Hotel at London - Gatwick and Southampton

[Len3]

Any suggestions for these 2 locations. We're not going into London pre or post cruise. Just need a one night at Gatwick upon arrival and one night in Southampton prior to cruise.

[Keith1010]

In terms of London Gatwick, we have stayed at the Sofitel London Gatwick Hotel. You can reach it from the terminal without walking outside and it is about a couple minute walk from the terminal. It is convenient if you are arriving or leaving out of the North Terminal. There is also the Hilton Hotel which is located closer to the South Terminal but we have not stayed there as our flights have always been in the North Terminal. We have eaten there once.

 

Keith

[juliecat]

The Holiday Inn, Herbert Walker in Southampton may suit your needs. Far less expensive than the DeVere and a pretty good location. The West Quay shopping center is a 3 minute walk; the town centre is 5 minutes.

 

Nice bathtubs and comfortable beds. Small but friendly bar in the lobby, restaurant is rather overpriced but you can easily walk to better options.

 

If your room faces the right direction, you can see the Cunard ships come in from your window. We actually walked from the hotel to the pier, an easy 20 minute walk, but had very little luggage to handle. Taxi can be prebooked by the front desk, shouldn't cost more than 5 GBP.

[Len3]

The Holiday Inn, Southampton looks like a good bet. However, I'm in a state of shock over the price of the Gatwick Hilton. We're coming into the South Terminal on US Airways - any other suggestions - it's just for 1 night and I can't see spending $350 for an airport hotel.

[Elizanessie]

Try the Travelodge at Gatwick Airport ...you should be able to get a room for around $78.

 

I stayed there in April (for Liberty Pre-Inaugural) and it was very clean and you can buy a decent breakfast and dinner if you like there also.

 

You can get a bus/coach from outside the terminals which will take you to the hotel for only a few pounds/dollars and it goes back there the next morning if you are returning to the airport for a transfer etc to Southampton.

 

www.travelodge.co.uk

 

Church Road, Lowfield Heath, Crawley

Crawley RH11 0PQ

 

Thats the hotel address to look for on the site.

[Morgans]

Renaissance is a good one - shuttle needed from the airport but only takes a few minutes. Very comfortable, pool and good restaurants. Highly recommended.

 

Marge M

[lord of the seas]

Gravetye Manor for Gatwick and Chewton Glen for Southampton.Only if you want the best though.

[Globaliser]

Just need a one night at Gatwick upon arrival and one night in Southampton prior to cruise.

Are you having two nights in the UK before the cruise? Or are these two separate nights divided up by some other trip?

 

If you have two nights together in the UK before the cruise, why don't you just go straight to Southampton when you arrive at Gatwick? It's only a couple of hours away on the train. It'll avoid you having to check in, unpack and check out twice in 48 hours.

 

If you do want to spend one night at Gatwick anyway, then there is a Hilton attached to the South Terminal and a Sofitel attached to the North Terminal. Because of where the Hilton is, I think that it is actually less walking distance to get to the Sofitel even if you are in the South Terminal, although you do have to take the inter-terminal shuttle train (total journey time including waiting is about 10 minutes absolute max, usually faster). These are known to be relatively expensive hotels because of their location, but the extra money may well be worthwhile for the convenience. Try a site like http://www.holidayextras.co.uk to see if you can get a good price for them.

[Len3]

This is what we're doing:

October 3 - leave Washington, D.C. - arrive London/Gatwick Oct. 4

The cruise ship departs from Southampton on Oct. 6th, so we have 2 nights pre-cruise to kill. We return to Southampton on Oct. 16 and depart from Gatwick on Oct. 17, so we have 1 night at the end, but our flight leaves Gatwick at 12:30PM on the 17th - not enough time at the end for much of anything. We had to do it this way in order to use FF miles. Any ideas?

[Globaliser]

That confirms my thoughts. My advice would be to go straight to Southampton when you arrive at Gatwick and spend two nights there. You will arrive at Gatwick in the morning: What would you do all day around there if you were to stay there? If you're thinking of spending a night in Southampton, and you don't want to go to London at all, you might as well go to Southampton and settle in. There are plenty of things to see and do in that area.

[Len3]

Thanks so much, we'll take your expert advice and go straight to Southampton and spend our 2 pre-cruise nights there. On the return, the ship arrvies in Southampton at 6:00AM. How much time should be allow to disembark and catch a train either to Gatwick or London? Should we spend the last night in London and head to Gatwick early on Oct. 17th? I certainly need more help with this and really appreciate all of your info thus far.

[Globaliser]

On the return, the ship arrvies in Southampton at 6:00AM. How much time should be allow to disembark and catch a train either to Gatwick or London? Should we spend the last night in London and head to Gatwick early on Oct. 17th?

What time is your flight from Gatwick? And do you have any great desire to go to London for one night? (I infer from the statement that you aren't doing London "post-cruise" that this is not important to you.)

 

If your flight from Gatwick is any earlier than about noon, you're not particularly bothered about doing any more sightseeing, and you're prepared to spend some money on a hotel for that one night, then a night in a nice airport hotel at Gatwick might be a good idea then. You can relax, and you don't have to rush to get to check-in in the morning. (In fact, if you stay at one of the hotels that's attached to a terminal, you can even check-in for your flight early, then come back to the hotel and check out of your room later.)

 

The train takes about two hours from Southampton to Gatwick and there's one every hour during the day. So it should take you about three hours in total to get from the cruise ship terminal to Gatwick airport. You could get off the ship at the very end, having a relaxing last morning, and still get to your hotel by about lunchtime.

[Len3]

As we've been to London several times, we don't feel a great need to rush into the city. Your idea will fit perfectly. We'll just disembark the ship on the late side, take the train to Gatwick and settle in. Our flight leaves Gatwick on October 17th at 12:30PM and it's a long journey back to Washington, D.C., as we have to fly from Gatwick to Philadelphia (with a 2 hour layover) then to Washington. You have been a great help and we certainly appreciate it.

[Globaliser]

My pleasure. I hope it all works out well for you.

[Len3]

Now that we're back from Canada, I need more help with the next trip. I checked on the Holiday Inn website for 2 nights (Oct. 4 and 5). The rates are good, but this hotel only offers rooms with 2 single beds or 1 double bed. DH is a big guy and we need a king or queen bed. Is there such a thing somewhere in Southampton? Any thoughts? For a Holiday Inn, this one is certainly more expensive than we pay in the States. You guys in the UK must be loaded with money.

[lord of the seas]

You guys in the UK must be loaded with money.

 

Yes,that describes Globaliser and myself accurately. ;)

[wrk2cruz]

If anyone is still reading this post I have a few questions

What about luggage??? How is that handeled on the train?? We have only taken the trains in Italy and it would be difficult there with more than 1 bag per person.....We want to go from Southampton into Gatwick for 1 night before our flight home.

Yes , the taxi's seem very pricy!!!

What do the curise ships do about transfers????

Thanks!!

[Globaliser]

What about luggage??? How is that handeled on the train??

You generally have to get the luggage onto and off the train yourself, and find somewhere in the carriage to put it. Most carriages have at least a little space for suitcases somewhere inside, but often some improvisation is necessary. But we all manage!

[Len3]

I'm sure that we'll manage, but we really need to cut the baggage for this one (we say that everytime).;)