National Express Bus Southampton Port

Need advice -Disembarking Celebrity Silhouette Southampton Port 4-23-16 -Taking taxi to National Express station for 10:30 am reservation to London.

WHAT TIME SHOULD WE LEAVE THE SHIP; CLEAR CUSTOMS AND WAIT ON TAXI LINE?

We had more time than we needed getting off the ship at 9:00. It's a 5 minute taxi trip. Costs about 6 pounds. Taxi driver was complaining that all the fares they see are short haul.

It's a 5 minute taxi trip. Costs about 6 pounds. Taxi driver was complaining that all the fares they see are short haul.

Perhaps if they charged reasonable prices they might get people taking longer rides. £6 for that distance is extortionate.

If you've got rolling luggage and its a nice day, its only about a 10 minute walk. https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/''/City+Cruise+Terminal+101,+Southampton,+Herbert+Walker+Ave,+Southampton+SO15+1GZ/@50.9028569,-1.4126476,15z/data=!3m1!1e3!4m8!4m7!1m2!1m1!1s0x0:0x39ecd604bab2b913!1m2!1m1!1s0x487476b8bb188961:0x2e8004abdbec5986!3e2

Google maps has changed, so it won't show the route I want to show you. Go right out of the terminal, north through the Holiday Inn car park, cross West Quay Road and straight up Harbour Parade to the bus station. (Click on the second one down that says via Harbour Parade and Herbert Walker Avenue)

Simon

As other posts, you've got plenty of time.

Go get yourselves a decent breakfast while the lemmings are climbing over each-other in the terminal. :)

Any short delay will be if folk are jostling to get their luggage and at immigration. You won't even know you've been through customs unless you get your collar felt.

Any long line for taxis will be over & done if you disembark around 9.30.

The coach station is less than five minutes in a taxi.

Or as per Simon's post it's a 10 to 15 minute walk on level ground - though April showers may dissuade you.

Can't agree with you Magnet.

There are always gonna be times when taxis are earning money hand over-fist, and other times when they'll have an hour or more between fares.

Like elsewhere in the country, they're metered and fares within the city are set by the local city council.

The fare to the coach station works out at about £6 including a payment to the port, and whilst taxi drivers may not like short journeys they're quite used to them. Only for much longer journeys is it worth booking a private-hire car in advance.

https://www.southampton.gov.uk/policies/Table_of_Fares_2014-05-27_tcm63-364830.pdf

JB :)

If I may change the subject a little - how would I get a private car/minivan from the port to a hotel in a South Kensington - I realize I could take the bus to Heathrow and transfer to a Earls Court stop but looking at alternative options - thanx

If I may change the subject a little - how would I get a private car/minivan from the port to a hotel in a South Kensington - I realize I could take the bus to Heathrow and transfer to a Earls Court stop but looking at alternative options - thanx

If you do use a bus instead of Heathrow take the bus to Victoria Coach Station in the centre of London, it's then a short Underground trip to the Earls Court or South Kensington area.

If I may change the subject a little - how would I get a private car/minivan from the port to a hotel in a South Kensington - I realize I could take the bus to Heathrow and transfer to a Earls Court stop but looking at alternative options - thanx

There are several well recommended private hire companies who will do this. Smiths for Airports (based locally in Portsmouth) is one. Email them with your requirements for a quote.

bookings@smithsforairports.com

Thanx to both of you for the information. Have a good holiday season.

Can't agree with you Magnet.

There are always gonna be times when taxis are earning money hand over-fist, and other times when they'll have an hour or more between fares.

Like elsewhere in the country, they're metered and fares within the city are set by the local city council.

Councils only set the maximum taxi fares, not the minimum.

If I was sat around for an hour with no work then I might consider if varying my charges might generate some customer interest, as providing I hadn't dropped below cost price, some money is better than none.

Anyway Uber will be along soon to give them a shake up. A recent Uber trip I took from Nice airport into town cost £12 and that is an awful lot further than Southampton coach station. And it was in a brand new Mercedes.

Councils only set the maximum taxi fares, not the minimum.

 

If I was sat around for an hour with no work then I might consider if varying my charges might generate some customer interest, as providing I hadn't dropped below cost price, some money is better than none.

 

Anyway Uber will be along soon to give them a shake up. A recent Uber trip I took from Nice airport into town cost £12 and that is an awful lot further than Southampton coach station. And it was in a brand new Mercedes.

Sorry, but your logic is dreadfully flawed.

Hackney taxis can be hailed on the streets or from ranks at stations, cruise terminals & such. But if folk don't need a taxi, they don't need a taxi - so reducing fares when business is slow for a while isn't going to bring extra business.

