Excursions from Southhampton when not embarking or disembarking

[Akb1213]

Hi all, I will be on the 12 day Royal Princess Cruise this summer but we actually embark in Le Havre and not in Southampton. It seems like the most popular thing thing to do during the Southampton stop is Salisbury/Stonehenge but are there any other suggestions? I’m not really interested in going to London-to far to travel for not enough time.

[Globaliser]

It seems like the most popular thing thing to do during the Southampton stop is Salisbury/Stonehenge but are there any other suggestions?

Portsmouth is the obvious first alternative suggestion: if you do a search here you'll find information on what there is to see in that rather historic city.

[John Bull]

Portsmouth is the obvious first alternative suggestion: if you do a search here you'll find information on what there is to see in that rather historic city.

 

Portsmouth is indeed first-choice for most folk.

The only problem is fitting it into a port-of-call visit, so that will depend on your disembarkation and back-on-board times. And whether it's a sunday, when the train service is more limited.

Logistics are easy, a short taxi hop (because of time) to Southampton central station, then train to Portsmouth Harbour (which is the end of the line & the stop after the main Portsmouth&Southsea station).

Direct train every hour, or another train every hour with one very simple same-platform change at Fareham. Journey time about an hour, fare about £12 return.

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

From Portsmouth Harbour station it's a two minute walk to the historic dockyard or to Gunwharf Quays or the Spinnaker Tower (don't bother with the tower if visibility is poor.).

If there's time (I doubt it) a bus or taxi from Portsmouth Harbour to Clarence Esplanade for Henry V111's diminutive Southsea Castle (free admission), D-Day museum, views from the promenade across the Solent to the Isle of Wight, and many minor sights.

 

Winchester is also easy by train, 3 to 4 direct trains per hour, fare about £7 return, journey time about 15 minutes.

From the station it's a 10 - 15 min walk down to the historic city centre & magnificent old cathedral. Go via the only remaining part of Winchester Castle, the Great Hall, and West Gate.

Mebbe take a taxi back up to the station.

 

Beaulieu is in the New Forest.

https://www.beaulieu.co.uk/

The Beaulieu complex is much more than a motor museum, there's the Bishop's Palace (tho not as grand as it sounds), the very limited remains of the Abbey (sacked by Henry V111 during his dissolution of the monasteries), a little museum dedicated to its role as a training camp for spies during WW2, etc. A very full day.

Take the little Hythe Ferry http://hytheferry.co.uk/ across Southampton Water from Town Quay (10 - 15 min walk from your ship) to the village of Hythe (if you want to check it on the map it's Hythe, Hampshire) and from there the "Beach Bus" https://www.thebeachbus.info/ (if your date coincides, it operates short season) or taxi at the ferry pier for the 6 - 7 mile drive across a corner of the New Forest. If you take a taxi, arrange for the driver to collect you for the return - there's no taxi rank at Beaulieu.

 

Southampton isn't a tourist city, but there's enough to keep you occupied for a lazy day - The Tudor House & Gardens, the Medieval Merchant's House, God's Tower, the city walls etc & plenty of pubs for lunch.or just to wet your whistle. All very handy to your likely terminal, Ocean Cruise Terminal, and all in "old-town" though it's not a complete or attractive old-town due to the WW2 blitz.

http://www.discoversouthampton.co.uk/visit/things-to-do/walks-and-tours

At the far end of old-town - about a 20 min walk from your ship - is the Bargate, and the other side of the Bargate is the main shopping street & the West Quay Mall.

Or if aviation is your thing, the Solent Sky museum focuses on the area's involvement. Although quite small it has examples of Spitfire, Sandringham flying boat and other local historic aircraft. It's a 15 minute walk from your ship. http://www.solentskymuseum.org/

 

JB :)

[Akb1213]

Portsmouth is indeed first-choice for most folk.

The only problem is fitting it into a port-of-call visit, so that will depend on your disembarkation and back-on-board times. And whether it's a sunday, when the train service is more limited.

Logistics are easy, a short taxi hop (because of time) to Southampton central station, then train to Portsmouth Harbour (which is the end of the line & the stop after the main Portsmouth&Southsea station).

Direct train every hour, or another train every hour with one very simple same-platform change at Fareham. Journey time about an hour, fare about £12 return.

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

From Portsmouth Harbour station it's a two minute walk to the historic dockyard or to Gunwharf Quays or the Spinnaker Tower (don't bother with the tower if visibility is poor.).

If there's time (I doubt it) a bus or taxi from Portsmouth Harbour to Clarence Esplanade for Henry V111's diminutive Southsea Castle (free admission), D-Day museum, views from the promenade across the Solent to the Isle of Wight, and many minor sights.

 

Winchester is also easy by train, 3 to 4 direct trains per hour, fare about £7 return, journey time about 15 minutes.

From the station it's a 10 - 15 min walk down to the historic city centre & magnificent old cathedral. Go via the only remaining part of Winchester Castle, the Great Hall, and West Gate.

Mebbe take a taxi back up to the station.

 

Beaulieu is in the New Forest.

https://www.beaulieu.co.uk/

The Beaulieu complex is much more than a motor museum, there's the Bishop's Palace (tho not as grand as it sounds), the very limited remains of the Abbey (sacked by Henry V111 during his dissolution of the monasteries), a little museum dedicated to its role as a training camp for spies during WW2, etc. A very full day.

Take the little Hythe Ferry http://hytheferry.co.uk/ across Southampton Water from Town Quay (10 - 15 min walk from your ship) to the village of Hythe (if you want to check it on the map it's Hythe, Hampshire) and from there the "Beach Bus" https://www.thebeachbus.info/ (if your date coincides, it operates short season) or taxi at the ferry pier for the 6 - 7 mile drive across a corner of the New Forest. If you take a taxi, arrange for the driver to collect you for the return - there's no taxi rank at Beaulieu.

