Best way to get from London to Southampton...

[garykool81]

I'll be on the Queen Mary 2 Westbound crossing on August 29, 2008. This will be our first time both in London as well as sailing onboard Queen Mary 2.

 

We're arriving one day before the ship sails and spending the night in London. Seeing as there is quite a bit of distance between London and Southampton, what is the best way to get down to the ship? Taxi? Train?

 

Anyone have any rough ideas on prices?

 

Thanks for the assistance!

[Kindlychap]

I'll be on the Queen Mary 2 Westbound crossing on August 29, 2008. This will be our first time both in London as well as sailing onboard Queen Mary 2.

 

We're arriving one day before the ship sails and spending the night in London. Seeing as there is quite a bit of distance between London and Southampton, what is the best way to get down to the ship? Taxi? Train?

 

Anyone have any rough ideas on prices?

 

Thanks for the assistance!

 

Bentley and driver, naturally.

 

More seriously, depends on your age, quantity of luggage, budget and laziness.

 

Train is fine - but you'll have to deal with the luggage and get a cab at each end. But the train from Waterloo to Southampton is supposed to be very efficient.

 

Cunard do coach connections, going from Victoria Coach station. Once you get to the bus then the next time you see your luggage will be in your cabin. Not a bad idea, but more expensive than the train.

 

A car service will be the easiest. Prices vary, depending on a lot of things. Woodford cars, who are based in Southampton, are reliable. They have varied cars going all the way to a Rolls Royce.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Matthew

[garykool81]

More seriously, depends on your age, quantity of luggage, budget and laziness.

 

Train is fine - but you'll have to deal with the luggage and get a cab at each end. But the train from Waterloo to Southampton is supposed to be very efficient.

 

Matthew -- Thanks for the advice! We're both in our mid-20s, so carrying our limited luggage (two carry-ons and a larger suitcase) is not a big problem. I've looked into the train...seems like the "mega train" service is quite reliable and cheap?

 

Cost isn't a huge factor, but I'd certainly opt for paying 8 GBP for a train over 150 GBP or more for private car :-)

 

One more question -- once you arrive at the Southampton station, are there taxis waiting, or would we need to arrange for one in advance??

 

Thanks!

[Kindlychap]

One more question -- once you arrive at the Southampton station, are there taxis waiting, or would we need to arrange for one in advance??

 

Given that I'm sure you'll have the sense to plan to arrive good and early, I'd not worry about pre-booking. Most stations have a cab rank - and if there isn't a cab ready I'm sure the railway staff will point you in the direction of the phone numbers you need.

 

Equally, given that there is a ship in, I guess cabbies will be busily queuing at the station - so it's unlikely you'll find a queue for the taxi anyhow.

 

The trouble with pre-booking is that you can never rely totally on trains. If you have a mobile phone you could get a cab number in advance and ring when you were 15 minutes away.

 

I've heard good reports of Megatrain.

 

However I have never not driven down - either we'll drive down and leave the car in Southampton (if we're both going and it is round trip Southampton), Kirsten will drive me down or we'll get a car and driver. We don't pack lightly however.

 

Matthew

[KarenR_UK]

Matthew -- Thanks for the advice! We're both in our mid-20s, so carrying our limited luggage (two carry-ons and a larger suitcase) is not a big problem. I've looked into the train...seems like the "mega train" service is quite reliable and cheap?

 

Cost isn't a huge factor, but I'd certainly opt for paying 8 GBP for a train over 150 GBP or more for private car :-)

 

One more question -- once you arrive at the Southampton station, are there taxis waiting, or would we need to arrange for one in advance??

 

Thanks!

 

There should be plenty of taxis waiting outside - by platform 1 last time I needed one from there (several years ago, but it can't have changed that much.

 

Karen

[3rdGenCunarder]

Matthew -- Thanks for the advice! We're both in our mid-20s, so carrying our limited luggage (two carry-ons and a larger suitcase) is not a big problem. I've looked into the train...seems like the "mega train" service is quite reliable and cheap?

