Help with car rental LHR to Southampton via Torquay

[Pearl64]

Hello,

 

We have decided to rent a car for our precruise visit to England prior to our Nautica cruise in July. We are arriving around 10 pm on July 11 and plan on staying at the Premier Inn at Terminal 5. Are there two hotels there and one is closer than the other? Are there any inside the terminal? If not, how do we get from LHR to the hotel? After a night's rest, we will pick up a rental, either Avis or Budget. We will then head to Torquay and spend two nights. On the 14th, we will head to either Southampton or Salisbury for the night. The next day we will drop off the car and head to the port. Is there a car rental dropoff at the port? If so, which ones?

 

Also, suggestions as to what to do for the two days in Torquay? Agatha Christie places? How long to spend in Salisbury if we decide on that option?

 

Driving times: LHR to Torquay--3-4 hours? Torquay to Southampton--3-4 hours Salisbury to Southampton--1 hour? Are these realistic provided we don't spend all our time in the roundabouts trying to figure out which arm to take.

 

We thought these options were better and offered more flexibility than heading into London just to spend the night. Rooms seem to be much more reasonable outside of London as well.

 

We are open to any suggestions. And, thank you in advance.

 

Pearl

[Cruisingthesuitelife]

Hi

 

Firstly, there are 2 Premier Inns at Heathrow - one near Terminal 5 and another further down Bath Road past the other end of the runway. I'd say the one with terminal 5 in the name is closer and probably most easily reached by taxi although there may be buses that drop there. The Sofitel is directly attached to T5 and is a lovely hotel but will be significantly more expensive.

 

There are drop off locations for some rental companies in Southampton, Avis and Budget are both near Eastleigh Airport which is out the city but you could get a train from there to Southampton Central and then a taxi to the port. I don't believe there are any at the port but the closest companies are Enterprise, Europcar or possibly Hertz.

 

With regards to driving times, definitely more 4 hours on the longer routes, especially at the time of year you will be there. I'd say an hour is about right for the shorter route but again, traffic plays a huge part and can cause delays.

 

Greenway House is in Churston, that's about a 30 minute drive from Torquay at the time of year you will be there. This was Agatha Christie's house and is now a National Trust property. There is also a 'Literary Trail' that you can follow through the English Riviera (Torquay, Paignton, Brixham and close surrounding areas) which take you to key locations relating to her books. Torquay Museum is home to the Agatha Christie gallery. With other activities and things to see in Torquay, it really depends on what you are into.

 

I know very little about Salisbury so can't really offer advice there.

 

Happy planning!

[Cruisingthesuitelife]

Also, this year there is this relating to Agatha Christie in Torquay:

 

http://www.englishriviera.co.uk/agathachristie/things-to-do/agatha-christie-mile-torquay-p1291663

[Bob++]

I am a little puzzled about Torquay. I guess that if you are avid Christie fans then that would be the reason, and Torquay is a nice place - The English Riviera. However, there are many tourist destinations closer to where you're going that don't involve a four hour schlep down the motorway.

 

Salisbury is mainly notable for the cathedral with a very tall steeple. It is well worth a visit, as is the picturesque town itself.

 

If you do stay in Torquay, you should really use the steam train, just as Chrisie did, to get to Greenway. http://www.paignton-steamrailway.co.uk/

[Pearl64]

The reason for going to Torquay is hopefully to visit friends. Since I taught a couple of Agatha Christie mysteries, I am interested in seeing some places connected to her. I understand it may be out of the way but we have seen the Cotswolds, Bath, and Stonehenge on a previous trip.

 

So, no car drop off at the port? How much would a taxi cost from the airport to the port?

 

Both Premier Inns have Terminal 5 in their name.very confusing. Since we are only sleeping and leaving the next am, we don't need luxury just clean and adequate.

 

Thanks.

 

Pearl

[John Bull]

Hi Pearl,

 

Your dates are Tuesday to Thursday, no grief with weekend traffic.

Heathrow to Torquay is something over 3 hours, with a choice of two routes - M4 & M5 motorways, or M3 motorway & A303 which is also mainly a divided highway.

Torquay to Salisbury is something under 2.5 hours. Or to Southampton it's something over 2.5 hours, again with a choice of two routes.

Southampton to Salisbury a little under an hour.

 

If you wanted to sight-see on your way through there are stax of options on all routes - for instance Stonehenge is on one of the LHR to Torquay routes.

 

Lots of choices from a base in Torquay:

- Around Dartmoor. Places like Widecombe-in-the-moor & Princetown. You could combine this with Buckfast Abbey, a Cistercian abbey until sacked by Henry V111, and later the home of Sir Francis Drake.