Even if they had some means of promoting short-term fare reductions.:rolleyes:

Though it would probably start a taxi war. :D

Uber is already around. And in the provinces it hasn't cut into the trade of the Hackneys.

It cuts into the trade of the private-hire taxis because it offers the same pre-booked service. And those who provide Uber are actually some of those private-hire operators - Uber is merely a booking service, not an operator.

if folk know in advance when they'll need a taxi they can pre-book a private-hire taxi direct or via Uber cheaper than a Hackney. Or they can phone or use the Uber app, if they don't mind waiting.

But if they want to simply hail a taxi in the street, or at a rank, it has to be a Hackney - that's the law. And Hackney drivers are obliged to accept even the shortest fare.

For City cruise terminal to the coach station Uber quotes £3 to £4. That's a saving of about £2 - if any Uber driver is willing to accept such a short trip.

Simply not worth the wait or the grief for such a piffling saving.

But for a transfer to Heathrow.........

Uber quotes "£78 to £105"

http://www.smithsforairports.com (widely used by CC members) charges around £80.

So for that trip there's probably no saving by using Uber rather than a direct booking with a private hire operator.

But I dread to think what a Hackney meter would show.:eek:

Horses for courses.

The convenience of a Hackney for a short hop.

The economy of a private hire or Uber for a longer trip.

JB :)

I think that the Black cab drivers in London would argue with you about Uber not cutting into their business, and also in places like Manchester where I have used them in preference to a Hackney cab.

Uber is not competing against pre-booked private hire, but is competing against Hackney cabs as you can 'hail' them with your phone, and they are with you in moments.

Uber drivers have no choice whether they take a short fare, as you don't have to tell them where you are going until you get in.

As for variable pricing, it already successfully exists within Uber's surge pricing, increasing prices at peak times and dropping back when slack.

I think that the Black cab drivers in London would argue with you about Uber not cutting into their business, and also in places like Manchester where I have used them in preference to a Hackney cab.

 

Uber is not competing against pre-booked private hire, but is competing against Hackney cabs as you can 'hail' them with your phone, and they are with you in moments.

 

Uber drivers have no choice whether they take a short fare, as you don't have to tell them where you are going until you get in.

 

As for variable pricing, it already successfully exists within Uber's surge pricing, increasing prices at peak times and dropping back when slack.

I can see we're not going to agree. :D

But consider the following & think again.

Southampton Hackney taxis have a minimum fare of £2.80.

Uber's minimum is £5.

So all you'd save on that short £6 ride to the coach station is the £1 fee that the Hackneys have to pay to use the rank at the terminal. Folk can make their own minds up whether they want to book a Uber, wait & hope that it will indeed "be with you in moments", & locate it amongst the vehicles at the terminal - or shell out £1 for the convenience of just taking a taxi from the front of the rank. I know which I'd choose. ;)

That presumes that Uber drivers will even accept such a short journey. They don't have to, city taxis do.

And if you don't tell Uber your destination you're not going to get a price - a major incentive for using Uber.

I did specifically say that Uber doesn't cut into the trade of provincial Hackneys. In London the mileage/time charges for black cabs are way higher than the rates in the provinces, ergo Uber are having a lot more success.

You can also "hail" a private-hire taxi with your phone, though you do have to use the thing to talk to them.

The difference in places where Uber is strong is that it's like phoning several private hire operators at once & being connected to the nearest / cheapest.

I prefer to choose an operator that I know, but I'd happily use Uber in cities I'm not familiar with.

Variable pricing also exists in the Hackney rates set by Councils, for day vs evening vs public holidays.

And private hire operators can & do negotiate their prices for un-metered journeys - for longer journeys they'll vary their quotes according to the level of bookings, no different to selling cruise tickets.

But varying prices according to short-term demand is totally impractical.

Each to their own preferences.

Yes, there are journeys for which Uber can make sense.

A hop from City cruise terminal to coach station isn't one of them.

JB :)

.

I agree with you that there are some rides that a hackney cab is preferable, but those occasions are getting to be quite few and far between.

Folk can make their own minds up whether they want to book a Uber, wait & hope that it will indeed "be with you in moments", & locate it amongst the vehicles at the terminal - or shell out £1 for the convenience of just taking a taxi from the front of the rank.

On the face of it that makes a lot of sense. However if you arrive at somewhere like Manchester Piccadilly at peak time it is faster to order an Uber as you step off the train, than wait 10 minutes in the queue for the Hackney cabs.

That presumes that Uber drivers will even accept such a short journey. They don't have to, city taxis do.

And if you don't tell Uber your destination you're not going to get a price - a major incentive for using Uber.