 

Cost isn't a huge factor, but I'd certainly opt for paying 8 GBP for a train over 150 GBP or more for private car :-)

 

One more question -- once you arrive at the Southampton station, are there taxis waiting, or would we need to arrange for one in advance??

 

Thanks!

 

We have taken the train between London and Southampton a number of times. This route is largely a commuter train, and there is no luggage storage at the end of the car. Fortunately, we've taken the train at off-peak times, so people just put suitcases on the seats.

 

Megatrain's prices are great, but you can't buy the tickets from the US. If you find a way to get their website to accept your credit card, please post how you did it!

 

Taxis are available at Southampton. As Matthew said, they know when a ship is sailing. I can recall only one time when there were no taxis at the station. There was something going on in town and traffic was tied up. We waited about a minute before a taxi arrived. The driver kept apologizing for our wait, and we kept saying, "It was only one minute." And he continued to apologize.

 

Kathy

[garykool81]

We have taken the train between London and Southampton a number of times. This route is largely a commuter train, and there is no luggage storage at the end of the car. Fortunately, we've taken the train at off-peak times, so people just put suitcases on the seats.

 

Megatrain's prices are great, but you can't buy the tickets from the US. If you find a way to get their website to accept your credit card, please post how you did it!

 

1. Do you think with us headed out of London in the AM towards Southampton that the train would be a bit less busy than one headed into the city during morning rush hour? If not, what is considered "off peak" where there would be ample space for luggage? We'll have two carry-on size suitcases and a larger suitcase that normally would be checked for air travel.

 

2. I also have looked into Virgin's rail service -- is this a better option (although much more expensive) if we have luggage to take onboard, or are all the trains the same?

 

Thanks for everyone's assistance so far!

[ocngypz]

Up for a suggestion????

 

Don't go into London.

 

Upon arrival in the UK, head for Southampton. Easiest is the coach.

Southampton hotels are cheaper than London.... and you get to shake off the jetlag.. and arrive at the ship bright-eyed and raring to go.

 

This is exactly what I did for the 10/25 crossing. By 1 pm on day of sailing, I was unpacked and had finished lunch.

[garykool81]

Up for a suggestion????

 

Don't go into London.

 

Upon arrival in the UK, head for Southampton. Easiest is the coach.

Southampton hotels are cheaper than London.... and you get to shake off the jetlag.. and arrive at the ship bright-eyed and raring to go.

 

This is exactly what I did for the 10/25 crossing. By 1 pm on day of sailing, I was unpacked and had finished lunch.

 

Haha, a good idea, but silly little me has already booked a hotel in downtown. No worries on the jet lag -- we can shake that fairly quickly.

 

Looks like my options are either taxi, which is quite pricey, or rail (which I'd prefer as long as I know there is room for luggage).

[stowaway2k]

Looks like my options are either taxi, which is quite pricey, or rail (which I'd prefer as long as I know there is room for luggage)

 

On my Southwest train London-Southampton in Sept, there was the usual luggage area at the end of the car.

[garykool81]

On my Southwest train London-Southampton in Sept, there was the usual luggage area at the end of the car.

 

Is the luggage area at all secure, or is it just a "walk up" area where you toss your bags? Are there any issues with bags "stepping off the train without their owners" at all? :-)

 

Sorry...I get more paranoid every year, I think haha

[Kindlychap]

Is the luggage area at all secure, or is it just a "walk up" area where you toss your bags?

 

There is no way to secure luggage on a British train. You need to keep an eye on it yourself.

 

I've never heard of luggage going missing. And I spent six years commuting by rail.

 

Matthew

[exlondoner]

Just to clear up a misconception, all trains from Waterloo to Southampton are run by South West Trains. Megatrains is a booking company. It does not operate the trains. Book with them, and you will travel on a South West Trains train, I think in a specified coach. As you say, leaving London in the rush hour means the trains will be much less crowded and there will be space to spread your luggage around. Smaller cases, in fact, do fit on the luggage racks, but only smaller ones.

 

The train is a very pleasant way to get to Southampton, passing through quite a lot of pretty, typically Southern English countryside, not remotely dramatic, but pretty.

