Renting a car after disembarking in Southampton in May

Hi! We need help from anyone who has rented a car right after disembarking from Princess in Southampton. Our ship docks at 5:00 AM on a Saturday morning in May and we'd want to have breakfast before disembarking too so I would guess we wouldn't even be getting off until between 7-8 earliest. Can you suggest a rental car company for us to use that morning, where we would pick up our car and then return it to Heathrow two and a half days later? Do any companies provide a free shuttle from the ship to their rental office or what are the best companies to use in terms of nearness and price if we have to take a taxi to the office? Our plan after arriving early Saturday morning is to drive around some of England, maybe going to an antique show, touring a castle(s), wandering little cities/towns, and spending Saturday and Sunday nights at hotels or guesthouses, and then getting close enough to Heathrow to drop off our car and get our late afternoon flight home on Monday. Any suggestions to my above two questions or anything else related would be most appreciated. Thanks!

I am sure JB or Simon will have some answers for you

I did find this website helpful in planning our trip

http://cruisesouthampton.com/markers/enterprise-rent-a-car

Enterprise Rent-A-Car are at Dock Gate 8, Herbert Walker Ave, Western Docks.

This is within walking distance of your berth (Someone could collect the car and come back for the luggage).

http://www.enterprise.co.uk/car_rental/deeplinkmap.do?gpbr=U627&bid=004&cnty=GB

Europcar and Hertz are also nearby.

http://www.europcar.co.uk/car-hire-SOUTHAMPTON.html

https://www.hertz.co.uk/p/car-hire/uk/southampton/west-quay-ind-state

They will all allow pickup in Southampton and return at Heathrow.

We will be docking at Southampton on a Saturday after our cruise. We were looking to hook up with International Friends for a tour to Stonehedge, Salsbury Castle, and Windsor. They would drop us off that night at a airport hotel as our flights leave on Sunday. Now I am wondering if it would be better to rent a car for the day and drive ourselves. There would be 4adults. That would give us more flexibility as to times etc. we are from US, but have driven on the other side of the road from time to time on different trips. But mostly in the countryside. How difficult would that drive be?

We will be docking at Southampton on a Saturday after our cruise. We were looking to hook up with International Friends for a tour to Stonehedge, Salsbury Castle, and Windsor. They would drop us off that night at a airport hotel as our flights leave on Sunday. Now I am wondering if it would be better to rent a car for the day and drive ourselves. There would be 4adults. That would give us more flexibility as to times etc. we are from US, but have driven on the other side of the road from time to time on different trips. But mostly in the countryside. How difficult would that drive be?

I think renting a car would make for a much nicer day out, as well as being more relaxing and probably considerably cheaper. Make the return for Sunday morning and you don't have to worry about your ride to the airport either :).

I just checked the online rates for Enterprise for a car rental for one day, and its more expensive to rent just the car than the tour for the 4 of us. And the tour includes all the tickets for entry. In addition to the car we will need to add the entry costs and gas. I'll check with other car rentals, and see if prices seem better.

But its definitely worth looking into. I would much rather be on my own than in a bus with a specific timetable.

I think renting a car would make for a much nicer day out, as well as being more relaxing and probably considerably cheaper. Make the return for Sunday morning and you don't have to worry about your ride to the airport either :).

I guess it all depends on how confident you are about driving on busy roads on a Saturday over here as to how relaxing it is. This tour would not be a quiet drive in the countryside on a Saturday.

For me, this would not be a relaxing day out in the car - but we are all different. Just thought I would raise it ....

How about renting at health row for a week and turning in the car at Southampton? This would be in late aug.

How about renting at health row for a week and turning in the car at Southampton? This would be in late aug.

For some reason I didn't spot this thread, started on 25th December.

Hertz, Europcar, Enterprise, Alamo & National have depots near the docks and at Heathrow.

Enterprise is right by the dock gate for City cruise terminal (formerly an Avis depot)

Avis Southampton is much less convenient, at Southampton airport which is about a 20 minute drive from the cruise terminals.

If the return is on a sunday, that will knock a lot of them out of the reckoning.

Remember to specify automatic transmission if that's what you need, most rentals in Europe are shift-stick.

JB :)

The OP never came back so I assume that they resolved their problem or decided to do something different. Their cruise is in May.

