transferring from heathrow airport to southampton

Hi, not posted anything here before and searched to find a way of asking this query without results. :confused:

We will be embarking on the Royal Princess in Southampton after flying into Heathrow Airport. Can anyone please advise the easiest or cost effective way to get from Heathrow Airport Terminal 4 to Southampton? We will be overnighting at the Ibis Budget Hotel on arrival into Southampton.

Thank you in anticipation.:)

Hi, not posted anything here before and searched to find a way of asking this query without results. :confused:

We will be embarking on the Royal Princess in Southampton after flying into Heathrow Airport. Can anyone please advise the easiest or cost effective way to get from Heathrow Airport Terminal 4 to Southampton? We will be overnighting at the Ibis Budget Hotel on arrival into Southampton.

Thank you in anticipation.:)

This is a common question in the Britain forum, but the quick answer is take the coach. http://www.quickcoach.com takes about 2 hrs, prices can be very good if you book in advance.

We used British Airport Transfers - I had found out about the company on the Great Britain board here. Both from Heathrow to our downtown London hotel and then again from our hotel to Southampton. Great service and for us worth the higher cost than train or bus.

There's something really cool about having that uniformed guy waiting for you at the airport with your name on a sign. We felt very important. :)

Cheapest transfer is by pre-booking a scheduled coach (bus) operated by

http://www.nationalexpress.com/home.aspx direct from Heathrow to Southampton coach station at about £18 per person. The coach picks up on the Terminal 4 concourse. If your flight is delayed, your ticket is OK for a later coach, subject availability & to a minimal admin charge

Direct journey, no changes, takes a little over 2hrs

The train http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/servic...journey/search is more expensive, at about £40 per person, and your journey starts with an included RailAir shuttlebus from T4 concourse to the nearest main line rail station, usually Woking, where you join a direct train. Journey time also about 2hrs, your destination is Southampton central station.

The need to switch from a shuttlebus, esp with luggage, makes the train an unpopular option but some prefer it, and because trains are every half-hour & no need to pre-book it's a useful Plan B if other travel arrangements foul-up.

No senior rates on coach or train, and no "funfares" or cheap megatrain tickets on this route.

Your hotel is a short walk across a carpark from Southampton coach station, or across the road from Southampton central rail station. Very convenient for either.

A private transfer from Heathrow currently costs about £90 with either http://www.westquaycars.com or http://www.smithsforairports.com both frequently recommended by Cruise Critic members, journey time a minimum of 1hr 15mins plus allowance for traffic. Price is for a car for 3 plus luggage, larger vehicles available.

Princess coach transfers and the privately-operated Cruise Tour-Transfer bus only operate on sailing day.

Royal Princess will sail out of Ocean Terminal or Mayflower Terminal, both are a short (£5 - £10) taxi ride from your hotel.

JB :)

This is a common question in the Britain forum, but the quick answer is take the coach. http://www.quickcoach.com takes about 2 hrs, prices can be very good if you book in advance.

I do not see LHR listed in their list ;)

Hi, not posted anything here before and searched to find a way of asking this query without results. :confused:

We will be embarking on the Royal Princess in Southampton after flying into Heathrow Airport. Can anyone please advise the easiest or cost effective way to get from Heathrow Airport Terminal 4 to Southampton? We will be overnighting at the Ibis Budget Hotel on arrival into Southampton.

Thank you in anticipation.:)

You may also try "Silver Fleet Transfers" http://www.silver-fleet.co.uk/ .

We used them with great success in 2013. ;)

Cato :)

Completed Cruises !

Pre-cruise Days - The Big Red Boat, 1993 ??

1st cruise - Coral Princess, 19 November 2008, 10 day Panama Canal, FLL to ACA

2nd cruise - Coral Princess, 15 May 2009, 3 day Repositioning, Los Angeles to Vancouver.

3rd cruise - Sapphire Princess, 25 November 2009? 7 day Mexican Riviera.

4th cruise - Golden Princes, 12 June 2010, 7 day Alaska. (Golden Anniversary Cruise)

5th Cruise - Island Princess, 04 October 2010, Vancouver - Los Angeles, Repositioning

6th cruise - Sapphire Princess, 05 January 2011, 10 day Mexican Riviera. LA to LA.