[Wadadli1]

Is the luggage area at all secure, or is it just a "walk up" area where you toss your bags? Are there any issues with bags "stepping off the train without their owners" at all? :-)

 

Sorry...I get more paranoid every year, I think haha

 

Child, you're going to have to relax before you are old before your time! :p

 

Just to let you know--we took the train from where we live down to NYC and the conductor told us to stash our bags in the back of the car. This was because there was a small area where they could be put and would be out of the way of the passengers. We were not sitting anywhere near them. No one paid them any mind, let alone entertained thoughts of taking a walk with them.

 

On the way home we sat closer to the bags (they were the same location), but that's only because we were too tired to move forward and find a better seat.

 

Oh, and we were off-peak and yet the train still filled up completely, so it was good that we put them back there, rather than on the nearby seats.

 

So compare this to England, which is much more civilised than those of us here in the Wild West, and I don't think you should worry so much. ;)

[3rdGenCunarder]

Just to clear up a misconception, all trains from Waterloo to Southampton are run by South West Trains. Megatrains is a booking company. It does not operate the trains. Book with them, and you will travel on a South West Trains train, I think in a specified coach. As you say, leaving London in the rush hour means the trains will be much less crowded and there will be space to spread your luggage around. Smaller cases, in fact, do fit on the luggage racks, but only smaller ones.

 

The train is a very pleasant way to get to Southampton, passing through quite a lot of pretty, typically Southern English countryside, not remotely dramatic, but pretty.

 

According to Megatrain, they have one coach attached to the South West train. You may leave their coach to pick up coffee at the buffet, but are expected to return to the Megatrain coach. I have no idea how they do it, but ticket prices start out at one pound each, then go up (like airfares) as more tickets are sold.

 

Kathy

[Calliope]

Last April I took the South West train from Waterloo to Southampton around 11 AM. There are numerous departures throughout the day. I opted for first class seating, which I think was well worth the extra spent. It seems to me as if the first class ticket purchased at the station minutes before the train departed was about 49.00 GBP. There was plenty of space for oversized luggage near the exit, but do be prepared to wrestle with what you bring yourself as there was no "red cap" to help. Also there was plenty of space to sit in the first class car; at no time during the trip was it more than half full. At the Southampton City Centre Station there were plenty of taxis available, and there were no ships sailing that day. If you do take the train make sure that you save your tcket until you leave the station. You must show the recently used train ticket to leave the platform.

[Kindlychap]

If you do take the train make sure that you save your tcket until you leave the station. You must show the recently used train ticket to leave the platform.

 

That's actually good advice generally when using the railway here. Automatic barriers at the exit are becoming increasingly common.

 

Matthew

[garykool81]

Thanks so much to everyone for the advice! I greatly appreciate it! We'll end up taking the train from Waterloo (not too far from our hotel in Kensington) down to Southampton. I am looking into Virgin and a few other "carriers" who attach their cars to the South West train.

 

Thanks again! You've all been very helpful!

[southwestie]

Thanks so much to everyone for the advice! I greatly appreciate it! We'll end up taking the train from Waterloo (not too far from our hotel in Kensington) down to Southampton. I am looking into Virgin and a few other "carriers" who attach their cars to the South West train.

 

Thanks again! You've all been very helpful!

 

The best way to do this is the mega train, we use this a lot due to silly prices and I cant resist buying tickets even if I use them lol.

You have to buy the megatrain in advance, the very lowest price is £1 london to southampton-its a coach added to the main train and is no different, but you use any unreserved seat on the train and when its quiet you upgrade to 1st class for £5 extra.

 

the price now depends on when you book, booking for the day you want is 45 days in advance go on line at 12 midnight uk time at there they are, as every 2 or 3 seats are sold the price increases.

 

and yes you have to get someone to book for you with a uk card, im sure thats not hard to do-.

 

Only 1 day in londay-enjoy it at your age jet lag is ok and you can see a lot of the city.

