Rail Europe or PRINCESS bus to Southampton???

Seeking advice from those cruisers who have transferred from London hotel to Southampton and onto Princess cruise.

We would like to arrive into Southampton no later than noon to board the ship. Princess reports their bus transfer is 2.5 hours but we have not been able to ascertain actual departure time.

Interested in your experience feedback regarding Princess bus to help us decide on that or rail Europe.

Thanks!!

Seeking advice from those cruisers who have transferred from London hotel to Southampton and onto Princess cruise.

We would like to arrive into Southampton no later than noon to board the ship. Princess reports their bus transfer is 2.5 hours but we have not been able to ascertain actual departure time.

Interested in your experience feedback regarding Princess bus to help us decide on that or rail Europe.

Thanks!!

I certainly wouldn't book through Rail Europe, you're much better off booking directly with the railway itself. That being said, there are three rail lines that will get you into Southampton Central; so knowing where your hotel is in London would help.

London Waterloo -> Southampton Central (3x/hr, 90 mins)

London Paddington -> Southampton Central (1x/hr, 100 mins, change at Reading)

London Victoria -> Southampton Central (1x/hr, 150 mins)

There are some cheap tickets available at megatrain.com on some of the Waterloo departures; worth looking about 60 days out.

The other option is the National Express coach, which leaves from the Victoria Coach station (around the side of the train station)

I certainly wouldn't book through Rail Europe, you're much better off booking directly with the railway itself. That being said, there are three rail lines that will get you into Southampton Central; so knowing where your hotel is in London would help.

 

London Waterloo -> Southampton Central (3x/hr, 90 mins)

London Paddington -> Southampton Central (1x/hr, 100 mins, change at Reading)

London Victoria -> Southampton Central (1x/hr, 150 mins)

 

There are some cheap tickets available at megatrain.com on some of the Waterloo departures; worth looking about 60 days out.

 

The other option is the National Express coach, which leaves from the Victoria Coach station (around the side of the train station)

Agreed on all counts.

The walk-up ticket from London Waterloo station costs about £40, three direct trains per hour, journey time 1hr 20 to 1hr 35.

But you can buy advance tickets from

http://uk.megabus.com/megatrain.aspx

for a limited choice of trains for about £7.

Tickets available from about 8 weeks out, so for times & prices do a dummy booking for early April.

Megatrain is a trusted website, run by a consortium of travel operators to sell excess capacity on just a small proportion of their trains, but that includes the 9.39am train (arrives Southampton central 11.12am) Tickets valid only for the train that you book - if you miss it your ticket is worthless - but it's on the same train as those who've paid £40.

No megatrain tickets for sundays. And for your post-cruise there are no megatrain tickets between Southampton and Heathrow or Gatwick, or for morning trains from Southampton to Waterloo.

If your hotel is in Victoria (usually is with cruise line hotels) it's a 2 to 3 mile taxi ride to Waterloo station, I guess vaguely around £12 to £15. No direct tube line, so with luggage it's best take a taxi rather than the tube.

Or you can take a direct train to Southampton from London Victoria rail station. Hourly service, advance tickets (not megatrain) usually around £15 to £20. But this is a different train operator (Southern Trains) & a different route, & as per Scottbee's post the journey time is about 2hrs 30 !!

There's an alternative route from Victoria which involves a train change at Clapham Junction but with luggage it's a difficult place for a train change.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

Also from Victoria, there's a direct coach (bus) service operated by

http://www.nationalexpress.com/home.aspx

Fares around £7

You really need to book ahead, they do book-out.

Book to Southampton coach station - not cruise terminal, which only applies to Fred Olsen cruises & will lead you up a blind alley.

Factor in a £5 to £10 taxi ride from Southampton train or coach station to any cruise terminal.

Princess ship's transfers seem to be more reasonably-priced than most cruise lines, & take you to the pier. But I think they aim to get to the ship well after mid-day and they're considerably more expensive than Nat Express or Megatrain or Southern Trains

JB :)

Boarding time for the bus is about 11 a.m. since it is arriving back to London with disembarking passengers from Southampton. No way will you get to the ship by noon if you use a Princess transfer.

Agree with scottbee and JB. It would be handy if you could tell us where your hotel is so we can give you the best option. (ie no point dragging all the way to Victoria if you are right beside Waterloo station!).

Simon

Interesting info - thanks.

Which train station would be closest to our hotel?

The Waldorf Hilton, London,

Aldwych | London | | United Kingdom WC2B4DD

Agreed on all counts.

 

The walk-up ticket from London Waterloo station costs about £40, three direct trains per hour, journey time 1hr 20 to 1hr 35.

But you can buy advance tickets from

http://uk.megabus.com/megatrain.aspx

for a limited choice of trains for about £7.

Tickets available from about 8 weeks out, so for times & prices do a dummy booking for early April.

Megatrain is a trusted website, run by a consortium of travel operators to sell excess capacity on just a small proportion of their trains, but that includes the 9.39am train (arrives Southampton central 11.12am) Tickets valid only for the train that you book - if you miss it your ticket is worthless - but it's on the same train as those who've paid £40.

No megatrain tickets for sundays. And for your post-cruise there are no megatrain tickets between Southampton and Heathrow or Gatwick, or for morning trains from Southampton to Waterloo.

If your hotel is in Victoria (usually is with cruise line hotels) it's a 2 to 3 mile taxi ride to Waterloo station, I guess vaguely around £12 to £15. No direct tube line, so with luggage it's best take a taxi rather than the tube.

 

Or you can take a direct train to Southampton from London Victoria rail station. Hourly service, advance tickets (not megatrain) usually around £15 to £20. But this is a different train operator (Southern Trains) & a different route, & as per Scottbee's post the journey time is about 2hrs 30 !!

There's an alternative route from Victoria which involves a train change at Clapham Junction but with luggage it's a difficult place for a train change.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

 

Also from Victoria, there's a direct coach (bus) service operated by

http://www.nationalexpress.com/home.aspx

Fares around £7

You really need to book ahead, they do book-out.

Book to Southampton coach station - not cruise terminal, which only applies to Fred Olsen cruises & will lead you up a blind alley.

 

Factor in a £5 to £10 taxi ride from Southampton train or coach station to any cruise terminal.

 

Princess ship's transfers seem to be more reasonably-priced than most cruise lines, & take you to the pier. But I think they aim to get to the ship well after mid-day and they're considerably more expensive than Nat Express or Megatrain or Southern Trains

 

JB :)

Thanks. Agree - don't want to change trains en route to Southampton.

Our hotel is

The Waldorf Hilton, London,

Aldwych | London | | United Kingdom WC2B4DD

so would the WATERLOO station work for us?

We'll be taking the PRINCESS transfer from Southampton to Heathrow upon our disembarkation.

Thanks. Agree - don't want to change trains en route to Southampton.

Our hotel is

The Waldorf Hilton, London,

Aldwych | London | | United Kingdom WC2B4DD

so would the WATERLOO station work for us?

We'll be taking the PRINCESS transfer from Southampton to Heathrow upon our disembarkation.

Definitely Waterloo. In a pinch you could walk it, should be under 10 pounds for a taxi.

Definitely Waterloo. In a pinch you could walk it, should be under 10 pounds for a taxi.

Agreed.

About a mile on foot.

JB :)