Introduction
What to do
Where to eat
When to visit
How to get there
Where to stay
Hiring a car

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.

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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 Shanghai 1814 (Shanghai 1814). 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. For delicious green meals, Reggina's Italian, Botley (13-15 High Street Botley) and The Cricketers Inn (Curdridge Ln) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Southampton.

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 15m.

Train

AccesRail is the most popular train carrier serving Southampton, followed by South Western Railway. The train journey from Southampton to Bristol takes 1h 36m and costs around £29 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Southampton, expect to pay about £26 for a 1h 42m 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 Turo, among others, in London.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Southampton, including National Express, FlixBus and Megabus. From Leicester, the bus ride to Southampton takes 185 km and will cost you around £5. From Southampton, the ticket costs about £6 for a journey of 185 km. The most popular bus station is Southampton Burgess Road Library, located 3 km from the city centre of Southampton. Southampton Solent University is also a commonly used station, and is 0.1 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 15m.

Train

AccesRail is the most popular train carrier serving Southampton, followed by South Western Railway. The train journey from Southampton to Bristol takes 1h 36m and costs around £29 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Southampton, expect to pay about £26 for a 1h 42m 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 Turo, among others, in London.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Southampton, including National Express, FlixBus and Megabus. From Leicester, the bus ride to Southampton takes 185 km and will cost you around £5. From Southampton, the ticket costs about £6 for a journey of 185 km. The most popular bus station is Southampton Burgess Road Library, located 3 km from the city centre of Southampton. Southampton Solent University is also a commonly used station, and is 0.1 km from the city centre.

Airports near Southampton

BRSBristol
SOUSouthampton Eastleigh

Airlines serving Southampton

Lufthansa
Good (7,198 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,372 reviews)
British Airways
Good (7,113 reviews)
SWISS
Good (1,655 reviews)
Delta
Excellent (7,951 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (3,896 reviews)
Iberia
Good (2,828 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,468 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (811 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (8,845 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,285 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,596 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,419 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (9,695 reviews)
LOT
Good (1,096 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (351 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (1,222 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (10,375 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,312 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,915 reviews)
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Where to stay in Southampton

Average rates range from around £106 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to £151 and up for a 5-star experience. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Southampton, with prices from £16 to £405 per night. City Centre is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Southampton are about 14% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.

Most popular hotel in Southampton by neighbourhood

Where to stay in popular areas of Southampton

Most booked hotels in Southampton

See all
voco Fareham - Solent by IHG
4 stars
Excellent (8.6, Excellent reviews)
£100+
View
Leonardo Royal Southampton Grand Harbour
4 stars
Excellent (8.4, Excellent reviews)
£108+
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Hilton Southampton - Utilita Bowl
4 stars
Excellent (8.2, Excellent reviews)
£107+
View
Leonardo Hotel Southampton
4 stars
Excellent (8.1, Excellent reviews)
£79+
View
Holiday Inn Express Southampton M27, Jct.7
3 stars
Excellent (8.1, Excellent reviews)
£80+
View
Red Lion Hotel by Greene King Inns
3 stars
Excellent (8, Excellent reviews)
£70+
View

Hiring a car in Southampton

Hiring a car in Southampton costs £45 per day, on average.

Expect to pay £1.35 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 £16.16 and £21.55. The most frequently booked car type in Southampton is Compact (Ford Focus or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Intermediate car hire (Kia Sportage or similar) is, on average, 55% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Hiring a car in Southampton costs £45 per day, on average.

Expect to pay £1.35 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 £16.16 and £21.55. The most frequently booked car type in Southampton is Compact (Ford Focus or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Intermediate car hire (Kia Sportage or similar) is, on average, 55% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Best car hire deals in Southampton

Compact SUV

4 adults, 2 Bags

£25/day

Compact SUV

Economy

2 adults, 2 Bags

£26/day

Economy
Find car hire in Southampton

Southampton Travel Guide - View the KAYAK Southampton city guide for the best Southampton travel tips. To help you organise your Southampton trip ideas, this Southampton visitors guide provides travel information and trip tips about how to get there, where to stay, what to do, where to eat and more.