Southampton Airport to The Cruise Port: Complete Transport Guide

If you are taking a cruise from Southampton Cruise Port and flying into Southampton Airport you may be wondering what is the easiest way to make this journey.

There are four cruise port terminals in Southampton, City, Mayflower, Ocean, or Queen Elizabeth II, all of which are covered by this guide.

What is the best way to get from Southampton Airport to Southampton Cruise Port?

The best way to get to Southampton Cruise Port from Southampton Airport is by train, bus, or taxi. A taxi costs £15/$20 and can take as little as 10 minutes. The bus can take up to an hour but only costs £2.50/$3. Trains are also an option but do not go directly to the cruise port.

In this article, we will look at the price of each transport method, the length of time required, and any other factors that may influence the decision.

	Taxi	Bus	Train
Approximate Price	£15/$20	£2.50/$3	£4/$5
Typical Journey Time	10 Minutes	Up to 1 Hour	10 Minutes
Addition Notes	Pre Book if Possible		(Train goes to Southampton Central, not the cruise Port – Additional Transport Needed)

How Far Is Southampton Cruise Port From Southampton Airport?

The approximate distance between Southampton’s Cruise Port and the Southampton Airport is 5.5 miles (9 km).

This might not seem very far, but when you factor in traffic on busy cruise days, the journey can take longer than expected. It is always best to leave extra time to make the journey and if at all possible, fly in a day or two before your cruise.

Taking The Train From Southampton Airport to Southampton Cruise Port

One of the easiest ways to make the journey is to take the train.

Southampton Airport has a train station nearby called Southampton Airport Parkway. It is a 2-minute walk from the central airport building.

Once at the train station, you can take the train to Southampton Central Station which is Southampton’s main train station.

The train usually runs every fifteen minutes and takes less than 10 minutes. The train fare starts at about £4 ($5). 

Train Operators

There are two train operators that operate from Southampton Airport to Southampton Central Station. The first is the South Western Railway, and the second is CrossCountry Trains.

Trains to Southampton Central leave on Platform 2, which is conveniently on the same side as the airport. 

The below photo is of Southampton Airport Parkway Airport.

It is important to note that Southampton Central Station isn’t by the cruise port and you will require another mode of transport to get to the port. The distance is approximately 1.7 miles (2.7 km) from Southampton Central Station to the Southampton cruise port.

How to Get From Southampton Station to Southampton Cruise Port:

The best way to get from Southampton Central Station to Southampton Cruise Port is to get a taxi, take a bus or walk. The journey by Taxi costs around £10/$13 and takes 10 minutes. The walk takes around 25 minutes and is relatively easy if the weather is dry.

If you don’t have a lot of luggage and the weather is okay walking can be a good option. I often do this and have always found it to be easy, the route is well signposted but I’d recommend you download google maps.

Taking a Bus From Southampton Airport to Southampton Cruise Port

Local bus operators include Xelabus, Velvet bus, First Group, Wheelers, Megabus, and Uni-Link. 

Uni-Link is the fastest and easiest bus to take as it only operates between Southampton Airport, Southampton University, and the waterfront for the cruise terminals.

The AU1 bus runs every fifteen minutes during the week. Taking the bus is the cheapest option available—prices start at £2.32 ($3.00). 

From the airport, you can catch the UI1 bus which will take you directly to the cruise port at Dock Gate 4. This is where all passengers must get off. From there, you would walk to your cruise terminal. If you need a transport mode to take you directly to the cruise ship this may not be the best option.

The Uni-Link website is brilliant, you can even see the buses, in real time. That’s what the boxes are on the photo below.

The journey by bus can take up to an hour to get to your destination. While that may seem like a long time, this is because the bus makes a number of stops before the cruise port and there may be traffic in the area as the bus passes through central Southampton.

Taking a Taxi From Southampton Airport to Southampton Cruise Port

If you are looking for the easiest option available, then taking a taxi would be your best option. However, keep in mind that this option is usually the most expensive.

There is a taxi desk with Aero Taxis Company conveniently located within Southampton Airport building where you can book a taxi.

Having said that I would STRONGLY recommend that you make travel arrangements for taxis before your trip if you are flying into Southampton on the day of your cruise. If at all possible it’s always best to fly in the night before a cruise and stay overnight.

Aero Taxis is open 24-hours a day, seven days a week. You can book online, through text, on the phone, or just in person at the taxi desk.

Taking a taxi to the Southampton Cruise Port should take around 10 minutes if the driving conditions are clear. The travel distance between each port is only about 4.7 miles (7.6 km).

Insider Tip: Watch Out For Charges When Prebooking Taxis:

If pre-booking a taxi the taxi will likely have to stop in a £2 per 15min pick up/drop off bay on the ground floor of the short stay car park (about 50m from where the official taxis pick up from in the ‘forecourt’ loop on your aerial map).

It’s worth building this into the price as the driver will want to add this charge on at the end of the journey (and isn’t reflected in the Uber price either).

Southampton Airport to Cruise Port Taxi Fare:

The cost of a taxi between Southampton Airport and Southampton Cruise Port will usually be around £20/$30. This is a much faster option than taking a bus.

Another benefit of taking a Taxi is that you will be taken directly to the cruise port. Taxis are able to enter dock Gates 4, 8, and 10 on days that cruise ships are disembarking or embarking.

It’s worth noting that some taxis will limit the amount of luggage that it can take, so it’s always a good idea to look into these requirements beforehand.

Aero Taxis aren’t the only type of taxi service available, there are other taxi options or you could pre-book other methods of private transportation such as a minibus if you are travelling as part of a large group.

Insider Tip: An Alternative (Cheaper) Taxi Rank.

On the other (non-airport) side of the train station, there’s is regular taxi rank… at much more reasonable prices. As ever, it’s a toss-up of value over convenience (or getting wet walking across to the car park if it’s raining).

To Conclude

The cheapest option to get from Southampton Airport to Southampton Cruise Port would be taking a bus or shuttle but this does take a long time.

A taxi is the fastest but most expensive option and the trains are also very convenient. It’s important to remember that trains don’t directly go to the port but instead the Central Station.

Personal Recommendations:

Taxi

I’d recommend that anybody who has limited time and the budget to afford a Taxi takes one. It’s also a great option for people that need to be taken directly to the cruise port.

Bus

I’d recommend that people on a budget that have time to spare take the bus. It is the cheapest option and relatively easy but if you have limited time it’s much better to take a taxi.

Train

I’d recommend a train to those people who are looking for a cheaper option than a taxi but that is faster than the bus. That said, by adding on the extra taxi journey/walk from the train station to the port it may not end up being faster.