7th cruise - Golden Princess, 11 May 2011, 3 day, LA to Vancouver, Repositioning

8th cruise - Sapphire Princess, 14 May 2011, 1 day, Vancouver to Seattle, Repositioning

9th cruise - Coral Princess 19 May 2011 2 day, San Francisco to Vancouver, Repositioning

10th & 11th cruises - Coral Princess 02 July to 16 July 2011, round trip Vancouver - Whittier Alaska, B2B

12th & 13th cruises - Sapphire Princess, x2, Cabins, 18 Sep. 2011, 1 day, Seattle to Vancouver, Repositioning

14th & 15th cruises - Golden Princess, x2, Cabins, 24 Sep. 2011, 1 day, Seattle to Vancouver, Repositioning.

We have now reached Elite status with Princess Cruise Lines :D

16th cruise - Oasis of the Seas, 26 Nov. 2011, 7 day, Western Caribbean, Ft. Lauderdale, Ret.

17th & 18th cruises - Crown Princess B2B, 03 - 10 Dec & 10 - 17 Dec 2011, 14 Days, South & western Caribbean

19th cruise - Grand Princess, 31 Mar. - 07 April 2012, 7 Days, Eastern Caribbean, FLL - FLL

20th cruise - Island Princess, 06-16 June 2012, 10 day cruisetour Vancouver - Wittier

21th cruise - Emerald Princess, 16 day, 10 - 26 Sep. 2012, TA, Copenhagen - New York

22nd cruise - Carnival Ecstasy 10 - 14 January, 2013, 4 Day Bahamas, Port Canaveral Ret.

23rd cruise - Sapphire Princess 30 March - 06 April, 2013, 7 Day Coastal LA - LA

24th cruise - Coral Princess, 19 May - 22 May, 2013, 3 Day Repositioning Cruise, LA - Vancouver

25th cruise - Royal Princess 16 June - 05 July, 2013, 19 Day Inaugural cruise, Southampton - Venice.

26th cruise - Emerald Princess, 06 - 16 October, 2013, 10 Day Canada - New England, Quebec city to New York

27th cruise - Royal Princess, 24 November - 01 December, 2013, 7 Day,Eastern Caribbean, Fort Lauderdale Ret.

28th cruise - Sapphire Princess, 20 - 24 Jan, 2014, 4 Days, California

29th cruise - Crown Princess, 03 - 10 May 2014, 7 Day, LA to Vancouver.

30th cruise - Pacific Princess, 05 - 12 Aug. 2014, 7 Days, Vancouver RT, Alaska

31st cruise - Golden Princess, 13 - 17 Oct. 2014, 4 Days, LA - Mexican Riv, RT,

32nd cruise - Crown Princess, 20 - 27 Dec. 2014, 7 Days, LA - Mexican Riv, RT.

I do not see LHR listed in their list ;)

That's because it's not a British transport site - Canadian, I think?

Anyway, with this website you can specify bus, train or mixture of both.

http://www.traveline.info/

That's because it's not a British transport site - Canadian, I think?

 

I was being facetious :rolleyes:

Scottbee is so used to answering that question for SEA and YVR that he reflexively hit the macro button....:D

Scottbee is so used to answering that question for SEA and YVR that he reflexively hit the macro button....:D

Apparently I shouldn't be allowed to type after 11pm. Of course I meant http://www.nationalexpress.com; not quick coach

JB,

Once again you have been a fount of knowledge on things UK.

JMHO-TAKE the bus. Tried all three. Sure, it was nice in the private car with meet and greet service. But if I hadn't wanted to go to Stonehenge, DH would have flipped out to pay the price of private car service. In 2005, IIRC, it was something like $290.00 with the side detour to Stonehenge for a sunset viewing. Wasn't worth that much. Should have paid for an extra night in the Southampton hotel and gone the day before the crossing on the tour bus for about $50pp.

The train is just a royal PIA. As JB posted-schlepping luggage from bus to train and then trying to deal with luggage on the train. Never again.