Transfer: Southampton—London (incl. LHR/LGW) train, car, other?

[fstuff1]

49 minutes ago, Globaliser said:

At major airports, it often takes a long time to taxi from the runway to the gate (and vice versa on departure). A flight's scheduled time of arrival does not refer to landing time; it refers to arrival time at the gate. So it's better to estimate from scheduled time of arrival.

Yes, I was talking about when the plane reached the gate is when I started the clock.

Included in my time is the wait to de-plane.

Edited May 30, 2023 by fstuff1

[Senga]

Glad we trusted the excellent information provided in this thread.  We used National Express for transportation direct from LHR to Southampton and it was inexpensive, stress free, easy to do and reliable.  We used a complimentary luggage cart, followed the posted directions and the driver assisted loading our luggage.  Will definitely use this service again.

[sacsarahsk]

@John Bull or anyone not exceedingly tired of answering the same questions. I have never been to Europe and am really having trouble finding my exact situation in this multi-page thread. Someone have pity on me, please!

 

Disembarking in Southampton on 6/21 and need to get to Radisson on Bloomsbury St. kind of near the British Museum. Would I follow the directions in this thread to take a taxi to the train to Waterloo? I don't see that on the map I have, but I do see Tottenham. Sooo confused.
Thanks in advance.

[njkruzer]

19 minutes ago, sacsarahsk said:

@John Bull or anyone not exceedingly tired of answering the same questions. I have never been to Europe and am really having trouble finding my exact situation in this multi-page thread. Someone have pity on me, please!

 

Disembarking in Southampton on 6/21 and need to get to Radisson on Bloomsbury St. kind of near the British Museum. Would I follow the directions in this thread to take a taxi to the train to Waterloo? I don't see that on the map I have, but I do see Tottenham. Sooo confused.
Thanks in advance.

If you're talking about a taxi from disembarking ship to Southampton central train station,  while you could do it but dragging luggage would make it seem longer than it is.  I vote for taxi.  Not sure about the rest of your trip.  We had a car service from Southampton to Heathrow and on a recent trip car service from London hotel to Southampton. 

[sacsarahsk]

35 minutes ago, njkruzer said:

If you're talking about a taxi from disembarking ship to Southampton central train station,  while you could do it but dragging luggage would make it seem longer than it is.  I vote for taxi.  Not sure about the rest of your trip.  We had a car service from Southampton to Heathrow and on a recent trip car service from London hotel to Southampton. 

Oh, I must have written it wrong, @njkruzer. I meant after disembarking, taking a taxi to the central train station, then the train to....Where? Waterloo? then taxi from Waterloo station to hotel which is very near the British Museum. I saw another post suggesting just that, but not sure Waterloo is the correct station for the Radisson Bloomsbury. 

I do appreciate your quick response though. 

[njkruzer]

1 minute ago, sacsarahsk said:

Oh, I must have written it wrong, @njkruzer. I meant after disembarking, taking a taxi to the central train station, then the train to....Where? Waterloo? then taxi from Waterloo station to hotel which is very near the British Museum. I saw another post suggesting just that, but not sure Waterloo is the correct station for the Radisson Bloomsbury. 

I do appreciate your quick response though. 

Sorry,  that I can't help with. 

[John Bull]

1 minute ago, sacsarahsk said:

@John Bull or anyone not exceedingly tired of answering the same questions. I have never been to Europe and am really having trouble finding my exact situation in this multi-page thread. Someone have pity on me, please!

 

Disembarking in Southampton on 6/21 and need to get to Radisson on Bloomsbury St. kind of near the British Museum. Would I follow the directions in this thread to take a taxi to the train to Waterloo? I don't see that on the map I have, but I do see Tottenham. Sooo confused.
Thanks in advance.

 

Yes, 27 pages is a bit mind-blowing, though most of it is clearly irrelevant to you.

But your question is specific, so .............

 

Southampton is about 80 miles to London.

By train is pretty simple and as cheap as £16.  A private transfer would cost in the order of £200 .

 

Buy an advance train ticket over the internet for Southampton Central to London Waterloo at £16.10 to £22.10 depending what time train. The advance ticket is non-amendable & non-refundable. And it's only good for the train time that you book - if you miss it you'll have to buy a full-fare £52  walk-up ticket for the next one.

