Southampton to Heathrow

We are cruising Sept 12-28 from Southampton and returning to Southampton. I'm looking for recommendations for our return to Heathrow. The flt we will most likely take departs at 3:00 pm (airline employee, standby). I've been looking at trains, National Express bus service and the cruise bus. I'm not too concerned about the Heathrow-Southampton as we are arriving three days early. What I have found so far is the cruise bus is very convenient and £98, ouch. The National Express bus is much cheaper but can we walk to the coach station from the cruise terminal? Google maps say 30 minutes? I'm thinking it could be difficult getting a taxi with so many ships? I also looked at the mega train but it doesn't operate on the 28th.

Our entire cruise was easier to book than this!

Thanks in advance for any recommendations.

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On July 22 we disembarked the Ruby and took a taxi to the train station. We were the only ones there, and about 5 cabs were lined up waiting. We walked off with our own luggage.

On July 22 we disembarked the Ruby and took a taxi to the train station. We were the only ones there, and about 5 cabs were lined up waiting. We walked off with our own luggage.

That's good to know, thank you

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Your best bet with a 3pm flight (so no rush involved) is the National Express coach.

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

I recommend you book to make sure you get a seat. Journey time to LHR is about 2hrs 15mins depending on which terminal you are heading for. You don't say which cruise terminal you are using. Whilst the coach station is walkable from the City Cruise terminal (RCI, Celeb, NCL) all the other terminals really need a cab. Don't worry, there will be loads about!

For info, this map

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Herbert+Walker+Ave&daddr=50.9008176,-1.4097292+to:Harbour+Parade&hl=en&sll=50.902492,-1.411443&sspn=0.008065,0.018861&geocode=FXyuCAMdSWvq_w%3BFVGvCAMdP33q_ymTfmkcuHZ0SDF_thjIe57VqA%3BFZjCCAMdDX_q_w&t=h&dirflg=w&mra=dpe&mrsp=1&sz=16&via=1&z=16

shows the City Cruise terminal at A and the coach station at B (you can walk through the Holiday Inn carpark to cut off the hairpin to the roundabout).

Simon

Your best bet with a 3pm flight (so no rush involved) is the National Express coach.

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

I recommend you book to make sure you get a seat. Journey time to LHR is about 2hrs 15mins depending on which terminal you are heading for. You don't say which cruise terminal you are using. Whilst the coach station is walkable from the City Cruise terminal (RCI, Celeb, NCL) all the other terminals really need a cab. Don't worry, there will be loads about!

For info, this map

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Herbert+Walker+Ave&daddr=50.9008176,-1.4097292+to:Harbour+Parade&hl=en&sll=50.902492,-1.411443&sspn=0.008065,0.018861&geocode=FXyuCAMdSWvq_w%3BFVGvCAMdP33q_ymTfmkcuHZ0SDF_thjIe57VqA%3BFZjCCAMdDX_q_w&t=h&dirflg=w&mra=dpe&mrsp=1&sz=16&via=1&z=16

shows the City Cruise terminal at A and the coach station at B (you can walk through the Holiday Inn carpark to cut off the hairpin to the roundabout).

 

Simon

I'm not sure which terminal! It's RCI.

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Almost certainly the City Cruise terminal for RCI, marked as A on the map.

Simon

Thank you very much for the information, looks like the coach will work. I really appreciate the information, if you ever come to Victoria Canada I will reciprocate!

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Thanks. One other thing. If you book on the NE website, it is notorious for not accepting 'foreign' credit cards. Phone you CC provider so they know you are trying to purchase abroad. Some people have found debit cards work better than credit cards. As your NE ticket should only be £15 -£20 pp, it might be better to use a debit card.

Simon

Thanks. One other thing. If you book on the NE website, it is notorious for not accepting 'foreign' credit cards. Phone you CC provider so they know you are trying to purchase abroad. Some people have found debit cards work better than credit cards. As your NE ticket should only be £15 -£20 pp, it might be better to use a debit card.

 

Simon

Great advice but I don't think we can use Canadian debit cards online, I'll try my CC and see what happens

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Megatrain is only a cheap-ticket booking agency, encouraging folk to travel on sparsely-used routes.

28th September is a sunday.

No Megatrain tickets available on a sunday.

And no Megatrain tickets to Heathrow anyway - no need to sell cheap tickets on this route, those bound to or from Heathrow are committed travellers.

But the trains run 7 days a week..

http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/planjourney/search

Megatrain is likely to be your best bet travelling from central London on Friday 12th Sept to join your cruise. Either the 9.39am currently at £6 or the 11.39am at £10. Must be pre-booked, the prices are flexible & do sell-out.

If you chose not to pre-purchase via Megatrain you can just buy standard tickets at the station & you'll have a choice of about three trains per hour. The standard fare is around £38

The train service to/from Heathrow is unpopular with those who have luggage because there's no train line into Heathrow from the Southampton direction. Instead your train ticket allows you to board a train from Southampton central station to Woking station, where you switch to an included shuttle-bus to Heathrow. On a sunday it's an hourly service. Cost is about £30 to £40 per person. A useful standby if other travel arrangements go belly-up, but for half that money you can travel direct to Heathrow by National Express coach (bus) in the same 2-hour time-scale.

http://www.nationalexpress.com/

But the Nat Express service is less-frequent & a serious risk of being fully-booked. So it's important that you pre-book.

