Buckinghamshire to Southampton cruise terminal transfers
From the Chilterns and the Thames towns of south Bucks, Southampton is under two hours away by car; from Aylesbury and Milton Keynes it is a little more. We collect from any address in Buckinghamshire and drive you to your ship's terminal, with fares from £141 per car from Marlow and £150 from High Wycombe.
Route planning from Buckinghamshire
From Beaconsfield, High Wycombe or Milton Keynes, a transfer to the Southampton cruise terminals avoids the London traffic loop. Depending on where you start, drivers use either the M40 and M25 to the M3, or the A34 past Oxford down to Winchester.
Buckinghamshire bottlenecks
- Handy Cross (M40 Junction 4): A busy local junction at morning peak that can slow the start of your journey.
- A34 around Newbury: On the A34 route, traffic often queues around Newbury. Drivers check live traffic and adjust departure times to suit.
Door-to-terminal pickups
Your chauffeur loads your luggage, sets the car up as you like it and keeps an eye on traffic throughout, so whether you are sailing from Horizon or the QEII terminal you arrive at the drop-off close to your cruise line's check-in slot.
Fares from Buckinghamshire towns
| Pick-up town | Road miles | Saloon | MPV | 8-seater | Drive, no traffic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marlow | 65 | £141 | £157 | £207 | 1 hr 32 |
| High Wycombe | 70 | £150 | £166 | £216 | 1 hr 37 |
| Gerrards Cross | 74 | £160 | £176 | £226 | 1 hr 31 |
| Beaconsfield | 75 | £160 | £176 | £226 | 1 hr 30 |
| Amersham | 80 | £172 | £188 | £238 | 1 hr 41 |
| Aylesbury | 89 | £188 | £205 | £254 | 2 hr 00 |
| Buckingham | 95 | £198 | £215 | £264 | 1 hr 56 |
| Milton Keynes | 116 | £240 | £256 | £306 | 2 hr 14 |
One-way guide fares per vehicle to the Ocean Cruise Terminal for a weekday daytime journey, luggage included; the other four terminals are within a few pounds. Fridays, weekend mornings and peak hours carry a supplement and the booking page prices your exact address before you pay. Drive times are without traffic.
Price High Wycombe to the ship Or call +44 20 8888 9988 for any Bucks address.
Routes to the port
- South Bucks and the Thames (Marlow, Beaconsfield, Gerrards Cross, Burnham): either the M40 to the M25 and the M3, or the A404 to the M4 and on through Reading to the M3. Around 1 hour 30 minutes.
- The Chilterns (High Wycombe, Amersham, Chesham, Great Missenden): the M40 or the A413 and A404 to the M25, then round to the M3.
- Aylesbury Vale and the north (Aylesbury, Buckingham, Milton Keynes): the A41 to the M25, or across to the A34 at Oxford and south to Winchester. The driver chooses on the day.
The M25 between the M40 and the M3 is the usual pinch point on weekday mornings, which is why the A34 route can win from the north of the county.
Pick-up times for embarkation day
| Where you live | Leave before your check-in slot starts |
|---|---|
| Marlow, High Wycombe, Beaconsfield, Gerrards Cross | 2 hours |
| Amersham, Chesham, Great Missenden | 2 hours 15 minutes |
| Aylesbury, Buckingham, Winslow | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| Milton Keynes, Newport Pagnell, Olney | 2 hours 45 minutes |
Allow an extra 15 minutes on Fridays and summer Saturdays.
Train, parking or a private car?
The train from Buckinghamshire goes into London, to Marylebone or Euston, then across to Waterloo for Southampton, with a taxi from Southampton Central to the ship at the end. It is two or three changes with luggage.
Driving yourself means about two hours each way and paying for parking at the port for every day of the cruise; see our cruise parking guide.
A private car collects you at home and drops you at the terminal. From High Wycombe, four people in an MPV pay about £41 each.
Home after the cruise
The driver tracks your ship on the last morning, waits at the terminal while you disembark and drives you home, usually arriving around midday.
Chilterns and Buckinghamshire pickups for winter sailings
Many of our Buckinghamshire pickups start in the Chilterns, where narrow lanes climb over chalk hills and frost can hang about on the high ground well into the morning. From Marlow and High Wycombe the route south is relatively short, while from Aylesbury and Milton Keynes it is a longer run down to the M25 and M3. In winter we look at the forecast before confirming the pickup time, adding margin for fog or icy lanes so you are not cutting it fine at the terminal.
Getting from Buckinghamshire to Southampton by train usually means travelling into London and across to Waterloo, and that gets harder around Christmas and New Year when engineering works and replacement buses are common. For a festive cruise, and most of them sail from Southampton between 19 and 22 December, a car from your door avoids the cross-London leg entirely. On the way back, the driver tracks your ship's arrival, so if winter weather holds it up you are met when you come off rather than at a fixed time.
- Extra margin for frosty Chiltern lanes and early fog.
- No cross-London change with heavy winter luggage.
- Ship arrival tracked, so a delayed docking moves your pickup.
- Car warm when you step out of the terminal on a cold morning.
For a winter shopping trip between cruises, our Bicester Village chauffeur is close to home, and the airport transfers page covers Heathrow and Luton runs from Buckinghamshire.
Questions
How much is a cruise transfer from High Wycombe to Southampton?
From £150 for a saloon (up to 4 people, 2 large cases) and £166 for an MPV (up to 6 people, 4 cases), per vehicle, one way.
How long does it take to drive from Buckinghamshire to Southampton cruise port?
From Marlow and High Wycombe about 1 hour 30 minutes; from Beaconsfield, Gerrards Cross and Amersham about 1 hour 30 to 1 hour 45; from Aylesbury and Buckingham about 2 hours; from Milton Keynes about 2 hours 15, before traffic.
Which way does the driver go?
From south Bucks, usually the M40 to the M25 and round to the M3, or the A404 and the M4 towards Reading and the M3. From Aylesbury and Milton Keynes the driver may go across to the A34 instead. The fixed fare is the same either way.
Do you cover Milton Keynes?
Yes. Milton Keynes is about 116 miles from the port, with fares from £240 for a saloon.
Can you bring us home from the ship?
Yes. The driver tracks your ship, waits while you disembark and drives you home. A return booked with the outward trip costs 1.9 times the single fare.
Do you collect from the Chilterns for winter and festive sailings?
Yes. We pick up from Marlow, High Wycombe, Amersham, Aylesbury and Milton Keynes in every season, including the busy festive sailing dates in the run-up to Christmas. The fare is fixed per vehicle with luggage included. On frosty mornings we leave a little earlier to allow for slower going on the Chiltern lanes.
If our ship docks late on a foggy morning, will the driver still take us back to Buckinghamshire?
Yes. We follow the ship's progress, so if fog or rough weather delays docking or changes the berth time, your pickup moves to match. The driver meets you outside the terminal once you have your cases, then heads north on the M3 and M25 at whatever pace the conditions allow.
Related transfers and guides
- Berkshire to Southampton cruise terminal
- Hertfordshire to Southampton cruise terminal
- Oxfordshire to Southampton cruise terminal
- Southampton cruise terminal to Luton Airport
- Southampton cruise terminal to Heathrow
- Every station, airport and area we cover
Pickups from London and the Home Counties: Heathrow to Southampton, Gatwick to Southampton, Central London to Southampton, Kensington and Chelsea, Canary Wharf, Essex, Hertfordshire, Cambridge, Bristol and Bath.