trains from london to southampton

[Barbie075]

Could sometone tell me how it works when you order your "megatrain" tickets on line. Do you get your ticket on-line or do they mail it to you.

[cruiseluv]

Barbie,

 

What I got via e-mail was a reservation confirmation with a reservation number and which specified what train I was booked on and how many passengers. It said I needed to show this with my reservation number upon request.

 

Maybe somebody here can confirm that this is indeed all we need.

[4nlalaland]

Well I thought it was settled and we would take a private car... then I checked Megatrain prices one more time :confused: and found reduced tickets.. 55 pounds roundtrip for all 4 of us!! for the train from London to Sohampton about noon time on Thursday(which is about the time we would like to leave) but the return trip Megatrain tickets are only available at 12:45 which is much later than we wanted to leave Sohampton and doesn't get us back into London until about 2pm ... I feel we would be wasting about 3 hours of time that we could be utilizing for site seeing in London... and since we are only there one night... might not be worth the savings?? what do you think??

THANK YOU ..

[John Bull]

I feel we would be wasting about 3 hours of time that we could be utilizing for site seeing in London... and since we are only there one night... might not be worth the savings?? what do you think??

THANK YOU ..

 

Without using Megatrain both ways, there's little to be gained by using regular train tickets for the return to London.

 

Unless you used http://www.nationalexpress.com/coach/index.cfm for one or both journeys. Coach is from Southampton coach station (ignore cruise terminal, it doesn't apply to your cruise) to London Victoria coach station.

Or http://www.greyhounduk.com/ who operate a similar coach service from Southampton Town Quay to London (Buleid Way, Victoria).

Like megatrain, either of these coach services would be a big money-saver with "funfares" from as little as £1.

 

You could of course opt for megatrain out & private transfer back (expect to pay more than half the price of the return car transfers)

 

But from your point-of-view these options may simply be complicating matters for you.

 

I cruise for the itinerary, so sight-seeing time is important to me. In your circumstances I'd compare the extra cost of those three hours against the cost of the entire vacation - that kinda focuses the mind. ;)

 

JB :)

[Barbie075]

Curiseluv, I am hopeful we will hear from someone who has actually used the type of confirmation you recieved. That would make me a lot more comfortable. I certainly intend to take advantage of Megatrain when we do our cruise this fall. It is a huge difference in pricing. Barbie

[cruiseluv]

Barbie,

 

I also hope somebody with prior experience chimes in. If no answer comes on this thread I'll open a new thread. In any event, our cruise is in August so I'll post of our experience after we come back.

[4nlalaland]

Thanks again.... JB.. One more question... Would the private car trip back into the city take longer since it would be on a Friday about 10 am?? I live near L.A. and Fridays are usually alot more congested than other days.. Also if we decide to take the later megatrain and stay in Southampton for a few hours... What is there to do... how far is the downtown area from the dock? btw.. we will have our suitcases with us (one suitcase each).

Sorry I realize this is more than one question :)

[John Bull]

Thanks again.... JB.. One more question... Would the private car trip back into the city take longer since it would be on a Friday about 10 am?? I live near L.A. and Fridays are usually alot more congested than other days.. Also if we decide to take the later megatrain and stay in Southampton for a few hours... What is there to do... how far is the downtown area from the dock? btw.. we will have our suitcases with us (one suitcase each).

Sorry I realize this is more than one question :)

 

A Londoner's your best bet for the answer, but in my experience fridays going into London should not be a problem :cool:

You'll mebbe see the start of the exodus on the opposite carriageway.

 

All of Southampton's cruise terminals are close to the historic quarter & city centre. Not a tourist mecca, but certainly enough to keep you amused for a morning. City walls & historic houses, small maritime museum, aircraft museum, archaeological museum, huge shopping mall, traditional city mainstreet shopping. If luggage storage is a problem, you can store it at the De Vere Grand Harbour for £5 per piece.

Cruise ships / terminals on:

http://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/cruise_ship.asp

- click on the port maps header for a map of the locations

City sights on:

www.visit-southampton.co.uk

 

JB :)

[Globaliser]

... but the return trip Megatrain tickets are only available at 12:45 which is much later than we wanted to leave Sohampton and doesn't get us back into London until about 2pm ... I feel we would be wasting about 3 hours of time that we could be utilizing for site seeing in London

This is a precise example of one of the reasons why I have never yet booked a Megatrain ticket to get from Waterloo to Southampton, and why I can't foresee it happening any time soon.

