Southampton ?'s and recommendations

[happy_travellers]

Hi

We have 24 hours in Southampton ahead of our Cruise on Apr 24th. I would love to know the sightseeing highlights (we are avid photographers) and recommendations for dinner and authentic local "pubs". We are staying at the Novotel.

 

After the cruise we will be taking the train to Bath, do I need to pre-book this (May 4th)? Would the 10 am train be the earliest I should strive for? Also after Bath we will take the train to London do I need to pre-book?

 

Thanks for any help and recommendations. Karen

[sddsddean]

JB will be along soon with lots of recommendations. However, regarding your 24 hours in Southampton, I think you have 2 basic choices.

1) Train to Salisbury and take the tour bus to see Stonehenge (if you are into stones!) http://www.thestonehengetour.info/ and return to Salisbury cathedral (tallest spire in UK, oldest mechanical clock in the world, original copy of Magna Carta etc).

 

2) train to Portsmouth harbour to see HMS Victory, Mary Rose, HMS Warrior (can't remember if its still there or if its moved! Age!!!!:rolleyes:), D Day museum, Spinnaker tower.

 

or you could go to Winchester for the day.

 

Like I said, JB will have more comprehensive info as he is from the area and has nothing better to do now that he is retired!:D (Don't worry, its all good clean fun!). He'll put you in the direction of hostelries too.

 

You should be able to get a walk up for the train to Bath, but I'd probably pre book Bath to London (Paddington) as this is the Great Western mainline.

 

Simon

[Bob++]

Let me put in a plug for Pompey (Portsmouth). It is a half-hour train ride and The Historic Dockyard is a short walk from the station. This in itself is worth a full day - You can go on board HMS Victory and see what it was like in an 18th century fighting ship where Horatio Nelson died after beating the combined Spanish/French fleet at Trafalgar. Hms Warrior was one of the first armour-plated, iron-hulled warships.

 

One of the most fascinating things there is The Mary Rose, which was found buried in silt at the bottom of the Solent after being sunk in July 1545. The remains are superbly displayed along with thousands of artifacts from the ship.

 

There are also several excellent cafés and restaurants to choose from.

Edited February 18, 2015 by Bob++

[John Bull]

JB will be along soon with lots of recommendations. However, regarding your 24 hours in Southampton, I think you have 2 basic choices.

1) Train to Salisbury and take the tour bus to see Stonehenge (if you are into stones!) http://www.thestonehengetour.info/ and return to Salisbury cathedral (tallest spire in UK, oldest mechanical clock in the world, original copy of Magna Carta etc).

 

2) train to Portsmouth harbour to see HMS Victory, Mary Rose, HMS Warrior (can't remember if its still there or if its moved! Age!!!!:rolleyes:), D Day museum, Spinnaker tower.

 

or you could go to Winchester for the day.

 

Like I said, JB will have more comprehensive info as he is from the area and has nothing better to do now that he is retired!:D (Don't worry, its all good clean fun!). He'll put you in the direction of hostelries too.

 

You should be able to get a walk up for the train to Bath, but I'd probably pre book Bath to London (Paddington) as this is the Great Western mainline.

 

Simon

 

Your problem, Simon, is that you are confusing "retired" with "housebound". ;)

Since I no longer have to slave over a hot steering wheel, I can go off & do my own thing 24/7 without the fear of being shattered next morning. :cool:

Or next afternoon, if I prefer to spend the morning in bed. :p

 

But, to business ...............

Southampton isn't a tourist city, though it has enough to keep a visitor occupied for half a day - old town sights, SeaCity museum, small but interesting aircraft museum, and such.

http://www.discoversouthampton.co.uk/visit

 

But the city is a railway junction, so there's a wide choice of places for a day-trip by train. (For many destinations a " day-return" ticket is similar cost to a one-way ticket).

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

Your hotel is across the road from Southampton central station.