I am not sure if you have actually used Uber, but you don't have to tell them where you are going before getting in (you can if you want, but it is not obligatory), and you certainly don't get quoted a price for the ride like a mini-cab. As drivers are scored by their customers, if an Uber driver did refuse to take a customer somewhere ("Nah, ain't going south of the river at this time night") then I cannot see that Uber would continue to engage their services.

I did specifically say that Uber doesn't cut into the trade of provincial Hackneys. In London the mileage/time charges for black cabs are way higher than the rates in the provinces, ergo Uber are having a lot more success.

I am not sure that is the case as when I have used Uber in the provinces in the UK, for example Manchester and Leeds, their rates have been a lot less than the Hackney cabs in those cities. The same has been true in Europe as well.

Variable pricing also exists in the Hackney rates set by Councils, for day vs evening vs public holidays.

In Southampton, like many cities, it is not day vs evening, but day vs night (before 6am and after 11pm. The variable rate is to account for unsocial hours, not how busy the cabs are likely to be.

But varying prices according to short-term demand is totally impractical.

Uber manage to do it on a minute by minute basis, depending on how much in demand their services are. Pubs are emptying and it is raining = charge more, mid-morning on a sunny day = charge less. Much more flexible and aims to drive the number of cars available to meet demand.

Thank you for your response. It was very helpful. Based on your information, I have decided to book the 11:30am bus and take my time getting off the ship, through customs and the taxi line. My final destination is Argyl square ( in Kensington), The European Hotel. So I will either take a taxi at the Victoria coach station or the tube. Discounted price bus tickets have not been posted for 4/23 only through the middle of March. Will keep looking at the website for the month of April.

Thank you again!!

My final destination is Argyl square ( in Kensington), The European Hotel.

FYI, the European Hotel on Argyle Square is in King's Cross, not Kensington - really the other side of town from Kensington. It is however an easy tube transfer from Victoria station.

There are several well recommended private hire companies who will do this. Smiths for Airports (based locally in Portsmouth) is one. Email them with your requirements for a quote.

 

bookings@smithsforairports.com

John - I contacted Smiths and even though they won't take a reservation until 6 months out they gave me an estimate. We are going to use them from LHR to Southampton and then from Southampton to South Kensington post-cruise. Thank you for your help.

John - I contacted Smiths and even though they won't take a reservation until 6 months out they gave me an estimate. We are going to use them from LHR to Southampton and then from Southampton to South Kensington post-cruise. Thank you for your help.

For both those journeys National Express is best for economy, Smiths is best for convenience.

You can't really go wrong with either. :)

For others looking in on this thread -

the train (via the megatrain website) is best value for central London to Southampton, but not the opposite direction 'cos there's no conveniently timed cheap megatrain tickets.

And train is both convenient & cheap between Southampton & Gatwick airport (either direction) except on sundays.

BTW Magnet, no I've not used Uber. They're not strong in my neck of the woods (probably too rural) and on the rare occasions that we use a taxi my o/h has good contacts amongst the private-hires - she was a specialist insurance broker & taxis were a big part of her clientele.

But we agree that private hires, Uber, and Hackneys all have their place. :)

JB :)

We will be flying into Heathrow on Air Canada in early June on our way to a cruise out of Southampton. I am considering using the National Express bus to get from Heathrow to Southampton. Can anyone tell me how difficult it is to get from the arrivals/baggage/immigration area in Terminal 2 (which I think is where Air Canada flights arrive) to the area where you get the bus. We are in our 70's and will each have 1 large bag and 1 carry-on. My husband cannot walk fast or any great distance due to a lung condition.

Also, how much time should I allow between our arrival (10:25am on a Saturday) and reserving a departure time on the bus??

Any help would be appreciated.

I had this same problem and the Southampton Guru, John Bull, recommended Smithsforairports.com for a private car service from LHR to Southampton as well as from the cruise to London post cruise. They start taking reservations 6 months before the needed dates but they provided an estimate. I already put a date on my calendar to contact them in the spring. I did a Google search and they were highly recommended.

We will be flying into Heathrow on Air Canada in early June on our way to a cruise out of Southampton. I am considering using the National Express bus to get from Heathrow to Southampton. Can anyone tell me how difficult it is to get from the arrivals/baggage/immigration area in Terminal 2 (which I think is where Air Canada flights arrive) to the area where you get the bus. We are in our 70's and will each have 1 large bag and 1 carry-on. My husband cannot walk fast or any great distance due to a lung condition.

Also, how much time should I allow between our arrival (10:25am on a Saturday) and reserving a departure time on the bus??

 

Any help would be appreciated.