For some reason I didn't spot this thread, started on 25th December.

 

Hertz, Europcar, Enterprise, Alamo & National have depots near the docks and at Heathrow.

Enterprise is right by the dock gate for City cruise terminal (formerly an Avis depot)

Avis Southampton is much less convenient, at Southampton airport which is about a 20 minute drive from the cruise terminals.

If the return is on a sunday, that will knock a lot of them out of the reckoning.

 

Remember to specify automatic transmission if that's what you need, most rentals in Europe are shift-stick.

 

JB :)

Is the Europcar depot within walking distance from the Mayflower terminal in Southampton (Berth 106) ? It looks like it might be from Googlemaps. I sent a query to Europcar but never got a reply. I plan to get a car from London one day before sailing, drive down to Salisbury and Stonehenge and drop it off the next day at the port.

Thanks in advance.

Is the Europcar depot within walking distance from the Mayflower terminal in Southampton (Berth 106) ? It looks like it might be from Googlemaps. I sent a query to Europcar but never got a reply. I plan to get a car from London one day before sailing, drive down to Salisbury and Stonehenge and drop it off the next day at the port.

 

Thanks in advance.

Can be done, but I suggest you drop your bags & any extraneous passengers at Mayflower terminal first.

It's about a 25 minute walk back to Mayflower terminal, about half of it thro the docks but with sidewalks.

From the rental depot you can't go straight into the docks at City cruise terminal (unless you're a good pole-vaulter ;)), you have to walk along West Quay Road & go in at dock gate 10, the same gate that you'll have used with the car.

BTW, altho the address of the depot is "West Quay Road", it's actually a blind side-road off the main West Quay Road.

From Mayflower terminal go back out dock gate 10, turn right at the lights onto West Quay Road, pass IKEA & turn right at the next lights (Carnival headquarters is on your left) into the service road, then left between the Honda & Ford dealerships.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=W+Quay+Rd&daddr=50.9042924,-1.4172954+to:Herbert+Walker+Ave&hl=en&ll=50.903736,-1.421528&spn=0.008525,0.042315&sll=50.904548,-1.416158&sspn=0.002348,0.005289&geocode=FbixCAMdL3Xq_w%3BFeS8CAMdsV_q_ym7fIaevnZ0SDE02Pi5cJhlFw%3BFRHACAMdhzbq_w&oq=herbert+walker+&t=h&dirflg=w&mra=dpe&mrsp=1&sz=18&via=1&z=15&layer=c&cbll=50.90154,-1.411527&panoid=o4KLPCaIvUPxwAoU8pwMbQ&cbp=11,219.43,,0,0

JB :)

Thanks a million for the very detailed directions !

For some reason I didn't spot this thread, started on 25th December.

 

Hertz, Europcar, Enterprise, Alamo & National have depots near the docks and at Heathrow.

Enterprise is right by the dock gate for City cruise terminal (formerly an Avis depot)

Avis Southampton is much less convenient, at Southampton airport which is about a 20 minute drive from the cruise terminals.

If the return is on a sunday, that will knock a lot of them out of the reckoning.

 

Remember to specify automatic transmission if that's what you need, most rentals in Europe are shift-stick.

 

JB :)

Thanks for the Sunday mention, we are doing a sat to sun cruise and are not yet sure which end we will extend to do touring so we do need to be mindful of the sun closure.

Many thanks.

Thanks for the Sunday mention, we are doing a sat to sun cruise and are not yet sure which end we will extend to do touring so we do need to be mindful of the sun closure.

Many thanks.

At least one of those by the docks is open sundays. :)

Can't remember which, I'll leave you to check the websites

JB :)

Message for John Bull or anyone , taking TA cruise 4 weeks, everything planned except what to do or see in London. We are four seniors staying Plark Plaza Westminster, there three days. Should we do Tower London first, or take taxi tour or just play it by ear with big Ben and other locations

Our wives really love shopping if time premits, help ?

Dan So. Cal.

London's not my specialised subject, but subject to what others have to say

- usual advice is to get to the Tower early & preferably on a weekday, to avoid the worst of the crowds.

