I regularly travel by coach when I take cruises from Southampton. When I lived in the north of England, it was always the cheapest option. Even now that I live further south, it’s still a great balance of value and time.
I have driven and flown to Southampton Cruise Terminal before, and there’s also the option of trains. But usually, taking a coach is the best way to get to Southampton for a cruise.
In this guide, I’ll show you all of the coach companies you should look at for the journey across the UK to your cruise ship.
Intercruises offers a coach transfer service called Cruise Connect for passengers who are cruising with Cunard, P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises or Marella.
This service will take you from a local pick-up point all the way to the ship. There are 53 Cruise Connect pick up points available, so you should have one close by. Your luggage is taken care of too. When you arrive at the coach, you won’t see your bags again until they are delivered to your cabin on the ship.
In more than 20 years that Intercruises has been operating Cruise Connect coaches, they’ve never missed a sailing. The coach only contains cruise passengers, so if there’s ever a delay then the ship will wait.
Children aged 3 to 12 travel for a reduced fare on Intercruise coaches, and under-3s go free. Car seats are advised, but not necessary.
You won’t often find children on board, so the friendly drivers usually make a fuss of them. On our last journey to Southampton, we even got to watch Moana on the onboard TV. And I must say, the over-60s loved it!
When you book a P&O Cruise, you may be given the option to have free coach travel or car parking at the terminal. The P&O coach travel to Southampton will be provided by Intercruises. Even if you don’t have this option, or if you choose a Saver Fare with no free coach, you can still book the Intercruise coach yourself directly through their website.
- Cruise lines: Cunard, P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises, Marella
- Pick up points: 53
- Drop off: At the ship
- Wheelchair access: Yes
Eavesway Travel offers a coach service to Southampton, Dover and Newcastle for passengers travelling with Celebrity Cruises, Fred.Olsen, P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean.
The coach service is only available for cruises of five nights or more. Coaches depart from stops across the North of England, Midlands and South Wales.
The company dates back to 1931, and has been offering coaches to Southampton Cruise Terminal since the 1990s. The coaches are very luxurious with leather seats and free Wi-Fi.
The Cruiselink coaches only carry cruise passengers, so you can be sure that you won’t miss the ship. Your luggage will be taken care of too, so you won’t need to carry it yourself.
Parents should note that on Eavesway coaches to Southampton, a car seat or booster seat is compulsory for kids aged under 12 or less than 135cm tall. My kids use the BubbleBum inflatable booster seat when we travel. There are no reduced prices for children – they will pay the full adult fare.
- Cruise lines: Celebrity Cruises, Fred.Olsen, P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean
- Pick up points: Around 30
- Drop off: At the ship
- Wheelchair access: Yes
The cheapest way to get to Southampton is the Megabus. I’ve used this service to travel from Manchester to Southampton for as little as £12. I also like to use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to get the coach tickets for free!
The Megabus will drop you off in Southampton City Centre, just over a mile from the Cruise Terminal. It is possible to walk, but with luggage it’s easier to get a taxi or Uber.
When taking the Megabus, it’s best to travel the day before your cruise in case there are delays. Staying overnight in a hotel in Southampton will reduce the stress of travel, and give you time to relax before your cruise.
Children aged 4 to 14 get a 10% discount and under-4s travel free, although they aren’t guaranteed a seat.
- Cruise lines: All
- Pick up points: 16 direct + 90 indirect
- Drop off: Southampton City Centre (East Park Terrace Stop IC)
- Wheelchair access: Yes
National Express is the UK’s largest coach company. The coaches are comfortable, with lots of legroom and free Wi-Fi. They usually don’t cost much more than the Megabus if you book early enough.
National Express Coaches stop at Southampton Coach Station, which is just over one mile from the Cruise Terminal. You can walk, but most people find it easier to take a taxi or Uber.
If you take the National Express to Southampton for a cruise, it’s a good idea to travel the day before in case of delays. This is particularly true if you have to take more than one coach, because if the first coach is delayed you may miss your second one.
National Express doesn’t offer discounts for children. Children aged 3 and up are charged the full adult fare. Children aged under 3 travel for free, and you can book a free ticket to ensure that they have a seat.
- Cruise lines: All
- Pick up points: 26 direct + 400 indirect
- Drop off: Southampton Coach Station (Harbour Parade)
- Wheelchair access: Yes
Amore Cruise Connection is a family-run company that specialises in coach transfers from Scotland to Southampton cruise terminal.
The company has agreements with Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and MSC Cruises to drive right up to Southampton terminal. So you won’t even need to haul around your luggage – it’ll be collected as soon as you get off the coach.
The coaches pick up at Glasgow Buchanan Bus Station, and then carry on to further pick-ups at Bothwell Services and Gretna Services. For cruise guests in England who are north of Preston, you can get picked up from the Premier Inn in Lancaster. From there, they head directly to Southampton.
Although the company is relatively new, members of the family have been involved in bus and coach travel for over 30 years, so you’re in experienced hands. And while Amore does offer other group coach travel, it was primarily founded for cruise connections, thanks to the family’s passion for cruising.
