Southampton, England

Southampton is a city and major port situated on the south coast of England. It is the closest city to the New Forest, situated approximately halfway between Portsmouth and Bournemouth. The city of Southampton is a modern and bustling place to visit, filled with huge shopping malls, modern buildings and an interesting past.

Southampton's busiest tourist attractions include the Civic Centre - home to the Guildhall, library and many significant events throughout the year; Ocean Village - a trendy marina development full of waterfront attractions, restaurants, bars, cinemas and shops; Southampton Common - an enormous area of green in the very heart of the city, with plenty for all the family such as the Hawthorns Urban Wildlife; and the Rose Bowl - a prominent local sporting venue.

Things to see and do

* The Bargate
* The Central Parks
* Walk the walls
* Southampton Common
* Museums and art galleries

General information

Cruise Season - March to Nov
Currency - Pound Sterling (GDP)
Language - English
Land Area - 49.84 sq km
Population - 225,000
Electricity - British-style plug with two flat blades and one flat grounding blade
Time - GMT plus zero hours
International Country Telephone Code - +44

Port Location - Southampton port is located approximately 12km's from the city of Southampton.

Transport Links - Southampton is serviced by Southampton International Airport, located a short distance outside the city in Eastleigh. It is a relatively small airport, and only flies to the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands, France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and the Czech Republic. The alternative is to use one of the London airports and travel on to Southampton by train, car or bus. South West Trains run regular (at least one an hour) services to Southampton. Megabus and National Express run regular bus services from London Victoria Coach Station to Southampton.

The public transport in and around the city of Southampton is excellent and buses, coaches and trains are all in plentiful supply, being reasonably priced and extremely convenient.