Getting from Gatwick to Southampton Pier

[SNAFL]

Need experienced advice. We are a party of five arriving Gatwick at 7:00 a.m. needing to get to the pier for our RCCL cruise. Have been quoted a price of 150 pounds. Some say too expensive some say reasonable. Please let me know if this is reasonable or not. Much prefer door to door versus taking the train. Any recommendations of car companies appreciated. Am currently booked with Marathon Taxis who I have to say were very responsive to my emails. Other quotes have come back much higher. Thank you.

[HeinBloed]

Need experienced advice. We are a party of five arriving Gatwick at 7:00 a.m. needing to get to the pier for our RCCL cruise. Have been quoted a price of 150 pounds. Some say too expensive some say reasonable. Please let me know if this is reasonable or not. Much prefer door to door versus taking the train. Any recommendations of car companies appreciated. Am currently booked with Marathon Taxis who I have to say were very responsive to my emails. Other quotes have come back much higher. Thank you.

 

Get a quote from them:

 

http://www.airlynx.co.uk/services.php

 

(we booked now 8 seater for 160 GBP to Heathrow)

 

and check them

 

http://www.westquaycars.com/index.asp

 

Accordng to their website it's 100 GBP. Last time I talked with a driver when he took us to Southampton Airport: they should have 7-seater as well but I do not know for the same price or not.

 

Regards,

HeinBloed

[handfordr]

Need experienced advice. We are a party of five arriving Gatwick at 7:00 a.m. needing to get to the pier for our RCCL cruise. Have been quoted a price of 150 pounds. Some say too expensive some say reasonable. Please let me know if this is reasonable or not. Much prefer door to door versus taking the train. Any recommendations of car companies appreciated. Am currently booked with Marathon Taxis who I have to say were very responsive to my emails. Other quotes have come back much higher. Thank you.

 

150 GBP seems reasonable to me for 5 people certainly with cruise luggage. There is a wide variances of prices, basically you pay for what you get. For airport pickups its also worth examing for hidden extra's like waiting times, car parking etc.

 

If price is important to you why not simply take the train to Southampton, most days there are hourly direct trains.

With five of you groupsave fares will make a big difference, i.e. if you waited for the 10:00 train 4 adult people travelling only cost 37 GBP, (the 8:00 or 9:00 train its peak fare is 74 GBP).

You'd still need a taxi at Southampton to the cruise terminal but this still only costs 6-8 GBP and you'll have much more room in the train than cramped into a car.

[jeannejj]

Try www.smithsforairports.com. I have used them, and they are reliable.

[saatchi]

We will be arriving Gatwich airport also at 7Am, will need transport to Southampton Pier....any suggestions....

[insidecabin]

If price is important to you why not simply take the train to Southampton, most days there are hourly direct trains.

With five of you groupsave fares will make a big difference, i.e. if you waited for the 10:00 train 4 adult people travelling only cost 37 GBP, (the 8:00 or 9:00 train its peak fare is 74 GBP).

You'd still need a taxi at Southampton to the cruise terminal but this still only costs 6-8 GBP and you'll have much more room in the train than cramped into a car.

£30 for 5 with the daysave offpeak

 

http://www.southernrailway.com/main.php?page_id=189

[scottbee]

For those looking for door to door, the train is pretty darn close. At Gatwick, you literally take an elevator down from the terminal building and you're on the platform. At Southampton, you could walk to the cruise ships, but most people take a cab for the less than 1 mile distance.

 

The train is also not sensitive to traffic delays to the same extent, and the seats are way more comfortable.

[John Bull]

I can only confirm what others have posted.

 

The rail station at Gatwick is as easy as the car pick-up road, the train takes about 2 hrs, from Southampton station it's a £5 or £10 taxi ride, depending on which of Southampton's 4 cruise terminals.

 

Provided that Marathon is aware that you are five plus ample luggage, then £150 seems reasonable for a large car or minibus. By car its 90mins to 2 hrs.