 

Salisbury & Stonehenge is probably the most popular. As per Simon's post, train to Salisbury (half-hourly service, journey time 30 - 40 mins, day-return about £11) then ho-ho from Salisbury station to Stonehenge. In May the ho-ho is only an hourly service, choose a train time to coincide. Two hours is plenty for the Stones & the visitor centre. If the weather's fine, you might want to visit Old Sarum (an hour is plenty) on the way back to Salisbury, then spend the rest of the day in the historic centre, including the magnificent cathedral.

This is the same train route you'll take next day to Bath, though the service through to Bath is only hourly.

http://www.thestonehengetour.info/about

 

Like Bob, I'd probably go to Portsmouth, home of the Royal Navy, and the conjoined seaside resort of Southsea. Hourly direct train service (or more frequent with one simple change), about 40 minutes, about £11 day-return. Your destination is Portsmouth Harbour, after the main Portsmouth & Southsea station & at the end of the line. No more than 200 to 300 yards to the historic dockyard & ships. There's enough there to keep you busy all day, but the admission ticket allows unlimited re-admission so you can take a break. Gunwharf Quays shopping & leisure centre nearby, with its iconic Spinnaker Tower - only worthy of going up on a clear day. A 5 minute bus or taxi ride from Portsmouth Harbour to Southsea seafront, which looks across to the Isle of Wight. D-Day museum, adjacent small but free Southsea castle, & a range of seafront attractions. You might want to walk back to Portsmouth harbour along the seafront & past the Round Tower & Square Tower fortifications & the (not very impressive) cathedral - half an hour or more.

http://www.historicdockyard.co.uk/

 

Historic Winchester, with its ancient cathedral, is only a ten-minute train ride (3 trains per hour). Can be visited in morning or afternoon, or a lazy full day.

 

Further afield to Weymouth - hourly train service across the New Forest, past Poole Harbour & through the Dorset countryside. Weymouth is a Victorian seaside resort, wide esplanade along the bay & little streets behind. A popular destination for locals.

 

Or similar distance in the opposite direction to Chichester (cathedral, antique shops etc) or Arundel, with its castle & cathedral. (Half-mile walk or taxi ride into Arundel from the station, which is out-of-town.)

 

Or take a ferry to the yachtsmen's haven of Cowes, on the Isle of Wight.

Queen Victoria's Osborne House is a short bus ride from East Cowes, across the River Medina from Cowes.

Fast-ferry (foot passengers only) to Cowes, or traditional car/foot ferry to East Cowes. A chain ferry connects Cowes & East Cowes.

http://www.redfunnel.co.uk/

 

Check out Beaulieu, the other side of Southampton Water in a corner of the New Forest. The national motor museum, Bishop's Palace, Abbey ruins & more all on one site, plenty to entertain the whole family. Unfortunately out-of-season for the New Forest ho-ho buses or the beachbus, so the easiest way to get there is on the little Hythe Ferry from Southampton's town quay, then a 6 mile taxi ride (there's a rank at Hyth ferry pier). Arrange for the driver to collect you at the end of the day.

http://www.beaulieu.co.uk/

http://www.hytheferry.co.uk/

 

Stax more options if you rent a car for the day.

 

We tend to eat & drink in country pubs outside the city, so I'm no expert.

But consider

http://southampton-pubs.co.uk/dukeofwellington/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Lion_Inn,_Southampton

http://www.platformtavern.com/

All in the old part of town, below the Bargate & about a 15-minute walk (cut through / past West Quay Mall to the Bargate, other venues on the way & so much more pleasant than along West Quay Road, which is a boring & busy traffic artery)

 

Or if you prefer to walk the street & browse, there's a selection of pubs & restaurants clustered in Oxford Street.

http://www.oxfordstreetsouthampton.co.uk/

Walkable, though you might want to take a taxi back to your hotel.

JB :)

[happy_travellers]

OP here.

