Southampton Travel Guide

 
by nyperose
 
  •   Southampton
    by nyperose
  • Walls Towards The Port
      Walls Towards The Port
    by johngayton
  • The harbour
      The harbour
    by nyperose
  •   Southampton
    by windoweb
  •   Southampton
    by mtwohig
 

Pro

johngayton profile photo

 Friendly, Lively and Cosmopolitan 


Con

slothtraveller profile photo

 For a place with such a naval history, it lacks any real identity. 


In a nutshell

nyperose profile photo

 It's worth spending some time here instead of taking a boat to somewhere else 

 

Explore Southampton

Things to Do  

Cruise on SS Shieldhall

Cruise on SS Shieldhall, Southampton

 andrewmabbett Says:  Shieldhall is a Heritage steam ship and a flagship of the National Historic Fleet. Recognised to be the largest working steamship of her type in Britain and probably Europe, she serves as a tribute to Britain’s maritime heritage and a living reminder of the golden age of... 

Tudor House, little gem of history

Tudor House, little gem of history, Southampton

 LouiseTopp Says:  Tudor House is just down the road from the Bargate in Bugle Street opposite a church in a secluded square. Very interesting, you walk into the reception and it takes an hour to explore the house and gardens. First there is a show where you sit in a candlelit banqueting hall... 

Southampton Maritime Museum

Southampton Maritime Museum, Southampton

 slothtraveller Says:  This museum was a highlight of my time in Southampton. Located on the docks in a beautiful building dating back to the 13th century, the Maritime Museum features all kinds of naval paraphernalia. On the first floor, there is an extensive guide into the history of the... 

Bargate

Bargate, Southampton

 slothtraveller Says:  Southampton's primary example of medieval architecture is the Bargate, a gateway which used to form part of the walled fortifications of the city in Norman times. Dating from 1180, the upper room is now used as an art gallery but in the past it was used as a prison and as... 

Royal Southampton Yacht Club

Royal Southampton Yacht Club, Southampton

 MarkJochim Says:  The RSYC is one of the oldest in Britain, having received its Royal Charter in 1875. The Club moved to its present location in the Ocean Village Yacht Marina in 1988. The clubhouse includes a bar, lounge, and restaurant. There's also a full range of training facilities. 

Southampton Titanic Trail

Southampton Titanic Trail, Southampton

 ardnas67 Says:  My middle daughter loves the sad story of the Titanic, and on our way back home from England to Holland we stopped in Southampton. This is were the Titanic left in 1912, and at the tourist information of this city you can buy a map of the Titanic Trail (only €0,50) It leads... 

Hotels  

Premier Inn Southampton - City Centre

 1 Review and 383 Opinions  A nice big room in Southampton city centre - close to everything - a very practical location. ... 

Elizabeth House Hotel

 1 Review and 118 Opinions  I've stayed at a number of hotels and B&Bs in Southampton,a city I have visited at least twice a... 

Restaurants  

Dock O' the bay: Cosy restaurant

Dock O' the bay: Cosy restaurant, Southampton

 ricky52 Says:  This restaurant was used by us because the Travelodge Hotel did not have its own restaurant.There was a certain vibe about this place we liked.The food was excellent, the staff were very friendly and helpful.We could not fault Dock O' the bay and we will return here if we... 

Elizabeth House Hotel: Great breakfast

Elizabeth House Hotel: Great breakfast, Southampton

 ricky52 Says:  The Elizabeth House Hotel is a hotel in its own right but it opens its doors to non residents for breakfast.We did not stay here and I am unable to give you any idea of what the hotel is like but from what I saw, it looked very nice.The breakfast room was very well laid out... 

Bleu (not a misprint): Relaxing bistro - with cheap wine

Bleu (not a misprint): Relaxing bistro - with cheap wine, Southampton

 CruiseSaint Says:  Bleu (yes that's the right spelling) French for Blue Bleu is a bistro reaturant in the Dolphin Inn. The Dolphin is a hotel under the roof of a 17th centry old coaching inn, where Jane Austen danced in the ballroom (now dining -rooms) on the first floor. There is a little... 

Nightlife  

Ikon/Diva: Soton shindigs!

Ikon/Diva: Soton shindigs!, Southampton

 sooster Says:  This is southamptons largest nightclub, comprising of 2 parts- Ikon and diva, which have separate entrances but which are also joined by internal doors. music varies but in general the harder house music is in Ikon, and the cheesier stuff in the smaller Diva. Saturdays its... 

