About 80 miles · from £145
Gatwick Airport to Southampton Cruise Terminal
North or South Terminal to your ship
Gatwick to the Southampton cruise terminals is the longer of the two airport runs to the port — around 80 miles against roughly 65 from Heathrow — and it carries the same hard deadline at the end of it. The ship sails whether you are on it or not, so this is a journey worth booking well ahead and worth being honest with us about the timings on.
Tell us which terminal you land at. Gatwick splits across North and South, they are a shuttle ride apart, and meeting at the wrong one costs everybody twenty minutes at the point in the day when nobody has twenty minutes. Send the flight number as well and we will follow the arrival.
At the other end there are five terminals in the docks rather than one. Give us the name of your ship when you book and we will confirm which of them you need, so the last mile inside the port is not spent working it out.
The quote form will open with this journey already filled in. You can change either address before sending it.
Guide prices for a standard car, one way. The final price depends on the number of passengers, the amount of luggage, your exact addresses and the time of day. We confirm the price when we come back to you, and nothing is charged through this website.
Gatwick Airport to Southampton Cruise Terminal
from£145
About 80 miles by road · one way, standard car
About 1 hour 45 from the arrivals hall — a typical time rather than a promise.
Send us the journey and we will come back with a confirmed price within two hours.
The journey
The journey, step by step
Times are elapsed from pickup rather than clock times, because this journey starts whenever suits you.
- Landing
You land at North or South Terminal
We plan around when you are realistically likely to walk out, not the scheduled landing time. Tell us the terminal — the two are far enough apart that it genuinely matters.
- 0:00
Met in arrivals
At the meeting point we agreed when you booked. Cases into the boot once and they stay there until the porters take them at the quayside.
- 0:15
West away from the airport
Either the M23 and M25 round and down the M3, or straight across country through Sussex and Hampshire. Your driver picks on the day, on the conditions, rather than on which looks shorter.
- 1:10
The long middle stretch
Eighty miles is the price of Gatwick being on the far side of the county. Outside the peaks it is a straightforward drive; on a Friday afternoon the M25 approach adds to it, which is why the plan carries slack.
- 1:45
Into the docks, to your terminal
Through the gates to the right one of Ocean, Mayflower, QEII, City or Horizon, dropped at the entrance where the porters take the bags.
About 1 hour 45 from the arrivals hall. That is a typical run rather than a promise — the time of day makes more difference than the distance does. We suggest a pickup time when we confirm your booking, and it allows for the road being busier than the map thinks.
Worth knowing on this journey
- Tell us which terminal you land at, North or South, and send the flight number so we can follow the arrival.
- Give us the ship name. That is what identifies your cruise terminal at the Southampton end.
- Allow more than you would for Heathrow: it is fifteen miles further and about twenty-five minutes longer on a good day.
- Tell us your check-in window rather than the sailing time. Boarding closes well before the ship leaves.
- Cruise luggage plus flight luggage is a lot of luggage. Count the cases properly and the right vehicle comes.
The route
The road we take
Drag, zoom and switch to satellite view. Google's own time is for the road alone and assumes a clear run.
What to expect
Planning this journey
A longer run to a fixed deadline
This is the combination that needs the most room: the longer of the two airport drives, and a ship at the end of it. We plan backwards from the start of your check-in window with the drive, the airport and a delay all allowed for. If you are landing on the morning you sail, tell us early — we would rather say the timings are uncomfortable than agree to them and hope.
Rather than two trains and a taxi
Gatwick to Southampton by rail means changing at least once, with cruise luggage, and it still leaves you at Southampton Central rather than at your terminal — which is another taxi at the far end. On the one day of the holiday with a deadline that cannot move, a single vehicle from the arrivals hall to the gangway is worth a great deal more than it costs.
What to tell us when you book
- Your flight number and arrival terminal, North or South
- The name of your ship, so we can confirm which cruise terminal
- Your boarding time or check-in window
- Whether you have hold luggage to collect
- Number of passengers and total number of cases
Gatwick Airport to Southampton Cruise Terminal: common questions
Do you collect from both Gatwick terminals?
Yes, North and South. Tell us which one you are arriving into when you book, along with where you would like to be met.
How much time should I leave between landing and boarding?
As much as you can. The drive alone is about an hour and three-quarters, and getting out of the airport after an international arrival can take longer than people expect. Send us the flight and your check-in window and we will tell you whether it is comfortable.
Which cruise terminal do you go to?
Whichever your ship is berthed at — Ocean, Mayflower, QEII, City or Horizon. The ship name is enough for us to work it out.
Can you take us to a hotel first?
Yes. A night in Southampton before you sail is a common and sensible plan, particularly off a late Gatwick arrival. Put the hotel as your destination and we will do the terminal run the next morning as a separate short journey.
Travelling from Gatwick Airport to Southampton Cruise Terminal?
Send us the details and we will come back to you to confirm the journey and the price.