Thanks for all the valuable info. I was hoping there would be something of interest in Southampton but you have all given me great ideas .

 

Do I need to pre-book the train from Southampton to Bath for my departure day?

 

JB thanks for the pub links, looks like the Platform Pub has music on Friday nights so that might be something for us to do.

 

Any other ideas in Southampton would be appreciated or a name or a tour company.

Thanks again, Karen

[John Bull]

OP here.

Thanks for all the valuable info. I was hoping there would be something of interest in Southampton but you have all given me great ideas .

 

Do I need to pre-book the train from Southampton to Bath for my departure day?

 

JB thanks for the pub links, looks like the Platform Pub has music on Friday nights so that might be something for us to do.

 

Any other ideas in Southampton would be appreciated or a name or a tour company.

Thanks again, Karen

 

Definitely no need to pre-book train to Bath, but might be cheaper. Might also be subject to limitations eg travel only at the time you book for.

 

Red Lion is the most historic & quirky of the three, service & food a bit variable.

Duke of Wellington probably the best blend of food & surroundings.

Platform Tavern much the liveliest of the three.

 

If music pubs (rock, tributes, etc) are your scene, consider

http://www.the-brook.com/ (entry fee)

or

http://talkingheads.vticket.co.uk/ (often entry fee)

Both are more "spit & sawdust" than Platform Tavern, both are a short taxi ride.

 

The Leisure World complex - casino, cinema, restaurants (modern & fast-food) etc - is just a couple of hundred yards from your hotel. Not my scene, but might be yours.

 

No "tour companies" as such that I know of in Southampton - despite the number of cruise ships, Southampton is very much a turnaround port & rarely a port-of-call.

Several coach operators like

http://www.coliseumcoaches.co.uk/Tours/Day_Excursions/Overview

run day-trips, but their clientele are almost-entirely locals.

http://www.discoverthesouth.co.uk/ is an arm of West Quay Cars - their drivers aren't official guides, but are chosen for their knowledge of the sights and customer-friendly disposition. They can suggest destinations, or quote for your own ideas.

Or for guided walking tours of Southampton, check that http://www.discoversouthampton.co.uk/visit website.

 

JB :)

[sddsddean]

Your problem, Simon, is that you are confusing "retired" with "housebound". ;)

Since I no longer have to slave over a hot steering wheel, I can go off & do my own thing 24/7 without the fear of being shattered next morning. :cool:

Or next afternoon, if I prefer to spend the morning in bed. :p

 

 

Oh to be housebound! Only did the 327km today JB and the worst thing is, I know you are not the slightest bit jealous!!:D

 

Simon

[Helldog878]

JB-we are taking the train from Heathrow to Southhampton Centre to catch the cruise ship on the 9th of May. I am wondering if there is somewhere in the Centre I can purchase a 12 pack of water to take on the cruise ship or should I purchase it at the airport in Heathrow? Many thanks,

 

Emily

[LHT28]

JB-we are taking the train from Heathrow to Southhampton Centre to catch the cruise ship on the 9th of May. I am wondering if there is somewhere in the Centre I can purchase a 12 pack of water to take on the cruise ship or should I purchase it at the airport in Heathrow? Many thanks,

 

Emily

 

You could always just take a refillable water bottle & use the ship's water in the Lido

Save the cost of bottled water

 

YMMV

[John Bull]

JB-we are taking the train from Heathrow to Southhampton Centre to catch the cruise ship on the 9th of May. I am wondering if there is somewhere in the Centre I can purchase a 12 pack of water to take on the cruise ship or should I purchase it at the airport in Heathrow? Many thanks,

 

Emily

 

Hi Emily,

Expensive in places like Heathrow.

 

Plenty of stores in central Southampton if you're there the day before your cruise.

 

If you want to head straight from the station to your ship, there's a Co-op Welcome grocery store on the "wrong" side of the station.

