Southampton to london transfer advice

[Temeculaguy]

We have a transatlantic in May that ends in Southampton, England. We have a hotel booked for a week post cruise in London. We are three couples, one couple is flying home the same day we dock, probably from Heathrow, the other two are staying in London. I'm the logistics guy in the group and the port is 80 miles from London. Bus, train or private van? It docks early am so traffic is an issue for cars and busses but trains /tubes are an issue for luggage. Hotel (Cheval three quays) isn't near the train or bus terminus it is near tower of london so a taxi or uber will be needed to finish that journey, train terminus is much closer than the bus terminus. Car service looks on par price wise for six if we can drop two at Heathrow but reviews are minimal and scant for private transport. Royal doesn't list a transfer option to hotels, wouldn't mind a visit to Windsor Castle while traffic subsides, they do offer that but it ends at Heathrow, far from the hotel. It's the last item on the agenda for trip planning, any suggestions appreciated.

[Traveling Mike]

1. I used International Friends for my transfer.  I got a tour of Salisbury Cathedral, Stonehenge and Windsor Castle and they dropped me off at my hotel.  I also did another tour with them while I was in London to the Harry Potter Studios and Cambridge.  That was a great tour.  You can see their information at Shore Excursions and Cruise Transfers | International Friends

[Lovetocruise2002]

If you are looking for a car service, we used Blackberry Cars this past summer when sailing from Southampton and I really liked them.  @GregDused them as well.

[StayFrosty]

If you want to take the train (it is probably what I would do but I am a train guy), most service from Southampton Central goes to London Waterloo.  From there you can follow the signs on the platform and go right downstairs to the Waterloo and City Line.  This only goes one stop to Bank.  From there it is an easy walk to your hotel.  Or you can take a cab.

If you do Royal's Windsor Castle excursion that is fine. At Heathrow, get on the Elizabeth Line and take it to Liverpool Street.  From there take a cab, walk, or the Circle line 3 stops to your hotel(practically on its doorstep). Each option takes roughly the same amount to time.

I realize the public transit option isn't everyone's cup of tea but I am a big proponent of public transit so I usually put my money where my mouth is.

[DoomSlayer]

I have never done a cruise like that, but have traveled extensively through England for work and play. The trains are good, but can be overwhelming if you have a lot of luggage.  Be sure to get some pounds before your trip for final transfers by taxi. I usually carry about 200 ponds with me to cover taxis and incidentals.  Once you get to your hotel, you can go to a post office and get more pounds at a better exchange rate than you would get stateside.

When traveling as a group, hiring a van and driver was always better for us. It may have cost more, but we never had to worry about directions and it was more relaxing after the flight.  I would probably choose this option if it’s your first time there and you have a lot of luggage. 

[GregD]

Like @Lovetocruise2002 said, we used Blackberry Cars. They were very easy to work with. FWIW, traffic can be a mess at all hours so paying a premium for your transfer for a visit Windsor to avoid traffic may not work in your favor. For our return trip from the cruise port to our hotel we actually didn't hit any traffic. Windsor is very easy to get to from London itself as well.

 

[Temeculaguy]

Thank you all, I never found blackberry or international friends in my searches so I will look at both, we usually take a private service to get to/from airports or docks because the group includes some who are slower, especially on stairs and getting in the way of commuters can create anxiety for them. We also have lots of luggage, however we have in room washer and dryer at the london hotel which is more of a condo and we will use royal's laundry service on board probably 2-3 times so I am planning our less than normal obscene amounts of luggage for a trip that is 23 days long, yet it is still a large suitcase and a carry on per person. We will use public transport for moving about the city, our tube stop looks to be tower hill on the circle line (you are correct frosty)  and we dock on a Friday and might be getting there at mid day so maybe the commuters wont be bothered by our luggage. But like doomslayer said, it is our first time there so the car service might be what the group votes for. We took the train from Anchorage to Seward a few months ago but 99% of those on the train were going on a cruise and that railroad had it down to a science as far as luggage goes with shuttles waiting for you at the depot in Seward. I can easily forgo the side trips, I just figured we will be disembarking so we wont be tired from a flight and might be in the mood but that is a good tip on the traffic being unpredictable. I am glad I asked this question, this was the right place to ask.