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), Shanghai 1814 (Shanghai 1814) 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.

When to visit Southampton

Southampton in January
Estimated hotel price
£64
1 night at 3-star hotel
Southampton in January
Estimated hotel price
£64
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 Eurostar. The train journey from Southampton to Oxford takes 0h 52m and costs around £19 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Birmingham, expect to pay about £23 for a 1h 33m 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 Birmingham, the bus ride to Southampton takes 209 km and will cost you around £6. From Bristol, the ticket costs about £8 for a journey of 225 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 15m.

Train

AccesRail is the most popular train carrier serving Southampton, followed by Eurostar. The train journey from Southampton to Oxford takes 0h 52m and costs around £19 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from Birmingham, expect to pay about £23 for a 1h 33m 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 Birmingham, the bus ride to Southampton takes 209 km and will cost you around £6. From Bristol, the ticket costs about £8 for a journey of 225 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 (4,665 reviews)
KLM
Good (852 reviews)
SWISS
Good (942 reviews)
British Airways
Good (4,539 reviews)
Delta
Good (4,614 reviews)
Turkish Airlines
Good (2,306 reviews)
Air France
Good (984 reviews)
Iberia
Good (1,585 reviews)
Austrian Airlines
Good (484 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (4,958 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (2,120 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (2,469 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (5,860 reviews)
Brussels Airlines
Good (229 reviews)
Finnair
Good (872 reviews)
TAP AIR PORTUGAL
Good (1,177 reviews)
LOT
Good (685 reviews)
Singapore Airlines
Excellent (923 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (827 reviews)
Etihad Airways
Good (833 reviews)
Show more

Where to stay in Southampton

Average rates range from around £99 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to £141 and up for a 5-star experience. There are also lots of holiday rental options in Southampton, with prices from £17 to £973 per night. City Centre is the neighbourhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, holiday rentals in Southampton are about 1% more expensive 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)
£98+
Leonardo Royal Southampton Grand Harbour
4 stars
Excellent (8.3, Excellent reviews)
£98+
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)
£81+
Holiday Inn Southampton
4 stars
Excellent (8, Excellent reviews)
£82+
Red Lion Hotel by Greene King Inns
3 stars
Excellent (8, Excellent reviews)
£67+

Hiring a car in Southampton

Hiring a car in Southampton costs £43 per day, on average.

Expect to pay £1.49 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 £17.77 and £23.69. 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 Mini car hire (Smart Fortwo or similar) is, on average, 76% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.

Hiring a car in Southampton costs £43 per day, on average.

Expect to pay £1.49 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 £17.77 and £23.69. 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 Mini car hire (Smart Fortwo or similar) is, on average, 76% cheaper than other car hire types in the city.