Instead of using the station exit alongside your arrival platform, cross over the bridge (stairs or elevator) to exit on the other side of the station. Opposite the exit is a Costa coffee shop - the Welcome grocery store is on the corner of Wyndham Place, the road (not carpark entrance) to the right of Costa Coffee.

Also sells wines, soft drinks etc.

Taxi rank right by.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=Wyndham+Pl&hl=en&ll=50.908011,-1.412894&spn=0.000533,0.00247&sll=50.908231,-1.412972&sspn=0.001181,0.00247&geocode=FfjKCAMdSG3q_w%3BFfTLCAMd63Dq_w&oq=Wyndham+Place&t=h&dirflg=w&mra=dme&mrsp=0&sz=19&z=19&layer=c&cbll=50.90801,-1.412893&panoid=KRCOGi9YdksiV-Rq39XdHw&cbp=11,284.23,,1,0

 

JB :)

[navybankerteacher]

Hi Emily,

Expensive in places like Heathrow.

 

Plenty of stores in central Southampton if you're there the day before your cruise.

 

If you want to head straight from the station to your ship, there's a Co-op Welcome grocery store on the "wrong" side of the station.

Instead of using the station exit alongside your arrival platform, cross over the bridge (stairs or elevator) to exit on the other side of the station. Opposite the exit is a Costa coffee shop - the Welcome grocery store is on the corner of Wyndham Place, the road (not carpark entrance) to the right of Costa Coffee.

Also sells wines, soft drinks etc.

Taxi rank right by.

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=Wyndham+Pl&hl=en&ll=50.908011,-1.412894&spn=0.000533,0.00247&sll=50.908231,-1.412972&sspn=0.001181,0.00247&geocode=FfjKCAMdSG3q_w%3BFfTLCAMd63Dq_w&oq=Wyndham+Place&t=h&dirflg=w&mra=dme&mrsp=0&sz=19&z=19&layer=c&cbll=50.90801,-1.412893&panoid=KRCOGi9YdksiV-Rq39XdHw&cbp=11,284.23,,1,0

 

JB :)

 

Any suggestions for a small hotel November 4 prior to boarding QM2 for New York on the fifth? Prefer something with character, hopefully decent frestaurant or at least close to options. Anything comparable to the Pier in Harwich would be ideal.

[John Bull]

Duplicate post :o

Edited February 25, 2015 by John Bull

[John Bull]

Any suggestions for a small hotel November 4 prior to boarding QM2 for New York on the fifth? Prefer something with character, hopefully decent frestaurant or at least close to options. Anything comparable to the Pier in Harwich would be ideal.

 

Here's a couple of convenient boutique hotels in the same price range.

http://www.thepighotel.com/#2

Set in the city wall, a 5 to 10 min walk from City cruise terminal.

Beware TripAdvisor's location map - it's totally wrong :rolleyes:

The Pig is at

Green A on this map:

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=City+Cruise+Terminal+101,+Southampton,+Herbert+Walker+Avenue,+Southampton&daddr=THE+PIG-in+the+wall+Hotel,+Western+Esplanade,+Southampton+to:The+White+Star+Tavern,+Oxford+Street,+Southampton+to:Dolphin+Hotel,+High+Street,+Southampton+to:Cunard+Road,+Southampton&hl=en&ll=50.897674,-1.406014&spn=0.009392,0.019333&sll=50.897742,-1.410348&sspn=0.009392,0.019333&geocode=FaGtCAMdjGzq_yGGWezbqwSALilhiRi7uHZ0SDGGWezbqwSALg%3BFauoCAMdp4fq_yHJ7g95ZOHEiCnNsFgxyHZ0SDHJ7g95ZOHEiA%3BFRelCAMdeKrq_yGC_lv0tApMJSnpdGDGynZ0SDGC_lv0tApMJQ%3BFVysCAMdI5Xq_yGw_J3QyHYxsSnZBUYFtnZ0SDGw_J3QyHYxsQ%3BFYyWCAMdBKPq_yl7JLWDzHZ0SDH7oG-jNDm8mg&oq=Cunard+Road+Southampton&t=h&dirflg=w&mra=ls&z=16

 

Or

http://www.idealcollection.co.uk/whitestartavern#pageslide4

In Oxford Street, lots of eateries in the road.

