Gatwick airport to Southampton

[travellovers2]

Last time we took a train from Gatwick airport to Southampton. It took 2 hrs since it stopped 17 times.

 

Does anybody know a quicker way?

 

Thank you for your help.

 

 

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[Mabbiesmum]

The direct service from Gatwick to Southampton does indeed take the best part of two hours, a bit longer on Saturdays, but what it lacks in speed it makes up for by not having to change.

 

However there is some engineering work coming up which may impact Saturday services and require a change at Clapham junction.

 

Hope you aren't travelling on a Sunday as in the next few months at least there do not seem to be any through trains at all [emoji33]

 

Travelling into London won't really help as Gatwick trains go to either Victoria or London Bridge and trains to Southampton leave from Waterloo.

 

There is always the National Express bus, but that also takes over two hours.

 

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[Globaliser]

There is always the National Express bus, but that also takes over two hours.

Driving yourself takes the best part of two hours, too.

 

So, given that there are no scheduled flights between Gatwick and Southampton, I think that the answer to the OP's question is probably "by helicopter".

[travellovers2]

We are traveling in October.

We arrive in LGW on a Friday then we need to go to Southampton for our cruise on Sunday.

 

We have been there twice before. Any recommendations where we can go for the day. I read about somebody going to an island?

 

When we return from the cruise, we plan to go to Gatwick and stay two nights and go to Canterbury to spend the day. We have never been there.

 

Thank you for your replies.

The helicopter is not an option. [emoji16]

 

 

 

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[Globaliser]

We arrive in LGW on a Friday then we need to go to Southampton for our cruise on Sunday.

 

We have been there twice before. Any recommendations where we can go for the day. I read about somebody going to an island?

Unless you really don't want to go to London, the first suggestion would be to spend two nights in London and then go to Southampton on Sunday morning.

 

If you really don't want to go to London, then the island you're thinking of may be the Isle of Wight. But to be honest, I wouldn't go there. I think I'd suggest a day out in Portsmouth instead, if you're staying in Southampton. Or just stay in Portsmouth for two nights, and head across to Southampton on Sunday morning.

 

When we return from the cruise, we plan to go to Gatwick and stay two nights and go to Canterbury to spend the day. We have never been there.

Again, you're probably better off staying in London and going to Canterbury for the day. Going from Gatwick to Canterbury by train probably involves going into London anyway. Or, depending on the time of your flight from Gatwick, stay in Canterbury for two nights.

[John Bull]

 

If you really don't want to go to London, then the island you're thinking of may be the Isle of Wight. But to be honest, I wouldn't go there. I think I'd suggest a day out in Portsmouth instead, if you're staying in Southampton. Or just stay in Portsmouth for two nights, and head across to Southampton on Sunday morning.

 

I agree with Globaliser - especially since you're talking October.

 

The Isle of Wight is a holiday island stuck in the 1950s.

Which actually makes in quaint.

https://www.visitisleofwight.co.uk/

But October is out-of-season, the weather is unreliable, many attractions will be closed, and most of the ho-ho services will have finished for the season.

 

Portsmouth is a much more suitable option. Direct train service from Gatwick (or half-hourly with one easy local change). fares from £8.50. journey time 1hour 20 mins.

https://www.visitportsmouth.co.uk/

And I'd suggest you spend both nights in Portsmouth

Portsmouth is conjoined with Southsea, Portsmouth is the home of the Royal Navy & Southsea is a seaside resort which faces the Isle of Wight across the Solent. The historic ships and dockyard alone are worth more than a day, plus little Henry V111's little Southsea Castle & the adjacent D-Day museum, the ring of Napoleonic forts, seafront walks (looking across to the Isle of Wight) if we have an Indian Summer,

And if you're dead-set on visiting the Isle of Wight there's a regular (year-round) hovercraft service which gets you there from Southsea in ten minutes.

Then very easy to take a direct train to Southampton, trains hourly or better, journey time about 50 minutes, fare for any train £10.60

 

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

https://www.hovertravel.co.uk/

 

JB :)

[travellovers2]

Thank you for recommending Portsmouth. Is it a direct train from Southampton?

 

The reason we want to stay in Southampton is because the second time we stayed there we found this cute B&B called The Pig in the Wall and just couldn’t get enough of it, so we’re going back for seconds. Friday we just want to relax and walk around that area and get lunch somewhere. Saturday we want to go somewhere we can reach by train easily. Any ideas? We will discard the Isle of Wight.

 

We have been to London several times and have done day tours to different places but never made it to Canterbury. The reason we prefer to stay in Gatwick is 1. We need to be at the airport by 8am Sunday and 2. We can leave our luggage in the hotel on Friday and go enjoy the day without dragging it around on trains.

 

I read that from Gatwick we need to go to Victoria then change trains to Canterbury. I only see the option of Canterbury West. Is that the correct one? Once we arrive, is it easy to walk to the center?

 

Your help is very much appreciated.

 

 

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[travellovers2]

I just used that link for the national rail and see east and west. Which one would be the correct one?

 

 

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[John Bull]

I just used that link for the national rail and see east and west. Which one would be the correct one?

 

 

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Southampton to Portsmouth

 

Yes, I know The Pig. :)

A couple of nice pubs behind it too.

And the Tudor Merchant's House & Garden.

 

The advantage of overniting in Portsmouth is that it cuts your total journey time & there's so much to see there - perhaps including a chunk of Friday & Sunday..

But you don't have a deadline time to be back in Southampton, so if you want to make it a day-trip from Southampton you can make a pretty good fist of it.

 

Yes, there's a direct hourly train service, return fare about £10, journey time about 45 minutes.

Take the train all the way to Portsmouth Harbour - don't get off at the main Portsmouth&Southsea station. You are then just a two minute walk from the historic dockyard gate. Also the Spinnaker Tower & Gunwharf Quays leisure / shopping complex. A short bus or taxi ride takes you to Southsea Common / Clarence Esplanade / D-Day museum etc. though you might well spend the whole day in the dockyard.

 

There's also a Nat Express bus service to Portsmouth ("the Hard" is adjacent Portsmouth Harbour train station), similar fare & journey time but very limited frequency

https://beta.nationalexpress.com/en

 

Gatwick to Canterbury

 

 

From Gatwick you have the choice of several routes.

All involve at least one change (at Victoria or London Bridge or St Pancras).

There are other options involving two changes, but with about four trains per hour on routes involving just one change it's best to stick to just the one change.

The fare is the same on all routes, and there's little difference in journey times.

Trains from Victoria go to Canterbury East, those from St Pancras & London Bridge go to Canterbury West.

 

Canterbury isn't a corner of England that I know well, but both stations are a level walk of about ten minutes from the centre & both walking routes are pleasant, so it makes no odds which station you use.

 

JB :)

[travellovers2]

John

 

Thank you very much for helping us put this trip together.

We are looking forward to Portsmouth and Canterbury. :)