Southampton to Brighton Transfer Recommendations

[ClipperinSFO]

We are disembarking in Southampton from QM2 on a Saturday morning and heading straight for Brighton for a couple of days.  Any recommendations for how best to make the transfer?  I am assuming we should use car service, (the trains look slow and require changes), but we are in search of a recommended car service for the run.

 

Thanks in advance!

[Bob++]

The train takes a couple of hours and a car half-an-hour less. The train fare is around £18 each, plus the cost and hassle of getting to and from the stations at either end. A taxi will charge around £150 total, door to door.

 

https://www.aquacars.co.uk/  are a Portsmouth taxi firm but are frequently used by Southampton cruise passengers and well recommended

 

 

 

 

Edited October 17, 2022 by Bob++

[John Bull]

There's a  direct hourly train service from Southampton Central to Brighton main station, journey time 2hrs 20 mins.

Google reckons the journey time by car at 1 hr 25 mins, but if this is a summer saturday you can add half an hour or more - the last 20 miles will be slow. 

As per Bob's post, train fare £18.10 pp - add no more than £10 for a taxi ship-to-station, and £? at the Brighton end.

 

I reckon Bob's £150 for a pre-booked car from cruise terminal to destination is about right, and Aquacars are frequently used & recommended by Cruise Critic members.

 

So it's cost vs convenience

 

JB 🙂

[CGTNORMANDIE]

I have done this route by train and it was excellent.  We had 12 pieces of luggage with two elderly.  They couldn’t have been nicer.  We had help with the luggage at both ends and taxis were easy.

[ClipperinSFO]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

It's a mid-December Saturday. The cars are coming out quite expensive (GPB 150-200) and we are both relatively nimble with only one large bag and a couple of smaller ones each.  We are in no particular hurry, so the train journey looks to be quite appealing.  All I see are connections, either at Clapham Junction or Three Bridges.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

1 minute ago, ClipperinSFO said:

Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

It's a mid-December Saturday. The cars are coming out quite expensive (GPB 150-200) and we are both relatively nimble with only one large bag and a couple of smaller ones each.  We are in no particular hurry, so the train journey looks to be quite appealing.  All I see are connections, either at Clapham Junction or Three Bridges.

Keep looking but maybe no direct connections.  Transferring from our train to another is no problem.  The conductor will direct you.

[Cotswold Eagle]

6 hours ago, ClipperinSFO said:

 

 

It's a mid-December Saturday.  All I see are connections, either at Clapham Junction or Three Bridges.

Looking at both the 10th and 17th, this seems to be because of engineering work (or the possibility of engineering work), which is common for weekends. 
 

The xx.28 services are usually direct, as you will see from searching other Saturdays. 

[CGTNORMANDIE]

7 hours ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

Looking at both the 10th and 17th, this seems to be because of engineering work (or the possibility of engineering work), which is common for weekends. 
 

The xx.28 services are usually direct, as you will see from searching other Saturdays. 

Changing trains is no big deal.  Simply get off one and wait for the next.

[John Bull]

7 hours ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

Looking at both the 10th and 17th, this seems to be because of engineering work (or the possibility of engineering work), which is common for weekends. 
 

The xx.28 services are usually direct, as you will see from searching other Saturdays. 

 

 

Yes, I too saw the absence of direct trains mid-December, but presumed that the OP was looking at sometime next spring or summer.

 

Plenty of options, best by far are a single change at Three Bridges or Littlehampton. As well as being massively cheaper than via a change at Clapham, those changes are easier. 

A change at Three Bridges means using the elevators to get from one platform to the next. 

A change at Littlehampton is from train to bus (coach), using the same thru tickets.

 

JB 🙂

[ClipperinSFO]

Thanks again - esp versus the direct vs connecting trains info.  My only resistance to taking the train (and changing) is lugging around the various streamer trunks required for a crossing.  Car and driver came back at UKL195 which is a lot of money, so may be willing to do the lugging ourselves since we are in no rush.    

