Blue and Green

Wow, thanks so much! The photos are very helpful. The walk looks doable (we've done more difficult) but it is also nice to have the easy option and save energy for the rest of the day. Again, I appreciate your detailed assistance!

I appreciate your detailed response! Similar to @Iamthesea, Mr. Blue has mobility issues but travels with a standard wheelchair. We planned to take the X99 from S Queensferry into Edinburgh then take a cab or Uber to the castle gate, walking back down to Holyrood. From what I've read so far, the Castle is (somewhat) accessible, and I am aware of the access ride from the gates to the top of the hill. A few questions for you --Am I reading this correctly that it is not possible to take a cab or Uber from the X99 (Hard Rock cafe area) to the castle gate? Can you be more specific about the short steps and uphill bit? Are there 3 or 4 short steps or a flight of stairs? Is the uphill bit quite steep? Mr. Blue can walk up a few stairs, but a flight is too much. And if the uphill bit is quite steep, pushing the chair may be too much for me on my own. We tend to be adventurous and have navigated many a cobblestone path and hill, but I like to make informed decisions in planning as much as possible.

We used Blackberry cars several times...but the most recent was 2019. We never had an issue with them, and plan to use them again for Heathrow to Covent Garden, and probably from Windsor back to Heathrow this next trip. They've been around for quite awhile. I am not familiar with the others you mentioned. Traveling to/from Southampton we will use a Southampton based car service like Gunwharf Executive cars or West Quay Cars (there is a third one who's name I always forget). We really prefer having a car service reserved. Takes the stress out of travel and moving luggage from place to place.

Rose, before you book anything--double check your dates. I think the Regal is back in Southampton on Sept. 12.

I would add we hailed a cab in Dublin to take us back to the dock during our last trip. It turned out to be a wonderful, memorable experience. The driver (looked to be 70ish years old?) shared so much information and told wonderful stories. Mr. Blue and I still talk about that and it brings a smile to our faces every time.

We are considering a taxi for convenience...getting directly to where we want to start the day, not having to deal with spouse's mobility issues in walking through the train station, finding a seat, etc. I am hoping taxi's will be readily available but may need to do more research on that. This may be a helpful site: https://www.whatsinport.com/Dun-Laoghaire.htm

Agree...we did this with Mr. Blue in a wheelchair...took the shuttle bus both down the hill and back up.

I wondered about that too. One trip, we did have to change the pickup location within 24 hours due to an unexpected hotel change. We called and they were happy to make the change, no issues.

We have never had to cancel, but this is from the Blackberry Cars website: Cancellations 5.1 Blackberry Cars Ltd is contracted for the provisions of the Transportation Service and all cancellations must be made directly with Blackberry Cars Ltd. 5.2 Any cancellations made within 24 hours of the journey time must be cancelled by phone by calling 02072543344. 5.3 For cancellations made 24 hours or more before the journey time a full refund will be issued. 5.4 Any cancellations made less than 24 hours before the journey time a cancellation charge of 100% of the full fare will be levied. 5.5 Any claim for a refund must be made within 1 week of the journey date. A claim will be deemed to have been made when you cancel your reservation. 5.6 If the Passenger does not show up for the Transportation Service the booking will be treated as a “no-show” and 100% of the fare will be charged 5.7 If you cannot locate your driver and seek an alternative method of transport without first contacting the Provider to try and resolve the situation you will be charged the full fare for the booking.

We travel with a manual wheelchair (meaning I push Mr. Blue) and we have used the train for a wonderful day trip from our London hotel to Canterbury (highly recommend). But that was without the pressure of time or the burden of suitcases…it was just a daytime adventure for the two of us. Once inside the train station, we did have someone from the train help see us on and seated. However, we always use a private car for transfers to/from the airport and London to Southampton, etc. Whenever we can make travel easier, we do. Direct flights, fewer transfers, fewer steps…it always helps. For us, it is not only about the physical limitations of age or ability. Simplifying a trip also helps with the mental load of travel…something I’m not sure one can understand without having traveled under these circumstances. We've had years of practice and intend to keep going 😉

From Heathrow, I would get quotes from a few different airport car services before booking. Currently, I am looking at Jewels Airport Transfers, Blackberry Cars, or maybe Eddie Manning transportation for car service to London (Covent Garden) from Heathrow. We've used Blackberry cars before and they were fine. The others have been mentioned on CC. Look at reviews on Trip Advisor too. I've never used Uber in the UK so can't help you there.

@John Bull always gives thorough, helpful responses. He is the expert and I have learned so much from reading his posts! The only thing I would add is that for us, the easiest and fastest way is always booking the private car transfer. Mr. Blue has some mobility issues so having a driver handle our luggage, and provide door-to-door service, is worth the additional cost. You also aren't waiting on others or making other stops. Takes the stress out of vacation travel. When leaving Southampton we will use one of the car services based in Southampton such as Gunwharf Executive Travel https://gunwharf-executive-travel.co.uk or West Quay Cars https://westquaycars.com

Nevermind---all figured out. Since flights have changed and the trip is extended now, we will return to our favorite London hotel pre-cruise and do Windsor post-cruise. Who doesn't love time in London! I have a tendency to plan too early then go back to the drawing board when changes happen 🤷‍♀️

We used Gatwick once, then took a train into London...but that was a loooong time ago. Now we always fly into LHR simply because that is where we get direct flights (ease of travel for us). We use a car service to get us from the airport to the hotel (whether it is London or Southampton). Doesn't get much easier than that. However, if you are interested in trains, buses(coaches), or cruise ship transfers, there is a lot of information about travel to Southampton at the top of this board. I don't know about B&B's near the port. Hotels--depends on your budget and your preferences. Premier Inn West Quay was reasonably priced, basic but clean, and easy to get a cab to port. Many on this board also seem to like the Holiday Inn and the Moxie hotel for proximity to the port and to shopping/restaurants. Once we used International Friends as a transfer from the cruise port to a London hotel post-cruise and they include stops at Stonehenge, Salisbury Cathedral, Windsor Castle. It was a busy, full day and the stops felt a bit rushed, but it was an efficient way to see 3 great places. Highly recommend all three. I think International Friends also offers transfers and tours to Southampton. https://www.internationalfriends.co.uk

Update: The airline changed the flight time to almost an hour earlier now! Too much stress for me...we decided to add a day on to the trip and fly home the next day. Thankfully, because the airline changed the flight, we are not paying an additional fare.