 

When there's such a good, regular and frequent fast train service, I don't want to constrain myself to having to run my day according to Megatrain's schedule, to having to put up with and have to allow extra time for the fact that the ticket is travel-or-bust (with no flexibility even if you have just missed the train), and then on top of that to have to travel on a slow train.

[goldencup]

Just to mention that the Archaeological Museum in Southampton is now only open at weekends - I was disappointed myself recently!

[John Bull]

Just to mention that the Archaeological Museum in Southampton is now only open at weekends - I was disappointed myself recently!

 

Guessing you also missed out on the Tudor Merchant's House, closed for major work & scheduled to re-open at the end of this month

JB

[John Bull]

When there's such a good, regular and frequent fast train service, I don't want to constrain myself to having to run my day according to Megatrain's schedulequote]

 

Same for me, G. Most of my internal travel is planned short-term.

 

But different circumstances for different folks.

With cruisers having to pre-book dates for ships, flights, hotels, etc, they're not going to have the leeway to change their minds on dates & times anyway.

 

Two folk, total cost £8 one-way, or two folk total cost nearly £70 for potentially the same train.

Missed that train? Catch the next train 20-30 mins later. Means you've wasted £4 each.

Catch that train & you've saved £30 each.

I see it as a no-brainer.

Even with a journey time of 1hr 40 instead of 1hr 20.

 

JB :)

[4nlalaland]

This is a precise example of one of the reasons why I have never yet booked a Megatrain ticket to get from Waterloo to Southampton, and why I can't foresee it happening any time soon.

 

When there's such a good, regular and frequent fast train service, I don't want to constrain myself to having to run my day according to Megatrain's schedule, to having to put up with and have to allow extra time for the fact that the ticket is travel-or-bust (with no flexibility even if you have just missed the train), and then on top of that to have to travel on a slow train.

 

Is the Megatrain a slower train? I thought it was the same train just at a reduced price?

Do you just walk up and purchase your ticket when you are ready to leave? or are there pre-puchased tickets that you can use at any time?

Thanks

[John Bull]

Is the Megatrain a slower train? I thought it was the same train just at a reduced price?

Do you just walk up and purchase your ticket when you are ready to leave? or are there pre-puchased tickets that you can use at any time?

Thanks

 

Hang fire, everyone, my typing aint so good :D

 

All the So'ton / Waterloo trains are operated by South-West Trains.

 

Megatrain operates its own carriages (they're just as good) on only some of those trains, hence the much better frequency if buying regular tickets.

Yes, the trains which include megatrain carriages have more stops, hence journey time about 20 minutes slower.

Megatrain tickets are advance on-line only, & non-amendable.

 

For regular tickets

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

Before selecting, click on "include slower trains" to include those which include megatrain. You'll see that 12.55 train on the list - but don't pre-purchase regular tickets for that 12.55 train on this website, the price is £32 instead of £4 on the megatrain website. At £32, I think regular tickets are just a couple of pounds cheaper bought on-line rather than at the station, and I suspect that they're flexible.

 

Clear as mud :D

 

JB :)

[Globaliser]

But different circumstances for different folks.

Of course, which is why I emphasise that it's an illustration of one of my personal reasons.

 

It's also only one of them. Most of my ex-Southampton cruises have been Saturday sailings. This means that I can also use South West Trains' Weekend First offer, which can't be done with a Megatrain ticket.

Is the Megatrain a slower train? I thought it was the same train just at a reduced price?

During most of the day, South West Trains operates three direct trains each hour between Waterloo and Southampton.

 

Two of them are fast trains. These run at half hourly intervals, so the average wait for the next fast train is 15 minutes.

 

The third train is a slow train, which takes an extra 20 minutes or so. There's only one of these an hour. Typically, IME, it's been timed so that if the next train is the slow train, you might as well not bother with that one and get on the next fast train. And you can't usually get the Megatrain price on every hour's slow train; often I see Megatrain tickets on only one train every two hours (or sometimes even fewer than that).

[4nlalaland]

thanks for trying to clarify things for me... I have to admit it's still a little confusing:confused: I'm hoping this all makes sense when we are there..

I was just about to purchase the megatrain tickets but now I am a little concerned that I might not make it there since I read on another post that sometimes trains break down...are these the megatrains?? or are they just as dependable just maybe a little slower?

[John Bull]

thanks for trying to clarify things for me... I have to admit it's still a little confusing:confused: I'm hoping this all makes sense when we are there..

