Transfer: Southampton—London (incl. LHR/LGW) train, car, other?

[Flipflopsforever949]

Attempting to get back to heathrow (T4) from Cunard dock on 11/13.

Since National Express doesn't cover Terminal 4 I see I have two options
1. Take National Express for cheaper fare to T2/T3 and then either (a) Take Heathrow Express to T4 or (b) hire a cab at Heathrow to drive us to T4. I've read some horror stories about the heathrow express potentially taking an hour to transfer and that's not really time I can afford to wait. Coach would arrive at 1100 (to T2/T3) and our flight is at 1455 out of T4.
2. Hire a private/shared transfer for a more direct route.

Would cabs be willing to take us from T2/3 to T4 or is that too much of a "small trip" for them? Should I just hire the shared transfer and pay the extra money?

Edited October 17, 2022 by Flipflopsforever949

[d9704011]

1 hour ago, Flipflopsforever949 said:

Attempting to get back to heathrow (T4) from Cunard dock on 11/13.

Since National Express doesn't cover Terminal 4 I see I have two options
1. Take National Express for cheaper fare to T2/T3 and then either (a) Take Heathrow Express to T4 or (b) hire a cab at Heathrow to drive us to T4. I've read some horror stories about the heathrow express potentially taking an hour to transfer and that's not really time I can afford to wait. Coach would arrive at 1100 (to T2/T3) and our flight is at 1455 out of T4.
2. Hire a private/shared transfer for a more direct route.

Would cabs be willing to take us from T2/3 to T4 or is that too much of a "small trip" for them? Should I just hire the shared transfer and pay the extra money?

The Elizabeth Line runs from T2/3 to T4.

[KarmaCruisers]

(Haven’t read the entire thread)

we’re booked on a princess cruise out of Southhampton next June; having been to London/northern England before, the train struck me as the best option (we enjoyed riding from London up to Leeds)

Could this same thing be used to go from London -> Southhampton? (I assume the Waterloo Line) 

When we were there last Ubers were easy to get..but can the same be said about Southhampton? (Ie: ride the train down to Southhampton then transfer from Train Station to Port using Uber)

thanks in advance!

Edited October 31, 2022 by KarmaCruisers

[John Bull]

6 hours ago, KarmaCruisers said:

(Haven’t read the entire thread)

we’re booked on a princess cruise out of Southhampton next June; having been to London/northern England before, the train struck me as the best option (we enjoyed riding from London up to Leeds)

Could this same thing be used to go from London -> Southhampton? (I assume the Waterloo Line) 

When we were there last Ubers were easy to get..but can the same be said about Southhampton? (Ie: ride the train down to Southhampton then transfer from Train Station to Port using Uber)

thanks in advance!

 

Hi folks,

 

London Waterloo to Southampton Central (note spelling) by train is super-easy and can be super-cheap.

2 to 3 direct trains per hour, journey time about 90 minutes. 

 

Walk-up fares £49 pp, but if you pre-book about 6 to 8 weeks out, "advance fares" can be as low as £9.

The "advance fare" is not available for all of the trains, but still plenty of choice for cruisers.

And they're only good for the train time that you book - if you miss that train your tickets are trash and you'll have to buy fresh full-price tickets for the next one. Do a dummy booking for mid-December to see those cheap fares and restrictions.

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

(the end destination of your train will be Bournemouth or Weymouth - look for those places on the destination board at Waterloo station.)

You also have the option of an hourly train from London Victoria or a National Express bus from London Victoria coach station. Might be worth considering if your lodgings are in Victoria, but both take about 2 hours 30 mins.

 

Yes, Uber is available in Southampton. But Southampton Central station to any Princess cruise terminal is only a short hop, a taxi from the rank at the station will cost under £10 and avoids a lot of delay and faffing around with Uber (and Uber drivers will probably wait for a more worthwhile journey rather than such a short distance).

