National Express from Heathrow

Had anyone used the National Express Bus from Heathrow T2 to Southampton? It certainly looks cheaper then hiring a driver but I wonder if it's difficult to manage luggage on the bus? Is it an easy bus to find at the airport and is there a return from the port?

Sent from my SM-G960W using Forums mobile app

you would need to take a taxi from the coach station to the port it is a short drive

same on the return taxi from port to coach station

I believe the luggage is stored under the bus

We have used National Express before, no problem to store luggage. From Heathrow to Southampton we use it next Friday. I can tell you where to find it after we get back from our short (2 nights) cruise on Sunday :) We take a taxi from the coach station to the ship. Shouldn't be more than 5 GBP I believe.

Using the bus is very easy. You should book tickets in advance and make your way to the coach station which is well signposted. The driver will stow your bags in compartments under the floor of the coach and seats are similar to aeroplane seats. At Southampton, you will probably want to use a taxi to take you the fairly short distance to the dock.

The Nat Express bus leaves from Heathrow central bus station, it's a well-signed covered ten-minute walk from T2 or T3. (the bus also picks up at T4 & T5). The driver loads your luggage.

You need to book in advance to be sure of your seat, I suggest you book for no less than 90 minutes after your scheduled flight arrival time. Your destination is Southampton Coach Station.

If you miss your coach, you can re-book for a later one for a £5 admin fee (alternatively if you arrive in time for an earlier coach you can switch to that coach, again subject to that admin fee.) That flexibility only applies to departures from airports.

A taxi from Southampton coach station will cost £5 to £10, depending which cruise terminal.

It's a similar routine for taking the coach back to the airport after your cruise.

JB :)

JB covered it well. We did London to Southampton. Met another couple on the bus and shared a taxi (van) to the pier for about £10 or11.

Wow, thanks to all. I've booked a driver but this is incredibly less expensive and quite easy so I think I'll go this route instead. If anyone has experienced any downside to this let me know!

Can I ask how it is to get back to the airport ??? When I go to book a return ticket it asks for a time to leave the airport ....but not from Southampton ....is it open ended from there ????

Can I ask how it is to get back to the airport ??? When I go to book a return ticket it asks for a time to leave the airport ....but not from Southampton ....is it open ended from there ????

No, you need to select a time for your return to Heathrow.

I've just run a dummy booking........

After selecting outbound and return dates it asks me to select a time for the outward date.

After I've selected a time for the outward journey, it then shows me the times/prices options for the return date.

It won't allow me to continue until I've selected a time for that return date.

Can I presume you've not actually completed the booking process and paid?

If you have, and you have confirmation of both ways but no time is shown for the return date, you need to e-mail Nat Express.

Some websites are bomb-proof and that sort of thing can't happen. Nat Express coach service is excellent but their website has its moments, - so it may be that you've not completed the process or have only booked one-way, or that there was a website glitch.

JB :)

No, you need to select a time for your return to Heathrow.

 

I've just run a dummy booking........

 

After selecting outbound and return dates it asks me to select a time for the outward date.

After I've selected a time for the outward journey, it then shows me the times/prices options for the return date.

It won't allow me to continue until I've selected a time for that return date.

 

Can I presume you've not actually completed the booking process and paid?

If you have, and you have confirmation of both ways but no time is shown for the return date, you need to e-mail Nat Express.

Some websites are bomb-proof and that sort of thing can't happen. Nat Express coach service is excellent but their website has its moments, - so it may be that you've not completed the process or have only booked one-way, or that there was a website glitch.

 

JB :)

No you are right ...I never competed it because I could not see a time for the return so I bailed lol ....thanks so much ...you guys are so helpful...we will book now that I know what to look for

No you are right ...I never competed it because I could not see a time for the return so I bailed lol ....thanks so much ...you guys are so helpful...we will book now that I know what to look for

There should be a law that when nurds create websites they have to have a real person looking over their shoulder ;)

JB :)

I have taken National Express from Terminal 2 and will use it again in July.

Once you leave the baggage area, easy to follow the signs for National Express. It will is a walk about 10-15 minute walk, tunnel and escalator.

Buy your ticket in advance. We arrived early for our coach and were able to exchange our ticket for free for an earlier coach.

Southampton to LHR, you need to take a short taxi to the National Express Coach station from your dock. There will be a many taxi at the dock.

Buy your tickets in advance. We never cruised out of Southampton before, I had booked the 9 or 9:30 (I think) coach, we did self disembarking and were too early for our coach. We could have exchanged our tickets for £5/pp to a earlier coach. We waited for our timed Coach.

FYI -

- It is a LONG walk from the gate to customs/ immigration in Terminal 2. They had a golf cart that will take you part way. I used it on my return since I walked it coming.

- There is a charge (fee) to use the bathroom at the National Express stations at LHR and Southampton.

I've used the bus, very easy. I travel alone, older (70) and have no issues using it. First time I booked I allowed too much time and was able to change to an earlier bus for a small fee. They were very helpful.

The bus terminal was very easy to find. Taxi from Southampton coach terminal to the city cruise terminal was 6 GBP.

Wow, thanks to all. I've booked a driver but this is incredibly less expensive and quite easy so I think I'll go this route instead. If anyone has experienced any downside to this let me know!

It's as easy as it sounds. National Express is very reliable. As others have said you must book in advance (very cheap!) and it's a short taxi ride to the port. There will be taxis outside the coach station

My 80 year old mom & 86 year old dad use the bus all the time from LHR, very convenient and easy.

Sent from my iPad using Forums

My family of 8 rode the National express from Victoria coach to Southampton last week. Super easy and cheap! There is a taxi stand on the opposite side of small bus station where the buses park in Southampton.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

My family of 8 rode the National express from Victoria coach to Southampton last week. Super easy and cheap! There is a taxi stand on the opposite side of small bus station where the buses park in Southampton.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I shuddered at the thought of paying eight times the cruise coach fare. You sure saved a heap of cash there.

Our group of 6 recently took Smiths For Airport from Heathrow to Southampton for £120 and the ride was just over an hour. It worked out to be £20pp. Our friends took National Express (website today said £16?) there and their ride was about 2.5 hours. So depends on the number in your group, and if you are time constrained, you can select which option is better for you. I am very pleased with our private transfer which was comfortable and saved over an hour of travel time.

Wow, thanks to all. I've booked a driver but this is incredibly less expensive and quite easy so I think I'll go this route instead. If anyone has experienced any downside to this let me know!