Post Cruise - Southampton - 1 Night Before Flight(LHR)

We will disembark at Southampton Cruise Terminal on Saturday, August 18. Our flight out of Heathrow is late Sunday afternoon. We will have stayed in London pre-cruise.

 

I need a recommendation of where to stay that has easy transportation between the cruise terminal on Saturday and the airport on Sunday. I've considered Windsor, but we toured the castle last year. Although if that's the easiest due to transportation, I know that we would enjoy exploring the city.

 

Thank you!

I need a recommendation of where to stay that has easy transportation between the cruise terminal on Saturday and the airport on Sunday. I've considered Windsor, but we toured the castle last year. Although if that's the easiest due to transportation, I know that we would enjoy exploring the city.

Windsor is certainly feasible, although I don't think that it is distinctly easier for transport to the airport when compared to other options. It really depends on what you want to see on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. If you specifically want to see more of Windsor, then of course it is an option - but if you've already seen the castle and don't want to go back there, you could quickly exhaust your remaining sightseeing possibilities with that long a time there.

 

Otherwise, central London is easy - and you can't have exhausted London's possibilities unless your pre-cruise stay was in the order of three months in duration.

Winchester would be another option, only 1hr to LHR on a Sunday up the M3.

Another option is Hampton Court area in SW London. Or if you off early go to Portsmouth for a full day Sat and stay here or one of the small towns around. LHR is only 1-45 away by car.

We don't intend to rent a car. So I'm looking for something with easy public transportation or a relatively short hired car ride. We did a 3 week driving trip around England last year and don't want to deal with a car this trip.

Consider Winchester or Portsmouth or Salisbury+Stonehenge or Oxford.

All have excellent direct train or bus links from Southampton.

 

But (except from central London) Heathrow is difficult by train, there's no direct service.

Altho you can buy thru rail tickets to Heathrow you have to either take the train to Woking rail station then a RailAir shuttlebus from there to the airport, or go via central London and then train from a different London rail station (same London station from Oxford) to Heathrow.

 

And that journey will be on a sunday, when trains operate a reduced service.

It's also the day when most track maintenance takes place, so there may be a diversion or part of the journey on a train-operator bus service.

So for the sunday the direct National Express coach services to Heathrow are your best bet, though their frequency is much poorer.

 

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

https://www.nationalexpress.com/en

 

JB :)

Here's my suggestion:

 

Ever spent the day at "The Races" in the UK?

Newbury is one of Britain's favourite courses. It is North of Southampton and West of Heathrow.

Saturday August 18 is "Ladies Day" You know, fascinators and all that.

There is a dress code, should you prefer that - or not.

Not quite Royal Ascot, but quite a quitessentially British day out.

 

If this appeals, here's my suggestion:

1. Head for Heathrow and drop your bags there for the day at a hotel of your choosing.

Suggest you take the express bus service, direct. Go early, to get the best of your day.

2. Buy return rail tickets to Newbury Race Course (you will need to change trains for this).

3. Head back whenever you like to your hotel, for the night.

 

4. Depending on your flight time on the Sunday, head into Paddington, London (15 mins on the train) and explore - Hyde Park is walkable and always full of Londoners on a Sunday.

5. An easy return train back to the airport for your flight.

 

Tip: lunch at The Victoria pub, 10A Strathern Place, Paddington.

Yum.

 

2 days and you've mixed it with some of the best Britain has to offer!

These are some wonderful ideas. Keep them coming.

Look for tours from Southampton (London Toolkit) to Bath, Cotswolds, etc. Some are all day tours that will drop you off at your Heathrow hotel at the end of the tour.

Take the train over to Portsmouth for the day. We stayed pre-cruise at the Holiday Inn. It's like 15 minutes to the train station. We came in super early and had a private car bring us from Heathrow. And he suggested, and then even took us, over to Portsmouth (he was heading home there for the day). We spent the day at the historic naval yards, lots to see there! And then hopped on the train back to Southampton to crash! LOL! But we had just flown in.

We had an early flight out of LHR the day after our cruiseship docked in Southampton. We had arranged a guide/transport that I found online. He collected us at the dock and then we had a very full day touring---Salisbury, Stonehenge and Windsor Castle before dropping us at the Hilton at Heathrow.

I will admit we were exhausted at the end of the day, but it was a wonderful opportunity to see/tour sites we had missed on previous trips. He was a Blue Badge guide and retired British Army officer. It was a bit pricey since there was only the 2 of us, but a great way to end our trip.

How would you like to end your vacation? Castles, countryside, ....... British Museum, art galleries. Buckingham Palace is open in the summer. So much to see and do.

Another vote for the Historic Dockyard at Portsmouth - brilliant to visit for the day - then head to the airport the day after.