Shore excursion from Southampton to London or stay in Southampton?

The ship will stay in Southampton for 8 hours. It is a good idea to have a trip to London with a local guide? If so, what could I visit in a short time, since I see I lost on the way (round trip) about aprox. 4:30 hours. Can You recommend a serious local guide for this day trip?

I see a good alternative to spend the 8 hours in Southampton, also. In this case it a good idea to book a local guide or to organize myself. What are the top must see or to do in Southampton?

Thank You!

We were surprised at how many historical sites there are in Southampton. We had been there in the fall of 2010, and it poured the entire time we were there so we basically saw nothing. Last September we were there for 3 days of beautiful weather, and we discovered a lot of history. We stayed at the Grand Harbour Hotel, and right across from the hotel were the old walls of the city. There was a good self guided walking tour and a couple of middle ages houses you could tour. The walking tour extends up into the shopping area, too. I think you can get a tour map from the city's website.

You could take the train or bus to Portsmouth or Winchester, Stonehenge

I would not go all the way to London for a day trip but that is just me

I also think you should do Portsmouth or Winchester. there is the dockyard in Portsmouth that is really interesting.

I don't think 8 hours is really enough time to get to London, look around and come back, I think it would all be very rushed.

Bearing in mind that if you DIY to London you'll need to allow yourselves up to an hour for any delays heading back to the ship, you'll have less than 3 hours in London. Time for one ho-ho tour.

I've driven ships' excursions to London. Very rushed, folk see the main sights from the bus but only a couple or three photostops & perhaps two 15-minute inside visits - usually St Paul's Cathedral & Westminster Abbey. Quialified guides travel to Southampton for the pick-up, but get dropped in London before the return trip.

If you'll never ever get the chance to visit London again, hang the expense & the brevity & book a ship's tour. But far better to leave London for another time.

Yes, Southampton has some historic sights. As Fritz's post, a very easy & compact walking tour - either self-guided or on limited dates there are guided group tours

http://seesouthampton.co.uk/walks-and-talks/

Staying in Southampton is a very laid-back way of spending the day, but you could extend yourselves a little by visiting by train:

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

Winchester. 17 minutes on the train, £7 day-return, 3 trains per hour.

http://www.visitwinchester.co.uk/things-to-do

Portsmouth & its historic ships & dockyard. 45 to 65 mins on the train, £11 day-return, book to Portsmouth Harbour, hourly direct service or more frequent with one easy change.

http://www.historicdockyard.co.uk/site-attractions

Salisbury. 35 mins on the train, £10 day-return, half-hourly service. And from there to Stonehenge by ho-ho.

http://www.thestonehengetour.info/

Or cross Southampton Water on the little Hythe ferry from Southampton Town Quay then take the beach-bus or 6-mile taxi ride to Beaulieu, in a corner of the New Forest

http://www.beaulieu.co.uk/attractions

http://www.thebeachbus.info/

http://www.hytheferry.co.uk/

JB :)

Bearing in mind that if you DIY to London you'll need to allow yourselves up to an hour for any delays heading back to the ship, you'll have less than 3 hours in London. Time for one ho-ho tour.

I've driven ships' excursions to London. Very rushed, folk see the main sights from the bus but only a couple or three photostops & perhaps two 15-minute inside visits - usually St Paul's Cathedral & Westminster Abbey. Quialified guides travel to Southampton for the pick-up, but get dropped in London before the return trip.

If you'll never ever get the chance to visit London again, hang the expense & the brevity & book a ship's tour. But far better to leave London for another time.

