Saturday, July 28, 2018
Southampton UK From City Center Terminal to Heathrow Airport by National Express Coach Taxis Car Rental Hotels and Baggage Storage
Southampton UK From City Center Terminal to Heathrow Airport by National Express Coach Taxis Car Rental Hotels and Baggage Storage
Originally we were informed that we should arrive at the Ocean Terminal (right) but our berth is today at the City Center Terminal (left).
Sailing was out of the Mayflower Terminal (left) so all guests parked their car there and need to be shuttled back to this terminal for free.
The Devere Grand Hotel is on the right side. You can store your bags there for 5 GBP per bag. You get a voucher for consumption of 5 GBP in the hotel. In the center there is the Holiday. Here you also find the AVIS-location. There is Gate 8 in front. If you are lucky its open and you walk easily from the City Center Terminal to there.
Behind the Holiday Inn you can see the reason why you did not get any dividend from Carnival last year... We had to finance this new building.
From this distance you can see the Ibis- and the Etap-Hotel. There behind is the train station. Who likes to walk... please...
In the background you see the parking lots of IKEA. In between you maybe can identify the Europcar-National-location. The roof in front is part of the City Center Terminal.
Around 10.00 hrs we need to be from the ship. It did not make too much sense to leave earlier because National Express amended the frequency from Southamtpton to Heathrow to a bi-hourly service. The very first time in our life we did self-debarkation and carried our bags ourselves out. Outside the terminal we need to find the pick-up zone.
Here you can see the official taxi-tariffs.
There they were waiting. Because many came with their cars there were not so much business for them. When we come again on NORWEGIAN JADE in June it will become quite busy.
We booked our car with West Quay Cars. Within the city they used the meter. But for destinations outside the city you can negotiate a fixed rate. The booking confirmation came very quickly by mail.
I put my Blackberry on silent mode so I did not hear the information call that the car is in front of the cruise terminal and waited for me.
How nice: they sent a car which makes advertising for cruising.
The ride to the National Express Bus Station from the City Center Terminal was less than 5 GBP.
Welcome to National Express Bus Station.
Opposite there was a big ASDA Market (British subsidiary of Wal-Mart) - here you can also spend your waiting time.
Thats the way to the train station.
And towards the IKEA you get to the port. The City Center Terminal is located adjusted to IKEA at the water.
In the bus station you find two ticket machines and one information counter. I asked for buses which are calling directly the cruise terminals: only Fred Olsen when they chartered buses. And how about Dover: only when there are embarking/debarking ships some buses call additionally the cruise terminal.
The service which connects Heathrow with Southamtpon is route 203 which continues to Portsmouth.
There was no more fascilities but the vending machines for beverages and snacks.
If you need to see the toilets you need 20 Pence.
So you should stay as long as possible on the ship and come as late as possible as also the seats in the waiting zone are very limited.
We ordered our tickets in the internet. 15.00 GBP per person from Southampton to Heathrow plus credit card usage of 1.00 GBP.
You were queing up to board. Not a knot of people like in Germany.
The baggage was handed over to the driver who loaded it into the lower compartments. Maybe they had an installed scale in their arm to check if your bags were heavier than the allowed 20 kgs...
To have more legroom we went to the last room at the emergency exit.
All seats had seat belts which you must wear. You had free WiFi on board. But nothing for the upload of pictures.
The last row was advantaged for those who had cathced the nororvirus... and a disadvantage for those sitting next: The price you had to pay for more legroom.
There was also an area in the front for wheelchair customers with more legroom.
They also provided child seat supports.
It took nearly two hours before we reached Terminal 5. They only call Terminal 4 and Terminal 5 when there are ticketed passengers i. e. you must have tickets to these terminals if you want the bus to stop there. On the way to the terminal we see all international broadcast network in front of the Renaissance Hotel to catch the haunting atmosphere at Heathrow airport where was absolutely no move on the airfield.
So they released you at the bus terminal which is connected by subway to Termianl 1 and Terminal 3. Terminal 2 is closed.
And if you need to rebook because you are too late or too early??? Change fee 5 GBP subject to availability.
Who need to get to the subway (Underground) and need to get from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3 need anyway to get under the bus station.