Easy by tube. Walk across Westminster Bridge to Westminster tube station & take either a Circle line (yellow) or District line (green) tube direct to Tower Hill. (nb the picture-postcard bridge alongside the Tower is Tower Bridge - too many folk confuse this with London Bridge)

https://www.tfl.gov.uk/cdn/static/cms/documents/standard-tube-map.pdf

After taking time to visit Tower Bridge & St Katherine Dock, you might like to take a river cruiser back to Westminster Bridge.

If you're going to use either the Big Bus or Original ho-ho buses, get your 24-hr ticket before the cruise, which is included in those ho-ho tickets.

http://www.theoriginaltour.com/

or

http://eng.bigbustours.com/london/home.html

I rate Original's yellow route the best.

Your hotel is well-placed for walking across Westminster Bridge to the Houses of Parliament (Big Ben) & Westminster Abbey, Churchill's War Rooms, and up Whitehall past the Prime Minister's house (10 Downing Street), the Cenotaph, Horse Guards Parade & other sights to Trafalgar Square.

If you're feeling energetic you could make it a triangular walk by going up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square, then under Admiralty Arch & down The Mall to Buckingham Palace before returning direct to Westminster Bridge. That's about an hour hotel to hotel, but with the sights expect to take almost twice as long.

For an evening in pleasant weather, take a walk along the South Bank of the river downstream as far as Shakespeare's Globe Theatre & the Millenium footbridge.

About 25 minutes each-way, plenty of sights & riverside bars & restaurants.

You mentioned a "taxi tour". If you want a tour in an iconic black cab, don't simply hail one - it'll cost an arm & a leg and it'll be pot-luck whether the driver will be informative - most are on the streets to get passengers from A to B.

Instead, check out fixed price black taxi tours on the internet, these are narrated tours by experienced & customer-friendly cabbies. Here's an example

http://www.blacktaxitours.co.uk/http://www.blacktaxitours.co.uk/

But there are much cheaper ways to see London.

A useful reference for logistics in London is

http://www.londontoolkit.com/

Lots of pages covering transport, sights, etc

JB :)

One way drop fees for car hire from Heathrow to Southampton are very high. Autos cost a lot more than manuals. Check prices before you lock this into your itinerary.

I don't know from first hand experience but have read that Stonehenge requires timed tickets unless you buy in advance there might be a bit of fiddling or waiting around if you visit by yourself.

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

One way drop fees for car hire from Heathrow to Southampton are very high. Autos cost a lot more than manuals. Check prices before you lock this into your itinerary.

 

I don't know from first hand experience but have read that Stonehenge requires timed tickets unless you buy in advance there might be a bit of fiddling or waiting around if you visit by yourself.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

I have a rate of GBP113 for 2 days from Europcar for a compact car with manual transmission, including pick up from central London and drop off in Southampton. Seems reasonable to me for the convenience. If anyone needs to know, Europcar down by the docks is open on Sunday .

We are using International Friends (http://www.internationalfriends.co.uk) to transport 6 of us and all our luggage from cruise ship to airport. They stop at Stonehenge, with tickets Salsbury, and Windsor Castle. We felt the price was reasonable and the convenience of not having to drive..deal with luggage etc was well worth it. I would guess they do the opposite tour from Heathrow to Southampton.

We are using International Friends (http://www.internationalfriends.co.uk) to transport 6 of us and all our luggage from cruise ship to airport. They stop at Stonehenge, with tickets Salsbury, and Windsor Castle. We felt the price was reasonable and the convenience of not having to drive..deal with luggage etc was well worth it. I would guess they do the opposite tour from Heathrow to Southampton.

They do, Anita.

But because an early-afternoon arrival time in Southampton is necessary for ship registration, the transfer only includes about 90 mins in Stonehenge. No time for Windsor or Salisbury or anywhere else.

You've chosen far the better direction for a tour/transfer. :)

JB :)

This is a question for John Bull or anyone who ca assist....

We are going on a cruise from Southampton in October 2016....yes, a ways away but I have never been to France or England.

We are staying a week in Paris and then going to London...Possibly 3 days in London.

Here is my dilemma: After Paris we will have 4 nights left...I have read a lot of the boards and still don't know what to do. I was thinking of going to a town like Bibury and staying there (or near there ...like Cirencester) for a couple of nights because I was this website....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/08/bibury-england-most-beautiful-village_n_5762240.html

If we do that, we would not go to Bath or Salisbury.... or can we???

