Arriving in London by cruise ship

Queen Mary II (center) steams past the other two liners in the Cunard fleet Queen Elizabeth II (left) and Queen Victoria at Southampton Docks as the QMII leaves port in 2008. It was the only time that all three queens ever met in UK waters. (Photo by Chris Ison/PA Wire)
Queen Mary II (center) steams past the other two liners in the Cunard fleet Queen Elizabeth II (left) and Queen Victoria at Southampton Docks as the QMII leaves port in 2008. It was the only time that all three queens ever met in UK waters.

How to get to London from Southampton or other cruise ports

Most Transatlantic and European cruises still dock at Southampton, on the coast about 130 km (80 miles) southwest of London.

There are also three cruise ship docks within Greater LondonTower Bridge Upper, Greenwich Ship Tier, and Tilbury, with a larger Greenwich port proposed to open by 2017 as part of the Enderby Wharf, SE10 development.

Other popular cruise ship ports near(ish) London include Dover, Harwich, and Southampton's neighbor, Portsmouth.

Don't trust the ship or cruise company to offer the cheapest ride into London or Heathrow from the port where you disembark (or from London or Heathrow to the docks).

They might—and do look into it—but compare that the the frankly relative low cost (and door-to-door service) of a private transfer from our partners at Viator.com:

General tips of similar interest