Most cruises departing from the UK go from Southampton. This Hampshire based cruise port ranked as the 6th busiest cruise port of Europe in 2019, seeing just short of 1.3 million cruise passengers embarking and disembarking mini cruises to Europe, cruises to the fjords and cruises to the Mediterannean, plus of course transatlantic crossings from the likes of Cunard, plus some repositioning cruises. Southampton can be somewhat confusing to get to however – this article should give you a few ideas as to how to get to Southampton for your cruise!
I’ll be covering travelling to Southampton by train, coach and air. Where I’ve talked about rail I’ve given options with as few changes as possible – obviously all details are correct at the time of writing but may be subject to change due to timetables or route changes.
Some useful sites to help you book your trip to Southampton are Raileasy, National Express and SkyScanner.
How to get to Southampton Cruise Port from London
Isn’t it weird how Southampton is often listed as London on itineraries, especially with American cruise lines? I feel like it’s having people on a bit, same as listing Le Havre as Paris! How far is Southampton cruise terminal from London, I hear you ask? Well, a good 90 miles from central London, which I suppose isn’t much by the American’s standards!
Get from London to Southampton by air
There’s not actually any flights to Southampton from London, it’s too close, but if you live further up north or across the water in Ireland it might be an option to fly into London and then get the train.
Get from London to Southampton by coach/bus
If you’re looking to get a coach or bus from central London to Southampton, National Express runs selected services from London Victoria Coach Station to Southampton Coach Station Harbour Parade. You can also catch the National Express direct to Southampton from London Heathrow and London Gatwick.
Get from London to Southampton by train
Train is to be honest the quickest and best way to get from London to Southampton. To get to Southampton cruise terminal from Heathrow airport, your best bet is to get the train from Heathrow Underground to London Waterloo, then get South West Railway from London Waterloo to Southampton Central.
If you’re coming from Central London, you can get direct trains to Southampton Central from London Waterloo (on South Western Railway) or London Victoria (on Southern services.)
Which train station is it for Southampton Cruise Terminal?
You’ll need to book train tickets to Southampton Central to get to your cruise. Southampton Central train station is about 1.5 miles from the Port of Southampton’s Ocean Terminal – this should take you around 10 minutes in a taxi – that shouldn’t be much more than £5 in an Uber.
Not on Uber? It’s brilliant for travelling abroad and easily booking taxis – especially when there’s language barriers!
If you’re staying in Southampton before your cruise, Southampton Central train station is in the city centre, a very short walk from some budget hotels including Ibis, Ibis Budget, Novotel Southampton.
