London to Southampton cruise terminal transfers
- ✓ TfL-licensed operator · licence 11588
- ✓ Fixed price per car, luggage included
- ✓ Flights tracked · 60 min free airport waiting
- ✓ Driver details sent before you travel
- ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours
Staying in London before the cruise? Get collected from your hotel lobby and dropped at the terminal door, luggage and all, rather than dragging cases through Waterloo.
- From £176 saloon
- 81–85 road miles
- Typically 2 – 2 hrs 30
- Fare per vehicle, luggage included
Fare for your terminal
Next, add your exact address and travel details. Your fixed fare is confirmed before you pay.
Central London to Southampton cruise terminal fares
One-way fares per vehicle from the booking engine, by terminal. The ship-to-London direction costs the same.
| Terminal | £176 | £206 | £191 | £236 | £221 | 81 mi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean Cruise Terminal | £176 | £206 | £191 | £236 | £221 | 81 mi |
| QEII Cruise Terminal | £176 | £206 | £191 | £236 | £221 | 81 mi |
| City Cruise Terminal | £181 | £211 | £196 | £241 | £226 | 84 mi |
| Horizon Cruise Terminal | £181 | £211 | £196 | £241 | £226 | 84 mi |
| Mayflower Cruise Terminal | £183 | £213 | £198 | £243 | £228 | 85 mi |
From your hotel to the ship
Central London to the Southampton docks is about 81–85 miles, typically 2 to 2½ hours: out through west London to the M3, then south to Southampton. Morning rush hour in London adds time, so most cruise passengers leave between about 9:30 and 11:00 for an early-afternoon check-in slot.
The fares shown are from central London (Trafalgar Square). Your exact fare for a hotel or home address elsewhere in London is shown on the booking page.
Why not the train?
- Trains from Waterloo take about 80 minutes, but you still need a taxi from Southampton Central to the terminal and have to manage the cases at both stations.
- For two or more people with cruise luggage, a door-to-door car is often similar in cost and much simpler.
- Travelling as a group of 5–8? An V Class from £236 takes everyone in one vehicle.
We collect from across the capital and beyond, including Kensington and Chelsea to Southampton, Canary Wharf to Southampton and longer runs such as Essex to the Southampton cruise terminals.
What the fare covers
- The whole vehicle, not a seat. Four people in an MPV from £191 works out at about £48 each.
- Cruise luggage. A saloon takes up to 4 people with 2 large cases. An MPV takes up to 6 people with 4 cases, which is the safer choice if anyone is carrying formal wear.
- Flight tracking. Your driver plans around the time you actually land, so an early or late arrival needs no phone call.
- A licensed driver who meets you at arrivals and drops you at your ship's dock gate, not at the port entrance.
- Fuel, tolls and waiting time. The fixed fare is confirmed before you pay, by card or to the driver.
Returns booked at the same time are quoted at 1.8× the single fare. Get London Transfer Ltd holds Transport for London private hire operator licence 11588.
Transfer, or drive and park?
If you own a car and do not mind the drive, parking at Southampton is cheaper than two transfers. It is worth setting the numbers side by side rather than guessing.
| Option | Cost for a seven-night cruise | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| Private transfer, both ways | About £380 for a saloon (£176 × 1.8) | Door to dock gate, nothing left behind, no driving on embarkation morning |
| Park at the terminal | Roughly £140–£160 for seven nights with ABParking at City, Horizon and Mayflower; CPS valet parking at Ocean and QEII starts around £152 | Plus fuel and the drive each way |
| Park off-site with a shuttle | Roughly £65–£95 for seven nights at operators such as Triangle, Airlynx and SCPS | Plus fuel, the drive, and a shuttle with your cases at both ends |
So: if the car is free to sit in Southampton for a week and someone is happy to drive 81–85 miles each way, parking wins on price. The transfer wins when you are flying in, when the car is needed at home, or when nobody wants to drive back down the M3 after a week at sea. Parking figures are published rates for 2026 and change; check with your car park before you book.
From a London hotel to the ship on winter and festive sailings
Waterloo to Southampton is the obvious train, but in winter it is the kind of journey that can unravel. Engineering closures tend to gather around Christmas and New Year, and there is little or no rail service on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. If your sailing is one of the festive departures between Saturday 19 and Tuesday 22 December 2026, or you are joining MSC Preziosa on Christmas Day, being collected from your hotel lobby takes the timetable out of the picture.