From Terminals 1 & 2 & 3 it's a well-signed ten-minute walk to central bus station for the Nat Express buses - the three terminals & the bus station are effectively four sides of a square.

If that's too far to manage by yourselves -

A Skycap for your bags will cost handsomely.

I don't know whether disability assistance costs but I suspect you'd need to arrange that in advance. I don't know whether taking a taxi for that short hop of a few hundred yards from the terminal rank to central bus station is either possible or worthwhile.

Ships' transfer buses call at each terminal, and there's short-term parking for private cars, taxis etc at each terminal, so that would be a little easier - and might be a deal-breaker for someone with significant walking difficulty. A private transfer driver can even drive round from the adjacent parking lot & collect you from the concourse.

Most (& possibly now all) National Express buses have very easy level-floor wheelchair access, though you do need to check with Nat Express first.

Most ships' transfer buses don't have wheelchair access, though seats at the front are reserved for those with difficulties.

Terminals 4 and 5 are on other sides of the airport, a couple of miles away from the T 1/2/3 complex.

National Express buses pick up from the concourse at both 4 & 5, same as ships' buses. And of course each terminal has short-term parking for taxis etc.

The time required from touch-down to arrivals hall is difficult to predict, a matter of luck with the immigration line.

For non-Europeans ninety minutes total is what most folk recommend. To be on the safe side, add mebbe 20 minutes from arrivals hall to a Nat Express bus at central bus station.

To be sure of a seat, you need to book.

On the current timetable, on a random Saturday, there's a Nat Express bus at 11.30 and another at 1.15pm. Journey time to Southampton coach station is 2hrs 15 mins.

11.30 is vaguely possible but much much too risky.

No problem making the 1.15, but you do need to check your latest registration time for your ship.

That bus is scheduled to arrive at 3.30pm, and latest registration is usually between 3pm & 4pm. It's only a 5 minute taxi hop from Southampton coach station to any cruise terminal, so a latest registration time of 4pm is OK in theory.

But summer Saturdays are quite notorious for heavy traffic & hold-ups between Heathrow & Southampton, and there may not be a taxi at the coach station when you arrive, so you could really do with a little more wiggle time.

A private-hire car such as Smiths can probably get you to your ship in about 90 minutes, so you could be at the cruise terminal by as early as 1.30pm.

Last ship's bus will leave Heathrow T2 somewhere around 12.30 & 1pm, so again you have enough wiggle-time. And once on the coach you are the cruise line's responsibility.

The Nat Express timetable is inconvenient for your particular timing. Depending on your registration deadline at the cruise terminal, sorry to say in this instance I'd caution against risking it.:(

But others might disagree.

BTW there's also the option of a train service.

It involves a RailAir shuttlebus from Heathrow to Woking mainline rail station, then a direct train to Southampton, then you'd need a short taxi hop to your cruise terminal.

The shuttlebus & switch to a train makes it inconvenient, at around 2 hrs total it's not very quick, and at about £40 pp it's around the same cost as a private transfer for two. So it wouldn't be most folks' first choice.

But the service is frequent, about every half-hour or better. And no need to pre-book. So it can be a useful Plan B if other arrangements go belly-up - even if you have to take an expensive but time-saving taxi from the T2 rank to Woking rail station.

JB :)

My advice would be to book a car. Smiths for airports is as good as any and better than most. When you spend $thousands on a cruise, it seems silly to suffer the worry and effort of catching a bus or train to save $50.

To spend $120 and have a driver meet you at the arrivals gate, help with the baggage, and deliver you directly to the cruise terminal in good time to settle in before departure, seems like good value to me.

We will be flying into Heathrow on Air Canada in early June on our way to a cruise out of Southampton. I am considering using the National Express bus to get from Heathrow to Southampton. Can anyone tell me how difficult it is to get from the arrivals/baggage/immigration area in Terminal 2 (which I think is where Air Canada flights arrive) to the area where you get the bus. We are in our 70's and will each have 1 large bag and 1 carry-on. My husband cannot walk fast or any great distance due to a lung condition.

Also, how much time should I allow between our arrival (10:25am on a Saturday) and reserving a departure time on the bus??

 

Any help would be appreciated.

I have answered your question on your other thread.

You're not flying in on sailing day, are you? On a flight that's not even scheduled to arrive until 10.25 and with the mobility issues you describe? If you are, you need to have a serious talk with your travel agent. A car service definitely.

My last trip to Soton on AC, it was scheduled as a noon arrival, I did use National Express, didn't get to the hotel til after dark.

I am coming in to LHR on Virgin. Looks like they use Terminal 2 and 4. Since not sure which, would it make sense to book Natl Express from central bus station. If we arrive at terminal 4, isn't there free transport to the bus station?