- Around Devon's South Hams, and places like Burgh Island (Agatha Christie connections), Salcombe, Slapton Sands, and Dartmouth.

- Spend the day in historic Plymouth.

- A circular drive across Dartmoor via Dartmeet & Two Bridges to Morwellham Quay, then into Cornwall to Callington & Saltash & back into Devon at Plymouth, then return to Torquay on the main road.

- Give the car a day off & take a combined historic train + boat + bus tour from Paignton to Dartmouth & Totnes.

- A lazy day in Torbay - the resort of Torquay itself, historic Cockington Forge, kiss-me-quick Paignton & the tourist's favourite fishing port of Brixham.

More options available, if you find that you screwed up your dates & have a fortnight to spare. ;)

 

Both Avis and particularly Budget are inconvenient in Southampton - Avis is at the airport (train, or a taxi at around £15 to £20, or a remarkably slow bus route to Southampton). Budget is beyond the airport, closer to the train station at Eastleigh than the one at the airport/parkway station but needs a taxi.

Hertz, Alamo, Europcar & National have depots close to the cruise terminals.

 

Navigating the long journeys is very straightforward in the main, but best to splash out on renting a GPS with the car, especially for that free day in Torquay and for any sight-seeing deviations.

 

Both Premier Inns at Heathrow are on Bath Road, not at terminal 5. You'll need the hotel hopper bus or local bus or taxi. I think the only hotel at T5 itself is Sofitel.

 

JB :)

Edited February 7, 2016 by John Bull

[Bob++]

GPS is essential but rental is ridiculously overpriced. I have seen on Tripadvisor where many people buy a GPS at home (with European maps) and sell it on their return. The loss in value being a lot less than the hire cost for a few days. It also gave them a chance to learn how to use it in familiar surroundings instead of a Heathrow car park after a long flight.

 

Of course, you should do your homework - maybe check out the well known auction sites for someone who did the same thing. As a guide Hertz charge £60 ($87) for the period of the hire. Amazon currently have a used Garmin with Europe maps on offer for $94.

 

Remember to look for an automatic as stick is the standard here.

Edited February 7, 2016 by Bob++

[Enforcer]

Hi

 

As a suggestion, either obtain or use the internet copy of the Highway Code.

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-highway-code/using-the-road-159-to-203

 

This particular section is about roundabouts.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Pete

[Cruisingthesuitelife]

I'd wary caution on short travel times, especially with unfamiliar routes. It may not be a weekend but a lot of tourists travel to the West Country in the summer months and this does cause huge traffic congestion, no matter what time of day or day of the week... take it from someone who lived in Torquay for 2 decades and still visits every few months!

Edited February 7, 2016 by Cruisingthesuitelife

[Cruisingthesuitelife]

Both Premier Inns at Heathrow are on Bath Road, not at terminal 5. You'll need the hotel hopper bus or local bus or taxi. I think the only hotel at T5 itself is Sofitel.

 

JB :)

 

Yes they may both be on Bath Road but one is significantly closer to T5 than the other.

[Cruisingthesuitelife]

These are the 3 Premier Inns within close proximity, listed in order of closest to T5:

 

[John Bull]

These are the 3 Premier Inns within close proximity, listed in order of closest to T5:

 

Yes, the Premier Inn closest to T5. But its name is rather misleading, could be interpreted as being at T5 whereas in reality, like the others, it's a bus/taxi ride away.

 

JB :)

 

ps Time to change your screen-name location?

Or move to Cumbria ?

;) ;)

Edited February 7, 2016 by John Bull

[Cruisingthesuitelife]

Yes, the Premier Inn closest to T5. But its name is rather misleading, could be interpreted as being at T5 whereas in reality, like the others, it's a bus/taxi ride away.

 

JB :)

 

ps Time to change your screen-name location?

Or move to Cumbria ?

;) ;)

 

I mentioned the location of T5 in my initial post. I'd only interpret it as AT T5 if I couldn't read...

 

I have no idea what you mean about screen-name location...

Edited February 7, 2016 by Cruisingthesuitelife

[PNW Traveler]

We visited Torquay a few years ago, staying at the Blue Haze hotel (good choice.) It was nice to stroll near the harbor. We toured the old abbey and ruins. It was interesting. Torquay was a good stop for a couple of days - very scenic and friendly and without tourist crowds.

[John Bull]

I mentioned the location of T5 in my initial post. I'd only interpret it as AT T5 if I couldn't read...

 

I have no idea what you mean about screen-name location...

 

Huh? :confused:

I wasn't criticising your post - I was criticising the name that Premier Inn had given to its hotel.