Leaving central London on a dark December morning is slower than in July. Rush-hour traffic heading west, frost on quieter streets and fog on the M3 all add minutes, so we build a margin into the pickup time we agree with you. The concierge does not need to find a cab, your cases go straight into the boot, and you are dropped outside your terminal rather than at a taxi rank by Southampton Central.
Queen Mary 2's regular transatlantic crossings also leave Southampton well outside the summer peak, and many passengers spend a night or two in London first. A hotel pickup suits that kind of trip, especially with the heavier luggage a week-long crossing tends to involve: evening wear, warm layers for the North Atlantic and often a few extra bags. A saloon takes up to 4 people with 2 large cases, while an MPV carries 4 cases for up to 6 people, so tell us what you are bringing and we will send the right car.
- Collected from your hotel entrance, so there is no Waterloo platform or holiday replacement bus
- Pickup time padded for winter traffic and fog on the M3
- Heavy coats and formalwear fit: an MPV carries 4 large cases
- One fixed fare for the vehicle, agreed before the day
If you have an evening in town before a winter sailing, our West End theatre and dinner chauffeur can fill it, and Southampton to London covers the reverse journey at any time of year.
Questions about this route
How much is a taxi from London to Southampton cruise port?
From £176 in a saloon from central London, £191 in an MPV and £236 in an V Class, one way per vehicle.
How long is the drive from London to Southampton docks?
Usually 2 to 2½ hours from central London, depending on traffic leaving the city.
Can you collect us from a London hotel?
Yes. Enter the hotel as your pickup address on the booking page and the fixed fare updates for that address.
Where does the driver meet us at central London?
At arrivals. Your licensed driver meets you at arrivals or at your door, helps with the cruise cases and takes you to your ship's dock gate rather than the port entrance.
Is the price per person or per vehicle?
Per vehicle, one way, with luggage included. Four people in an MPV from £191 works out at about £48 each. Returns booked at the same time are quoted at 1.8× the single fare.
How many people and cases fit in each vehicle?
A saloon takes up to 4 people with 2 large cases. An MPV takes up to 6 people with 4 cases. Cruise suitcases are usually large, so for 2–3 people with big cases, or anyone carrying formal wear bags, the MPV is the safer choice.
Which dock gate will we be dropped at?
Ocean Cruise Terminal (berth 46) and QEII Cruise Terminal (berths 38–39) are in the Eastern Docks, reached through Dock Gate 4 off Canute Road. City, Horizon and Mayflower are in the Western Docks, a few minutes further along the waterfront. Tell us the ship and we take you to the right one.
Is a transfer cheaper than parking at the port?
Not usually, if you own a car. Seven nights at the terminal car parks runs about £140–£160, and off-site parking with a shuttle about £65–£95, against roughly £380 for a return transfer from central London. The transfer wins when you are flying in, when the car is needed at home, or when you would rather not drive on embarkation morning.
Can we pay the driver instead of paying by card?
Yes. The fixed fare for your journey is shown before you pay, and you can pay by card or choose to pay the driver.
Will you collect from a London hotel for a Christmas cruise departure?
Yes, including the peak festive dates. Most December sailings leave between Saturday 19 and Tuesday 22 December 2026, and we also run on Christmas Day for MSC Preziosa, when there is little or no rail service. Give us the hotel name and the ship, and we will agree a lobby pickup time that gets you to the right terminal early.
What if bad weather changes my ship's timings on the day I leave London?
If the cruise line moves your check-in because a storm has delayed the ship's arrival, let us know and we will shift the hotel pickup to suit. Your driver also keeps an eye on the ship's progress into port on the morning, so a revised berthing time is spotted early rather than discovered at the dock gate.
More on Southampton cruise transfers
Pickups from London and the Home Counties: Heathrow to Southampton, Gatwick to Southampton, Kensington and Chelsea, Canary Wharf, Essex, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridge, Bristol and Bath.
Book Central London ⇄ Southampton
Fixed fare confirmed before you pay. Licensed drivers, flight tracking and luggage included. Call +44 20 8888 9988.