Walkabout Bar - Southampton: Pubs and Bars

Walkabout Bar - Southampton: Pubs and Bars, Southampton

 beach-bum Says:  On a Friday night, it a good place to go for a few beers with friends. Last time I went there (Jan 2004) there was 2-4-1 Drinks promotion, and we had a great night! They have a dance floor (if you're into that) and the atmosphere is relaxed. None (that I'm aware of) 

Transportation  

From Train to ship

From Train to ship, Southampton

 PeterVancouver Says:  We boarded the Southern Region train right underneath Gatwick airport and had a leisurely ride through some very pleasant green fields of Southern England. With an off peak fare of under 15 Pounds and a journey time of exactly 2 hours, it got us into Southampton at 13.00 hrs... 

Southampton buses: Wilts and Dorset and Bluestar

Southampton buses: Wilts and Dorset and Bluestar, Southampton

 slothtraveller Says:  I found the bus a good way of exploring the area around Southampton. An Explorer ticket is available that allows unlimited travel on the network of Bluestar and Wilts & Dorset for a 24 hour period. I was able to travel from Southampton to Lymington, on to Beaulieu, back to... 

Southampton Airport (Parkway) Train Station

Southampton Airport (Parkway) Train Station, Southampton

 SueWarwick Says:  The easiest way to/from the airport is by train from the 'Southampton Airport (Parkway)' station. The airport has the shortest plane to train connection of any airport in Europe (apparently 99 steps).Trains to Southampton city centre and beyond run quite regularly.Trains to... 

Tourist Traps  

Car parking
northeast80 profile photo
northeast80 224 reviews

The central multi-storey car park is very expensive; £8 a friend paid when she was there for a few hours!
When I was there (July 2012) we parked at the, slightly out of town, Leisure World, West Quay Road, Southampton SO15 1RE instead. Whilst there was a man in a box trying to take money we just said we were going to watch a film (which we were as well as go to the centre) and he let us go by and park round near the side of the cinema for free all day.

To walk to the centre from here head out to the main road, the A33, cross over towards Ikea and cut through the car park (there's a proper path) out to the next road , Harbour Parade, and you'll see The Quays shopping Centre and the old city walls (which are always good to explore). Then you're in the centre, easy. It takes about 15 minutes walking, it was 30+ degrees C when we were there so not fast walking.

Unique Suggestions: For the most up-to-date local car parking info visit the government website for alternatives within the city centre;
http://www.southampton.gov.uk/s-environment/roadsandparking/parking/carparks.aspx

Written Aug 1, 2012

Related to:
 Family Travel
 Budget Travel
 Road Trip

Was this review helpful?

Off The Beaten Path  

Marwell Zoo

Marwell Zoo, Southampton

 darkjedi Says:  Some miles to the north between Southampton and Winchester is Marwell Zoo. Opened in 1972, it was one of the earliest zoos in Europe to place an emphasis on animal conservation and is considered one of the leading institutions in that field. It is best known for its large... 

Calshot Beach

Calshot Beach, Southampton

 darkjedi Says:  The area near Calshot contains a wealth of things to see and do. Calshot Castle is a part of Henry VIII coastal defences sited on a coastal sand spit near the deep water channel at Southampton Water, Calshot Activity Center offers a wealth of over 400 courses for all levels... 

Sports & Outdoors  

Southampton
DUNK67 profile photo
DUNK67 690 reviews

Name
Southampton
Nickname
The Saints
Stadium
St Marys Stadium
League Play In
Premier League
Honours
Home Kit
Red and white striped shirts, black shorts
Away Kit
Yellow shirts, blue shorts, yellow socks

St Marys just looks like the same as any of the other new breeds of Stadia that has built in the last few years, having said that the views are great as they are uninterupted.

Equipment: To watch the match the only equipment you really need is a good strong voice to sing your club`s songs and encourage the team and your eyes to actually watch the game, some people do take a pair of binoculars if they sit far from the pitch.
Apart from the above the club s encourage you to buy their merchandise to enhance your matchday experience, you can buy virtually anything from hats and scarfs to the full blown replica kit, which generally is updated annually.

Updated Sep 24, 2004

Website: www.saintsfc.co.uk

Was this review helpful?

Favorites  

Southampton's Parks

Southampton's Parks, Southampton

 johngayton Says:  Although the casual visitor might find the city to be nothing but a ring road, a couple of shopping malls, a High Street full of National chains and of course the multi-storey car parks to service all these a little further wandering revrals the whole eastern side of the... 

Above Bar - Below Bar

Above Bar - Below Bar, Southampton

 johngayton Says:  You'll find that the town centre is often referred to as being two distinct entities - the half which is "above bar" and the other half "below bar". This doesn't refer to the strategic siting of one of the pubs (HaHa!) but rather the old town's Bar Gate in the middle of the... 

Comments

 
Map of Southampton