Daniel_Williams

Hello

Next year I was thinking of taking the QM2 Transatlantic and thought it might be nice to just enjoy being on land post-arrival.

Most people seem to push on to London or other directly from what I can tell, but I'm wondering if it would be enjoyable to just stay put in Southampton for a night or more before moving onward by train (to see family in London). I would ideally want a B&B or inn, on the inexpensive end, with places to eat/grocery stores that kind of thing within walking distance (as I would not have a car).

I don't care if Southampton is not the shining star of the UK; a handsome church, a pleasant park, some charming older homes with gardens are enough to keep me happy in my exploring.

All opinions appreciated. I lived in Golders Green area London from 1978-1982 and have not been back to the UK since 1991 (want to thank certain aging people at a certain Free Church for the warmth and hospitality they showed my family many years ago), so needless to say I'm excited about going!

Ever so gratefully,

Daniel

flanneruk

Southampton's not even the shining star of Southampton. If you look very carefully, there are a couple of nice old buildings. Them apart, it's one of those unfortunate towns Hitler quarter-destroyed and then got completely finished off by the following decades' civic fathers.

Since the train to London goes through Winchester, it honestly makes far far better sense to get off there and do all the things you'd have done in Southampton if 50 years of really rotten town planning hadn't stopped you.

willit

It's OK (I live nearby and work in the city)- a pleasant common, some good medieval walls, a medieval merchants house (I found this fascinating) and a reasonable museum.
Plenty of shopping and eating places.

Having said that, I cannot see why you would want to stay there, when there are two gems within 25 minutes train journey: Winchester and Salisbury.

Both of these are beautiful cathedral cities with loads to see and do.

Daniel_Williams

Wow I can't believe the quick reply! Thank you for all your opinions!

Those medieval walls, nice common and medieval merchant house make it sound kind of tempting actually. Just a place to regain my land-legs so to speak (and perhaps a base to visit Salisbury/Winchester?). Don't forget, we don't have anything Medieval on this side of the pond in Canada/US.

Being less of a draw, might accommodation be less expensive than in Salisbury or Winchester then? (I do fondly remember seeing Winchester Cathedral as a young man.) I may yet decide to stay in one of the latter, but am weighing my options.

All your words are ever so appreciated...

Thankfully yours,

Daniel
Montreal, Canada

Cholmondley_Warner

As has been said; between the Luftwaffe and the town planners there's not much left in Southampton worth seeing.

There's the Spitfire museum (the Spitfire was "born" in southampton), a pretty dismal football club, a red light district with the world's ugliest prostitutes, a Hell's Angels club house and that's about it.

There are also the memorials to the two most famous ships to leave Southampton. The Titanic and the Mayflower. Both journeys ended disasterously of course

You would be so much better advised to go to Winchester (especially if you are then going to London).

janisj

Daniel_Williams: &quot;<i>Those medieval walls, nice common and medieval merchant house make it sound kind of tempting actually. </i>&quot;

Don't let that lure you to think it would be a nice, restful, or (OMG - I can't believe I'm saying this) &quot;<i>quaint</i>&quot; stop over.

Either Winchester or Salisbury would be much, MUCH better for your &quot;unwind, relax&quot; stop before heading into London.

Both are lovely towns w/ amazing cathedrals, good pubs, pretty bldgs, greens etc. Southampton would not be a good first stop over/experience in England.

Daniel_Williams

http://www.visit-southampton.co.uk/

OK I'm getting the picture that you folks are not all that impressed with Southampton. And I'm certainly considering the other suggestions.

But in the meanwhile, I found this lovely website... mind you, these are Southamptonites promoting their town, so I recognize they're biased. Of course everybody has a bias; as far as I know, you folks might be trying to dissuade me due to feelings of bourgeois superiority . Still, coupled with the idea of getting off the boat and just plopping my luggage down and not worrying about travelling further right away, the website is rather persuasive.

Anyhow, I'm thinking. Winchester, being quite close, is tempting, although less expensive central accommodation seems more scarce there.

All previous teasing comments aside, all thoughts thus far have been greatly appreciated and future thoughts from either aristocracy, bourgeoisie and proletariate will be happily received .

flanneruk

What bourgois superiority?

Every couple of months, I have a messy train journey that requires me to hang round Southampton station - ie meander round downtown Southampton - for about 55 minutes. Don't know how well you know Britain, but most people will understand how damning it is when I say I now choose the slightly longer alternative that requires me to meander round <b> Reading </b> for the same amount of time.

All of which said, the noblest prospect a Sotonian can behold is a road going anywhere else - and there are several. By all means stay there to prove we're wrong (and save a few bob, since Winchester's not the cheapest town in Britain), and use its excellent direct train connections to Winchester, Salisbury, Oxford, Brighton, the Jurassic Coast (get off at Dorchester and have a look at Maiden Castle), Portsmouth (just as crap, but it's got all that naval history) or Chichester.

Just don't say you haven't been warned.

Daniel_Williams

Sotonian... thank you for your kindly-worded correction! I knew Southamptonite sounded too dreadfully North American to be correct.

Your words about Reading do not fall on deaf ears; and speaking of which, reading a few Southampton crime statistics I must say do make Winchester seem more appealing.

willit

Sotonian is actually pronounce &quot;Scummer&quot; - In fact that is the nickname of the local football team - just ask anybody in Portsmouth.

