Train and taxi to Southampton cruise: when it makes sense

Train + taxi to Southampton cruise terminal is the no-driving option. The train brings you to Southampton Central; a taxi covers the last mile to the cruise terminal. This page covers when it makes sense and when driving is the better choice.

How the train + taxi pattern works

Southampton Central station is the main railway hub for the city. The five Southampton cruise terminals are 1 to 2 miles from the station, all reachable by a short taxi.

From the station:

• Ocean Cruise Terminal: about 1.5 miles.
• QEII Cruise Terminal: about 1.8 miles.
• City Cruise Terminal: about 1.2 miles.
• Mayflower Cruise Terminal: about 1.5 miles.
• Horizon Cruise Terminal: about 1 mile.

Taxi cost: around £8 to £15 to any cruise terminal.

Where the train comes from

Southampton Central is on the South Western Main Line. Direct trains from:

• London Waterloo: 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Reading: 1 hour 15 minutes.
• Bournemouth: 30 minutes.
• Salisbury: 25 minutes.
• Portsmouth (via Eastleigh): 1 hour 15 minutes.

For longer journeys, change at Reading (for Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow / Edinburgh) or London (for everywhere else).

When the train + taxi pattern suits

A few situations where this works well:

Solo or couple cruise customers without significant luggage. The train works fine for 1-2 cases. The taxi handles them at the cruise terminal end.

Cruise customers without a car. Self-explanatory; train is the standard transport for non-drivers in the UK.

Cruise customers from rail-served cities. Customers from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham who would otherwise face a very long drive sometimes prefer the train.

Customers with a clear cruise itinerary that does not require a car at the end. Some customers do not return to Southampton (one-way fly-cruise) and the car at home is the right place to leave it.

When driving is the better option

Most other situations:

• Families with significant luggage.
• Customers who plan to drive home from the cruise.
• Customers in areas not well-served by direct trains.
• Cost-sensitive customers (cruise parking is often cheaper than two train fares).

Cost comparison

A rough comparison for a return trip from London for two adults with the standard pattern:

Train + taxi:

• 2x return train fares London-Southampton: £80 to £150 depending on time and class.
• 2x taxis (station to cruise terminal): £16 to £30.
• Total: £96 to £180.

Drive + park:

• Petrol round-trip from London: £30 to £45.
• 7-day Park & Ride parking: £55 to £75.
• Total: £85 to £120.

Driving is usually cheaper for a couple. For a solo cruiser, the train cost halves but the parking cost is the same; the comparison gets closer.

For 4-person family groups, driving is meaningfully cheaper than 4 train fares.

Cruise day timing with the train

The train arrival at Southampton Central plus the taxi takes 15 to 25 minutes including the change. Working backwards from a 4 pm sail-away:

• 2:30 pm: at the cruise terminal.
• 2:05 pm: take the taxi from the station.
• 2:00 pm: train arrives at Southampton Central.
• 12:45 pm: train leaves London Waterloo.

For peak Saturday cruises in summer, the trains can be crowded. Booking a seat in advance is sensible.

Where the bags go

For cruise customers using train + taxi, the bag flow is:

• Train to Southampton Central. Bags travel with you.
• Taxi from the station to the cruise terminal. Bags in the taxi.
• At the cruise terminal, porter assistance handles bags from the taxi to the gangway.

The Meet & Greet or Park & Ride service is for the car, not the customer. If you arrive by train + taxi, you do not need our service for transport; you just need the cruise line's porter assistance.

What about the car at home

If you are leaving the car at home, the parking with us is not relevant. Your home parking is the parking decision.

For the return trip, you would take the train back from Southampton Central to your origin city.

Booking

For train + taxi customers, our service is not the right product. The cruise line porter assistance at the terminal handles your bags.

For customers driving to Southampton, the quote returns the parking price.