Southampton Shore Excursions with a Private Chauffeur
Docking in Southampton? A private chauffeur-driven day from the cruise terminal costs £470 in a Mercedes E-Class (up to 3 guests) or £560 in a Mercedes V-Class (up to 6 guests) — a full 8-hour door-to-door day. That is enough to reach Stonehenge (about 25 miles, 45–60 minutes), Windsor Castle (about 65 miles, 1 h 20), or central London (about 80 miles, 1 h 45) and still be back at the gangway comfortably before all-aboard. Your driver meets you inside the terminal with a name board, tracks your ship’s actual arrival, and the car stays with you for the whole day — no coach timetables and no shared groups.
- UK-licensed private hire operator — licence PHOP950
- Pickup at all five Southampton cruise terminals
- Fixed price at booking — pay online or by card to the driver
- Ship arrival tracked; back-to-ship timing planned by your driver
Prefer to ask a question first? Contact us here — we reply the same day.
How much does a private shore excursion from Southampton cost?
The day rate is fixed when you book and covers the vehicle, chauffeur, fuel, port parking and waiting time. Attraction tickets (Stonehenge, Windsor Castle) are not included — book those separately for your chosen time slot.
| Plan | Mercedes E-Class (up to 3) | Mercedes V-Class (up to 6) |
|---|---|---|
| Private 8-hour day — any itinerary | £470 | £560 |
| Additional hour beyond the day | £45 | £55 |
| One-way transfer, Southampton port → London hotel | £225 | £275 |
For a family of four, £560 in the V-Class works out at £140 per person for a completely private day — comparable to what many ship-organised coach excursions charge per seat, except the itinerary is yours: leave when you like, stop where you like, and skip the group waiting time. You can compare the one-way option on our Heathrow to Southampton cruise transfer page if you are joining or leaving your ship rather than visiting for the day.
Can I visit London during a cruise stop in Southampton?
Yes — central London is about 80 miles from the port, roughly 1 h 45 each way via the M3. With a typical port call of 07:00–17:00, an 8-hour private day gives you around four full hours in the city. A plan our drivers use often:
| Time | Step |
|---|---|
| 08:30 | Pickup at your terminal, luggage stays in the car |
| 10:15 | Westminster — Big Ben, Abbey and Buckingham Palace photo stops |
| 10:45–14:45 | Your free hours: Tower of London, a river walk, lunch in Covent Garden |
| 15:00 | Depart London |
| 16:45 | Back at your ship — over an hour before a typical all-aboard |
Because the same car and driver stay with you, there is no luggage worry and no train connection to catch. If you would rather build a longer London visit on another trip, see our private driver in London service or our guide to day trips from London.
Book your Southampton day — instant quote
How far is Stonehenge from Southampton cruise port?
Stonehenge is about 25 miles from the cruise terminals — 45 to 60 minutes by car depending on traffic. That makes it the easiest world-famous site to reach on a Southampton call: even with two hours at the stones you will be back at the ship with most of your day intact, so many guests combine it with Salisbury Cathedral (30 minutes from the stones, home to a 1215 Magna Carta) or the old streets of Winchester on the way back.
Entry to Stonehenge is by timed ticket. Book your slot in advance on the English Heritage site (link below) — summer slots around midday sell out, and your driver will plan the departure time from the port around the slot you hold.
Is Windsor Castle worth visiting from Southampton?
Windsor is about 65 miles from the port — around 1 h 20 by car — and pairs a working royal castle with a genuinely pretty riverside town. Allow two to three hours for the castle itself (State Apartments and St George’s Chapel), then a walk across the bridge to Eton or lunch on the high street before the drive back. The castle closes on certain weekdays and chapel access varies by day, so check opening days on the Royal Collection Trust site (link below) before you pick your itinerary.
Windsor also combines well with a shorter second stop: your driver can route back past Winchester — only 14 miles from Southampton — for a 45-minute cathedral stop without risking your all-aboard time.
Where will my chauffeur meet me at the port?
Southampton has five cruise terminals — City, Horizon, Ocean, Mayflower and the Queen Elizabeth II terminal — and we collect from all of them. Tell us your ship’s name when you book; we track its actual arrival, so an early or late docking moves your pickup automatically, not your plans. Your driver waits at the terminal exit with a name board, and the fixed price already includes port parking and waiting.
If your excursion day is actually your disembarkation day, luggage travels with you and the day can end at a London hotel or at the airport instead of back at the ship — see our Southampton to Heathrow transfer for the airport option. Either way the price is agreed before the day starts; nothing changes on the road.
Southampton shore excursions — your questions answered
- Will I get back to my ship on time?
- Yes — this is the core of how the day is planned. Your driver works backwards from your all-aboard time with at least a one-hour buffer, checks live traffic through the day, and shortens the final stop rather than the safety margin if the roads are slow.
- How much does a private shore excursion from Southampton cost?
- £470 for up to 3 guests in a Mercedes E-Class or £560 for up to 6 in a V-Class, covering a private 8-hour day with car, chauffeur, fuel and port parking. Additional hours are £45–£55. Attraction tickets are booked separately.
- Which Southampton cruise terminals do you pick up from?
- All five — City, Horizon, Ocean, Mayflower and Queen Elizabeth II. Give us your ship’s name at booking; we track the actual docking time, and your driver waits at the terminal exit with a name board at no extra charge.
- Can I combine Stonehenge and Windsor in one day?
- It is possible but tight: the two sites sit in different directions and the driving alone is around 3 h 30. Most guests get more from Stonehenge plus Salisbury or Winchester, or Windsor on its own — your driver will tell you honestly what fits your ship’s hours.
- What happens if my ship docks late?
- Nothing you need to fix. We track the ship, not the clock: your driver adjusts the pickup to the real arrival at no charge, then re-plans the day with you in the car so the itinerary still ends at the gangway on time.
Reserve your chauffeur for your port day
Booking for a group of more than six, or want a multi-stop itinerary checked first? Send us your ship’s date and we will map the day for you.
Sources & useful links:
Stonehenge opening times and timed tickets — English Heritage
Windsor Castle opening days — Royal Collection Trust
Southampton cruise terminals — ABP Cruise Southampton