 

JB 🙂

 

[KarmaCruisers]

13 hours ago, John Bull said:

 

Hi folks,

 

London Waterloo to Southampton Central (note spelling) by train is super-easy and can be super-cheap.

2 to 3 direct trains per hour, journey time about 90 minutes. 

 

Walk-up fares £49 pp, but if you pre-book about 6 to 8 weeks out, "advance fares" can be as low as £9.

The "advance fare" is not available for all of the trains, but still plenty of choice for cruisers.

And they're only good for the train time that you book - if you miss that train your tickets are trash and you'll have to buy fresh full-price tickets for the next one. Do a dummy booking for mid-December to see those cheap fares and restrictions.

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

(the end destination of your train will be Bournemouth or Weymouth - look for those places on the destination board at Waterloo station.)

You also have the option of an hourly train from London Victoria or a National Express bus from London Victoria coach station. Might be worth considering if your lodgings are in Victoria, but both take about 2 hours 30 mins.

 

Yes, Uber is available in Southampton. But Southampton Central station to any Princess cruise terminal is only a short hop, a taxi from the rank at the station will cost under £10 and avoids a lot of delay and faffing around with Uber (and Uber drivers will probably wait for a more worthwhile journey rather than such a short distance).

 

JB 🙂

 

I think we’re going to stay in Covent Gardens (where we stayed before and enjoyed the area).

thanks for the tip about taxi and rail service! REALLY appreciate it!

[Coupe]

Where do you catch the train in London? Can you tKe a cab?

[Twickenham]

On 11/6/2022 at 8:49 PM, Coupe said:

Where do you catch the train in London? Can you tKe a cab?

 

To where? London has several large stations, serving different parts of the country.

 

All are easily accessible by cab.

[Coupe]

Where do you catch the train from London to Southhampton ?

[d9704011]

26 minutes ago, Coupe said:

Where do you catch the train from London to Southhampton ?

See post #454.

[alfiemom]

Should we spend 2 days or 3 days in Southampton before our 2023 TA?  Now - what should we see - suggestions are welcome.

[njkruzer]

2 minutes ago, alfiemom said:

Should we spend 2 days or 3 days in Southampton before our 2023 TA?  Now - what should we see - suggestions are welcome.

We spent 4 nts, 3 days, using it to visit other areas, using train to get to Salisbury to take hop on bus to Stonehenge,; train to Portsmouth and saw the Mary Rose exhibit. Ferry to Isle of Wight (sp?).  These are just suggestions. Lots to do.

[John Bull]

6 hours ago, alfiemom said:

Should we spend 2 days or 3 days in Southampton before our 2023 TA?  Now - what should we see - suggestions are welcome.

 

Southampton isn't a tourist city, but it does have a few sights of interest and a wide selection of shops, pubs, restaurants & other services which make it a good base. And it's a railway junction, with direct trains in 6 directions so your easiest and probably cheapest option is a Southampton hotel and day-trips by train to places like..............

- The Victorian seaside resort of Weymouth

- Historic Salisbury and its magnificent cathedral (and ho-ho from there to Stonehenge)

- Georgian Bath with its Roman baths and Jane Austen connections.

- Historic Winchester (the ancient capital of the kingdom of Wessex) and its 11thC cathedral.

- The dreaming spires of Oxford.

- The historic dockyard & ships of Portsmouth and seaside attractions of its conjoined resort city of Southsea with  promenade walks along The Solent with views of the Isle of Wight

- Or along the coast to bohemian Brighton.

 

Hourly or half-hourly direct trains on those routes, those destinations between 15 minutes and 90 minutes away, and return fares between £8 and £40.

https://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/

 

Also ferries across the Solent to the laid-back Isle of Wight which in many ways is still locked in the 1950's.

Or the little Hythe ferry across Southampton Water to Hythe and about 6 miles by taxi across a corner of the New Forest to Beaulieu.

 

If you rent a car for a day or two you can add places like the Jurassic coast of Dorset or much closer explore the little lanes of the New Forest.

