Transfer from London St. Pancras Station to Southampton.

[Jamietravelstheworld]

I haven't seen any discussion of this. I'm taking the Eurostar from Brussels to London St. Pancras station before a cruise out of Southampton. I know I can change to Waterloo station and take a train but I'm wondering if there are any shuttles that pick up at St. Pancras. Googling I haven't found anything and car services are very expensive for one person. Thanks.

[Island2Dweller]

Shuttles are almost unheard of in London.  The public transport options are so extensive that there isn't a business model there

[Bob++]

The train, via Waterloo costs around £45, while a private transfer could cost four times that. The journey time looks to be about the same.

 

Assuming no mobility problems and the ability to handle one's own luggage, the train looks like a no-brainer.

[Jamietravelstheworld]

6 hours ago, Bob++ said:

The train, via Waterloo costs around £45, while a private transfer could cost four times that. The journey time looks to be about the same.

 

Assuming no mobility problems and the ability to handle one's own luggage, the train looks like a no-brainer.

Do you know which website you book the Waterloo to Southampton train on? I haven't been able to find it? And do you need reservations in advance?

[defbref]

National Rail Enquiries - Official source for UK train times and timetables

 

[sleepingcat]

this one ought to do the job, but unsure how well it will operate if it recognises you are not in the UK

 

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk

 

It will take you through to whatever company operates the actual trains.  and btw southampton central station to the cruise terminals is an easy taxi. 

You probably dont really need reservations as the train service is very frequent, but it might save a bit of time. 

[sleepingcat]

great minds get there at the same time! some of us have nothing better to do on New Years eve , once we have watched the fireworks over the harbour bridge in Sydney. happy new year to all.

 

[MeHeartCruising]

For my Sept 2022 trip, I purchased my train ticket from Waterloo Station to Southampton via https://www.thetrainline.com.  I ordered from the USA.  I paid $12.33 for one ticket and purchased it a little less than 3 weeks prior to the day of travel.   I set up an account online and also downloaded their phone app.  My ticket was then available in the phone app.  I also had a printed copy, if I recall.  I did not make a seat reservation.  I'm not even sure it was available to get one.

 

I thought I was directed to this site to purchase tickets by The Man in Seat 61 (look it up if you want a lot of good info on train travel). But now I can't seem to find any references to thetrainline.com on his site for UK travel.  So I could be wrong where I heard of this site.

Edited January 1, 2023 by MeHeartCruising

[defbref]

thetrainline.com has an extra service charge that nationalrail.com doesn't, both will sell the same tickets at same prices.

[John Bull]

The standard walk-up fare London Waterloo to Southampton Central costs £49.10 pp.

 

MeHeartCruising's excellent-value $12.33 is due to when they pre-purchased - "a little less than 3 weeks prior to the day of travel"

This is a "cheap advance ticket", available from about 8 - 10 weeks out. Currently for travel through to 17th March the cheapest advance tickets are just £9.20. 

But cheap advance tickets come with caveats.............

1. There's a limited number of cheap tickets, not available more than about 10 weeks out, and if you seek to buy about a week out you'll probably be too late.

2 -- they're not available for travel on sundays

3 - they're non-refundable

4 - they're available for only a dozen of the train-times each day. This isn't a problem for cruisers, there's still a choice of train times that suit ship boarding times

5 - the tickets are only good for the train-time that you've booked so if you miss that train those tickets are trash & you'll have to pay the full walk-up fare of £49.10 to take the next train.

 

An alternative is London Victoria to Southampton Central.

Fares, both walk-up and cheap advance tickets, are similar but there's a direct tube route from St Pancras to Victoria (St Pancras to Waterloo involves on change of tube train, no fun with luggage).

Two downsides............. 

- the journey is 2 1/2 hours vs about 1 1/2 hrs from Waterloo.

- the direct service is only hourly (with luggage avoid a change of trains), altho cheap advance tickets are available for all of those direct hourly trains 

 

For those lodging in London it shouldn't be a problem buying and using cheap advance tickets.

But Jamie is travelling to London on Eurostar and continuing to Southampton same-day. So caveat No. 5 above means he risks missing his booked train and buying fresh tickets at full price if his travel to London is delayed.

 

 

Book on either

https://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/  the national website

or

https://www.southwesternrailway.com/  the Waterloo  train operator's website

or

https://www.southernrailway.com/ the Victoria train operator's website

Prices are identical on those websites., I find the national website easier to use.

Note the caveats against each train time.

 

The Man in Seat 61 gives a wealth of hints, but for bookings he directs you to thetrainline.

I've never used thetrainline, I hear that they're their fares are  the same and I hear that their prices are higher. I've never heard that they're cheaper.

 

Complicated, innit 😏

 

JB 🙂