Airport Taxis?

[dastardley]

Hi,

The wife and I are flying into Southampton Airport for our cruise on the 11th Sept, we are due in at 10:25 am. Can anyone tell me what the situation is regarding taxis to the cruise terminal? Likely availability, travel time from airport to terminal etc.

 

Also does anyone know if there is a taxi rank at or close to the terminal for us to get a taxi back to the airport after the cruise is over.

 

We usually have flights booked by the travel agent along with our cruise and that normally included a coach from airport to terminal, but the people we used this time couldn't do the flights, so we had to find our own flights so no coach connection to and from the terminal this time.

 

We are left to our own devices.🙄

 

Any help greatly appreciated.

 

Kenny

[John Bull]

There are taxis at the airport - go to the taxi desk in the main hall.  If there's not one immediately available they'll whistle one up for you. Just one operator has the rights to taxi-on-demand, so a

little more expensive than pre-booking from the operator of your choice (even tho other operators have to pay fee). Or walk 100 yards to the train station & phone for a Uber.

Before Covid a taxi from the rank was about £22 compared to about £18 pre-booking another operator.

2 1/2 years of inflation and the big fuel price-hike will mean both are now higher.

About 7 miles, 12 to 20 minutes.

 

And Southampton is a friendly little single-terminal regional airport, expect to get through in very good time.

Assuming your flight is on-time, certainly no problem getting to the cruise terminal before lunch.

 

Much the same with taxis at the cruise terminal.

Lots of taxis, they go quickly but soon return to the back of the line because almost all their passengers want to go to coach or rail station or a city hotel.

Pre-booked private transfers are allowed, not sure about Uber.

 

JB 🙂

[dastardley]

Thanks John Bull, great reply  very informative and really helpful, much appreciated.

 

Kenny

[Aulanis]

Last twice we have been this year Southampton  was pretty much gridlocked.

I have heard other say that also  some sat in a bar or stayed a bit lateri in their hotel

until some of it had cleared.  Some walked it - quicker than the taxi but you have to be

fit enough to do that. 

Another consideration is that you dont say which  cruise terminal  - there are 4.

https://www.cruisehive.com/the-essential-guide-to-all-southampton-cruise-terminals/41251

 

My guess is that rank taxis will be metered  so if you get in a jam it can clock up.

Maybe better to get a fixed price.

If  you are  on the eastern dock terminals you can get  service bus from the airport   U1C

https://www.southamptonairport.com/to-from/by-bus/  

 However the stop we have used is about 1 mile to the furthest berth.

There maybe a stop that is nearer but we just use the one we know.

 

[John Bull]

13 hours ago, Aulanis said:

Last twice we have been this year Southampton  was pretty much gridlocked.

I have heard other say that also  some sat in a bar or stayed a bit lateri in their hotel

until some of it had cleared.  Some walked it - quicker than the taxi but you have to be

fit enough to do that. 

Another consideration is that you dont say which  cruise terminal  - there are 4.

https://www.cruisehive.com/the-essential-guide-to-all-southampton-cruise-terminals/41251

 

My guess is that rank taxis will be metered  so if you get in a jam it can clock up.

Maybe better to get a fixed price.

If  you are  on the eastern dock terminals you can get  service bus from the airport   U1C

https://www.southamptonairport.com/to-from/by-bus/  

 However the stop we have used is about 1 mile to the furthest berth.

There maybe a stop that is nearer but we just use the one we know.

 

 

Now five cruise terminals, Aulanis. 

The new "Horizon" Cruise terminal (still shown as the Fruit Terminal in the linked map 🙄) is between City and Mayflower terminals in what are called the New Docks or Western Docks.

https://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/admin/content/files/PDF_Downloads/Southampton Map 2014.pdf

 

If Dastardley (and Mutt? 😉) don't know which terminal, the cruise schedule is at   https://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/Live_Information/Shipping_Movements_and_Cruise_Ship_Schedule/Cruise_Ship_Schedule/

 

For reference, "Eastern Docks" includes QE 11 Cruise Terminal and Ocean Cruise Terminal.

That bus (No U1C) is to serve the Oceanography Centre (part of Southampton University) - yes it can be used by the public, yes it's sensibly walkable to Ocean Terminal from the stop in Town Quay altho' few do.

But QE 11 Terminal is deep in the docks - yes, about a mile from the bus stop & more importantly the docks road to it is busy with truck traffic and much of it has no separate pavement.

 

Same bus can be used for the other cruise terminals.

Cheap & very frequent, but involves a taxi hop from either the train station or West Quay. And slow - it goes via university campuses & takes close to an hour.

 https://www.unilinkbus.co.uk/services/UNIL/U1C

 

There's also the option of the train from Southampton Airport / Parkway to Southampton central station. Fast (about ten mins), again cheap & frequent, but then a taxi to the cruise terminals which wipes most of the savings.

 

Yes, taxis from the cruise terminals are metered.

I don't know about those from the airport.

Gridlock is a risk, but usually limited to saturdays.

 

JB 🙂