Southampton

Understand

Southampton has been a settlement since Roman and Saxon times. In Saxon times the town was known as Hamwic. The Roman ruins are situated in a suburb called Bitterne Manor - which was known as Clausentum in Roman times. Its privileged position on England's south coast made it Britain's premier trading post. The town became walled in the medieval era, and some remnants of these defences remain throughout the city, most notably the Bargate in the middle of the city centre. Southampton was devastated by bombing during the Second World War, meaning that much of the city and its heritage was destroyed. As such the town and its architecture has quite a modern feel to it. Southampton has grown rapidly and is the largest city in Hampshire. The two universities (Solent University and the University of Southampton) mean that there is a large student population.

Visitor information Visit Southampton website

Getting there

By plane 1 Southampton Airport (SOU IATA), a short distance to the north in Eastleigh, receives regular services from many airports across the British Isles, including Belfast City, Dublin, Edinburgh, Manchester, and the three main Channel Islands. KLM operate a year-round feeder service from their hub at Amsterdam Schiphol, but other services from continental Europe are seasonal. A railway station adjacent to the airport is served by regular trains into Southampton Central; the journey takes about 8 min. National rail connections include Bournemouth (45 min), Reading (45 min), London Waterloo (1 hr 15 min), Birmingham New Street (2 hr 30 min) and Manchester Piccadilly (4 hr). Much bigger airports are within easy reach of Southampton by rail, car or bus. The most convenient are:

London Heathrow Airport (LHR IATA) is the UK's largest airport, and Europe's primary international hub. It is about 60 mi (97 km) drive from Southampton via the M4 (westbound), M25 (anti-clockwise) and the M3 (southbound). There is a RailAir coach service to Woking station, where mainline trains to Southampton can be boarded. National Express offers scheduled bus service from the Central Bus Station at Heathrow, between Terminals 2 and 3, to Southampton Coach Station. London Gatwick Airport (LGW IATA) is the UK's third largest airport. It is about 80 mi (130 km) drive from Southampton via the M23 (northbound), M25 (clockwise) and M3 (southbound) motorways. Monday to Saturday there is an hourly direct train service to Southampton from a rail station in the airport terminal complex, taking just under 2 hours; on Sundays at least one transfer is necessary resulting in travel times between 2 and 2½ hours. Stansted (STN IATA) and Luton (LTN IATA), both north of London, have a good range of budget flights but are harder to reach from Southampton: you either have to crawl around on the congested M25, or take a train into London then out again. Bournemouth Airport (BOH IATA) is 30 mi (48 km) west of Southampton along the M27 and A31. It only has a few holiday flights to the Med.

By train Wikivoyage has a guide to Rail travel in Great Britain Southampton's main station is 2 Southampton Central, on the north-west edge of the city centre. The station has entrances from Blechynden Terrace (north side) and the Western Esplanade (south side), with both providing equal access to concourse and all platforms. From the station, it is a short walk to the city centre, or you can use the free CityLink bus service, which runs every 15–30 minutes during the day and up to about 8PM. The CityLink

Getting around

My Journey is a website funded by the Department of Transport as a hub for travel information in and around Southampton.

On foot Southampton City Centre is fairly spread out along a north-south axis, however it is easily possible to walk from the popular Bedford Place student area on the Northern fringe of the central area to the waterfront, much of the route being pedestrianised.

By bike Southampton has a few dedicated cycle routes; they are not particularly well linked but cyclists should not have a problem navigating the city centre. The city centre is mostly flat; Hampshire tends to undulate. Sustrans Cycle Map

By bus Southampton has a good network of bus services, with some principal services operating as often as every 7 minutes during the day. Most of the services radiate out from the city centre but there are also some cross-city routes. Some services also extend to settlements outside the city. Buses accept cash (also giving change) and contactless card payment.

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By train Southampton's main station is Southampton Central, on the north-west edge of the city centre. Southampton Central, Southampton Airport Parkway and Eastleigh are all served by regular trains on the South West mainline. Other stations in Southampton receive only less-regular stopping services, these stations are Redbridge, Millbrook, St Denys, Swaythling, Bitterne, Woolston, and Sholing.

See

1 Bargate. A medieval gatehouse, built about 1180 and extended in 1320, now sits slap bang in the middle of the shopping centre. The top floor is now a Heritage Visitor Centre. The Bargate is also the beginning of the original Old Town Walk (pdf); see Do below. (updated Jul 2018) 2 Central Parks, established in the 19th century, form a line through mid-city. South to north these are Hoglands Park, Houndwell Park, Pamerston Park, East Park and Watts Park. At the top end of East Park near the Guildhall and Art Gallery, note the two memorials to those lost aboard Titanic: one for the engineers and one for the musicians.