Buy soonest, the price goes up as the date draws near.

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

 

Walk or taxi from your ship to Southampton Central station, depending on which cruise terminal, your mobility and the weather. Taxi will be £7 to £10

 

Waterloo station is about 2 miles south of your hotel, its very definitely on maps near the south bank of the River.

From the station either

- Take the tube (London Underground) northbound on the Northern Line to Tottenham Court Road underground station - it's very simple, the fourth stop. No change of tube train. Then a 5 min walk to Radisson on Bloomsbury Street.

or

- Take a taxi for the two miles to the hotel - I don't know London taxi fares, but I'll guess £10 to £15

 

JB 🙂 

 

[sacsarahsk]

@John Bull You, sir, are a marvel! I thought it might be bad form to call you out by name, but I was positive you would have the answer. I thank you.

Side note: because I waited too long the fare is 69 pounds - far cry from 16. But I'm grateful as the cruise line wanted $119 US each because they didn't book the hotel. And I thought the train might be fun.

[gumshoe958]

1 hour ago, sacsarahsk said:

@John Bull You, sir, are a marvel! I thought it might be bad form to call you out by name, but I was positive you would have the answer. I thank you.

Side note: because I waited too long the fare is 69 pounds - far cry from 16. But I'm grateful as the cruise line wanted $119 US each because they didn't book the hotel. And I thought the train might be fun.

£69???

 

Could you double check exactly what train ticket you’ve bought? The most expensive possible fare from Southampton to London Waterloo (apart from 1st class) is £52. And if you buy an advance ticket as recommended by @John Bull for June 21st, I’m seeing £19.30 for the 9am train and £17.70 for the 9:30am.

 

I’m concerned you’ve bought a ticket to the wrong destination. 

[Cotswold Eagle]

2 hours ago, sacsarahsk said:

the fare is 69 pounds

Oh, no, that sounds horribly like you have bought a ticket to Waterloo (Merseyside),  rather than to London Waterloo….

[gumshoe958]

2 hours ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

Oh, no, that sounds horribly like you have bought a ticket to Waterloo (Merseyside),  rather than to London Waterloo….

I fear you might be right. An advance single from Southampton to Waterloo (Merseyside) at 10:15 or 11:15 on June 21st is £68.80.

 

So @sacsarahsk please check your ticket as it may be to the wrong Waterloo and not valid to the right one. Waterloo (Merseyside) is a suburb of Liverpool, more than 200 miles away from London Waterloo!

[Globaliser]

10 hours ago, sacsarahsk said:

Disembarking in Southampton on 6/21 and need to get to Radisson on Bloomsbury St. kind of near the British Museum. Would I follow the directions in this thread to take a taxi to the train to Waterloo? I don't see that on the map I have, but I do see Tottenham.

 

I suspect that what you see is Tottenham Court Road. Tottenham is a suburb of London about 6½ miles away from the British Museum, and the suburb has a reputation for being somewhere that you don't want to find yourself in by accident. Only using half of a road name can be risky.

[sacsarahsk]

Thanks to all for the help (and warnings). I confirmed the tickets are to Waterloo London and I quoted the cost for both of us together (and in US dollars). We had a lot of difficulty booking through nationalrail.com and ended up using an indirect site, paying a small service fee. If I was more savvy I could have maybe saved a few pounds but I'm just happy I have tickets and to the right place.

Thank you!

[John Bull]

2 hours ago, sacsarahsk said:

Thanks to all for the help (and warnings). I confirmed the tickets are to Waterloo London and I quoted the cost for both of us together (and in US dollars). We had a lot of difficulty booking through nationalrail.com and ended up using an indirect site, paying a small service fee. If I was more savvy I could have maybe saved a few pounds but I'm just happy I have tickets and to the right place.

Thank you!

 

Yes, we all worried whether you'd booked to Waterloo (Merseyside). 😮

 

So you paid  about £28 each.

Higher than £16 - £20, but not wallet-busting.

And, more importantly, to the Waterloo station 2 miles from your hotel - not the one that's over 200 miles from your hotel 😏

 

JB 🙂

[SMF916]

This site has been so helpful!  I'm a single mom taking two girls to London for the first time.  A bit frazzled with all the planning, but I'm really trying.  I feel so stupid and embarrassed that I didn't even realize when cruise line advertises that the ship will end in London, they meant Southampton, and I still need to figure out how to get to London.  So here I am trying to figure out.  Based on all the info I read, I think I can manage take a taxi from cruise terminal to the train station, and take the train to Waterloo London, and then get a taxi to our hotel. 