A £20 discount is available on return fares for under-16s, and wheelchair travel is available.
- Cruise lines: Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, MSC Cruises
- Pick up points: Paisley (Abercorn Street), Glasgow Buchanan Bus Station, Bothwell Services, Gretna Services, Lancaster Premier Inn
- Drop off: At the ship
- Wheelchair access: Yes
Omio is a price comparison site for coaches, trains and flights. Although a coach is often the best way to get to Southampton, it can sometimes be cheaper and faster to take the train or even to fly.
I find that it’s worth checking on Omio before booking. The website will quickly show you all of your travel options, so that you can be sure to book what’s best for you.
It doesn’t check all of the coach services, so you’ll still need to look at those individually. But it can help you spot any good value train or plane tickets that you might not have considered.
Popular Coach Routes to Southampton
Here’s some information about how to get to Southampton by coach from some of the main cities in the UK.
Coach from Glasgow to Southampton Cruise Terminal
Coaches from Glasgow to Southampton with Intercruises Cruise Connect or Amore depart at around 3.30am, with a journey time of around ten hours. This will take you straight to your cruise ship in time for check-in. It’s only available for guests cruising with Celebrity Cruises, Cunard, MSC Cruises, P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises and Royal Caribbean (depending on which company you use).
Alternatively, you can take the overnight National Express Service from Glasgow to Southampton. You’ll need to change coaches at Birmingham or London, and the total journey time is 12 to 14 hours.
Coach from Liverpool to Southampton Cruise Terminal
You can take a coach from Liverpool to Southampton Cruise Terminal with Eavesway or Intercruises. The pick-up time is approximately 7am, and you’ll be taken straight to your cruise ship.
Alternatively, you can take the National Express coach the day before your cruise. The journey takes eight to ten hours, and you’ll need to change coaches at Birmingham or London.
Coach from London to Southampton Cruise Terminal
Intercruises Cruise Connect offers a coach service from London Victoria and London Heathrow to Southampton Cruise Terminal. This is only available for those cruising with Cunard, P&O Cruises or Princess Cruises.
There are also National Express coach services from London Victoria and Hammersmith to Southampton Coach Station. Direct coaches take around two and a half hours.
Coach from Manchester to Southampton Cruise Terminal
There is no direct coach from Manchester to Southampton Cruise Terminal. Intercruises Cruise Connect and Eavesway Travel both offer a service from Knutsford Services to Southampton Cruise Port, with a pick-up time of around 8am and a journey time of approximately five hours.
Megabus offers a direct coach from Manchester Coach Station to Southampton Coach Station, with a journey time of six to seven hours.
You can also take the National Express from Manchester to Southampton. This requires changing at London or Birmingham and the total journey time is eight to 11 hours.
Coach from Birmingham to Southampton Cruise Terminal
Intercruises Cruise Connect and Eavesway Travel both offer coach travel from Birmingham to Southampton Cruise Port. The pick-up time from Hilton Park Services in North Birmingham is around 9.15am, or from Hopwood Park Services in South Birmingham is around 10.15am. The journey takes three to four hours.
There’s a Megabus service from Birmingham Brunel Street to Southampton City Centre that takes between three and a half and four hours. Due to the timings, you would need to take the coach the day before your cruise.
You can also take the National Express from Birmingham Coach Station to Southampton Coach Station. Direct journeys take three and a half to four and a half hours.
Coach from Leeds to Southampton Cruise Terminal
Intercruises Cruise Connect and Eavesway Travel both offer coach travel from Leeds Coach Station to Southampton Cruise Terminal. Pick up is at around 6.30am, and you will be taken straight to your cruise ship.
Alternatively, you can take the National Express from Leeds to Southampton. There are no direct routes, so you’ll need to travel the day before or overnight and change to London. The journey takes seven to 12 hours.
Prices vary – but there’s always a cheap option!
You may be able to get free coach travel to Southampton as part of your cruise booking with P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises or Cunard. You can also travel on the Megabus for free in exchange for Tesco Clubcard vouchers.
The Megabus is the cheapest coach to Southampton. It can cost as little as £12 per person for a single ticket.
A return coach ticket to Southampton with InterCruises, Eavesway or Amore can cost between £75 and £170 per person, depending on the distance.
Final thoughts
Taking the coach is my preferred way to get to Southampton from the North. It’s not the fastest way, but it’s often the cheapest.
I also find it to be the most relaxing, especially when travelling with children. When you take the coach you enjoy a book, watch a movie or even take a nap in the comfortable seats while your driver does all of the hard work.
Another advantage is that coaches have toilets. So don’t have to worry about timing your rest stops to match everyone else’s bladder habits, as you do when travelling by car.
Related Posts:
If you found this interesting, please share!
Jenni Fielding is the founder of Cruise Mummy. She has worked in the cruise industry since 2015 and has taken over 30 cruises. Now, she helps over 1 million people per month to plan their perfect cruise holidays.
