank you Amerryscott, insanemagnet and tartanexile81. Now I have lots of choices. I hope luggage is not too much of a problem. There will be four of us and we will each have a large rolling suitcase and a rolling carry-on. I will research your recommendations.

 

Thanks again!:)

[sddsddean]

Looking at the National Express website, there is a coach from Victoria to the Southampton Cruise terminal.

 

There is a tube direct from KX to Victoria then a 10 minute(?) walk to the coach terminal. This is likely to be the easiest public transport route as it only involves two modes.

 

 

Only cruises for Fred Olsen line go to the cruise terminal. All other coaches go to the coach station...10 min walk from City Cruise terminal...£7 cab ride to all terminals.

 

Simon

[sddsddean]

If you decide to take the train from Waterloo, check www.megatrain.co.uk for trains from London (which is Waterloo in this case) to Southampton. Fares can be as low as £1, but usually about £5 which is miles better than the usual £35. Only snag is you must get the train you have booked, so check your timings. If it all goes tits up, you can always get a normal £35 ticket, but it does save money if you can do it. Southampton Central station is also a £7 cab ride from all terminals.

 

Simon

Edited August 14, 2014 by sddsddean

[seacrystal]

Thanks Simon. I was hoping it would be more straightforward. I'm concerned that luggage will complicate the journey with switching rails.

 

In Southern California we don't have metros, tubes, subways, etc. so I feel like a kid having to learn something new and I am a bit nervous:eek:.

[nmg85]

You could get a taxi to Waterloo (15min in okay traffic) or get the train to London bridge and get a taxi from there (7min ish) to Waterloo

[sddsddean]

Thanks Simon. I was hoping it would be more straightforward. I'm concerned that luggage will complicate the journey with switching rails.

 

In Southern California we don't have metros, tubes, subways, etc. so I feel like a kid having to learn something new and I am a bit nervous:eek:.

 

Switching trains is not a problem...we do it all the time!

 

Though the cheapest way from St Pancras to Waterloo is by tube, if you are carrying a fair bit of luggage (more than 1 case and 1 carry on each), forget it. Bite the bullet and take a black cab. There will be loads at St P. The trip should take about 20-30 mins (depending on day/time etc) and cost about £15.

 

This map shows the relation of coach station etc at Southampton.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Harbour+Parade&daddr=Unknown+road&hl=en&ll=50.904034,-1.410327&spn=0.008065,0.018861&sll=50.902925,-1.410456&sspn=0.015318,0.037723&geocode=FbvCCAMdxX_q_w%3BFe2yCAMdCoDq_w&t=h&dirflg=w&mra=ltm&z=16

 

A is the coach station, B is the waste ground where the Premier Inn now is (don't worry, it has been built!). At 10 o'clock from the bus station is the train station (marked with the double red arrow symbol). If you go directly south from the train station, the City Cruise terminal is the long white building waterside. Any other queries, just shout.

 

Simon

Edited August 15, 2014 by sddsddean

[seacrystal]

nmg85 and Simon,

 

Thanks for taking the time to help me out. I now have many options to look over while anxiously awaiting arrival in your beautiful country:D!

[sddsddean]

Just thought, unless you are dead set on doing the Eurostar, you could fly from Paris Orly to Southampton. Flybe do it and I think Air France do (do a google). Normally about £100, but only 90 mins. Flybe is a budget airline, so make sure you allow for baggage.

 

Simon

[Scriv]

My vote goes to Simon and those others who recommend taxi from straight outside the terminal at St Pancras International to Waterloo station and then train to Southampton and then taxi to the port.

[seacrystal]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions!!

[Lobez]

We just did the exact same thing that the OP is asking about. We were in Paris 2 days before our 8/3/14 British Isles Cruise and took the Eurostar to St. Pancras. We purchased our tickets at St. Pancras for the underground to Waterloo and then on to Southampton. The cost for both tickets was about 30 pounds per person. We each had a large bag and one smaller carry on or backpack. No problem with any of the trip. Once in Southampton we took a cab to the Premier Inn west Quay which is a very nice hotel in a very convenient location. I believe we could have saved a few pounds if we booked the trains on line, but overall it wasn't bad.

I'm not sure of your travel plans to Paris, but the underground there is not a good choice with large bags. We did this from The Eurostar station to our hotel and it was a mistake. Cabs are a better option there and we did that on the return to the Eurostar. I would also suggest that you research the Paris pass for your stay. There is lots of info about it on line and this was a very good value for us.

[seacrystal]

Thanks Lobez! This gives me hope. Our plan is to use a cab to get to our hotel in Paris in the St. Germain de Pres area.

 

BTW - I followed your roll call thread to gain information on excursions. You had an awesome group. Did you go to the Tattoo?

[Lobez]

No, we didn't do the tattoo. In Glasgow I met up with a bunch of friends there getting ready for the world pipe band championships and didn't take the trip to the tattoo. I would suggest you research Odyssey tours in Belfast. They were very good and took us to the Giants Causeway, the rope bridge and a tour of the city for 25 pounds each. In Orkney, we took a bus tour from the local tourist center that was 8.50 per person and took us to the Ring of Brogdar and Skara Brae. A great tour at a really good price. Any other questions or info I can provide, just ask. It's a great trip with a ton of options.

[seacrystal]

Thanks Lobez,

 

I am jotting down information on prospective tours.

[Turtles06]

We will be going on the Princess British Isles cruise on August 1, 2015. We will be spending five days pre-cruise in Paris and taking the Eurostar to St. Pancras. Originally our thought was to book a car service from the station to Southampton but since we will already be there, we are wondering if it is a better idea to take a train to Southampton? ...

 

We are planning some pre-cruise time in Paris before a TA leaving from Southampton in Nov. 2015, and intend to take the Eurostar to St. Pancras, a cab to Waterloo Station, and the train to Southampton.

 

I wanted to pass along a tip that I learned from my research here on CC, which is that you can book a train ticket from Paris all the way through to Southampton on the Eurostar's web site by selecting United Kingdom as your location in the menu at the upper right. Then, when you plug in your destination, you'll have a host of UK cities. From what I've read on here, if the Eurostar is late getting to London and you somehow miss your "connection" at Waterloo Station, they have to put you on another train to Southampton (same as an airline). The prices looked pretty good booking it this way.

[Scriv]

From what I've read on here, if the Eurostar is late getting to London and you somehow miss your "connection" at Waterloo Station, they have to put you on another train to Southampton (same as an airline). The prices looked pretty good booking it this way.

 

Correct :)

[seacrystal]

I wanted to pass along a tip that I learned from my research here on CC, which is that you can book a train ticket from Paris all the way through to Southampton on the Eurostar's web site by selecting United Kingdom as your location in the menu at the upper right. Then, when you plug in your destination, you'll have a host of UK cities. From what I've read on here, if the Eurostar is late getting to London and you somehow miss your "connection" at Waterloo Station, they have to put you on another train to Southampton (same as an airline). The prices looked pretty good booking it this way.

 

Thank you for this information. I had no idea this was a possibility. I will start doing more research.