Richmond to Southampton cruise terminal
Woodford Chauffeur Cars is based in Richmond, so a cruise transfer from Richmond, Kew, Twickenham, St Margarets, Sheen or anywhere in the TW and SW14 postcodes is a home run for us rather than a positioning job. The driver collects from your door, the fare is fixed per car with luggage included, and the return is booked to your ship’s disembarkation time.
- ✓ 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
The journey
Richmond to the Southampton docks is about 70 miles: out through Twickenham and Hanworth to the M3 at Sunbury, down to Winchester, then the M27 and into the port. Allow 1 hour 40 to 2 hours on a normal day and more on a summer Saturday when several ships embark at once. We plan pick-up times around the terminal’s check-in window, not the sail time, so you arrive when your cases can go straight to the ship.
Which terminal
Tell us the ship and we take you to the right doors: Ocean or QEII in the Eastern Docks, City, Horizon or Mayflower (berth 106) in the Western Docks. Every terminal has a set-down area at check-in where porters take luggage from the kerb, and unlike the airports there is no drop-off charge.
Why not drive and park?
Terminal parking runs about £135 to £160 for a week and you still have the M3 to manage on embarkation morning. For a couple the sums are close; for a family or two couples sharing a car the transfer is cheaper and nobody has to drive home tired after the cruise. Our parking guide sets out the numbers.
Also from Richmond
We cover Richmond to Heathrow (about 25 minutes), Gatwick and St Pancras for Eurostar, and the return from any terminal or airport to your door.
Richmond to the docks for winter and Christmas sailings
Woodford Chauffeur Cars is based in Richmond, so a winter pickup in TW9, TW10 or SW14 starts close to home for us rather than after a long run across London. On a dark December morning that counts for something: frost hangs about on the roads around Richmond Park and Kew, and the first few miles out along the A316 set the pace for the whole trip. From there it is the M3 for most of the way, the same route whether you are bound for Ocean or QEII through Dock Gate 4 or for City, Horizon or Mayflower in the Western Docks.
Most of this year's festive cruises leave between Saturday 19 and Tuesday 22 December, and MSC Preziosa sails on Christmas Day itself, Friday 25 December 2026, when there is little or no rail service. Catching a train from Richmond and changing at Clapham Junction is not an option that day, and the days either side can be disrupted by engineering works and replacement buses. A car from your own front door in Kew, Twickenham or East Sheen sidesteps all of that, with presents and winter coats in the boot.
- Your driver is local to Richmond, so an icy early start does not depend on a long journey in to reach you.
- Heating on before you leave the house, and the car pulls right up to the terminal door at the docks.
- No Clapham Junction change and no replacement bus on festive dates.
- Inbound ships tracked on the way home, so a stormy crossing that docks late does not leave you waiting outside.
During the quieter winter weeks you can also use us for a pre-Christmas evening out with our West End theatre and dinner chauffeur, or book the Southampton to London chauffeur route for any trip between the two.
Questions
Do you run Richmond pickups for winter and festive cruises, not just summer ones?
Yes, all year round. Richmond is home for us, so collecting from Kew, Ham, Twickenham or Sheen in December is no harder than in June. Most festive sailings leave between 19 and 22 December, and we price those runs exactly as we do any other: a fixed fare for the vehicle, luggage included, agreed before you travel.
If our ship is late back to Southampton in stormy weather, how will the driver know?
We follow the ship's arrival rather than a fixed clock time. On a normal morning the ship would be tied up by around 06:00, but bad weather in the Channel can push that back or change the berthing time. Your driver adjusts to the actual arrival and meets you outside your terminal, then it is the M3 and A316 back to Richmond.
Can we be collected in Richmond on Christmas Day for MSC Preziosa?
Yes, as long as you book ahead. MSC Preziosa sails from Southampton on Christmas Day, Friday 25 December 2026, and with little or no rail service that day a car is the practical way down. Roads are usually quiet on Christmas morning, but we still build in time in case of fog or frost on the M3.
How long is Richmond to Southampton cruise port by car?
About 70 miles via the M3 and M27; allow 1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours, more on summer Saturdays. We set the pick-up time from your terminal check-in window.
Is the fare per person or per car?
Per car, with luggage included, fixed before you book. Saloon, estate, MPV and larger vehicles are quoted in the booking form.
Do you cover Kew, Twickenham and Sheen?
Yes. Richmond, Kew, Twickenham, St Margarets, East Sheen, Mortlake, Ham and Petersham are all local pick-ups for us.