Questions for UK cruisers

[TheEvilQueen]

Hope someone can help me. I'm sailing out of Southampton, but will come in LHR 3 days early and rent a car. I'll have to drop the car at the Southampton airport. So what is the best way to get from the airport to the port? Is a cab feasible or will that break the bank?

 

Thank you

[John Bull]

Hope someone can help me. I'm sailing out of Southampton, but will come in LHR 3 days early and rent a car. I'll have to drop the car at the Southampton airport. So what is the best way to get from the airport to the port? Is a cab feasible or will that break the bank?

 

Thank you

 

A taxi from the rank will cost around £20, a pre-booked one eg http://www.westquaycars.com will be about a fiver cheaper.

 

You can catch the train from the airport to Southampton central (3 per hour, ten-minute ride, fare only about £3) but you'll then need a cab from station to ship - £5 to £10 depending which cruise terminal - which kinda blows the savings.

 

Or the Unilink bus, again about £3 and runs every ten to fifteen minutes, to various stops (central station is as good as any) but again you'll need to end with a taxi ride - unless you're sailing out of Ocean Cruise Terminal in which case take the bus to the end of the line, Oceanography Centre, then a five minute walk. Unilink is primarily for university students (though anyone can use it) so the route is slow & convoluted - almost an hour compared to 20 minutes by taxi.

 

JB :)

[insidecabin]

Depends on timing and if you need to take the car back early to avoid going over the day.

 

Drive to cruise port drop bags then take the car back to the airport.

Then if you take the bus/train a couple of the terminal are walkable with hand luggage.

 

There are car drop of points near one of the terminals may be worth changing drop off point(again timing they are only open normal hours, airport will be longer)

 

Some car hires will drop you at the port, might have to wait for someone to be available if busy.