Transfer to Eurostar

[Charliet14625]

We are sailing to Southhampton December 8. Does anyone have a plan to get to Ashford for the Eurostar that does not include training or busing to London?

[sddsddean]

Your main problem is that you want to do this on a Sunday, so services are a lot different to weekdays. The short answer to your question is that the only viable alternative to going via London is to use a car service. However, if you could hold off until Monday, you could leave Southampton Central at 0926, change at Brighton, change at Eastbourne and arrive Ashford Int at 1410 for £16.50 each. As a local, JB might have better ideas, but from where I'm looking, thats your choice. As a point of reference, Southampton to Ashford via London (Waterloo) leaving 0930, arr 1230 is £63.90 each!

 

Simon

[Charliet14625]

Thanks for the info Simon.

[John Bull]

As per Simon's answer, it's a bit complicated on sundays - you need 2 train changes on a sunday (total journey time about 3hrs 30 mins) but just one change on the other six days (total journey time about 2hrs 30 mins).

 

But whichever day & whichever route, it's one of those journeys that costs about half the fare quoted by Simon if you buy separate tickets for each train, known as "split tickets". One of the nonsenses of UK rail pricing .

 

On weekdays that route is Southampton Central to London Waterloo, then a 3-minute walk to Waterloo East for the train to Ashford International. Yes, it's into central London & back out. But you don't have to cross central London - Waterloo and Waterloo East are near-as-dammit conjoined.

 

The regular train website is 

http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/

The best-known "split-ticketing" website is

https://loco2.com/en/

 

Your destination station is "Ashford International". Not "Ashford", which is a totally different place.

-------------------------------------

 

Alternatively some cruise ships offer a (payable) bus transfer to St Pancras International station in London, the departure station for Eurostar. There are a great many Eurostar departures daily from St Pancras, only a few include a stop at Ashford International.

--------------------------------------

 

I'll hazard a guess at about £140 - £150  for a private transfer from Southampton to Ashford International

 

BTW, whether from St Pancras or Ashford International, Eurostar fares rise steeply as the date looms closer.

-------------------------------

 

You also have the options of flying to Paris CDG from Southampton airport or Heathrow or Gatwick, or bus from Southampton to Portsmouth International port, ferry to Le Havre, taxi hop to Le Havre station for direct train to Paris

 

JB 

 

[sddsddean]

I had thought of the Waterloo route, but I think that is covered somewhere else in the depths of these pages! Perhaps I should have mentioned it!

 

Simon

[scottbee]

On 9/1/2019 at 11:23 AM, Charliet14625 said:

We are sailing to Southhampton December 8. Does anyone have a plan to get to Ashford for the Eurostar that does not include training or busing to London?

Are you tied to taking the Eurostar? 

 

Both Air France and FlyBE offer Southampton -> Paris flights relatively inexpensively.  With the SOU/Southampton Airport being just 6 miles from the port.

[gnome12]

3 hours ago, scottbee said:

Are you tied to taking the Eurostar? 

 

Both Air France and FlyBE offer Southampton -> Paris flights relatively inexpensively.  With the SOU/Southampton Airport being just 6 miles from the port.

I think the OP is looking on a Sunday. Wasn’t there a thread that FlyBE at least doesn’t fly on Sunday?

[scottbee]

2 hours ago, gnome12 said:

I think the OP is looking on a Sunday. Wasn’t there a thread that FlyBE at least doesn’t fly on Sunday?

I think that may have been in the past, but a quick look at the schedule for a random Sunday in a few months yields 2 non-stops on Sundays from SOU to CDG

 

My only caveat for FlyBE is their 'standard size' for a carryon is significantly smaller than a regular carryon; so be warned

 

 

[mygreyhound66]

Good day, I am currently reviewing some similar options for May 2020.  We would arrive back into Southampton and would like to go to Amsterdam.  Am I correct in thinking that Southampton airport does not service Amsterdam?  I keep keep getting a no flight available error.  Otherwise I am happy to take Eurostar and was trying to think the most efficient way to St Pancras.  My initial thought, if I can’t fly locally, was to take the train to Waterloo and then take a taxi to st pancras rather than struggle with the underground transfers with luggage.  I am happy and grateful for any and all suggestions!