Seriously, it is difficult to explain just how much better Salisbury or Winchester are from Southampton.

For Southampton's handsome Church read Winchester (or Salisbury's) great European Cathedral, For Medieval walls, read Medieval town centre. It's Benny Hill against Jane Austin.

Much as I like Winchester, I prefer Salisbury. I feel the cathedral is more beautiful (it was , at one stage, the tallest building in Europe), the town centre slightly more interesting, and the ruins of the castle at Old Sarum above Salisbury are great.

Daniel_Williams

Poor Sotonians!

Denuded of potential historic charm by the civic planners, got bombed by the Luftwaffe so as to live in the shadow of their more medievally charming sister cities, and to top it all off then are called &quot;scummers&quot; by their neighbours. It does seem terribly unfair.

Might it be similar to Baltimore, USA, with at least a worn-around-the-edges working-class charm that only some appreciate? (But lives in the shadow of its flashier neighbours, DC and New York?)

willit

If you insist on Southampton, then walking around what is left of the city walls is pleasant. The museum occupies one of the remaining towers near the ferry port. The Medieval merchants house is closer to the city centre, not far from the Bargate - an impressive ancient gatehouse which lies just off the main shopping area.

There are many pubs a near Oxford Street, and up towards London Road. The latter tends to be a more &quot;student&quot; area and is more reasonable (although reasonable is a relative term as most UK dining is very expensive)

There is a central park which is pleasant enough, and half a mile or so from the city centre, a large open &quot;Common&quot; - OK for picnics, people watching etc. There is often some sort of show/circus/exhibition on the common.

I cannot help with B&amp;Bs etc, as I have never used them - but if I can answer any other questions feel free to ask.

janisj

Most everyone else who has responded to your thread is British. I'm a Yank who loved in the UK for several years. So you are getting perspective from all directions - and it is pretty much unanimous.

But you can, of course, still decide to go w/ Southampton. It is just that I wouldn't -

janisj

Oops - LIVED in the UK . . . . (loved too, but that is for a different thread )

Daniel_Williams

Thanks again to all... I feel I've been excellently and honestly advised .

Sincerely,

DANIEL

flanneruk

&quot;Might it be similar to Baltimore, USA, with at least a worn-around-the-edges working-class charm that only some appreciate?&quot;

Not really. That's more of a Liverpool thing. Southampton's problem, from a tourist point of view, is that it's been exceptionally successful economically with scarcely a stutter since WW2.(as we deindustrialised, the Southampton area became a major gateway to Europe and a glorified London suburb) So its picturesque bits haven't had the chance to sit there unloved until the heritage industry discovered them, and it's pretty much merged with a great strip of development along much of the south coast. It doesn't even have its own area code.

To those of us who don't know the area well, but just pass through a lot, it's got no working class charm, grit or anything else. People who Up North would have become anachronistic, beer-swilling characters clinging onto houses out of Coronation St and the chip on their shoulder seem, throughout the BBC Radio Solent catchment (for the area really has no other name), to have all become wine-sipping messers about in boats.

JudyC

As someone (also from Canada)who has had the doubtful pleasure to stay in Southampton for couple nights, may I offer some notes:

1.It is true: not much to see or do after couple hours sightseeing.

2.You could easily find cheap B&amp;B north of central train station on Hill Lane or The Polygon. Charm, No, just some place to sleep. Don't expect to find anything to eat nearby after 8PM, even from pubs.

3.Most previous posters are quite right: easy daytrips to Winchester or Salisbury,both are much much more interesting

4.After 6 nights on QM2(!!) without seeing any land, you might like to visit New Forest (easily short bus ride from Southampton) for some long walks, visit little old villages or lovely gardens (Exbury).

Daniel_Williams

Now let's say I decide to plop myself in Winchester instead for a few nights instead of Southampton; I'm guessing that Winchester has places to eat where a solo diner would feel comfortable going centrally-located?

Is Winchester as good a hub for exploring surrounding interesting sites (by train or bus) of the region like Salisbury (or Stonehenge? or other, doesn't have to be these...) for a day trip?

thanks DANIEL

Cholmondley_Warner

I'm guessing that Winchester has places to eat where a solo diner would feel comfortable going centrally-located? &gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;

Yes loads. For a start Winchester is running alive with pubs, many of which serve very good food. I would especially recommend the Wykeham Arms in Canon St (I used to live next door to it). There are also some good upmarket options, especially L'Hotel du Vin.

Is Winchester as good a hub for exploring surrounding interesting sites (by train or bus) of the region like Salisbury (or Stonehenge? or other, doesn't have to be these...) for a day trip? &gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;

Not bad. You are on the London - Weymouth train line which will take you to the New Forest and the south coast. There is (or was I left a good few years ago) a train to salisbury too.

You could get a bus to Romsey and see the Abbey and Broadlands (Mountbatten's home).

There's certainly enough to keep you busy.

flanneruk

Having been stuck on Winchester station last week after Cross Country cancelled a train, and having spent the best part of an hour attempting to mediate between a flannerpooch desperate for a poo and a jobsworth employee who hated dogs (the pooch won), I'm now an expert on train routes out of Winchester.

To get to Salisbury you have to change at Southampton Airport. No big deal: even with the change and hanging around, it only takes an hour and there's a train every half hour. Just remember that there's a risk they'll cancel a train because of staff shortages. Won't stop them finding enough staff with nothing better to do than complain a dog's lead's too long, though.