 

Google those place, see what grabs you.

 

JB 🙂

Edited November 10, 2022 by John Bull

[alfiemom]

Thank you so much.  

[rapister]

hi everyone, 

if my flight is 9pm at Heathrow, 

does anyone have suggestions on what to do from disembarkation at Southampton til then? 

I believe disembarkation would be complete by 12 noon latest, for most cruises, I suppose.

Its gonna be tough as I will be dragging one large luggage about town.

Thanks! 

[John Bull]

15 hours ago, rapister said:

hi everyone, 

if my flight is 9pm at Heathrow, 

does anyone have suggestions on what to do from disembarkation at Southampton til then? 

I believe disembarkation would be complete by 12 noon latest, for most cruises, I suppose.

Its gonna be tough as I will be dragging one large luggage about town.

Thanks! 

 

Disembarkation is normally finished by 9.30, mebbe 10.00

 

International Friends is a long-established, respected and reliable coach (bus) tour operator.

For some years they've been offering a choice of three coach tour-transfers specifically for passengers on most cruises ending in Southampton. They're recommended by Cruise Critic members who've used them.

All three stop off at Heathrow around 5.30pm (ideally you'd want to be at Heathrow by 6 - 6.30) before continuing into central London for those spending post-cruise time in London.

Your luggage is loaded at the cruise terminal & unloaded at the airport. 

They're the first three tour-transfers on the Southampton page of

https://www.internationalfriends.co.uk/shore-excursions-and-cruise-transfers.html

 

Most-popular is Salisbury/Stonehenge/Windsor. Do buy your Stonehenge tickets with your tour tickets. To avoid over-crowding, numbers at Stonehenge are limited so don't rely on buying at the gate and those who buy in advance from the Stonehenge website have to select an arrival time in a half-hour window - ticket issued by coach operators (and the Salisbury/Stonehenge ho-ho buses) are for admission anytime. You might also want to buy tickets for Windsor Castle with your tour tickets to avoid a line, or you might just want to explore the town.

 

(On the same page they also offer private car tours & transfers, but a Southampton-based operator is probably better value for a simple airport transfer)

 

JB 🙂

 

Edited November 14, 2022 by John Bull

[Globaliser]

21 hours ago, rapister said:

Its gonna be tough as I will be dragging one large luggage about town.

 

Two ideas that immediately come to mind:

1. You could leave your bag at Waterloo while you explore central London on your own: https://www.excess-baggage.com/rail-station-stores.php. When you're ready to go out to Heathrow, just collect your bag and head out there.
2. Pay a company like Airportr to take your bag off you and check it in for you with your airline, so you don't have to see it again until after your flight.

[John Bull]

3 hours ago, Globaliser said:

 

Two ideas that immediately come to mind:

1. You could leave your bag at Waterloo while you explore central London on your own: https://www.excess-baggage.com/rail-station-stores.php. When you're ready to go out to Heathrow, just collect your bag and head out there.
2. Pay a company like Airportr to take your bag off you and check it in for you with your airline, so you don't have to see it again until after your flight.

 

To expand on G's answer .....

 

Taxi from any cruise terminal to Southampton Central train station is a maximum of 10 minutes / £10.

 

2 to 3 trains per hour to London Waterloo, journey time about 90 minutes. https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

Train fare anywhere between £10 and £50 pp, depending on time-of-day and whether you pre-purchase "advance" tickets - "advance" tickets are only good for the train time that you book, if you miss that train your tickets are trash & you'll have to buy fresh "walk up" tickets. Advance tickets available from about 10 weeks out - to see those fares do a dummy booking for a January date.

 

Stash luggage at the left-luggage facility at Waterloo station (like most train stations,  Southampton doesn't have left-luggage facilities, but main termini in London - including Waterloo - do).

 

15 minute walk across Westminster Bridge to Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Whitehall etc.