Art galleries 3 Southampton City Art Gallery, Commercial Road, SO14 7LP, ☏ +44 23 8083 4536, [email protected]. Contains some 3,500 works of art covering six centuries. Free. (updated Jul 2018) 4 The Bargate Monument Gallery. The Bargate has been refurbished and given a new lease of life as a contemporary art gallery and home to the arts organisation A Space. (updated Jul 2018) 5 John Hansard Gallery, Studio 144, 142-144 Above Bar Street, SO14 7DU, ☏ +44 23 8059-2158, [email protected]. Tu–Sa 11AM-5PM. Was created in 1980 at the University of Southampton to combine the University's fine art and special photographic collection. Widely regarded as one of the best places in the country to see contemporary visual art, the gallery also hosts seminars, talks and workshops. Free. (updated Jul 2018)

6 God's House Tower, on Town Quay by the foot of the ferry pier (on Town Quay by the foot of the ferry pier), ☏ +44 7733 092 291 (mobile). F Sa 10AM-5PM, Su 10AM-4PM. A 13th-century gatehouse through the city walls, that opened as an arts centre in 2021. Changing exhibitions, galleries, cafe, and local heritage library is free. Free (some events have a charge). (updated Jul 2022)

Museums 7 SeaCity Museum, Civic Centre, Havelock Rd., SO14 7FY, ☏ +44 23 8083-3007, [email protected]. Daily 10AM-5PM. Opened in 2012, SeaCity contains two main galleries: the first telling the history of Southampton through artefacts and interactive displays; the second dedicated to the voyage and sinking of the RMS Titanic and the Southampton residents who served as crew and passengers. A third space is used for temporary exhibitions, and there is also a cafe and shop. The museum is on the west facing side of the building with the entrance directly beneath the clock tower. Adult £8.50, concessions £6.00, family (2 adults and 3 children) £25.00, under 5s free. (updated May 2021) 8 Medieval Merchant's House, 58 French Street, SO14 2AT, ☏ +44

Do

For up to the minute information on what to do in Southampton, visit the city's Events & What's On calendar. 1 Mayflower Theatre. The largest theatre in southern England, offering blockbusting West End musicals, and ballet and operatic productions. (updated May 2016) 2 Turner Sims Concert Hall, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ, ☏ +44 23 8059-5151. A medium-sized venue owned by the University of Southampton, which hosts frequent performances by internationally-renowned classical, jazz and world music artists. (updated May 2016) 3 Southampton Guildhall. A multipurpose venue, mostly featuring touring comedy and rock acts, but also classical concerts and civic functions. (updated May 2016) Odeon Cinema at Leisureworld Cineworld Cinema at Ocean Village has a wide choice of films. The Harbour Lights Picture House overlooking the Ocean Village Marina, which shows independent and European films. 4 Showcase Cinema de Lux. A multplex cinema in the new Westquay South complex. (updated May 2017) Live music is at "The Brook", "The 1865" and "The Joiners".

Walk the Old Town Walls - follow the signposted original course (pdf) of the historic old town walls, gatehouses and towers, which are among the most complete in England; as around half of the original one-mile circuit still survives, including the famous Bargate at Bargate Street and High Street. 5 Southampton Common. Take a walk over its 365 acres (148 hectares) of grass and woodland, including an Urban Wildlife Centre, paddling pool, play area and fishing lake. Very busy in summer, and a popular afternoon hang out for students. (updated May 2025) Take a ride on the Hythe Ferry from Town Quay to Hythe Pier, viewing the shipping in the docks. There are a large number of sailing schools based in and around Southampton, particularly on The Hamble. Most if not all offer courses based around the Royal Yachting Association's certificates. A start sailing weekend costs in the region of £200 for two nights and two days sailing. Football: 6 Southampton FC, St Marys Stadium, Britannia Rd SO14 5FP. "The Saints" play soccer in the Championship, England's second tier. Their stadium (capacity 32,380) is one mile east of city centre. Many clubs have been penalised for financial irregularities but in 2026 The Saints remarkably were sanctioned for spying. They won a promotion play-off but their pre-match research crossed the line between legitimate scouting and fiendish spying, so their opponents were awarded the victory. (updated May 2026) Cricket: 7 Hampshire Bowl (or Rose or Utilita Bowl) is home to Hampshire County Cricket

Buy

Southampton sells itself as the shopping capital of the South Coast and the Westquay Shopping Centre does nothing to dispel you of that opinion.