You have stacks & stacks of time so road delays won't be a problem, but the preferred route is all motorway & very boring - you could ask the driver to take the cross-country route for a little extra tip (its actually shorter & takes very little longer).

 

But the train is the obvious choice

 

Regards, John Bull

[saatchi]

Have been trying to get best way to get to Pier from Southampton and finding your advise has been most helpful...We are wondering about how to do with luggage. We are arriving on a Sunday hopefully at 7AM....how easy is to get to the train, and should will make advance reservations?? what ever you can suggest will be greatly appreciated....Thanks

[saatchi]

PS We are flying into Gatwick....

[scottbee]

Have been trying to get best way to get to Pier from Southampton and finding your advise has been most helpful...We are wondering about how to do with luggage. We are arriving on a Sunday hopefully at 7AM....how easy is to get to the train, and should will make advance reservations?? what ever you can suggest will be greatly appreciated....Thanks

 

If you can drag your luggage through an airport, you should be fine getting on the train. No need for advance reservations, although there may be a slight advantage for ticket price. Check http://www.southernrailway.com/ for more info. Generally you can only buy tickets 2 months in advance

[insidecabin]

Have been trying to get best way to get to Pier from Southampton and finding your advise has been most helpful...We are wondering about how to do with luggage. We are arriving on a Sunday hopefully at 7AM....how easy is to get to the train, and should will make advance reservations?? what ever you can suggest will be greatly appreciated....Thanks

 

SUNDAY, I thought no direct trains but looks like there are now.

 

I checked sun 20th June, might have be none for the winter schedule.

 

With a 7:00am landing you will have a minimal chance at the 8:09 but more likely the 9:09 from Gatwick.

 

At Gatwick the train is in the trerminal Building(south) North terminal requires a short transit by train(you can use a trolly for the bags)

 

At Southampton a Taxi is the easiest way.

 

The most you will pay is £10pp with the daysave ticket(any train on a Sun)

 

I cannot work out howto get cheaper on this route.

[saatchi]

Thanks for the info.....It look like it may work, just worried about the luggage, my husband is not to agile at this point....so we will pack light and won't be the best dressed on the cruise.....saatchi

[tally10]

Try Woodford Chaffeur Cars (www.woodfordchauffeurcars.co.uk or cherylfinch4@aol.co.uk). They go to and from all of the airports to all of the ports (Southampton, Dover, and Harwich) and also to central London Hotels. We have used them many times over the years and the are very flexible and dependable. They can handle individuals up to groups. We last used them on April 25 to get from Southampton to Heathrow as did a lot of other cruisers off of our transatlantic. They are owned by Cheryl and Bryan Finch and I cannot say enough good things about them. We have booked them again for our November cruise to get from Heathrow to Southampton.

[saatchi]

Thanks so much...I already contacted them to get a quote....

[saatchi]

Try Woodford Chaffeur Cars (www.woodfordchauffeurcars.co.uk or cherylfinch4@aol.co.uk). They go to and from all of the airports to all of the ports (Southampton, Dover, and Harwich) and also to central London Hotels. We have used them many times over the years and the are very flexible and dependable. They can handle individuals up to groups. We last used them on April 25 to get from Southampton to Heathrow as did a lot of other cruisers off of our transatlantic. They are owned by Cheryl and Bryan Finch and I cannot say enough good things about them. We have booked them again for our November cruise to get from Heathrow to Southampton.

Is it safe to give your CC info to them....

[tally10]

Is it safe to give your CC info to them....

 

We have had no problem with them although now we pay in pounds at the end of the drive. They probably let us do that because we have used them so many times, but you could email Cheryl and ask. I know all of the people off of the Independence of the Seas last month did so and had no problems (and they transported quite a few by van, car, minivan, and bus. I trust them completely. One of my fellow roll call members called them from Vancouver and gave it to Cheryl over the phone. I would have no problem doing that, but again, if you have concerns, just email Cheryl.