 

My question is what time of the tickets should I buy?  I went to the nationalrail website, and it has many to choose from (the cruise ship will arrive on Tuesday, 8/8/2023).  My understanding is that the advanced train tickets are not changeable.  Any suggestions on what time of tickets to buy? I'm thinking 9? or 9:30? I have no idea how long it will take for us to get off the ship, and then taxi to the station, and then find the platform.  Thank you in advance for your help!!

 

[gumshoe958]

1 hour ago, SMF916 said:

This site has been so helpful!  I'm a single mom taking two girls to London for the first time.  A bit frazzled with all the planning, but I'm really trying.  I feel so stupid and embarrassed that I didn't even realize when cruise line advertises that the ship will end in London, they meant Southampton, and I still need to figure out how to get to London.  So here I am trying to figure out.  Based on all the info I read, I think I can manage take a taxi from cruise terminal to the train station, and take the train to Waterloo London, and then get a taxi to our hotel. 

 

My question is what time of the tickets should I buy?  I went to the nationalrail website, and it has many to choose from (the cruise ship will arrive on Tuesday, 8/8/2023).  My understanding is that the advanced train tickets are not changeable.  Any suggestions on what time of tickets to buy? I'm thinking 9? or 9:30? I have no idea how long it will take for us to get off the ship, and then taxi to the station, and then find the platform.  Thank you in advance for your help!!

 

Don’t panic!

 

Cruise port to rail station in a cab is only about 5-10 minutes. Southampton Central isn’t that big - only 4 platforms linked by a footbridge with elevators so from ship to platform should take no longer than half an hour.

 

Therefore a train at 9:30 should be just fine, given that most ships start disembarkation at around 7 and want the majority of passengers off by 9.
 

Advance tickets are indeed non-refundable and can’t be used on a later train if you miss yours. The 9:30 is currently £14.50 for an advance single but will go up. Otherwise it’s £52 for an anytime single which can be used on any train.

[SMF916]

48 minutes ago, gumshoe958 said:

Don’t panic!

 

Cruise port to rail station in a cab is only about 5-10 minutes. Southampton Central isn’t that big - only 4 platforms linked by a footbridge with elevators so from ship to platform should take no longer than half an hour.

 

Therefore a train at 9:30 should be just fine, given that most ships start disembarkation at around 7 and want the majority of passengers off by 9.
 

Advance tickets are indeed non-refundable and can’t be used on a later train if you miss yours. The 9:30 is currently £14.50 for an advance single but will go up. Otherwise it’s £52 for an anytime single which can be used on any train.

Thank you SO MUCH!!!!  I'm so appreciative of your help!!

 

[Kari and David]

Looking for some local expertise for meeting my mom in Heathrow on Monday, July 24th.  Mom is flying in on United Airlines from EWR - LHR landing at 9:20 AM.  I will be flying in from Amsterdam on either BA or KLM.  Coming from the USA planing 75-90 mins for mom.  How about when coming from Amsterdam, how much time before I am fully cleared?  I will need to take the free train between terminals is it easy for me to go from T4 to T2 or T5 to T2?  Looks like KLM is T4 and BA uses T5.

Edited June 6, 2023 by Kari and David

[gumshoe958]

1 hour ago, Kari and David said:

Looking for some local expertise for meeting my mom in Heathrow on Monday, July 24th.  Mom is flying in on United Airlines from EWR - LHR landing at 9:20 AM.  I will be flying in from Amsterdam on either BA or KLM.  Coming from the USA planing 75-90 mins for mom.  How about when coming from Amsterdam, how much time before I am fully cleared?  I will need to take the free train between terminals is it easy for me to go from T4 to T2 or T5 to T2?  Looks like KLM is T4 and BA uses T5.

Will you have checked luggage?

 

If not, and if your passport entitles you to use the E-gates at the UK border, you could easily make plane to train in 20 minutes.

 

If you will have checked luggage, obviously you’ll have to factor in more time to collect it.