Ignore the cruise terminal option on their website, that only applies to Fred Olsen sailings. Select Southampton coach station.

Adventure of the Seas will use City cruise terminal. Walkable to coach or rail station in about 20 minutes.

But normally no shortage of taxis at any cruise terminal.

£98 for the cruise bus?

A private transfer for two is cheaper.

JB :)

All booked! Thanks again

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How far in advance do the Megatrain tickets go on sale? We want to book the cheap tickets in advance for our trip from London to Southampton next July. Plenty of time, but I assume the tickets don't go on sale until 90 days in advance or less.

How far in advance do the Megatrain tickets go on sale? We want to book the cheap tickets in advance for our trip from London to Southampton next July. Plenty of time, but I assume the tickets don't go on sale until 90 days in advance or less.

Its usually about 44 days.

Simon

Thanks, Simon. I appreciate the prompt reply--will set a reminder on my calendar to check in the 44 day range.

All booked! Thanks again

 

 

Did the Canadian credit Card work for National Express bus??

Did the Canadian credit Card work for National Express bus??

It sure did!

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It sure did!

 

 

Great ..thanks for the info

Lyn

Pulling up this thread:

Ship arrives 5AM in Southampton (Royal Princess).

Delta Flight leaves at 10:35AM from Heathrow.

I am thinking there is no way to realistically make that flight that day, so we should book the next day and stay at hotel near Heathrow. Google maps says 1hr156min's travel time, but need to disembark, luggage, and get to airport in time to check in for international flight.

Anyone think we can realistically make that flight the morning of our return?

Thanks!

Escaper

Pulling up this thread:

 

Ship arrives 5AM in Southampton (Royal Princess).

 

Delta Flight leaves at 10:35AM from Heathrow.

 

I am thinking there is no way to realistically make that flight that day, so we should book the next day and stay at hotel near Heathrow. Google maps says 1hr156min's travel time, but need to disembark, luggage, and get to airport in time to check in for international flight.

 

Anyone think we can realistically make that flight the morning of our return?

 

Thanks!

 

Escaper

Too tight, methinks.

Maybe, just maybe, on a Saturday or a Sunday if there were no screw-ups. But even which airport terminal you need will make a difference on such tight timing.

Unassisted disembarkation normally starts by 7am, you could be away by 7.15am. Even on a sunday the drive would take over an hour. Without hold-ups that puts you at Heathrow around 8.30am. Check-in desks normally close 60 to 90 minutes out, but a line at check-in would mean blustering your way to the front, then praying that the line at security isn't too long or the walk to the gate too far.

Heathrow recommends arrival at the airport 3 hours before your flight (ie 7.35am :eek:) . Their recommendation is rather too conservative, but your timing is rather too optimistic.

For comparison, cruise lines say you should book a Heathrow flight no earlier than 12.30 to 1pm if you use their coach transfers. The first transfer coach will be away from the pier between 7.45 & 8am.

Ask for a quote from http://www.westquaycars.com and http://www.smithsforairports.com and at the same time seek their advice, they do this run daily.

My own opinion is that with Monday to Friday traffic on the road to London your chances are no better than 50/50.

On a weekend, it's a question of whether you feel lucky. It has been done, but the risk is significant.

JB :)

Pulling up this thread:

 

Ship arrives 5AM in Southampton (Royal Princess).

 

Delta Flight leaves at 10:35AM from Heathrow.

 

I am thinking there is no way to realistically make that flight that day, so we should book the next day and stay at hotel near Heathrow. Google maps says 1hr156min's travel time, but need to disembark, luggage, and get to airport in time to check in for international flight.

 

Anyone think we can realistically make that flight the morning of our return?

 

Thanks!

 

Escaper

I would book for the following day if you cannot get a later flight the same day

You would need to be off the ship by 5:30am ..it is doubtful that will happen

I am thinking there is no way to realistically make that flight that day

Your instincts are right. Go the next day.

so we should book the next day and stay at hotel near Heathrow.

Or stay at a hotel near Paddington station in London, and take the train to LHR the next day. As long as you're on the Heathrow Express no later than 8 am, you'll get there in plenty of time.

We also have an early flight home from LHR (10:35 am) after disembarking in Southampton next July. Because of the flight time I booked it for the next day, Sunday, and we will spend Saturday night at the London Heathrow Marriott. There's no way we could have made that flight on the day we get off the ship.

Delta Flight leaves at 10:35AM from Heathrow.

 

I am thinking there is no way to realistically make that flight that day ...

Thanks to all.

There are worst things, than having to spend another day in England. ;)

That flight is the Delta non-stop back to Minneapolis, to satisfy people's curiosity on the actual flight.

Escaper

That flight is the Delta non-stop back to Minneapolis, to satisfy people's curiosity on the actual flight.