Where to stay for pre-cruise days before Southampton cruise?

[John Bull]

6 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

I went back to my (exhaustive) Roman UK notes. 😉

 

I have visited Portchester castle/Roman fort. I have also visited at least one other Roman fort on the so-called Saxon shore, at Dover (loved the Roman lighthouse there, one of the only ones still extant).

 

Not to mention Caerleon and Caerwent and most of the forts along Hadrian's Wall and the villas already mentioned. And (*ducking further*), Chichester, Silchester, Cirencester, and St. Albans/Verulamium.

 

While I would be happy to go back and visit just about any of these, the Isle of Wight would be completely new to me, including the Roman villa at Brading, so it's pretty high on my list. I wouldn't mind seeing Osborne as well.

 

At this point I am thinking of a couple of alternatives to just staying in Southampton proper:

 

-- Staying in Bath for 3-4 nights pre-cruise and leaving Isle of Wight for another visit.

 

-- Staying somewhere like Lymington (recommended to me as a charming place near Southampton) for 3-4 days and using the link from there to IoW, although it looks like the landing place (Yarmouth) is far from where I'd want to be Roman Villas, Osborne House). @John Bull will the buses and/or train get me around in a day?

 

 

 

 

Hey, waddaya know - a Roman site that I 've been to. Although admittedly it was more for Dover Castle than the lighthouse. 🙂

And I have to admit that I've been to Portchester Castle a couple of times. Same reason 😏

More proof that I'm a heathen  🤭

 

Yes, returning to Bath could be a worthwhile alternative.

Only you would know whether you could take a day out of a stay in Bath for the Isle of Wight (mebbe even lodging on the Island for a night or two), or put the Island on the back-burner.

 

I'm guessing that the Island's buses will get you round in a day, although arriving the evening before would give you an early start.

Osborne House (not Roman, hence I've visited 😏)  needs half a day.

 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/B2xXKRc1UitwVosJ6

On this map are the approx locations of what I think are the major Roman sites - Brading apparently comes high on the list, Newport is the island's capital and has a villa, Carisbrooke also has a Castle with Civil War connections, Brighstone & Gurnard  have sites, I haven't included Combey because it's minor and not convenient by bus.

https://www.iwhistory.org.uk/resourceassessment/iow Roman.pdf

Also on the map the Red Jet ferry terminal at Cowes (frequent buses to Newport, the hub for most Island bus routes) and the traditional Red Funnel ferry at East Cowes, convenient for buses (10-minute ride) to Osborne House.

Only one train line on the Island, Sandown to Ryde, unlikely  to be any use for you - by bus is the way to discover the Island.

------------------------------------------------

Lymington is a very pleasant yachties' town (yellow wellies not compulsory) and is easy by train to Southampton - half-hourly train from Lymington (harbour or town) to Brockenhurst, change to mainline train to Southampton. Total journey time 30 minutes.

But although that Red Funnel ferry to Yarmouth is at the wrong end of the Island, if there's no delay in the connection, the ferry from Lymington and a half-hourly bus to Newport will take only 10 - 15 minutes longer than Red Jet from Southampton & bus to Newport. 

So yes, it's a possible from either Southampton or Lymington, but IMHO better from an Island base.

 

JB 🙂

ps Yes, I've been to Hadrian's wall too.

As  interesting as Stonehenge. Take that whichever way you like  😄 

 

[cruisemom42]

4 hours ago, Harters said:

I found the course through FutureLearn, which I've done a few other courses through.

 

That's the one. It's one of the better produced online courses I've done. For Roman history second only to the wonderful Yale Online series on art & architecture of the Roman empire.

 

[Harters]

9 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

It's one of the better produced online courses I've done

It's actually the best FutureLearn course I've done. Really engaging. 

[SEA DOGY]

On 2/27/2024 at 4:05 AM, Harters said:

It's actually the best FutureLearn course I've done. Really engaging. 

Hello

we are taking a cruise out of Southampton arriving a day before can someone recommend  a nice hotel near the port ?    TIA 

 

[John Bull]

6 hours ago, SEA DOGY said:

Hello

we are taking a cruise out of Southampton arriving a day before can someone recommend  a nice hotel near the port ?    TIA 

 

 

This thread isn't about city centre hotels, you wouldn't like a long train or ferry ride to get to your ship 😏

 

Answered on your other thread.

 

JB 🙂

[BAYA]

On 2/21/2024 at 10:38 AM, cruisemom42 said:

Ideally it should be a place relatively simple to get to from Heathrow and also easy to get to Southampton. Bonus points if there are Roman ruins nearby. 😉

[snip] I also love Bath, but is it a bit out of the way? 

 

@cruisemom42 I'm so glad I found your thread because I have a similar question, but for Oct. 2025. My friend has never been anywhere in England and we're embarking on a transatlantic from Southampton. I've been to London several times and spent 2 or 3 nights in Bath 40 years ago on my first trip to England. I was thinking of making Windsor our base and doing a couple of day trips from there before we make our way to the cruise. Looking forward to hearing what you ultimately decided to do and how it went!

I'm going to read the full thread now. 😊

[BAYA]

23 minutes ago, BAYA said:

@cruisemom42 I'm so glad I found your thread because I have a similar question, but for Oct. 2025. [snip]

I'm going to read the full thread now. 😊

Oy. Now that I've read the entire thread and see how much is focused on Roman stuff I might be in the wrong place to post my question. Here goes anyway... 

We're probably flying into Heathrow. I want to show my friend some wonderful towns and sites instead of going to London. For ease of getting there from LHR and then sightseeing in our base town and doing day trips by train or bus, which is best as our base town? Southampton, Windsor, or Bath? 

[John Bull]

On 6/21/2024 at 4:19 PM, BAYA said:

 

We're probably flying into Heathrow. I want to show my friend some wonderful towns and sites instead of going to London. For ease of getting there from LHR and then sightseeing in our base town and doing day trips by train or bus, which is best as our base town? Southampton, Windsor, or Bath? 

 

 

Windsor wouldn't be a great choice if you don't have a car because the rail service is regional - to go any distance you'd have to take a local train to a mainline station like Slough. By car you wouldn't want to go in the London direction

 

Central London would be an awful choice if travelling by car due to congestion, parking, navigation and access charges. But a good location if you plan to take coach excursions cos there's a huge choice.

 

Bath if you're mainly interested in rural stuff, like the Cotswolds and the "west country" (SW England)

 

Southampton has great direct train links to places like the  Dorset coast, Bath, Salisbury (and from there by ho-ho to Stonehenge) Winchester, Portsmouth.

Also good by car to those places plus a multitude of others like the New Forest and rural Dorset or West Sussex, altho being on the south coast of course your limited to travelling 180 deg of the compass, not 360 deg (plus the Isle of Wight, ferries are cheap for foot-passengers but expensive with a car)

 

From LHR to Windsor is complicated by public transport, but it's only 8 miles so by pre-booked car is quick, easy & not too expensive.

From LHR to Bath means bus to Reading, or train or tube (metro) to London Paddington, for fast mainline trains to Bath

From LHR to Southampton by direct National Express coach (by train is complicated, relatively expensive & time-consuming).

Or of course by pre-booked private transfer to any.

 

But you'll get a better response if you start a new thread in this forum.

 

JB 🙂