Shuttle from Heathrow Airport to Southampton port?

[Augustsunshine]

I have seen some references to a shuttle from the airport to the cruise port. Not sure if it is through NCL or not. Does anyone have any experience with this? Know it would not be the cheap option but have had good experiences with similar arrangements elsewhere. Wonder if anyone has used it and how long it took to get to the port.

[ColeThornton]

https://www.ncl.com/getting-to-the-pier/transfers-and-car-services

[Ox Fan Cruiser]

I've heard good things about "Smiths". http://www.smithsforairports.com/index.html We were going to use them for our Southampton to London - Gatwick transfer this past April but I called too late. They were already booked for that day.

[Augustsunshine]

Wow, quick answers! Thank you both. There is also a National Express bus I am looking into

[littlelulu01]

I have booked smiths for airports. It's roughly twice the price of national express. I think 71 gbp each way with a few pounds extra for parking. This is for a salon car (just the two of us.) driver will wait for us At lhr arrivals hall with a sign. I figured it was worth the extra to arrive with no hassles especially factoring in jet lag, to just get a ride straight to hotel in Southampton. They have excellent reviews and were the lowest quoted pricing for private transportation of everyone else I checked with. There's also a 3 pound charge for cc payments. Can be paid in advance or to driver.

[Sauer-kraut]

A few years ago the shuttle was included in my cruise fare. You might want to check and see if this is not the case. They were very nice buses and the trip was comfortable after flying from ORD all night.

[Turtles06]

Smith's for Airports is terrific. For more info on getting to Southampton, please see the Ports of Call /Britain board.

[casofilia]

Underground and then train would cost about £45 each on the day.

[Minoushka]

I took the bus from Heathrow to Southampton ...buy ticket on line with nation something .....i once got it for 6 £. 8$ really cheap but its time sensitive to book have cc on hand

Busses are comfy ..you can take your luggage xart all the way to bus terminal follow the signs i remember it being cheap

It was fine ,,try it

[SquishTheWhale]

I think mmemichele is talking about National Express. National Express is a good service and usually cheap, but the coaches run on a schedule so it may not be the most convenient when you are arriving off a flight.

 

I wouldn't want to go the underground/train route as mentioned above if you were a foreign visitor arriving after a longhaul flight. Navigating and changing trains would not be fun if you are tired and just want to get to the hotel!

[Froggitt]

A minicab with capacity for four people and four cases would be about £100.

[KeithJenner]

Underground and then train would cost about £45 each on the day.

 

Public transport is always my first choice for journeys like this, but for Heathrow to Southampton it would be a long way down my list of options. It's a very long journey compared to the road (especially now they've finished the road works on the M3) and, dependant on number of people, likely more expensive.

[Froggitt]

Public transport is always my first choice for journeys like this, but for Heathrow to Southampton it would be a long way down my list of options. It's a very long journey compared to the road (especially now they've finished the road works on the M3) and, dependant on number of people, likely more expensive.

Imagine catching the rush hour, either on the tube, or on the train. And all the connecting.....

 

Heathrow to Paddington. Change to circle line

Paddington to Euston. Change to Northern Line (make sure you get the correct Northern line branch i.e. Charing Cross, not Bank)

Euston to Waterloo. Change to mainline.

Waterloo (I think) to Southampton. Taxi to hotel or port.

 

Probably three of the five largest stations in the UK. Not great in the morning or evening rush hours. Awful if you're schlepping luggage around, up and down stairs, and trying to get onto a standing room only tube.

[KeithJenner]

Imagine catching the rush hour, either on the tube, or on the train. And all the connecting.....

 

 

 

Heathrow to Paddington. Change to circle line

 

Paddington to Euston. Change to Northern Line (make sure you get the correct Northern line branch i.e. Charing Cross, not Bank)

 

Euston to Waterloo. Change to mainline.

 

Waterloo (I think) to Southampton. Taxi to hotel or port.

 

 

 

Probably three of the five largest stations in the UK. Not great in the morning or evening rush hours. Awful if you're schlepping luggage around, up and down stairs, and trying to get onto a standing room only tube.

 

 

If I was doing it, I'd get the tube to Green Park, and change there for Waterloo, which is an easier journey but it takes a long time. Less changes and all the stations are step free access so easier with bags.

 

It's still going to take over an hour to get to Waterloo (by which time a car would be nearly at Southampton and then you've still got over an hour on the train to go.

[Froggitt]

Ah yes. I had forgotten Waterloo is now on the Jubilee line. And that its Euston Square on the circle line!!!

[$hip$hape]

A few years ago the shuttle was included in my cruise fare.

You might want to check and see if this is not the case.

They were very nice buses and the trip was comfortable after flying from ORD all night.

 

I took the bus from Heathrow to Southampton

...buy ticket on line with nation something (National Express)

.....i once got it for 6 £. 8$ really cheap but its time sensitive to book have cc on hand

Busses are comfy ..you can take your luggage cart all the way to bus terminal follow the signs

i remember it being cheap It was fine ,,try it

FYI, If I am not mistaken,

NCL recently quoted a price of an additional $75.00 pp to include the shuttle.

For our upcoming journey, we'll most likely book the bus/coach on our own.:)

 

Oh yes; the catch.. "the coaches run on a schedule

so it may not be the most convenient when you are arriving off a flight."

For reference https://www.rome2rio.com/s/London-He...HR/Southampton

Edited August 7, 2017 by $hip$hape

[$hip$hape]

I have seen some references to a shuttle from the airport to the cruise port. Not sure if it is through NCL or not. Does anyone have any experience with this?

Wonder if anyone has used it and how long it took to get to the port.

Curious; do you plan on flying in the morning of your cruise?

Yes, the NCL shuttle will take you right to the Port. Not sure if they have drop-offs at hotels.

From NYC, WE plan on flying in two days early.

It's about 2 1/2 hour ride from the Heathrow Airport to Southampton.

[www3traveler]

For one person, I would get the transfer from Norwegian from Heathrow to Southampton as part of your cruise package. It has worked very well for me. In January of 2014, it was about $50 USD.

[stoneman56]

One way car hire?

[SquishTheWhale]

I can't see the benefit in a one way car hire. Expensive and complicated for one short journey. Either go with the NCL shuttle, a pre booked taxi/car service or National Express. Price up which works out as the better option for value vs time. A taxi would certainly be faster than 2.5 hours unless you are very unlucky with traffic. I don't know how fast the National Express is, usually they have mulitple stops. It's a reliable and comfortable service though. As you can probably tell from the posts above the tube/train option is not a good one! The tube+luggage= ugh no thanks. Even if there was no changes.

[soccermommy]

As others have said, it depends on how close your arrival time at Heathrow is to your cruise departure.

One thing you have to figure on is the time it takes to get through Immigration if you are not a UK/EU citizen. It took hours for us, thankfully our shared transfer waited for us. But we were staying in London 3 days before traveling down to Southampton, and had a booking on the Megatrain. It worked because our hotel was near Waterloo, but hauling luggage and stowing it on the train ( both do it yourself) was a pain.

Look into private car service, or the NCL transfer, if only for making your life easier, and if you are coming in the day of departure, it will be imperative.

[Bollinge]

https://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/southampton_london_transfers.htm

 

 

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