[CGTNORMANDIE]

On 10/25/2022 at 6:01 PM, ClipperinSFO said:

Thanks again - esp versus the direct vs connecting trains info.  My only resistance to taking the train (and changing) is lugging around the various streamer trunks required for a crossing.  Car and driver came back at UKL195 which is a lot of money, so may be willing to do the lugging ourselves since we are in no rush.    

We were given a luggage wagon at the station for our 12 pieces of luggage.  Just ask a station attendant.

[Cotswold Eagle]

6 hours ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

We were given a luggage wagon at the station for our 12 pieces of luggage.  Just ask a station attendant.

I am very happy that you had a good experience, but I fear you may be setting expectations too high for others! The days of railway porters with luggage carts for passengers are long gone on British railways and many stations do not even have luggage trolleys or any platform staff. 

 

Did you book (or ask for) assisted travel - this is generally for passengers with mobility issues, not just large amounts of luggage? As an aside 12 bags between two passengers (which I understand you had) would exceed the limit allowed under the National Rail Conditions of Travel, which is three items per traveller and which you are normally expected to be able to manage without additional help. I don't think I have ever seen this enforced, but staff would be entitled not to assist in such circumstances, 

 

A few additional details of your great experience would, I'm sure, be helpful for others.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

1 hour ago, Cotswold Eagle said:

I am very happy that you had a good experience, but I fear you may be setting expectations too high for others! The days of railway porters with luggage carts for passengers are long gone on British railways and many stations do not even have luggage trolleys or any platform staff. 

 

Did you book (or ask for) assisted travel - this is generally for passengers with mobility issues, not just large amounts of luggage? As an aside 12 bags between two passengers (which I understand you had) would exceed the limit allowed under the National Rail Conditions of Travel, which is three items per traveller and which you are normally expected to be able to manage without additional help. I don't think I have ever seen this enforced, but staff would be entitled not to assist in such circumstances, 

 

A few additional details of your great experience would, I'm sure, be helpful for others.

We were 4 people traveling on the Southern line from Brighton to Soto.  I went to the Brighton station the day before just to get the layout and talked to the ticket sales person.  I explained to her that I would be traveling with two elderly ladies and my wife.  The next day I arrived with everyone and baggage and she introduced me to a manager who gave me a luggage wagon and directed me to the right train.  I had to move the luggage and place it on the train.  The conductor on the train was most helpful and had called ahead to get help at Soto.  When we arrived at Soto there were two men who assisted with the luggage.  I think having elderly people and the fact that the train began in Brighton were helpful.  Perhaps it was the fact that I was traveling with two elderly ladies…aunt mid 80’s and DMIL who was 95.  I found the entire staff on the Southern Railway to be very courteous and helpful.  Now this was about 12 years ago.  Perhaps you are right…like everything else in this world that has gone to pot.  

[ClipperinSFO]

Thanks all. We have opted for the car transfer service to avoid changing trains with a lot of luggage. If there had been a direct train (or we had fewer bags) we definitely would have gone by rail, but really appreciate everyone’s input, it helped in evaluating the options. 

[Bob++]

When they are not on strike, we have found that railway staff are generally very helpful, although one does have to ask.

 

My wife is a powered wheelchair user and she regularly travels to Portsmouth on her own. We book assistance and they help with her single bag and put ramps up so she can drive onto the train. More often than not, she ends up in first class. Last summer, she had to change at Southampton and the lifts were out of order. Rather than let her struggle down and up the stairs, they diverted the train to her platform - much to the displeasure of all the people waiting on the scheduled platform.

[Twickenham]

On 12/10/2022 at 4:57 PM, Bob++ said:

Last summer, she had to change at Southampton and the lifts were out of order. Rather than let her struggle down and up the stairs, they diverted the train to her platform - much to the displeasure of all the people waiting on the scheduled platform.

 

Good for them. After reading several stories on the difficulties that wheelchair travelers have receiving adequate service (albeit for air travel), it's nice to see some genuine effort to accommodate.