Cruise transfers
Cruise port transfers, runway to gangway
Southampton, Dover, Portsmouth, Harwich and Tilbury, from anywhere in London or straight from Heathrow and Gatwick, in a car sized for cruise luggage.
Five ports
Drive times from the airports
Airport to ship
Every airport, every port
| From | Southampton | Dover | Portsmouth | Harwich | Tilbury |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heathrow | 82 min | 125 min | 80 min | 129 min | 82 min |
| Gatwick | 106 min | 102 min | 88 min | 125 min | 60 min |
| Stansted | 161 min | 134 min | 159 min | 84 min | 66 min |
| Luton | 123 min | 143 min | 120 min | 121 min | 75 min |
| London City | 142 min | 101 min | 129 min | 100 min | 36 min |
| Southend | 159 min | 113 min | 141 min | 78 min | 34 min |
| Biggin Hill | 123 min | 94 min | 106 min | 107 min | 43 min |
| Farnborough | 66 min | 136 min | 63 min | 155 min | 94 min |
| Northolt | 95 min | 137 min | 93 min | 131 min | 82 min |
Quickest port from each airport, off-peak.
In every fare
What the price includes
- 01
Ship tracking
The chauffeur follows your ship on the day, so a late berth moves the pickup rather than ending it.
- 02
Met at the terminal exit
Your chauffeur waits near the passenger exit during disembarkation and helps with the cases.
- 03
Parking and drop-off
Airport drop-off and short-stay parking charges are part of the price, not added afterwards.
- 04
A route from live traffic
The chauffeur checks the roads before setting off and picks the line that is moving.
From runway or front door to the ship
Five ports handle most cruises that start or end near London. Southampton is the busiest by far; Dover, Portsmouth, Harwich and Tilbury each serve particular lines and itineraries. We drive to all five from anywhere in London and directly from the airports, which is how many passengers flying in from abroad reach their ship.
How long does it take to reach each cruise port?
From Heathrow, Southampton and Portsmouth are each about 80 minutes away by road; Tilbury is also around 80 minutes via the M25 and A13. Dover and Harwich are the long runs, both more than two hours. From Gatwick, Tilbury is closest at about an hour, and Dover is noticeably nearer than it is from Heathrow.
The cards above give distances and times from both airports. They are calculated from road routing between the airport and the port and do not include the extra time we add for traffic on a summer Saturday, which is when many cruises set sail.
Which port does my cruise use?
Your cruise documents name the port and usually the terminal. Southampton is the home port for many ships sailing to northern Europe, the Mediterranean, the Atlantic islands and the Caribbean. Dover is often used for shorter European cruises. Portsmouth handles a smaller number of cruise calls alongside its ferry routes. Harwich, on the Essex coast, is popular for Scandinavian and Baltic itineraries. Tilbury’s London International Cruise Terminal sits on the Thames east of the city.
At Southampton in particular, the terminal matters. The port has several cruise terminals spread around the docks, and arriving at the wrong one can mean a long walk or a second drive. Tell us the ship and terminal when you book.
When should we leave for embarkation?
Your cruise line will give you an embarkation window, often a two- or three-hour slot. Plan to arrive near the start of it, and work back from there using the drive time plus a generous allowance for traffic. For Southampton on a Saturday in summer, the M3 and the approach roads to the docks can be very busy, and we plan accordingly.
If you are flying in on the day of embarkation, leave plenty of margin between landing and the end of the boarding window. Many cruise lines advise flying in the day before, and a night in a hotel near the airport or port is often the calmest option.
Which car suits cruise luggage?
Cruise passengers travel with more luggage than almost anyone else: formal wear, two or three weeks of clothes, and often a few extra items bought on board for the return trip. A couple who would book a saloon for a flight should usually book the V-Class for a cruise.
For groups sailing together, the V-Class keeps everyone and every case in one vehicle, which makes check-in at the terminal simpler. If you have mobility aids or a wheelchair, tell us when you book so we can plan the right car.
Can you collect us when the ship returns?
Yes. Disembarkation usually happens early in the morning, in groups, and the exact time you walk off the ship depends on your group and on how quickly baggage is unloaded. Give us the ship and date, and your chauffeur will wait near the terminal exit.
Returning passengers often head straight to Heathrow or Gatwick for a flight home. Allow plenty of time between the ship’s arrival and your flight: disembarkation can run late, and the drive from Southampton to Heathrow on a busy morning can take longer than on the way down.
What is the drop-off like at the terminal?
Cruise terminals are built for large numbers of passengers arriving at once, and most have a drop-off area where porters take checked luggage from the car. Your cases are tagged with the labels your cruise line sends before departure and go straight to your cabin, so you walk into the terminal with only your hand luggage and documents.
Print or download your luggage tags before the day and attach them at home. It saves a scramble on the kerb, and porters can take the bags as soon as the boot opens. Keep passports, medication and anything you need in the first few hours in your hand luggage, because checked cases can take until the evening to reach your cabin.
Should we stay near the port the night before?
If you are flying into London from abroad, usually yes. Long-haul flights are delayed often enough that landing on the morning of embarkation leaves little room for error, and a ship does not wait. A night in Southampton, or near Heathrow for a Southampton sailing, turns a tense rush into an easy drive the next morning.
We can plan both legs together: airport to hotel on the day you land, and hotel to the ship the next morning, with the same size of car for your luggage each time. Tell us the hotel when you book.
What if we are travelling in a large group?
Groups sailing together, such as families marking a big birthday or friends on an anniversary cruise, often want to arrive at the terminal together. The V-Class carries up to six people and their cases, and for larger groups we coordinate several vehicles to leave from the same place at the same time.
If group members are coming from different parts of London or different flights, send us the details and we will plan the pickups so that everyone reaches the port within the same embarkation window.
Good to know
Questions, answered
Do you drive from Heathrow directly to Southampton?
Yes. It is about 67 miles via the M25 and M3 and usually takes around 80 minutes, not counting time for traffic near the docks.
Can you wait if the ship docks late?
Yes. Tell us your ship and the scheduled arrival, and the chauffeur will allow for disembarkation delays.
Do you cover Harwich and Dover?
Yes. Both are longer journeys of more than two hours from Heathrow. Dover is closer to Gatwick, Harwich to Stansted.
Can you store luggage between a flight and a cruise?
We cannot store luggage, but we can plan a journey that goes from the airport to your hotel and then on to the port the next day.
Is Tilbury in London?
It is in Essex, on the Thames east of the city. The London International Cruise Terminal there is the closest cruise terminal to central London.
Ready when you are
Your chauffeur, already waiting
A named chauffeur, a fixed price and a quiet car, at every London airport.