How And Which Way Do You Travel To Southampton?

When booking a cruise, people spend hours upon hours researching the cruise ship, itinerary, cabin location and what time they want to dine.  What people tend to forget is getting to the port and depending where you live in the UK it sometimes not as straight forward as you think. So I thought I would use Southampton as an example and provide information of the best ways to get there from different areas around the UK.

Car

Probably the most popular and easiest way to get to Southampton but depending where you live in the UK you can have a very long return round trip, especially those living the northern parts of England and Scotland. One advantage is that you can fill the car up with all of your  luggage and if you use the meet & greet service at Southampton port all you need to do is drop it off at the Quay side and the next time you will see it is in your cabin. Approximate cost of 14 nights meet &  greet parking £115.

Train

Although probably quicker option than driving if you are travelling from various parts of the UK you will find that you will have to change trains possibly two or three times. Which is not very practical if you are going to take a lot of luggage. Also you are relying heavily on the trains running on time to make those connections, so then you maybe possibly looking to stop the night before in Southampton, which then adds to the expense. Southampton train station is approximate 1 mile from the port, but did you know there used to be a train station right next to the docks which was closed in 1966, with the increase in cruise travel do you think they would look to open a station at the docks again?

Coach

Cruise Connect and Eavesway  work with the major  cruise lines that depart Southampton picking up from the major towns and cities across the UK, including in the North of England, Scotland, Wales and East Anglia. Coaches drop you right oustside the cruise ship, they have great facilities on board and very good access for people who have mobility issues. The draw backs is there can be a lot of pick-ups en-route which means your journey time is increased, also pick-ups near to you are not neccesiarly in the town you live and can be at motorway service stations.

Plane

This a great option for people living further away in the likes of Scotland, Ireland and northern parts of England. Flybe offer flights from Aberdeen, Belfast, Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Manchester and Newcastle, along with services from the islands such as Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man. Although there is good services to fly from all of the UK, what you need to factor in is you need to book the flights early to get a good price and to fit in with your cruise departing. Also you need to remember on flights with Flybe you have to pay for your hold luggage, so if you like to take everything away with you this can add up. Airport is approximate 5 miles from the port so you will have additional expense for a taxi.

So which way do you travel to Southampton?

Would you consider an alternative way? Let us know