1 Westquay Shopping Centre, Harbour Parade, SO15 1QF. M-F 9AM-8PM, Sa 9AM-7PM, Su 11AM-5PM. John Lewis and Marks & Spencer are the major draws, but there are 97 other shops happy to separate you from your hard-earned cash. An extension to this popular shopping centre, Westquay South, includes a 10-screen 4k cinema, up to 20 extra restaurants and a public square. (updated Jul 2018) 2 The Marlands, Civic Centre Rd, Hants, SO14 7SJ. M-W F 9AM-5:30PM, Th 9AM-7PM, Sa 9AM-6PM, Su 11AM-5PM. A smaller shopping centre constructed to a PostModern design in 1991. The rent is lower than West Quay and hence the retailers are less salubrious. Retailers include Route One, CEX and The Disney Store. (updated Jul 2018) Above Bar Street is the main pedestrian thoroughfare joining the shopping centres to each other with even more retailers, large and small. You won't be surprised to find that the same stores as are on most British high streets such as TK Maxx, HMV, Topshop and Primark have made this their home. Above Bar Street is also the home of special shopping events. The German Market runs in December, and the area around the Bargate has the Farmer's Market on the second Saturday of each month. A short walk to the north of Southampton's main city centre are Bedford Place and London Road. By day and night, the bars, coffee shops, pubs and restaurants are a hive of activity. Southeast of the city centre, Oxford Street hosts independent boutiques, salons, bars and restaurants and maintains a more historic feel.

Eat

There are two main areas for eating out in Southampton; the first is Oxford Street (towards Ocean Village) and the second is around Bedford Place (just north of the city). The choice in Bedford Place is rather more varied; ranging from Moroccan and Mexican at the southern end of the road through student style curry houses and a Chinese to some late night kebab and chip shops. In terms of value for money the Pride of India is one of the best Indians in the city, but most of the restaurants are good value, if not exactly awe-inspiring taste-wise. Walking distance from Bedford Place is the area of town that used to be known as Hungry Hill; Commercial Road where the existence of the Mayflower Theatre has meant a thriving trade for various restaurants in pre- and post-theatre eating. Again the choice is varied although generally the quality to cost ratio is not as high as it might otherwise be; although Buon Gusto (Italian) and Cafe Pattaya (Thai) are particularly recommended.

Budget There is the usual range of fast food chains spread throughout the city. In the city centre you find the chain restaurants of Tortilla, Greggs (bakery), Franco Manca and the IKEA restaurant. Formerly Burger King and McDonalds faced each other across the Bargate like petulant children with the gate acting like a peace-making mother, but McDonalds gave up the fight and fled to the Westquay shopping centre in which you can also find a large selection of 'sit-down' restaurants like Pizza Hut, Nando's, Pizza Express, Yo Sushi!, Wagamama and Cafe Rouge. Furthermore, there are many takeaways in Southampton that do delivery and allow you to pick up the food yourself. Typical meals range from £7-15. Check with your hotel/hostel if they allow food orders.

1 Mike's Fish & Chips, 23 Queensway. (updated Feb 2023) 2 Punjabi Takeaway, 49 St Mary's Rd. Indian eatery (updated Feb 2023) 3 The Bedford, 23 Bedford Pl. (updated Feb 2023) 4 Piecaramba!, 30a Carlton Pl. British. (updated Feb 2023) 5 Roosters Piri Piri, 25 London Rd. (updated Feb 2023) 6 Poppins Restaurant & Cafe, 181 High St. (updated Feb 2023) 7 SAUCE kebab & pizza, 27-29 Queensway. (updated Feb 2023)

Mid-range 8 Bill's Southampton Restaurant, WestQuay South. British £15-25. (updated Feb 2023) 9 The Oxford Brasserie, 33-34 Oxford St. (updated Feb 2023) 10 Soleto Bistro, 11 Commercial Rd. (updated Feb 2023) 11 Kuti's Brasserie, The Royal Pier, Mayflower Park. Indian (updated Feb 2023) 12 La Regata, Town Quay. If you are looking for sea-side eating with a touch of history. Spanish tapas restaurant in a Georgian-style buil

