Tour of Buckingham Palace, best way to get from Southhampton Cruise Terminal to Londo

We will arrive in Southampton on Friday morning aboard NCL Jade. What time should we book a trip back to London (staying close to Buckingham Palace) and what is the best and fastest way to get there? Also would like to tour Buckingham Palace. Since we will not be in London until noon or later where should we see about a tour of London that starts in the sfternoon and includes Buckingham Palace. Also what is the best and cheapest way to get from The Rubens at the Palace Hotel to Glaswick Airport?

The quickest way of getting in and out of London is by train.

 

Have a look at this internet site for general train times, and this one for trains to Gatwick.

To add to Tom's info :

Google Buckingham Palace tours and see whether there is something for when you will be here. There are many options. Maybe someone here has actually done one. I've been in as an individual.

What time should we book a trip back to London (staying close to Buckingham Palace) and what is the best and fastest way to get there?

What I would do is to get the fast train from Southampton to Waterloo and get a taxi to the Rubens. Although it is possible to get a train directly to Victoria, from which the Rubens is walking distance (subject to luggage), you will still find it faster to go via Waterloo. There are no cheap advance purchase normal tickets on this route; they're all walk-up fares. The only exception is if you buy a cheap advance purchase ticket from Megatrain, but they are inflexible tickets and there's only a very limited selection of trains, none of them fast.

Also would like to tour Buckingham Palace.

Are you talking about inside? If so, when are you going to be here? Will the Palace be open when you are?

Also what is the best and cheapest way to get from The Rubens at the Palace Hotel to Glaswick Airport?

Assuming you mean Gatwick, the best way is to go to Victoria station (see above re walking) and take the Gatwick Express - 30 mins, every 15 mins. It's not quite the cheapest, but the best is usually not the cheapest - that's life.

Most cruise ships disembark in Southampton about 8am but you’d need to check with NCL.

 

Easiest way Southampton to London is by train from Southampton Central station to Waterloo station. It’s a short cab ride from any of Southampton’s cruise terminals to the station, £5 to £10. Just about walkable from City Cruise Terminal, 101 where I think you’ll berth See the map on www.southamptonvts.co.uk 3 trains per hour, journey time about an hour. With luggage, use a cab rather than bus or tube for the short journey from Waterloo station to your hotel – ask your driver to take you over Westminster Bridge, up Whitehall, down the Mall past Buck Palace, a very small diversion to get an overview of a lot of important places.

 

Alternatively, National Express coaches run from Southampton coach station (near rail station) to Victoria coach station (Elizabeth St/Buck. Palace Road) – a walkable 1/4ml. to your hotel even with luggage. Coach journey time I guess under 2hrs. You need to book in advance. http://www.nationalexpress.com/coach/index.cfm

Train will be quicker, coach cheaper. Neither route is scenic.

 

Your hotel location is excellent for your needs.

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Especially since you are so close to Buck. Palace, best to book a tour independent of any other tour/transport http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/

 

For sightseeing, there are two well-respected open-top hop on/ off bus tours:

http://www.bigbustours.com/eng/london/default.aspx?gclid=CJfm2u3ph5oCFQIWFQodIR5MGA

http://www.theoriginaltour.com/tour_information/

Or of course the extensive tube network. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/modalpages/2625.aspx

- very quick for longer distances between sights, but of course not a lot to see on the way!

 

From your hotel to Gatwick (not Glaswick), again, it’s a choice of the Gatwick Express train (Victoria train station) or coach, again National Express, from Victoria coach station. By now you’ll have figured if you need a cab.

 

As a vague general rule train is better than coach on weekdays, esp Friday pm out of London, & most esp at commuter times of day.

 

Enjoy your stay in The Smoke.

 

John Bull

The tours of Buckingham Palace operate while the Queen is in Scotland - September/October. I did one a few years ago - it was very impressive and well worth the cost. But you must book in advance.

 

If there are no tours operating when you plan to be in London, go to the Royal mews on Buckingham Palace Road and tour them. This is the stables for the horses, and you see the coaches as well. it is great. The Queen's Gallery is also open all year round, a bit further towards the Mall on the same road. Changing exhibitions of HM's own collection. Very good! You will need to book this in advance too.

 

I have also stayed at the Rubens and liked it a lot. Get a room on the back - it is quieter than the front but of course you don't have a view of the Palace!