Travel
Some useful travel information has been collated in this document:
Pre-conference travel information
Southampton is located on the South Coast of England and is well-served by transport infrastructure.
By Air
Southampton International Airport is next to Airport-Parkway rail station (see below) and therefore similarly nearby the campus, and served by the same bus route and taxis. The airport has flights to and from a range of UK and European destinations. More information can be found here: http://www.southamptonairport.com/
In addition, London Heathrow Airport is only about 1 hours travel away, and as the UK’s largest airport has a multitude of national and international connections. All London airports have direct coach links to Southampton (Heathrow about 1 hour, Gatwick about 2 hours). There is a direct coach service from Heathrow Airport to the University of Southampton, Highfield Campus. More information can be found here: http://www.nationalexpress.com/. Also see: http://www.nationalexpress.com/wherewego/airports/heathrow-airport.aspx or http://www.nationalexpress.com/wherewego/airports/gatwick-airport.aspx.
Alternatively, there is a Railair connection from Heathrow Airport to Woking railway station, from which one can connect by train to Southampton. More information can be found here: http://heathrow.airport-information.co.uk/directions-rail.html. Tickets can be bought at the airport, or a Railair connection ticket can be bought online at: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/
As Southampton airport has direct flights from Amsterdam, some long-haul travellers (and travellers from parts of Europe without a direct Southampton flight) may find it convenient to fly to Southampton via Amsterdam, rather than flying to London and then taking the coach or train to Southampton. Another option might be to travel via Paris and fly to Southampton from Paris Orly airport.
By Train
The nearest station to Highfield Campus is Southampton Airport-Parkway station, which is about ten minutes drive from the campus. The station benefits from particularly good connections with London. Trains from London Waterloo leave approximately every 30 minutes, with a travelling time of 1 hour 10 minutes. There are also connections from Birmingham, Manchester and the South-West as well as intermediate stations on these lines.
From the station it is possible to take either a taxi or Unilink bus U1C to Highfield Campus. Train timetables can be found here: http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/planjourney/search
Unilink bus timetables are here: http://www.unilinkbus.co.uk/service.shtml
By car
Southampton is just 75 miles (120km) from London and 21 miles (35km) from the Channel ports. The M3, M27 and A34 provide fast, direct access while the A36 is the main route to the West Country, Bristol and Wales. From the M3 – exit at junction 14, following signs for Southampton (A33). Follow the A33 into Bassett Avenue and follow the map/signs to University campuses.
From the M27 (west or east) – leave the M27 at junction 5 (Southampton Airport) and follow the map/signs to University campuses.
By bus or coach
National Express provides regular services from central London, Heathrow, Birmingham, Bournemouth and the North. Southampton coach station is at Western Esplanade, in the city centre. Our own Uni-linkbuses connect the University’s Southampton campuses with the city centre and both train stations – Southampton Central and Southampton Airport Parkway
By Sea
Cross channel ferry services by Brittany Ferries and LD Lines operate out of the nearby port of Portsmouth (21 miles) offering fast and regular crossings from France. There are very frequent ferries from France and Belgium to Dover, which is about 2.5 hours drive on the M20/M25/M3 motorways.