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 Porters Steakhouse (20-22 Queen's Terrace 2). 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 KWACKERS Kitchen & Sports Bar (Harbour Parade) are recommended spots to get vegetarian or vegan food in Southampton.
When to visit Southampton
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.
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 Belfast and takes around 1h 10m.
Train
Eurostar is the most popular train carrier serving Southampton, followed by AccesRail. The train journey from Southampton to Lille takes 1h 27m and costs around £39 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Bristol, expect to pay about £30 for a 1h 34m 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 Europcar, among others, in London.
Bus
Several bus lines operate bus routes to Southampton, including National Express, Megabus and FlixBus. From Southampton, the bus ride to Southampton takes 193 km and will cost you around £11. From Bristol, the ticket costs about £10 for a journey of 217 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.
Airlines serving Southampton
Where to stay in Southampton
Average rates range from around £104 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to £142 and up for a 5-star experience. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Southampton, with prices from £17 to £954 per night. City Centre is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Southampton are about 9% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.
Where to stay in popular areas of Southampton
Most booked hotels in Southampton
Hiring a car in Southampton
Hiring a car in Southampton costs £45 per day, on average.
Expect to pay £1.46 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 £17.52 and £23.36. The most frequently booked car type in Southampton is Standard (Class Commercial Truck or similar). If you’re looking to save money, though, keep in mind that Economy car hire (Citroen C3 or similar) is, on average, 76% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.