Drink & nightlife

As is to be expected of a large port with two universities, there are a lot of places to drink in Southampton. The city centre features two pubs dating from Tudor times, the Red Lion in High Street in particular is steeped in history. Portswood is the drinking area of choice for students at the university, so keep away from places like The Hobbit, 1 Clowns and Jesters ("Jesters"), 2 The Gordon Arms and 3 The Mitre if you want to avoid students. While The 4 Hobbit. can be studenty, it is definitely worth a look as it is a quirky pub with a massive beer garden and live music every night of the week. The Shooting Star (previously known as Kolebka) is a relaxed jazz bar with live music every Friday night. Further up on Porstwood Road, The Brook is a dedicated venue for bands. The Polygon (also referred to as "Bedford Place") is where most of the clubs and bars in the city lie, such as 5 "Orange Rooms" (a club/bar with a wider variety of music) and 6 "Pop World" (a retro-themed nightclub). The Marina area has a good (albeit expensive) selection of seafront bars. The 7 Red Lion, 55 High St, SO14 2NS (in High Street), ☏ +44 23 8033-3595. dates back to Tudor times and is a must-see. It's usually fairly quiet as well. (updated Jul 2023) For those looking for something more lively, The 8 Platform Tavern nearby on the waterfront is an excellent bet as it features live jazz and blues music and a superb selection of local real ales. 9 The Angel, next to one of the central parks, is an excellent 'local' type pub in the city centre featuring a free drinks quiz and friendly landlord. The city centre also has the usual spattering of chain pubs, including 10 Slug & Lettuce and four Wetherspoon's. For those looking for a more alternative atmosphere, there is also 11 The Firehouse Nightclub, with cheap drinks, friendly staff and customers with a varied spectrum of music from metal/industrial, indie and general rock music. Outside of the city centre are the usual local pubs, some of which are excellent and others which are best avoided. The 12 Park Inn in Shirley and the 13 Wellington Arms and 14 Waterloo Arms in Freemantle all have an excellent range of real ales. Nearby and next to St Denys railway station are two more excellent pubs, the 15 Junction Inn and 16 South Western Arms. The 17 Rockstone in Bevois Valley is brilliant: it has a great selection of beers, whiskys and rums, and the selection of food is vast, including plenty of vegan options, ever-changing and of impeccable quality.

18 The Bookshop Alehouse, 21 Portswood Rd, SO17 2ES. One of a number of micropub

Sleep

The Hilton Southampton provides 4-star luxury in a pleasant environment, you can expect comfortable and stylish guestrooms. 3-star hotels are much easier to come by, the 1 Leonardo Hotel sits in the middle of a city centre roundabout, the 2 Novotel, 3 Travelodge, Holiday Inn and 4 Hotel Ibis are all perfectly adequate for providing a night's sleep. If you feel the need for a less generic hotel experience, 5 The Dolphin Mercure hotel and 6 The Star are both on the High Street in traditional coaching inn buildings and will make you feel less like you're just a commodity. Tourist Information will almost certainly be able to find you somewhere to stay if you're stuck (☏ +44 23 8083-3333).

7 DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Southampton, Bracken Place, Chilworth, SO16 3RB, ☏ +44 23 8070-2700, [email protected]. 24-hour service. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. (updated Aug 2016) 8 Southampton Harbour Hotel, Ocean Village SO14 3QT, ☏ +44 23 8110-3456. Bright buzzy hotel overlooking the marina. Assistance dogs only. B&B double £200. (updated Jul 2020) 9 Pig in the Wall, 8 Western Esplanade SO14 2AZ (By Mayflower Roundabout), ☏ +44 23 8063-6900. Great little hotel set into the ancient city walls. No dogs. B&B double £160. (updated Jun 2020) 10 Woodlands Lodge, Bartley Road, Southampton SO40 7GN, ☏ +44 23 8029-2257. Smart dog-friendly hotel on the edge of the New Forest. B&B double £100. (updated Jul 2020)

Go next

The New Forest is perfect for a walk in the countryside and is one of the nicest rural retreats in England. Salisbury is a historic city and its cathedral boasts the tallest spire in England. Winchester is a nearby ancient cathedral city and the former capital of England, with lots to see. Portsmouth is Hampshire's second most populous city and has a proud naval heritage, and the £21-million Spinnaker Tower, offering great views of the South Coast. Bournemouth in the neighbouring county of Dorset, is famous for its golden sandy beach and is perfect for a seaside getaway, shopping and the nightlife. The Isle of Wight has many beaches and attractions to visit. The Borough of Eastleigh has many small villages and hamlets.