 

Southampton isn't a tourist city, but there's enough to keep you occupied for a lazy day - The Tudor House & Gardens, the Medieval Merchant's House, God's Tower, the city walls etc & plenty of pubs for lunch.or just to wet your whistle. All very handy to your likely terminal, Ocean Cruise Terminal, and all in "old-town" though it's not a complete or attractive old-town due to the WW2 blitz.

http://www.discoversouthampton.co.uk/visit/things-to-do/walks-and-tours

At the far end of old-town - about a 20 min walk from your ship - is the Bargate, and the other side of the Bargate is the main shopping street & the West Quay Mall.

Or if aviation is your thing, the Solent Sky museum focuses on the area's involvement. Although quite small it has examples of Spitfire, Sandringham flying boat and other local historic aircraft. It's a 15 minute walk from your ship. http://www.solentskymuseum.org/

 

JB :)

 

 

Thank you very much for this very thorough response.

[kctwinmommy]

When we had the day in Southampton before our cruise last summer, we planned on staying there to see the maritime museum. But, we had a great private car driver who suggested going to Portsmouth instead. He said the museum in Southampton was pretty small and it wouldn't take us long. So, without charging us extra, since he was going that way to go home anyway, he took us to Portsmouth. We spent a good 5 hours there, then took the train back to Southampton because we were exhausted after our overnight flight. Otherwise we would have spent more time there. The historic naval yards are amazing!

 

We didn't go up in this tower because it didn't open until later, and then we were tired...

Portsmouth Tower by Cindy, on Flickr

 

It was so cool to see the HMS Mary Rose - King Henry VIII's warship! I saw it about 30 years ago, just after they took it out of the water.

Mary Rose warship by Cindy, on Flickr

 

And the HMS Victory as well...

HMS Victory - Lord Nelson by Cindy, on Flickr

 

There are other ships as well, plus activities and other things to see. Just a nice little dockyard area to spend the day.

[bnickle]

If you have a Jane Austen fan in your group, Chawton is an easy day trip from Southampton, so a visit to Jane’s house and Winchester Cathedral, where she is buried, is a great trip, and commonly offered by touring companies.

 

 

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[Bob++]

It was so cool to see the HMS Mary Rose - King Henry VIII's warship! I saw it about 30 years ago, just after they took it out of the water.

Mary Rose warship by Cindy, on Flickr

 

There are other ships as well, plus activities and other things to see. Just a nice little dockyard area to spend the day.

 

That picture, while excellent in itself, does not really do the Mary Rose justice. The exhibition hall, specially built to display this extraordinary ship, has thousands of artefacts that were found in the mud around the timber remains. They have been imaginatively arranged in such a way as to make it possible to imagine yourself on board.

 

You can get a good idea of what it was like to live, work and fight on a 16th-century warship. You can even have a go with a genuine longbow.

 

If you have time, and you need at least eight hours on shore, you will find the whole dockyard well worth the effort.

[John Bull]

When we had the day in Southampton before our cruise last summer, we planned on staying there to see the maritime museum. But, we had a great private car driver who suggested going to Portsmouth instead. He said the museum in Southampton was pretty small and it wouldn't take us long. quote]

 

Your driver was right - Southampton's maritime museum ("Sea City") is rather limited.

Witness the fact that I forgot to mention it in my post. :rolleyes:

Or is that more to do with the onset of senility ;)

The museum is more a homage to Titanic & the hundreds of Southampton crew-members who perished, in the form of a series of dioramas.

Quite arty, but lacking in substance.

An hour's worth at most.

 

JB :)

[kctwinmommy]

That picture, while excellent in itself, does not really do the Mary Rose justice. The exhibition hall, specially built to display this extraordinary ship, has thousands of artefacts that were found in the mud around the timber remains. They have been imaginatively arranged in such a way as to make it possible to imagine yourself on board.

 

You can get a good idea of what it was like to live, work and fight on a 16th-century warship. You can even have a go with a genuine longbow.

 

If you have time, and you need at least eight hours on shore, you will find the whole dockyard well worth the effort.

 

Oh yes! I couldn't get a good picture of the entire ship. And yes, the entire museum is amazing!! I was there in 1986, so just shortly after they had raised it out. It was in some giant warehouse building, being sprayed down with stuff to help preserve it. In fact, the one employee said they only shut that off a short time ago! I truly never thought I'd be back to see if again 30 years later!

[kctwinmommy]

When we had the day in Southampton before our cruise last summer, we planned on staying there to see the maritime museum. But, we had a great private car driver who suggested going to Portsmouth instead. He said the museum in Southampton was pretty small and it wouldn't take us long. quote]

 

Your driver was right - Southampton's maritime museum ("Sea City") is rather limited.

Witness the fact that I forgot to mention it in my post. :rolleyes:

Or is that more to do with the onset of senility ;)

The museum is more a homage to Titanic & the hundreds of Southampton crew-members who perished, in the form of a series of dioramas.

Quite arty, but lacking in substance.

An hour's worth at most.

 

JB :)

 

Haha! I have that "memory" issue as well! ;) And yes, that's what he said, it wouldn't take much time. And since we were getting to our hotel around 7:30 a.m. and had a lot of time, I'm glad he suggested taking us. And as I just commented in my other post above, when I saw the Mary Rose as a kid, it had just been brought up and was being sprayed down. I honestly never thought I'd be back to see it again 30 years later. I knew I'd get back to London again at some point in my life, but didn't think I'd be down on the coast to see this. It was so great to see it again.

 

 

I'm hoping to make it to the Belfast museum one day, that one I hear is incredible!!