Transportation is my main concern, as well. I know my DH is not keen on renting a car unless we can do so outside of London and not have to deal with traffic too much....

Please feel free to provide comments, suggestions and even be bossy...

Thank you so very much for the time and information you provide.

Lydia Allen...or you can email me.

Bibury is certainly 'quaint' and I have been there many times. I am not sure I would choose it as a place to stay though.

A town like Burford is a better centre and has a wide range of hotels, B&B, pubs and restaurants. Just google Burford for a selection of pictures. Try somewhere like Cotland House if you don't want a chain hotel. http://theweekenders.co.uk/places-to-stay/cotland-house.php

Both Bath and Salisbury are an easy drive from there, but Salisbury is the place to go on your way to Southampton. Bath is a little over an hour's drive.

I would fly from Paris to Heathrow, collect a car from there and return it in Southampton. That way you won't have to cope with big city traffic.

Hi Lydia,

Our own Cotswold Eagle is a local, so is likely to give you a better answer, but here's my fourpenn'orth..

Bibury is indeed an idyllic little village. But it's off the beaten track - which is probably why it's idyllic. It's about 20 miles from the nearest rail station, and being about 8 miles from the nearest town (Cheltenham) I suspect that travel by bus would be tiresome.

Not a good base if you don't have your own transport.

But you're right in the Cotswolds, an easy drive on pleasant local roads to see lots of lovely scenery, & villages (towns?) like Bourton-on-the-Water & Stow-in-the-Wold.

Oxford, Gloucester & Shakespeare's Stratford-upon-Avon are within an hour, and Bath little more than an hour.

But there are probably more convenient places than Bibury in that part of the country, & don't be swayed by one magazine article.

If you wanted to do this, simplest is to spend such time as you want in London without a car, then rent a car from Heathrow airport (public transport between central London & Heathrow is excellent) because it's on London's western outskirts - in the right direction for Bibury, Bath, Salisbury, Southampton, etc.

Make it worthwhile by taking in Oxford or the Cotswolds on your way to Bibury, rather than the motorway. About 80 miles, 2 hours driving.

Choose places to tour from Bibury for your full day there - mebbe Stratford, Warwick Castle & Stow-in-the-Wold, a tour of about 90 miles, something over 2 hrs driving, most of it scenic.

Or Gloucester docks, the Forest of Dean, Raglan Castle (you're now in Wales), the lower Wye Valley & the Severn crossing, a tour of about 140 miles, about 3.5hrs driving, much of it scenic.

Or simply spend that day in Bath, about 40 miles (something over an hour) in each direction, though the route is not very scenic.

Then next day to Southampton (about 80 miles, 2 hours) via Stonehenge & Salisbury.

But again, Bibury is no place to go without a car.

Just MHO as always

Edit: Have you been to London?

If not, you'll want to spend time there - and there's plenty to keep you occupied for four days & more.

Or if you've been to London before, consider giving the big bad city a miss - as per Bob's post, fly to Heathrow & hire a car to tour the countryside & provincial towns for your entire visit.

JB :)

Bibury is certainly 'quaint' and I have been there many times. I am not sure I would choose it as a place to stay though.

 

A town like Burford is a better centre and has a wide range of hotels, B&B, pubs and restaurants. Just google Burford for a selection of pictures. Try somewhere like Cotland House if you don't want a chain hotel. http://theweekenders.co.uk/places-to-stay/cotland-house.php

 

Both Bath and Salisbury are an easy drive from there, but Salisbury is the place to go on your way to Southampton. Bath is a little over an hour's drive.

 

I would fly from Paris to Heathrow, collect a car from there and return it in Southampton. That way you won't have to cope with big city traffic.

Bob, How generous of you and John Bull to reply with so much information.

It seems that unless we hire a private driver (Way too much $$$), we will have to rent a car and drive in the opposite side then we are used to...

How difficult is it to rent a car at Heathrow? What I mean is it easy to leave the airport being that we have never driven on the opposite side of the road? Is there a lot of traffic in that area? Is there a train we can take outside of London to a car rental agency?

Yes, lots of questions.... Now you know why I started 14 months early.

Thank you for being so giving of your time.

Lydia