[gnome12]

54 minutes ago, mygreyhound66 said:

Good day, I am currently reviewing some similar options for May 2020.  We would arrive back into Southampton and would like to go to Amsterdam.  Am I correct in thinking that Southampton airport does not service Amsterdam?  I keep keep getting a no flight available error.  Otherwise I am happy to take Eurostar and was trying to think the most efficient way to St Pancras.  My initial thought, if I can’t fly locally, was to take the train to Waterloo and then take a taxi to st pancras rather than struggle with the underground transfers with luggage.  I am happy and grateful for any and all suggestions!

I tried Rome2Rio.com and found a list of flights from Southampton to Amsterdam here. (I didn't put in a date)

https://www.rome2rio.com/map/Southampton/Amsterdam

I clicked on the airplane icon at the top under Fly Southampton to Amsterdam Schiphol and got a list of non-stop flights, as well as flights that require a connection.

The non-stops seem to be on FlyBe; they may not book that far out.

Edited September 12, 2019 by gnome12

[scottbee]

1 hour ago, mygreyhound66 said:

Good day, I am currently reviewing some similar options for May 2020.  We would arrive back into Southampton and would like to go to Amsterdam.  Am I correct in thinking that Southampton airport does not service Amsterdam?  I keep keep getting a no flight available error.  Otherwise I am happy to take Eurostar and was trying to think the most efficient way to St Pancras.  My initial thought, if I can’t fly locally, was to take the train to Waterloo and then take a taxi to st pancras rather than struggle with the underground transfers with luggage.  I am happy and grateful for any and all suggestions!

 

FlyBE operate SOU - AMS. 

 

FlyBE Typical low-cost airline, and beware that their carryon size is somewhat smaller than a normal carry-on so you'll likely need to check it' other than that, SOU is a very simple small airport, and the flight is short (under an hour).

 

 

 

[John Bull]

2 hours ago, mygreyhound66 said:

 Am I correct in thinking that Southampton airport does not service Amsterdam?  I keep keep getting a no flight available error.

 

Flybe currently operate four direct flights per day, 7 days per week,  between SOU and AMS, 

Their timetable (all of their routes) only go out to the end of March - this might be standard, or it might be subject to changes following the takeover by a Virgin-led consortium earlier this year.

 

Budget airline, they operate both jets and turbo-props, & I've flown both SOU-AMS.

Yes, the overhead bins (certainly on the Bombardier turbo-props) are small.

Do a dummy booking for your date (when available) to include luggage & whatever else to get a total cost.

Fares are flexible, tend to increase as the date approaches.

 

As Scottbee's post,  the flight is about an hour, and SOU is a simple little one-terminal airport

 

JB 

[mygreyhound66]

Greetings, well apparently the site I was using this morning, was not the correct site!  and just now I was able to see up to March 2020, so that is a good thing.  I shall indeed keep trying since I believe there is a time limit to booking, I believe that they (Flybe) are very strict on the sizes, weights etc?  so I shall be sure to monitor that, and I suppose, just have an extra bag on hand, if needed, to pack extras and just pay for it.  I certainly appreciate the assistance, and should anyone have any tips for the airline, please do let me know!  Again, my appreciation!

[gnome12]

59 minutes ago, mygreyhound66 said:

Greetings, well apparently the site I was using this morning, was not the correct site!  and just now I was able to see up to March 2020, so that is a good thing.  I shall indeed keep trying since I believe there is a time limit to booking, I believe that they (Flybe) are very strict on the sizes, weights etc?  so I shall be sure to monitor that, and I suppose, just have an extra bag on hand, if needed, to pack extras and just pay for it.  I certainly appreciate the assistance, and should anyone have any tips for the airline, please do let me know!  Again, my appreciation!

It is generally cheaper to book luggage when you book the flight than to wait to do it at the airport.