"Premier Inn Terminal 5" certainly suggests to me that it's at the terminal, not well over a mile away.

 

Misunderstood your location as a reference to floods. ;)

 

All explained? :)

 

JB :)

Edited February 7, 2016 by John Bull

[Pearl64]

Thank you for all responses. I am still confused about the hotel. I agree, John Bull, the hotel names could make it clearer. Also I appreciate all the suggestions for the Torquay area. We will allow enough time to drive to the various points. John Bull, you mentioned two routes to Torquay. Since we have seen Stonehenge, what is the other route?

 

We have investigated all the rental cars and what a difference in rates! Some $300 difference for the same thing. So, in light of that we are going with the most inconvenient one in Southampton--Avis! I can't imagine a taxi costing $200. My husband will drop me and the luggage off at the port and send him off to return the car. It should be easier for him without bags. Now we just need to figure out whether to spend the night in Southampton or Salisbury. I am leaning towards the latter. Thanks for the recommendation of the GPS. We did that for France but i still needed a physical map. We will get the 3 miles to 1 inch map for around $20- about the cost of one day of car rental GPS. I may try to download maps ahead of time.

 

One last question, I know there is a minimum age for renting a car, but is there a maximum? I noticed on one site, not Avis, that there was a clause for anyone over 70. I really don't want to be the one driving. I am better at navigating and DH is better at driving than navigating!

 

Thanks again.

 

Pearl

[John Bull]

Hi Pearl,

 

Simplest to say that at Heathrow you need Sofitel at T5 or you need local transportation, such as the hotel hoppa bus, to another hotel.

Hotels served by the hoppa are at http://www.heathrow.com/file_source/Heathrow/Static/PDF/Transport_and_directions/hotel-hoppa-all-terminals.pdf

Premier Inn is probably Britain's best chain for decent standards and comfy beds at sensible room rates.

 

From Heathrow to Torquay the most direct route is M3, & then A303 past Stonehenge. Salisbury is only about 8 miles off-route if you wanted to visit on your way through.

 

Alternatively the M4 toward South Wales, then the M5 past Bristol, is about 25 miles longer but 10 mins quicker because it's all three-lane motorway.

 

Both routes are pretty simple, both are pretty boring, but both have sight-seeing options off-route depending how late you want to leave & how much time you want to spend that day with your friends.

 

No, a taxi from Southampton airport will only cost you about £20. Or the train at £3, plus a short taxi hop from Southampton central station to ship.

 

Southampton has a much better selection of city centre hotels, restaurants, pubs etc. than Salisbury, and you could consider turning the car in on the 14th instead of next morning. On that cruise morning you'll have time to look around old town Southampton on foot, then a short taxi hop to your ship.

 

Salisbury is a smaller, more laid-back, more historic city - I like the place. More limited choice of hotels, restaurants etc, but they have character whereas most hotels in Southampton are modern national/international clones.

Consider the White Hart or Red Lion or Chapter House, and mebbe the Haunch of Venison for dinner. You could spend time in the city & at the cathedral before heading for your ship - but if you go to the ship, then take the car to the airport, then return to the ship you'd have to allow ample time. Since Salisbury to Southampton airport is pretty straightforward & involves no city traffic, I'd suggest going from Salisbury direct to the airport & taking a taxi from there to the ship.

 

Southampton or Salisbury? Pros & cons, perhaps go with your heart.

 

As Bob mentioned, renting a GPS with a rental car is a bit of a rip-off, same as elsewhere in the world. For a week or more it's worth buying one at around £70, but for 3 or 4 days I'd bite the bullet - or use a downloaded map on a GPS-linked phone.

Yes, a paper map to back-up the GPS.

 

By coincidence we're researching a rental car for an up-coming US road trip and are also finding one or two with an upper age limit. You & we will just have to watch for that in t's & c's.

 

JB :)

[Pearl64]

Thank you for all your efforts. You give us much food for thought. You give such detailed information. The last time you gave me advice you were spot on for taking the train to Southampton and buying wine! It is great that you are going to do a road trip in the US. Depending on where you are going, traffic can be a nightmare! and, you have the same issue but different sides of driving.

 

We are getting excited about our trip. Thanks again.

 

Pearl

[Bob++]

If you want to use a road map, you would do much better to buy one here. An up to date, 3 miles to the inch road map, will cost less than £5 in any filling station.

[Hatters cruiser]

Not every filling station, some have taken them off sale as the use of sat-navs and phone mapping apps has meant low sales.

[Enforcer]

Hi Pearl,

 

Ask Avis if they have a courtesy vehicle that can drop you off at the cruise terminal.

 

Pete