Britannia Road · Southampton SO14 5FP · Capacity 32,384
St Mary's: a ground beside the docks
Southampton's stadium sits close to the water on the eastern side of the city, a short distance from the docks we already run cruise passengers to. That makes this an away day in a city we know well, on a route we drive regularly for entirely different reasons.
From north Kent, around two hours on the M25 and M3. Comfortably a day return, and one of the shorter long away days on our list. The route is the same one our cruise transfers take every week of the year.
Why Southampton is an easy away day for us
We drive this route constantly for the cruise terminals, which makes it familiar in a way most away grounds are not.
M25 then M3
Our cruise transfers use it weekly. There are no surprises on this journey.
Eastern side of the city
The ground sits near the docks rather than in the centre, which keeps the approach roads clear of city traffic.
A comfortable day return
Leave mid-morning for a three o'clock, home by eight. No hotel required.
With the coast
Portsmouth, the New Forest and the Isle of Wight ferries are all close if you want to build a day around it.
Kent to the south coast
M25 anticlockwise then the M3, which is a straightforward run with no city driving until the very end.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Each way | Home by, 15:00 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 98 miles | 1h 55m – 2h 25m | 19:30 |
| Bromley & Orpington | 102 miles | 2h – 2h 30m | 19:35 |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 108 miles | 2h 5m – 2h 40m | 19:45 |
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 113 miles | 2h 10m – 2h 45m | 19:50 |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 116 miles | 2h 15m – 2h 50m | 19:55 |
| Rochester & Chatham | 122 miles | 2h 20m – 2h 55m | 20:00 |
| Canterbury & Ashford | 146 miles | 2h 45m – 3h 25m | 20:30 |
Around the ground
A modern stadium on a former gasworks site, with the docks on one side and residential Northam on the other.
| Feature | What it means |
|---|---|
| Britannia Road and the ring road | Main approaches, managed on matchdays. |
| The docks to the south | Which limits the directions the crowd can disperse in. |
| Southampton Central station | About a mile and a half. A walk, or a short local run. |
| City centre | Twenty minutes' walk, with the pubs and food. |
| We collect towards the ring road | Where traffic moves rather than in the residential streets. |
A Southampton away day
The route is our bread and butter
We drive to Southampton most weeks of the year for cruise sailings, which means this is one of the few away grounds where the journey itself holds no surprises for us. The M25 and M3 behave predictably, we know where they do not, and the fixed fare reflects a route we understand rather than one we are estimating.
Two hours makes it a proper day return
At around a hundred and ten miles this is comfortably a single-day fixture. Leave mid-morning for a three o'clock, home by eight. That puts St Mary's alongside Villa Park and the Amex as away days that need no hotel and no elaborate planning.
The docks shape the exit
With water to the south, the crowd disperses in fewer directions than at an inland ground, concentrating onto the ring road and the routes towards the city centre. We hold towards the ring road where traffic is actually moving, which is around ten minutes' walk and saves a good deal of sitting still.
Build the coast into it if you like
Portsmouth, the New Forest and the Isle of Wight ferry ports are all within reach, and a fair number of groups making this journey turn it into more than ninety minutes of football. Tell us what you fancy and we will price the day as one arrangement.
St Mary's questions
A familiar route and a comfortable day.
How far is Southampton from Kent?
Around a hundred to a hundred and fifty miles depending on where you start, roughly two to three and a half hours each way on the M25 and M3.
Can we do it as a day return?
Comfortably. Leave mid-morning for a three o'clock kick-off and be home by eight. No hotel needed.
Where do you collect afterwards?
Towards the ring road where traffic is moving, around ten minutes' walk. With the docks to the south the crowd disperses in fewer directions than at an inland ground.
Is the ground in the city centre?
Not quite. It sits on the eastern side near the docks, about twenty minutes' walk from the centre and a mile and a half from Southampton Central station.
Do you know this route well?
Very. We drive to Southampton most weeks for cruise sailings, so the M25 and M3 hold no surprises and the fixed fare reflects a route we understand.
Can we combine it with the coast?
Yes. Portsmouth, the New Forest and the Isle of Wight ferry ports are all within reach. Tell us and we will price the day as one arrangement.
Can you take a supporters' coach?
Yes, up to forty-nine seats, with coach arrangements confirmed for the fixture.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed before travel and unaffected by motorway delays or added time.
South coast venues and guides
Hampshire and Dorset from Kent.