Southampton travel guide

Southampton Tourism | Southampton Guide

You're Going to Love Southampton

With a population of 246.201, Southampton is a must-see destination in England, United Kingdom. It is one of the most popular cities to visit in the country. Consider staying at least one whole day in Southampton to see all of its attractions.

Where to Eat in Southampton

City Centre is the neighbourhood with the most restaurants in Southampton. These include popular favourites such as Porters Wine & Charcuterie (20-22 Queens Terrace), Edo Asia (High St) and Bill's Restaurant & Bar - Southampton (Westquay South). If you’re looking for affordable options, Casa Brasil Southampton Westquay (Unit WM20, Level 2 West Quay South) and L'Osteria Southampton (Unit WM16 Westquay South, Watermark Centre) are great picks.

When to visit Southampton

Southampton in January
Estimated hotel price
£65
1 night at 3-star hotel
Southampton in January
Estimated hotel price
£65
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Southampton in July, when the average temperature is 18 °C, and the highest can go up to 22 °C. The coldest month, on the other hand, is December, when it can get as cold as 3 °C, with an average temperature of 4 °C. You’re likely to see more rain in December, when precipitation is around 76 mm. In contrast, July is usually the driest month of the year in Southampton, with an average rainfall of 25 mm.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Southampton

Plane

When flying to Southampton, you’ll arrive at Southampton Airport (SOU), which is located 6 km from the city centre. The shortest domestic flight to Southampton departs from Edinburgh and takes around 1h 20m.

Train

AccesRail is the most popular train carrier serving Southampton, followed by Eurostar. The train journey from Southampton to Oxted takes 0h 33m and costs around £14 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Birmingham, expect to pay about £14 for a 1h 28m trip. Located 0.7 km from the city centre, Southampton Central is the busiest station in Southampton. Another popular train station is Southampton Redbridge, located 5 km from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Southampton is to pick up a car hire from London, which is about 110 km from Southampton. You’ll find branches of GREEN MOTION and DRIVALIA , among others, in London.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Southampton, including National Express, Megabus and FlixBus. From Bristol, the bus ride to Southampton takes 209 km and will cost you around £3. From Birmingham, the ticket costs about £6 for a journey of 209 km. The most popular bus station is Southampton Burgess Road Library, located 3 km from the city centre of Southampton. Southampton Port is also a commonly used station, and is 1.7 km from the city centre.

Plane

When flying to Southampton, you’ll arrive at Southampton Airport (SOU), which is located 6 km from the city centre. The shortest domestic flight to Southampton departs from Edinburgh and takes around 1h 20m.

Train

AccesRail is the most popular train carrier serving Southampton, followed by Eurostar. The train journey from Southampton to Oxted takes 0h 33m and costs around £14 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Birmingham, expect to pay about £14 for a 1h 28m trip. Located 0.7 km from the city centre, Southampton Central is the busiest station in Southampton. Another popular train station is Southampton Redbridge, located 5 km from the centre.

Car

Another option to get to Southampton is to pick up a car hire from London, which is about 110 km from Southampton. You’ll find branches of GREEN MOTION and DRIVALIA , among others, in London.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Southampton, including National Express, Megabus and FlixBus. From Bristol, the bus ride to Southampton takes 209 km and will cost you around £3. From Birmingham, the ticket costs about £6 for a journey of 209 km. The most popular bus station is Southampton Burgess Road Library, located 3 km from the city centre of Southampton. Southampton Port is also a commonly used station, and is 1.7 km from the city centre.

Airports near Southampton

Airlines serving Southampton

Lufthansa
Good (4,604 reviews)
KLM
Good (849 reviews)
SWISS
Good (927 reviews)
British Airways
Good (4,444 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,591 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (2,281 reviews)
Air France
Good (973 reviews)
Iberia
Good (1,547 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (476 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (4,921 reviews)
Emirates
Good (2,125 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,482 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (5,710 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (226 reviews)
Finnair
Good (878 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (832 reviews)
LOT
Good (683 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,161 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (911 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (835 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in Southampton

Average rates range from around £98 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to £136 and up for a 5-star experience. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Southampton, with prices from £18 to £2,465 per night. City Centre is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Southampton are about 15% cheaper than a hotel room in the city.

Where to stay in popular areas of Southampton

Most booked hotels in Southampton

The Crown Manor House Hotel
4 stars
Excellent (8.5, Excellent reviews)
£94+
Leonardo Royal Southampton Grand Harbour
4 stars
Excellent (8.3, Excellent reviews)
£92+
Holiday Inn Express Southampton M27, Jct.7
3 stars
Excellent (8.1, Excellent reviews)
£67+
Leonardo Hotel Southampton
4 stars
Excellent (8.1, Excellent reviews)
£72+
Village Southampton Eastleigh
4 stars
Excellent (8.1, Excellent reviews)
£74+
Holiday Inn Southampton
4 stars
Excellent (8, Excellent reviews)
£79+

Hiring a car in Southampton

Hiring a car in Southampton costs £42 per day, on average.

Expect to pay £1.48 per litre in Southampton (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between £17.76 and £23.68. Intermediate (Renault Kadjar or similar) is the most popular car type to hire in Southampton, while also 66% cheaper than other types, on average.

Hiring a car in Southampton costs £42 per day, on average.

Expect to pay £1.48 per litre in Southampton (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your car hire, filling up the tank will cost between £17.76 and £23.68. Intermediate (Renault Kadjar or similar) is the most popular car type to hire in Southampton, while also 66% cheaper than other types, on average.