 

Yes, Southampton has some historic sights. As Fritz's post, a very easy & compact walking tour - either self-guided or on limited dates there are guided group tours

http://seesouthampton.co.uk/walks-and-talks/

 

Staying in Southampton is a very laid-back way of spending the day, but you could extend yourselves a little by visiting by train:

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

 

Winchester. 17 minutes on the train, £7 day-return, 3 trains per hour.

http://www.visitwinchester.co.uk/things-to-do

Portsmouth & its historic ships & dockyard. 45 to 65 mins on the train, £11 day-return, book to Portsmouth Harbour, hourly direct service or more frequent with one easy change.

http://www.historicdockyard.co.uk/site-attractions

Salisbury. 35 mins on the train, £10 day-return, half-hourly service. And from there to Stonehenge by ho-ho.

http://www.thestonehengetour.info/

 

Or cross Southampton Water on the little Hythe ferry from Southampton Town Quay then take the beach-bus or 6-mile taxi ride to Beaulieu, in a corner of the New Forest

http://www.beaulieu.co.uk/attractions

http://www.thebeachbus.info/

http://www.hytheferry.co.uk/

 

JB :)

After an early check in for our cruise ship is it possible to walk into Southhampton ans do some shopping

Does anyone know if there is a shuttle from the Ocean Cruise Terminal to the Quay Shopping Center. I wanted to take a walking tour from Bargate and think that it is fairly close to the shopping center.

After an early check in for our cruise ship is it possible to walk into Southhampton ans do some shopping

Depends on your cruise terminal.

The centre of Southampton is regarded as the Bargate, the original main entrance to the walled city. The big West Quay Mall is close to the Bargate, and Above Bar Street which runs north from the Bargate is the main traditional shopping street. Running south from the Bargate is the High Street, which leads to Town Quay

From City Terminal (RCI, Celebrity, Costa, & odds) it's a 10 -15 minute walk to West Quay Mall & 5 mins beyond that the Bargate & the traditional shopping street of Above Bar St.

From Ocean Terminal (Some Princess, some P&O, some Cunard & other Carnival brands) it's a 20 minute walk along the waterfront & up High Street to the Bargate, but past some interesting sights.

From Mayflower Terminal (mainly P&O and Princess) it's a 20 minute walk to the edge of the West Quay retail park (single storey stores surrounded by car-parking) & 5 to 10 mins further to West Quay Mall or Above Bar St. Most of the walk is in the docks & thro carparks. Safe, but very boring - I'd jump into a taxi (about £5 - £7).

From QE11 Terminal (mainly Cunard) it's more difficult. Deep into the old docks, it's a 15 minute walk without sidewalks, just a painted line between you and trucks & buses, to pass Ocean Terminal & then 20 minutes to the Bargate. Definitely take a taxi.

On this map, "shopping complex" is West Quay Mall, & the Bargate is behind it at the junct of Above Bar / High St / Bargate St / Hanover Bldgs.

http://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/admin/content/files/PDF_Downloads/Up%20to%20date%20port%20plan.pdf

Does anyone know if there is a shuttle from the Ocean Cruise Terminal to the Quay Shopping Center. I wanted to take a walking tour from Bargate and think that it is fairly close to the shopping center.

Yes, as above, West Quay Mall is just a few yards from the Bargate.

No shuttle that I know of.

But there's a bus route, Uni-link's route U1 which leaves from the National Oceanography Centre every ten minutes & passes West Quay Mall. Uni-link is primarily a university service but the public can & do use it.

The Oceanography Centre is about a 5 minute walk from Ocean Terminal.

This Googlemap route isn't too clever - you can cut round the end of the cruise terminal between the Port Office and the Huelin-Renouf building, and the bus stop is marked on the little traffic island outside the Oceanography Centre.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Cunard+Road,+Southampton&daddr=European+Way,+Southampton&hl=en&ll=50.894405,-1.397871&spn=0.004696,0.010203&sll=50.893722,-1.401186&sspn=0.009393,0.020406&geocode=FYyWCAMdBKPq_yl7JLWDzHZ0SDH7oG-jNDm8mg%3BFaCTCAMdAbXq_ynxVX8NM3F0SDFWcIF-E2KT-g&oq=European+Way+&dirflg=w&mra=ltm&t=h&z=17

Or take a taxi - about £5 to £7

JB :)

John Bull, thank you.