 

I just wish I could travel with so little baggage

 

rob

[Kindlychap]

Thanks so much to everyone for the advice! I greatly appreciate it! We'll end up taking the train from Waterloo (not too far from our hotel in Kensington) down to Southampton. I am looking into Virgin and a few other "carriers" who attach their cars to the South West train.

 

Thanks again! You've all been very helpful!

 

There are no coaches ("cars") added to the train - because the train is a multiple unit. I'm not sure where the Virgin angle comes from - save that you can buy tickets for any train from any operator. What they don't tell you is that the same website is underneath the operator's glossy exterior!

 

Matthew

[rebeccalouise]

Southampton is really charming. I would take the train there instead of spending the night in London.

 

I was really disappointed in London. I have been there before and had a wonderful time. Now it is full of immigrants. I literally didn't speak to an English person for the first 24 hours that I was there. I mean from the porter at the train station, to the front desk at my hotel, to the little corner shop, to the laudromat, at KFC, to the ticket counter to the pasty shop, to the London Eye. Not one person with an English accent. Very disappointing.

 

It wasn't until I went into a coffee shop on day two that I actually conversed with an English person. I did also talk to one English person at the IMAX. I am not kidding. If you want English charm- skip London!

[3rdGenCunarder]

There are no coaches ("cars") added to the train - because the train is a multiple unit. I'm not sure where the Virgin angle comes from - save that you can buy tickets for any train from any operator. What they don't tell you is that the same website is underneath the operator's glossy exterior!

 

Matthew

 

Yes, it's very confusing. When you go through the 'journey planner,' you have a choice of places to buy your ticket, but they all use the same checkout service. They try to hide this by changing the color scheme, but it's clearly the same company that handles the purchasing.

 

The megatrain website says that they put one of their cars on the South West train. I don't think Virgin has a train to Soton. If you look at the website for railtrack (I think that's the name), you can find a map of train companies, and you'll see that the trains to Soton are South West Trains.

 

Breaking up British Rail was an insane idea! Thank you Auntie Maggie!

 

Kathy

[garykool81]

I am noticing, as many other posters have commented on, that it is extremely difficult for a non-UK resident to buy advance train tickets. Between the websites such as MegaTrain not accepting US credit cards and other websites (Virgin, South West, etc.) requiring you to register your address (and ONLY accepting UK addresses) before purchasing a ticket, it seems like the only option is to go through a website specifically aimed at US-based travelers, such as Travelocity.

 

Is it really a problem to simply go to Waterloo and buy tickets at the station same-day? I understand there are typically "self serve" machines for those using credit cards. Or, is it a better idea to purchase in advance?

[southwestie]

I am noticing, as many other posters have commented on, that it is extremely difficult for a non-UK resident to buy advance train tickets. Between the websites such as MegaTrain not accepting US credit cards and other websites (Virgin, South West, etc.) requiring you to register your address (and ONLY accepting UK addresses) before purchasing a ticket, it seems like the only option is to go through a website specifically aimed at US-based travelers, such as Travelocity.

 

Is it really a problem to simply go to Waterloo and buy tickets at the station same-day? I understand there are typically "self serve" machines for those using credit cards. Or, is it a better idea to purchase in advance?

 

Hi

No problem whatsoever?

 

the only thing you get is the problem of what ticket to buy and the cost.

mega train is £1 upwards to buy on the day is costly

 

maybe £30 one way

try these sites

 

www.TheTrainLine.com

www.virgintrains.co.uk

good luck

why not try the coach service

www.nationalexpress.com

 

rob

[garykool81]

try these sites

 

www.TheTrainLine.com

www.virgintrains.co.uk

good luck

why not try the coach service

www.nationalexpress.com

 

rob

 

Unfortunately, those are all sites that cater exclusively to European or UK residents, as they require paper tickets to be shipped or a UK billing address in order to even make the purchase.

 

I wonder why they've made it so difficult for international travelers. I am beginning to agree with the skeptics that say it is done on purpose in order to force walk-up fares on those of us who could otherwise pre-book.

 

BritRail.com does *seem* like it should work, since the website appears to be targeted towards international travelers.