I was just about to purchase the megatrain tickets but now I am a little concerned that I might not make it there since I read on another post that sometimes trains break down...are these the megatrains?? or are they just as dependable just maybe a little slower?

 

Remember, megatrain hooks onto other operators' trains. All domestic trains are basically the same design & power & equally reliable. Fast services are fast cos they don't make as many stops.

 

Sometimes trains break down, sometimes cars break down, sometimes cruise ships break down.

Train breakdowns are quite uncommon, they tend to make the evening news. And apparently cc threads :rolleyes:

I'd rate the rail network on average more reliable than road vehicles.

 

Globaliser says "Typically, IME, it's been timed so that if the next train is the slow train, you might as well not bother with that one and get on the next fast train." In other words, a fast train which leaves Southampton 20 mins after the slow one gets to London about the same time.

Yep, that's broadly correct.

But it costs £32+ for a regular ticket on either train, instead of £4 on the slower train if you have a megatrain ticket

JB :)

[Globaliser]

... since I read on another post that sometimes trains break down...are these the megatrains?? or are they just as dependable just maybe a little slower?

Exactly what John Bull says. The trains on which Megatrain sells tickets are not special trains. They're just ordinary South West Trains services on which Megatrain has (in effect) chartered one carriage which it sells at cheap non-flexible fares. The train could break down, but then that inconveniences all those on board who are paying full fares as well. And a fast train could break down, too.

 

So as far as dependability is concerned, I wouldn't have any worries.

 

My personal preference for just turning up is a mixture (primarily) of flexibility, no advance thinking, no advance planning, do exactly what we feel like on the day of travel rather than running to someone else's schedule, plus Weekend First. On the morning of our last ex-Southampton cruise, I got stuck in the dry cleaners by a sudden massive thunderstorm for about half an hour. But no bother, no stress, no wondering whether we were going to miss our train ...

[pacmom]

this thread has been sooo helpful. During our precruise stay we will be visiting friends on Southampton on aMonday.....no luggage...megatrain tix for 2 came to $US 9.00. Looking forward to our trip in less than a month. Thanks for all the help. Pat

[Red Fox]

I read on another post that sometimes trains break down...are these the megatrains?? or are they just as dependable just maybe a little slower?

 

If it gives you any piece of mind the Class 444 trains that usually operate the Southampton-London Waterloo services recently won an industry award for most reliable trains in Great Britain. But delays can happen for a variety or reasons, same as using the M3 motorway to London.

 

Megatrain is basically a South West Trains brand for very cheap tickets on selected off peak trains, it's not a separate company or different trains. All they do is put a Megatrain label in one of the windows if they remember. Normal passengers can sit in the coach, you can just have the satisfaction of knowing you paid as little as £1.50 when others may have paid in the region of £30 for the privilege ;).

[june1]

Last August we took the megatrain from Victoria Station to Southhampton for 1GBP per person. I had ordered tickets for both the 9:30 and 10:30(about?) trains in case we missed the first one. There were only a few folks on the train. We both had a wheeled piece of luggage and a carry on. We took a cab from the station to the ship and I think it was about 5GBP. It was fun. I got my information from Simon and John Bull.

[scottbee]

Sometimes trains break down, sometimes cars break down, sometimes cruise ships break down.

Train breakdowns are quite uncommon, they tend to make the evening news. And apparently cc threads :rolleyes:

I'd rate the rail network on average more reliable than road vehicles.

 

This applies pretty much anywhere in Europe, there are way fewer variables on the train.

 

To give you an idea of how good European trains are; on the 600km run on Renfe's AVE from Madrid to Barcelona, if the train is more than 15 minutes late, you get a full refund.

[scottbee]

Last August we took the megatrain from Victoria Station to Southhampton for 1GBP per person. I had ordered tickets for both the 9:30 and 10:30(about?) trains in case we missed the first one. There were only a few folks on the train. We both had a wheeled piece of luggage and a carry on. We took a cab from the station to the ship and I think it was about 5GBP. It was fun. I got my information from Simon and John Bull.

 

Just a note here, if you're going to take a taxi to get to the train station anyway, take the SouthWest train from Waterloo, not Southern Line from Victoria. The trains from Victoria are once/hour and take 2½ hrs, whereas the trains from Waterloo are 3x/hour and take 1½ hrs. Even the train from Paddington (1/hr; change at Reading) is 1h40