Not.sure yet where we berth. We are on Oceania Marina. You did seem to cover all situations

John Bull, thank you.

 

Not.sure yet where we berth. We are on Oceania Marina. You did seem to cover all situations

The port schedule shows Marina at Ocean terminal on 3rd June, and City terminal on 21st July.

She's a tiddler, she goes where she's told ;)

Both terminals are pretty convenient.

http://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/Live_Information/Shipping_Movements_and_Cruise_Ship_Schedule/Cruise_Ship_Schedule/

On that list:

Berth 39/40 is QE 11 terminal

Berth 46 is Ocean terminal

Berth 101 is City terminal

Berth 105/6 is Mayflower terminal

JB :)

Thanks. Sounds like a nice walk if weather is good

Thank you for the info John Bull. I guess we'll get there somehow. I heard that they wouldn't let you walk from the port.

Thanks. Sounds like a nice walk if weather is good

Yes, the weather, and time in hand, would dictate whether I'd walk or take a cab.

Left out of the port gate, at the Town Quay lights turn right into High Street, which leads to the Bargate, & to the left of the Bargate is the Mall.

Or, a little more interesting if you have an extra five minutes or so, stay on the waterfront for another couple of hundred yards & turn into Bugle Street by the little stone Wool House (formerly the Maritime Museum & now a super little pie-and-mash pub with a micro-brewery).

In a couple of hundred yards, just a few yards down Westgate St opposite the Duke of Wellington pub is Westgate Hall. Return to the Duke of Wellington & carry on up Bugle Street past the Tudor House, then cut left down a footpath & walk the city wall to West Quay Mall & Bargate.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Cunard+Road,+Southampton&daddr=50.8974981,-1.4063145+to:50.8987038,-1.4060649+to:50.8987613,-1.4060489+to:50.8988491,-1.4060144+to:50.898913,-1.4059892+to:50.9006849,-1.406428+to:50.902753,-1.404688+to:Bargate+St&hl=en&sll=50.898242,-1.4064&sspn=0.004696,0.010289&geocode=FYyWCAMdBKPq_yl7JLWDzHZ0SDH7oG-jNDm8mg%3BFVqiCAMdlorq_yl3EE5MyHZ0SDGh_h6GKvIuHQ%3BFQ-nCAMdkIvq_yntJtM0yHZ0SDGJLuctlfeMrA%3BFUmnCAMdoIvq_ymh9LnMyXZ0SDFWjrsHMY17Ag%3BFaGnCAMdwovq_yn_LfLSyXZ0SDEXqQthp7fDgw%3BFeGnCAMd24vq_yn_LfLSyXZ0SDEXqQthp7fDgw%3BFcyuCAMdJIrq_ymTJETLt3Z0SDFn88ksgcqcog%3BFeG2CAMd8JDq_ylL07KNtnZ0SDGlJXOI2vJnNg%3BFeK2CAMdDJHq_w&oq=Bargate&t=h&dirflg=w&mra=dvme&mrsp=3&sz=17&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7&z=17

Thank you for the info John Bull. I guess we'll get there somehow. I heard that they wouldn't let you walk from the port.

No restrictions that I know of - I've always driven in & out but seen plenty of workers & cruisers walk thro the port gate, including some with luggage.

If you walk to the Bargate, keep to the simple High Street route - your tour is bound to include the places I mentioned.

JB :)

No restrictions that I know of - I've always driven in & out but seen plenty of workers & cruisers walk thro the port gate, including some with luggage.

If you walk to the Bargate, keep to the simple High Street route - your tour is bound to include the places I mentioned.

JB :)

Thank you....I've written that in my notes.

There's quite a bit of uphill walking to get to the Quay shopping center. In September I think we'll take a cab to get there and walk back to the ship with stops along the way at the historic sites.