Where would you go after a cruise?

[cnamenek]

We are doing London pre cruise, a two week British Isles cruise and would like to fly back to US from somewhere else other than LHR. Where can we go easily from Southampton? Trying to see new places! Or spend more time somewhere that was a port stop.

[John Bull]

There are few UK airports  with direct flights to North America, so don't count on flying to a convenient US airport (eg LAX or SFO) from elsewhere in the UK.

 

Starting with Southampton ...............

Southampton isn't a tourist city, but it does have a few sights of interest and a wide selection of shops, pubs, restaurants & other services which make it a good base. And it's a railway junction, with direct trains in 6 directions so your easiest and probably cheapest option is a Southampton hotel and day-trips by train to places like the Victorian seaside resort of Weymouth, historic Salisbury and its magnificent cathedral (and ho-ho from there to Stonehenge),  Georgian Bath with its Roman baths and Jane Austen connections, historic Winchester (the ancient capital of the kingdom of Wessex) and its 11thC cathedral, the dreaming spires of Oxford, the historic dockyard & ships of Portsmouth and seaside attractions of its conjoined resort city of Southsea with  promenade walks along The Solent with views of the Isle of Wight, or along the coast to bohemian Brighton.

Hourly or half-hourly trains on those routes, those destinations between 15 minutes and 90 minutes and return fares between £8 and £40.

https://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/

 

Also ferries across the Solent to the laid-back Isle of Wight which in many ways is still locked in the 1950's. Or the little Hythe ferry across Southampton Water to Hythe and about 6 miles b taxi across a corner of the New Forest to Beaulieu.

If you rent a car for a day or two you can add places like the Jurassic coast of Dorset or much closer explore the little lanes of the New Forest.

 

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Elsewhere in the UK, consider direct flights from Southampton airport to Dublin (and flights from there  back to the USA).

 

Or fly direct from Southampton to Edinburgh for a city break, or to Glasgow or Edinburgh or Aberdeen for a road trip thro the Scottish highlands & islands. Then a short domestic flight to your UK departure airport.

 

Or a road-trip from Southampton to Cornwall or The Cotswolds. Or train then car rental for a road trip around North Wales or The Lake District. Then the rental car or train to your departure airport.

Other than for just Dublin or just Edinburgh, these places can't sensibly be explored by train or by bus, so you'll need a rental car or local tour.

Google the places I've mentioned, locate them on a map, and see which ones appeal.

 

I've not researched deeply, but I don't know of any direct flights to the west coast USA other than from London's Heathrow (LHR)  or Gatwick (LGW) airports.

 

It would help of you can post the time of year and how long you plan to stay in the UK post-cruise.

 

JB 🙂

 

Edited September 3, 2022 by John Bull

[karylrocks]

I don't know your itinerary, but we are doing a 12-night cruise with the final port being Le Havre before returning to Southampton. We will disembark in Le Havre (you must apply for permission) and spend a few days in Paris and fly back from there.

[Bob++]

The following airports have direct flights to the USA:

 

• London (two main airports - Heathrow and Gatwick, but six altogether)
• Manchester.
• Newcastle.
• Birmingham.
• Glasgow.
• Edinburgh.

 

How frequent and to which cities is for you to research, but if a trip round the Cotswolds, with Oxford and Stratford upon Avon appeals then Birmingham may well suit. I see they do have direct flights to LA.

[wowzz]

On 9/28/2022 at 6:25 PM, Bob++ said:

How frequent and to which cities is for you to research, but if a trip round the Cotswolds, with Oxford and Stratford upon Avon appeals then Birmingham may well suit. I see they do have direct flights to LA.

Bob, I can't see any direct flights to LA from BHX. Which airline are you looking at ?

[turnip eater]

Aer Lingus via Dublin. Should be able to go through US checks in Dublin.

Edited September 30, 2022 by turnip eater

[Bob++]

9 hours ago, wowzz said:

Bob, I can't see any direct flights to LA from BHX. Which airline are you looking at ?

You are correct, but as our friend from Devon says, flying via Dublin is reasonably easy.

[JimmyTheSaint]

Here's my suggestion. Get a direct flight from Southampton to Dublin and spend some time in Ireland. It will be a different experience from your pre-cruise travels in England. Different culture, different currency, different country, same language.

 

The added benefit is when you fly home from Dublin you clear US Customs and Immigration in Dublin airport so no need to wait in line when you arrive in LAX after a long flight. Just collect your luggage and go. 

[wowzz]

6 hours ago, turnip eater said:

Aer Lingus via Dublin. Should be able to go through US checks in Dublin.

That's a great routing,  but I'm still waiting to find out about the direct non-stop flight to LA. 

[caripoo]

Spend time in Wales and Scotland...or fly to Dublin and do Ireland right.....

[Lonedaddy]

You can fly direct out of Southampton to Dublin on eastern airways .   We had too much luggage and it was more cost effective to fly BA to Dublin out of Heathrow.   We stayed a few nights in Dublin and rented a car and drove to Ashford Castle for DW 60th.  Fabulous place to relax and enjoy the grounds including the falconry experience which is one of the coolest things we have done.  Once you get out of the city the driving is relatively easy and you can get to the west coast area (Galway) in 2 1/2 hours