 

Whichever terminal you arrive at (T4 for KLM, T5 for BA) you need to catch the Heathrow Express or Elizabeth line train to Heathrow Central. Four times an hour from T4, six from T5. Journey time about 5 minutes. It is free but you need a ticket from the machines to operate the barriers to & from the platforms.

 

It’s then about a 10 minute walk underground to T2 where United arrives.

 

So I would allow 45-60 minutes in total, maybe a bit more if you have checked luggage.

[Globaliser]

57 minutes ago, gumshoe958 said:

Whichever terminal you arrive at (T4 for KLM, T5 for BA) you need to catch the Heathrow Express or Elizabeth line train to Heathrow Central. Four times an hour from T4, six from T5. Journey time about 5 minutes. It is free but you need a ticket from the machines to operate the barriers to & from the platforms.

 

It’s then about a 10 minute walk underground to T2 where United arrives.

 

The intra-airport transfer should also be free if you touch in and touch out with an Oyster card or a contactless payment card/device.

 

Personally, I would be a bit contrary with this and suggest taking the Tube (Underground) rather than the HEX or the Elizabeth Line. This is because the Tube station in the Central Terminal Area is closer to T2 than the HEX/Elizabeth Line station, so it's a shorter walk after you get off the train. (This is not a big deal - we're talking about saving three or four minutes of walking, which is only likely to be important unless you have a lot of luggage with you - in which case taking any sort of train for the transfer is probably not a good idea.)

 

If you're arriving at T4, the Tube is also more frequent: 6 tph on the Tube as opposed to 4 tph for the Elizabeth Line (as there's no Heathrow Express at T4).

[gerlox]

We are docking in southampton in september and we will have our 18 month old and a lot of luggage and want to get to heathrow in the most painless way possible. Should we just get an uber/bolt?

[njkruzer]

5 minutes ago, gerlox said:

We are docking in southampton in september and we will have our 18 month old and a lot of luggage and want to get to heathrow in the most painless way possible. Should we just get an uber/bolt?

Arrange a car service.  We used Meadway from London to Southampton. 

[gumshoe958]

5 hours ago, gerlox said:

We are docking in southampton in september and we will have our 18 month old and a lot of luggage and want to get to heathrow in the most painless way possible. Should we just get an uber/bolt?

You can try but I suspect many local Uber drivers wouldn’t accept the job as it’s a long way and they‘d have to return to Southampton empty after dropping you off.

 

So best to pre-book. West Quay is another popular Southampton-based firm, or there’s Blackberry at the Heathrow end. Prices seem to be in the £150-200 ballpark these days.

[John Bull]

12 hours ago, njkruzer said:

Arrange a car service.  We used Meadway from London to Southampton. 

 

7 hours ago, gumshoe958 said:

You can try but I suspect many local Uber drivers wouldn’t accept the job as it’s a long way and they‘d have to return to Southampton empty after dropping you off.

 

So best to pre-book. West Quay is another popular Southampton-based firm, or there’s Blackberry at the Heathrow end. Prices seem to be in the £150-200 ballpark these days.

 

 Yes, absolutely pre-book.

 

In the past, Blackberry's prices have been in the ballpark but a couple of their recent quotes have been very high.

Southampton to Heathrow is more likely to be around the £150 mark.

Add https://www.aquacars.co.uk/ and https://gunwharf-executive-travel.co.uk/ to the list - both are based at the Southampton end. 

 

JB 🙂

[Kari and David]

On 6/6/2023 at 1:58 AM, gumshoe958 said:

Will you have checked luggage?

 

If not, and if your passport entitles you to use the E-gates at the UK border, you could easily make plane to train in 20 minutes.

 

If you will have checked luggage, obviously you’ll have to factor in more time to collect it.

 

Whichever terminal you arrive at (T4 for KLM, T5 for BA) you need to catch the Heathrow Express or Elizabeth line train to Heathrow Central. Four times an hour from T4, six from T5. Journey time about 5 minutes. It is free but you need a ticket from the machines to operate the barriers to & from the platforms.

 

It’s then about a 10 minute walk underground to T2 where United arrives.

 

So I would allow 45-60 minutes in total, maybe a bit more if you have checked luggage.

Thanks for the great tips. I have opted to arrive the night prior and return the next morning to just  collect my mother from the departure hall with no luggage in tow.