Getting Around Southampton
Southampton is a port city on the south coast of Hampshire, run by its own unitary council. The Port of Southampton, operated by ABP, has five cruise terminals: Ocean, Mayflower, City Cruise, QEII and Horizon, the newest. The Ocean and Mayflower terminals are each about 1 mile from the city centre, 10–15 minutes by car.
The booking form accepts a cruise terminal as a start or end address, so name your terminal rather than the port. If more than one ship sails on your day, choose an earlier pick-up from the hotel.
The University of Southampton draws students, their families and academic guests throughout the year. Southampton Central is the main station, with trains to London Waterloo. Add the train and its arrival time to the booking, and the car is scheduled for that arrival. For a house, a hotel or an office by the docks, send the full address with your booking; the confirmation then tells you where the car will stop.
A day of meetings between the city centre, the port and the university campus can be booked by the hour: one chauffeur and one vehicle stay with you for the time you reserve.
Airport Transfers in Southampton
Southampton Airport is 5 miles north of the centre, 20–30 minutes by car. It works from one small terminal and handled about 885,000 passengers in 2025; Southampton Airport Parkway station stands right next to it. Heathrow is 67 miles, 1 hour 35 minutes to 2 hours 5 minutes, with flights from Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5. Heathrow does not allow pick-ups on the terminal forecourts; collections take place from the terminal car parks. Gatwick is about 81 miles by road, 1 hour 55 minutes to 2 hours 30 minutes. The right one depends on your airline and route.
Book with your flight number. If you fly in to join a ship, your chauffeur checks the flight status and times the pick-up to when you actually land, and your booking confirmation shows where to meet the chauffeur. For a departure from Southampton, what counts is the length of the drive, not the time on the clock: on the morning a cruise ends, allow for leaving the ship and reclaiming your cases before the drive to Heathrow even starts. Journey times vary with traffic and weather. You set the pick-up time yourself, and the confirmation shows it.
Long-Distance & Multi-City Travel from Southampton
Hampshire's old capital comes first. Winchester, with its cathedral, is 15 miles, 35–50 minutes. Portsmouth is 19 miles along the coast, 40–55 minutes; its international port runs ferries to France and Spain and expects more than 70 cruise calls in 2026.
Inland, the stone circle of Stonehenge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is 33 miles, 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes, which suits a half-day visit before or after a voyage. Oxford is 67 miles north, 1 hour 35 minutes to 2 hours 5 minutes.
For a longer journey west, Cardiff, the capital of Wales, is 133 miles, 2 hours 50 minutes to 3 hours 40 minutes. On a trip between two cities your suitcases ride in the same car all the way, and with an hourly booking the same car brings you back that evening.
Groups & Event Travel in Southampton
Cruise parties set the pace in Southampton. In 2025 the port handled nearly 450 cruise calls and about 3 million cruise passengers, so a family reunion at sea or a club sailing together can mean moving a dozen people or more at once.
When you book for other people, all their transfers can be kept in one account, each with its own booking and confirmation. If the party lands on several flights, every arrival gets a transfer of its own. For a party sailing together, a Sprinter van carries up to 12 people with their bags, and bigger groups go by coach, with up to 56 seats; the vehicle is matched to the load, and a fortnight at sea means large cases. Enter the number of bags in the booking form; for golf bags, bikes or other bulky items, tell support so the vehicle is matched to the load.
August was the busiest cruise month of 2026, with 35 scheduled calls. Local vehicles and drivers are booked up early for summer sailing days. If your plans go beyond a standard booking, write to support with the dates, addresses, number of passengers, flights and luggage, and the team will arrange it.