A ten min walk from the Pig in the Wall & the same from Ocean cruise terminal.

Green B on the map

 

Or

A bigger hotel, an historic coaching inn in the High Street.

http://www.dolphin-southampton.com/index.html

The better rooms are in the same price range.

Green C on the map.

 

City Cruise terminal is green D on the map & Mayflower terminal beyond it, Ocean cruise terminal is green E on the map, QE11 terminal beyond it.

 

JB :)

[Scriv]

Agreeing completely with all the suggestions above, another activity in Portsmouth if the weather is suitable are the Portsmouth Harbour trips from Gun Wharf Quay: http://www.portsmouth-boat-trips.co.uk/

Edited February 26, 2015 by Scriv

[surebeatssailing]

We will be staying in Southampton for 1 night in September before our cruise starts. Looking at hotels---any personal experience with the Grand Harbour Hotel or any other suggestions?

[FritzG]

We will be staying in Southampton for 1 night in September before our cruise starts. Looking at hotels---any personal experience with the Grand Harbour Hotel or any other suggestions?

 

We stayed at the Grand Harbor last September, and we were very pleased with it. Our rooms were very clean, large, and well decorated. The breakfast buffet was terrific, and the staff was friendly and helpful. It gets a bit busy at the front desk during check-in time, but that is to be expected. We'll be booking soon for our trip in August. It is within walking distance of the historic area and to the huge shopping mall, too. Some rooms face the harbor so you can watch your ship arrive in the morning.

 

We've stayed at the Holiday Inn in the past, but it was very tired, somewhat dirty, and generally unpleasant. They did have a good breakfast, but other than that we'd never stay there again.

 

We had a large CC Roll Call group dinner, and several people were staying at the Premier Inn. They were all happy with it, but we prefer a full service hotel.

[surebeatssailing]

Thanks FRITZG...since we had no responses initially we decided on the Novatel. Hope this is an OK place. So many decisions.

[scottie99]

Thanks FRITZG...since we had no responses initially we decided on the Novatel. Hope this is an OK place. So many decisions.

 

We have stayed there a few times, it's nice, clean , modern and convenient!

[tright]

We will be taking a cruise out of Southampton we have never been to UK before. How close is London to the Southampton port is it possible to stay in Southampton and take a day sightseeing in London?

[Darcy15]

Southampton is about 80 miles from London :)

 

Train or coach should make a day trip fairly easy -

 

 

http://www.thetrainline.com

 

 

http://www.nationalexpress.com/home.aspx

[John Bull]

We will be taking a cruise out of Southampton we have never been to UK before. How close is London to the Southampton port is it possible to stay in Southampton and take a day sightseeing in London?

 

Southampton to London is quite an expensive and/or time-consuming day.

 

I'm guessing you'll be flying into London Heathrow or London Gatwick airport. Most folk go explore London direct from the airport & travel to Southampton a day or three later. Or post-cruise, travel to London for a few days before flying home.

 

Or if you want to put London on the back-burner for some future visit, use your time in Southampton to visit the more-local places earlier in this thread.

.......................................................................

 

But if you want to visit London on a day-trip from Southampton, brew a coffee, open a large jar of headache pills, and choose from these options:

 

By National Express bus http://www.nationalexpress.com/home.aspx

Southampton (coach station) to London (Victoria coach station)

Advance booking strongly recommended.

Can be quite cheap, no more than £12 e/w & often cheaper but it's up to 2 hrs 30 mins e/w.

So for example depart Southampton 7.10am, get back 9pm will give you about 8hrs 30 mins in London out of a 14-hour day.

