Bag drop closes 40–60 min before departure on most airlines — check your airline. Journey times come from our route pages; airport advice, Fast Track and drop-off prices from the airports’ own sites, checked October 2026. Our drivers use the terminal forecourt, so the drop-off charge is included in your fixed fare.
Dates, prices and menus are as published by each venue (checked October 2026); entries marked “2025 dates” are last season’s and will be updated when 2026 dates are announced. Check the linked site before booking. We can take you door to door to any of these – Christmas fares.
Getting around Southampton: parking, car hire, public transport & accessibility
Car parks in Southampton – prices & opening hours
- West Quay Multi-Storey (Southampton City Council)
West Quay Road, SO15 1EE (near Ocean/City cruise terminals)
£15 flat per day; £105 per week (2025 price)
2,489 spaces · prices & booking - Westquay Shopping Centre Multi-Storey
Harbour Parade, SO15 1QF
tariff by duration - see Westquay site
86 Blue Badge bays across levels 1-15 (AccessAble survey) Blue Badge bays · prices & booking - Southampton Central Station Car Park (SWR)
Southampton Central, Blechynden Terrace
£9.60 daily, £38.30 weekly (Oct 2026) · 24h · prices & booking
All car parks near Southampton on Google Maps. Parking vs taxi: Park & Ride (formerly Long Stay) at Heathrow is Drive-up £46.80 first 24h then £37.40/24h; pre-book from about £11-15/day; our fixed fare from Southampton to Heathrow is from £183 for the whole car, door to door, with no shuttle bus and no drop-off charge to pay. Driving a friend to Heathrow? The terminal drop-off charge is £7 per visit (from 1 Jan 2026), 10-min max (included in our fare).
Car hire in Southampton
More car hire near Southampton on Google Maps. Typical 2026 rates: economy car from about £35–£60 a day. Hiring just to reach the airport? Count the fuel, the airport car-park fee and the return of the car before comparing with a one-way fixed fare.
Public transport vs taxi from Southampton to the airports
| Airport | Train / tube / bus | Our taxi |
|---|
| Heathrow | Southampton Central to Woking (change to RailAir coach) or to Reading (change to Elizabeth line)
79 fastest, ~180 average · 1 change · Advance from £34.60 (Oct 2026)
first arrival first departure ~03:49, last departure ~00:09 · timetable | door to door, 1h 15m–1h 45m
from £183 fixed, whole car
24/7, meet & greet, no drop-off charge |
| Gatwick | Southampton Central to Gatwick Airport (direct or change at Havant/Barnham)
110-124 min · 0-1 changes · Advance from £8 (promo); walk-up not published
first arrival first departure ~05:37 · timetable | – |
| Stansted | Southampton Central to London Waterloo, tube to Liverpool Street/Tottenham Hale, Stansted Express
~180-210 min · 2 changes · timetable | – |
| Luton | Southampton Central to Waterloo, tube to St Pancras, Thameslink/EMR to Luton Airport Parkway + DART
~165-195 min · 2 changes · DART £4.90 adult single included in London Luton Airport rail tickets · timetable | – |
| London City | Southampton Central to Waterloo, Jubilee line to Canning Town, DLR to London City Airport
~130-150 min · 2 changes · SWR fare + TfL Z1-3 £3.90 peak/£3.30 off-peak · timetable | – |
Coach: National Express Southampton to Heathrow (via Winchester) – ~90-120 min (book).
How to choose. Public transport wins on price for one traveller with hand luggage at 10am. A taxi usually wins when there are two or more of you (one fare for the car, not per person), when you have hold bags or a pushchair, for flights before the first train arrives or landings after the last one leaves, and when a change of train or a station without lifts would be a problem. Rail fares above are per adult; add £4–£6 per person for the DART/shuttle where shown, and remember engineering work most weekends.
Accessibility in Southampton: step-free travel, assistance dogs & pets
| Station | Step-free access | Lifts | Assistance | Accessible toilets | Source |
|---|
Southampton Central
South Western Railway | Category A - step-free to all platforms (lift P4-footbridge reported out of order Oct 2026; use Blechynden Terrace entrance for P1-3, Western Esplanade for P4) | Yes (footbridge lifts; check status) | Staff help Mon-Sat 04:30-02:00, Sun 05:30-01:00; Passenger Assist 0800 528 2100, book up to 2h ahead; report to gateline | National Key (RADAR) toilets Platforms 1 & 4; key from staff | station page |
Step-free: Southampton Central Category A; lift to P4 out of order Oct 2026. Buses: Bluestar (Go South Coast) and First - low-floor fleets with wheelchair space. Blue Badge parking: Westquay MSCP 86 Blue Badge bays; council car parks have Blue Badge bays. Guide & assistance dogs: Assistance dogs always allowed on Bluestar/Stagecoach/First buses and trains on local public transport. Pets on public transport: Bluestar: dogs can usually travel with you onboard, at driver's discretion.
Travelling with us: assistance dogs always travel free in every car, no notice needed (Equality Act 2010). Other dogs and pets are welcome by prior arrangement – tell us when you book so we send a suitable car and a driver who is happy to carry them. Folding wheelchairs, walkers and mobility scooters that fold go in the boot at no extra charge; if you need a wheelchair-accessible vehicle or extra time at pick-up, say so when booking and we will confirm availability before you pay. Rail step-free status changes when lifts are out of service – check the station page or book Passenger Assist (ideally 2 hours ahead); on TfL you can turn up and go.
Child-friendly Southampton: places for children & family dining
- SeaCity Museum
Titanic story; adult £14.50, child 5-16 £9.50, under-5 free, family (2+3) £44 (Oct 2026)
adult £14.50, child £9.50, family £44 · more - Paultons Park / Peppa Pig World
Theme park, 70+ rides, best for ages 2-12
about £45 at the gate, cheaper online, approx · more - Southampton Common
Free; play area, paddling pool · more - Go Ape Itchen Valley
High ropes; age/height limits apply
about £5–£15 a session · more - Flip Out Southampton
Indoor trampoline park
about £5–£15 a session · more
Family restaurants: Westquay dining (various chains).
Baby changing & feeding: Baby change at Westquay.
Child seats: licensed private hire cars are exempt from the child-seat law when a seat is not available, but we would rather fit one – give us the children’s ages when you book and we will bring the right seat where we can (free, subject to availability), or you are welcome to bring your own. Pushchairs and travel cots go in the boot at no charge.
Car park, car hire, rail and accessibility details are as published by the operators and airports (seen October 2026) and from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors) – check before you rely on them; TfL Journey Planner times are for a weekday 10:00 departure. Our fares are the fixed saloon price on the linked route page.