Or there's a ho-ho bus route on York Road, between Waterloo Station and Westminster Bridge.

 

The only flaw is that Heathrow from Waterloo station is difficult and on a weekday you'll be doing it at commuter time, when tube trains will be packed and road traffic congested. Those difficulties are much easier on a saturday, and dissolve on a sunday.

Choice of pre-booked private transfer, or The Tube (Metro system, involves one change of tube trains).

 

If this option appeals, quote the day-of-the-week and G or another Londoner can advise, particularly on Waterloo to Heathrow

 

JB 🙂

Edited November 14, 2022 by John Bull

[Globaliser]

1 hour ago, John Bull said:

The only flaw is that Heathrow from Waterloo station is difficult ...

 

If this option appeals, quote the day-of-the-week and G or another Londoner can advise, particularly on Waterloo to Heathrow

 

One obvious option for this now is Jubilee Line to Bond Street, Elizabeth Line to Heathrow. All should be step-free.

[FlyingAnchor]

Hello! We are staying in central London following our cruise ending in Southampton. I am looking at booking the Heathrow Express train from London to Heathrow the morning we are leaving. Does anyone know if the prices available online today (we are still 6 months away from our cruise) will go up between now and then? Currently quoting business class fare on the train for 64 pounds. If I wait to book until closer, do these prices typically increase on Heathrow Express trains? Please and thank you! 

[njkruzer]

9 minutes ago, FlyingAnchor said:

Hello! We are staying in central London following our cruise ending in Southampton. I am looking at booking the Heathrow Express train from London to Heathrow the morning we are leaving. Does anyone know if the prices available online today (we are still 6 months away from our cruise) will go up between now and then? Currently quoting business class fare on the train for 64 pounds. If I wait to book until closer, do these prices typically increase on Heathrow Express trains? Please and thank you! 

Just so you have something for comparison in October we used a car service from Heathrow to London. Cost was £59.  Used Meadway.  Very good.  Also used them to go from London to Southampton. 

[FlyingAnchor]

Just now, njkruzer said:

we used a car service from Heathrow to London

 Thank you for that! Truthfully, its the quick travel time from central London to Heathrow that is attracting us to the Heathrow Express! Not sure how long it will take in a car at rush hour in the morning!

[njkruzer]

1 minute ago, FlyingAnchor said:

 Thank you for that! Truthfully, its the quick travel time from central London to Heathrow that is attracting us to the Heathrow Express! Not sure how long it will take in a car at rush hour in the morning!

Understand but remember you have to add time to get to Heathrow Express from your hotel.  Best bet is to check with car service as to timing.

[FlyingAnchor]

10 minutes ago, njkruzer said:

emember you have to add time to get to Heathrow Express from your hotel.

Very true! I've sent Meadway an e-mail asking a few questions I have about their service but assuming all seems well based off of their answers, we'll probably just do this! Appreciate the suggestion! 

[njkruzer]

8 minutes ago, FlyingAnchor said:

Very true! I've sent Meadway an e-mail asking a few questions I have about their service but assuming all seems well based off of their answers, we'll probably just do this! Appreciate the suggestion! 

Glad i can help. Remember you'd be schlepping luggage to get to the express!  Never fun

[Globaliser]

 

1 hour ago, njkruzer said:

1 hour ago, FlyingAnchor said:

Truthfully, its the quick travel time from central London to Heathrow that is attracting us to the Heathrow Express! Not sure how long it will take in a car at rush hour in the morning!

Understand but remember you have to add time to get to Heathrow Express from your hotel.

 

The Heathrow Express doesn't really start in central London, so far as most tourists are concerned. Where exactly is the hotel?

 

There are other rail options that could make sense: both the Underground and the Elizabeth Line may potentially work, but again much depends on your personal circumstances and exactly what journey you're going to be making.

 

A road journey from (true) central London to Heathrow in the morning peak is unlikely to be that difficult, as most of it will be in the opposite direction from the heaviest traffic.