Southampton travel guide

Strategically this has always been one of our country's most important ports, both in terms of commerce and battle. Many epic voyages have disembarked from Southampton's shores. Of particular note are the departure of Mayflower taking the Pilgrim Fathers to the new land c1620 and the ill-fated Titanic. Commercially it's been very successful because of the tides ability to double up, allowing extremely large vessels to reach the docks.

Obviously key through the ages in our war efforts it took a bettering by in WWII and has since been rebuilt. It's now a curious mix of modern commercial and historically sensitive. Recent development such as the Marina area has been excellent and with the attraction of much service based industry, it's a young and trendy town.

getting to Southampton

If you’re getting to Southampton by car then it’s just 75 miles from London and 21 miles from the Channel ports. From the North, London and the Home Counties, the M3, M27 and A34 provide fast, direct road links into the heart of the city.

Southampton also has good access by train from London’s Waterloo station with a journey time of about 75 minutes. Trains run hourly from Reading, Oxford, Birmingham, Salisbury, Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, Chichester, Hove, Gatwich Airport and Weymouth with more frequent services from Bournemouth, Winchester, Fareham and Portsmouth.

You can also reach the city by coach - National Express operates an extensive coach service. If you’re flying to the city then Southampton International Airport is situated on the outskirts of the city and is convenient for the M27 and M3. It’s also possible to get to the city by ferry - cross channel ferry services run by Brittany Ferries and LD Lines operate out of the nearby port of Portsmouth.

getting around Southampton

You can get around Southampton on foot, car, bike or public transport. There are six bus companies operating services in Southampton, but it can be confusing knowing which bus to catch to your destination. There are also a lot of taxis around the city. If you’re staying around the city centre then it’s possible to get around on foot - it’s often easier to park up and walk around rather than battling any traffic. We can organise any transfers as needed.

Know before you go

Taxi numbers: Radio Taxis: 023 8066 6666, Central Shirley Cabs Ltd: 023 8051 0400
Emergency Services: 999
Local Police: 101

Southampton pub trivia

famous for: the Saints, the Solent
famous sons and residents: Mr Matt Le Tissier, Craig David, Benny Hill
interesting fact: the Titanic set sail from here

annual Southampton average temperatures