Taking cruise from Southampton - Questions!

[Flogblogger]

From LHR, take Express train to Paddington, then cab to Comfort Inn

Better yet, I discovered that the Airbus provides direct, accessible coach transport from LHR to Victoria Station.

[handfordr]

Better yet, I discovered that the Airbus provides direct, accessible coach transport from LHR to Victoria Station.

 

The Airbus service to Victoria stopped about 6 or 7 years ago.

 

National Express do services from Heathrow to Victoria for 5 GBP each.

However ....

Its not a dedicated airport service, you occupy seats vacated by people getting off at Heathrow. The bus would have started at a regional English city hours before.

Because of the above, don't expect buses to be on timetable and there are very few early departures.

The buses leave from the bus station not the Terminals. For Terminals 4 and 5 this requires a train journey, from the other terminals a 10 minute walk.

Luggage allowance may well be substantially less than your flight.

[Globaliser]

We have a wheelchair, and for our July cruise with Princess we intend to:

• ...
• HoHo bus for a day
• ...

Sound good?

If you are going to do the HOHO bus, you might want to check with the operators about wheelchair accessibility. Also, it always seems to me that the best views are from upstairs, but a wheelchair almost certainly won't be able to get up there.

[handfordr]

Better yet, I discovered that the Airbus provides direct, accessible coach transport from LHR to Victoria Station.

 

If you have a wheelchair most National Express coaches do not have any special facilities and you need to be able to independently climb a few stairs up to the passenger cabin and store the wheelchair collapsed in the luggage hold with no sharp edges liable to damage other peoples luggage.

 

They are only just beginning to introduce coaches with wheelchair access and I think you have to book in advance on the few routes that do offer this facility.

[Flogblogger]

Thanks for your comments. Perhaps we'll look at private service from the airport. We're not so concerned about the hoho bus, since a third of the buses are accessible and we can handle a few steps on those that are not.

[Twickenham]

Thanks for your comments. Perhaps we'll look at private service from the airport. We're not so concerned about the hoho bus, since a third of the buses are accessible and we can handle a few steps on those that are not.

 

If you're able to handle a few steps, I'd be looking into the train. While I've never looked at it from a specifically wheelchair-friendly perspective, my impression is that it would be much easier than a bus. Remember, you can wheel your chair (and a luggage cart, for that matter) onto the platform right to the train door. One step up, wide doorway - seems much easier than navigating those narrow bus steps.

[Flogblogger]

Remember, you can wheel your chair (and a luggage cart, for that matter) onto the platform right to the train door.

 

No, I wouldn't have known that. Remember, I'm the guy who was prepared to take the discontinued Airbus! :rolleyes:

 

We actually have a chair AND a scooter now, so a private van from LHR is looking most appealing. We'll check in with others on the roll call for rideshare possibilities.

 

Picking up a bus (cheap) or Princess transfer (easy) from Victoria should be straightforward, maybe even wheel-able, from either Comfort Inn or Best Western.

 

Thanks all!

[Twickenham]

No, I wouldn't have known that. Remember, I'm the guy who was prepared to take the discontinued Airbus! :rolleyes:

 

Don't feel bad about that, I didn't know it had been discontinued either!

 

All this talk about wheelchair access and trains got me curious, so I did a bit of digging. Turns out that trains do offer quite good facilities for wheelchair passengers, at least in theory (having never required such assistance myself). Information for passengers with disabilities can be found here: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/passenger_services/disabled_passengers/ . There's information on how to request travel assistance, which routes and stations have on-off ramps for wheelchair users, and which train companies allow scooters (it appears that both companies with service to Southampton from London do allow them, with restrictions). As well, they offer discounts to both the disabled passenger and a companion.

 

While it won't necessarily be the best choice for everyone, all of this certainly makes it an interesting option.

[John Bull]

Looking through the thread, and a lot of excellent London advice, for a twosome I've always regarded the train from London Waterloo to Southampton central & a £5 to £8 taxi to the cruise terminal as the best bet - esp with a wheelchair or scooter or a stack of luggage. Journey time about an hour, 2 / 3 trains per hour.

Anything using the roads from central London can be tiresome & is prone to delays. Bear in mind, as others have said, although all coaches nowadays have kneeling suspension, only a few Nat Express coaches and no Princess transfer coaches or Greyhound coaches are adapted for wheelchair access.

Nat Express & Greyhound coaches also have luggage limits of 2 x 44lb cases pp - rarely enforced but if they're up to limit the drivers won't accept really excessive luggage. And its not a matter of a surcharge, it's a legal weight limit.

From airports ships' transfer coaches offer poor value, from central London they also offer precious little advantage.

 

John Bull

[bbappel]

The Heathrow Connect takes you to London. The Princess transfers were from Heathrow. We took Heathrow Connect back and forth to London, leaving our large cruisewear bags at Heathrow, traveling with our carryons. Maybe transfers have gone up because I don't think ours were $98/person. Then again, I didn't handle that transaction, so I'm not certain. Left Baggage was our lifesaver though. It saved us from having to schlepp big bags up and down stairs, though the UK young people helped with the carryon - which I had packed too heavy of course. Someday I'll learn to travel light. Maybe.