 

 

By train. Darcy's link or my preference http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

Southampton central to London Waterloo.

Journey time about 90 minutes, about 3 trains per hour.

It's either

- expensive at about £80 standard return with an early start.

For example a 7.30am departure &, say, a 6.35pm return (gets you back before 8pm) would give you about 9hrs 30 mins in London

- or a "cheap day-return" costs about £43, but you can't take a train before 9.00am, so you won't be in London til 10.23am. If you returned to Southampton on that 6.35pm train you'd have about 8 hrs in London.

That train time back to Southampton just as an example, with either a standard ticket or a cheap day-return you can return to Southampton on any train, they run til about 11.30pm

You can buy tickets at the station, or a standard return might be a little cheaper pre-booked.

 

Or, more complicated, to London by bus at under £12 or train as early as you like at £40. Then back to Southampton by train with a ticket pre-booked via http://uk.megabus.com/megatrain.aspx for as little as about £7. But Megatrain tickets are only available for a few trains, none on Sundays, none in the mornings from Southampton to London, and the only train London to Southampton that would suit your day departs London 9.39pm & gets you back to Southampton at 11.17pm.

 

So it can be as expensive as £80 each, or under £20 each, or somewhere in-between.

 

Complicated, innit :rolleyes:

It's because a lot of commuters & business people travel by train from the Southampton area to London, so there are no cheap train deals at commuter time.

 

Check out those bus & train timetables, then its time for another coffee & another pill. ;)

 

JB :)

[photorere]

We are going on a cruise from Southampton in September on Princess. After taking the princess transfer from our London (overnight) hotel, once, we decided that it was worth taking a private car from the airport to Southampton and stay overnight there rather than in London. I found a very reasonable small hotel...Hunter's lodge, a few miles from the cruise terminal. The lodge looks lovely and has great reviews. I also booked a private car for two people from the airport to the hotel in Southampton for $110 from smithsforairports.com. Princess charges $59 pp for the long bus ride from Victoria station to the cruise port and if you stay in London, overnight, on your own, you have to get to Victoria station. Yes, we will have to take a taxi to the cruise port but it is only a few miles away...getting picked up at the airport and driven in a little over an hour in a car is so much better. That bus transfer takes forever and stops at some rest stop for 1/2 hour...what a waste of time! Good luck with your plans.

[tartanexile81]

You could always just take a refillable water bottle & use the ship's water in the Lido

Save the cost of bottled water

 

YMMV

 

You could - but then you'd be drinking water that tastes like bleach IMO. :) Also you are asked not to fill bottles in the buffet so as not to set off infections

 

If you want to head straight from the station to your ship, there's a Co-op Welcome grocery store on the "wrong" side of the station.

Instead of using the station exit alongside your arrival platform, cross over the bridge (stairs or elevator) to exit on the other side of the station. Opposite the exit is a Costa coffee shop - the Welcome grocery store is on the corner of Wyndham Place, the road (not carpark entrance) to the right of Costa Coffee.

Also sells wines, soft drinks etc.

 

 

JB :)

 

Is there an ATM in the store do you know or even one nearby?

Edited April 21, 2015 by tartanexile81

[Bob++]

Is there an ATM in the store do you know or even one nearby?

 

There is one near the Costa Coffee shop I think. ATMs are very common - just watch out for the ones that make a charge.

[John Bull]

 

 

 

Is there an ATM in the store do you know or even one nearby?

 

There's a free ATM right next door to that little Co-op store :)

 

JB :)

 

Marie - there's not normally a stop on London-Southampton transfers. Sounds like a driver who fouled-up his driving hours prior to that transfer & was legally obliged to take a break.

Hunters Lodge is a very well-respected B&B. Only a five minute drive from the city centre or cruise terminals, but in a residential area so little other than a couple of local pubs within easy walking distance.

Edited April 21, 2015 by John Bull