Travelling from airports to the University of Southampton
1. From Southampton Airport: There are Unilink U1C buses every 15 mins departing from the stop Airport Parkway Station. It takes around 15 mins from the airport to the Highfield Interchange stop where the conference takes place. (This is also within walking distance of the Glen Eyre Halls of Residence.)
2. From London Heathrow Airport: Participants can reach the University of Southampton from Heathrow Airport by using public transport.
- National Express can take you directly from Heathrow Central Bus Station to the University of Southampton within about 2 hours. If you land at terminals 2 or 3, you need to walk about 5 mins to Heathrow Central Bus Station. When you arrive at Heathrow Central Bus Station, buy a ticket and get on the National Express Bus 203 (Southsea). The bus also stops at terminals 4 and 5 in the arrivals section (tickets can be bought from ticket machines or online). Your coach will stop at the University of Southampton (Highfield Campus, SO16 3HG) and at Southampton Coach Station in the city centre (Harbour Parade, SO15 1BA).
- If you want to travel by trains, you can take a bus from Heathrow Central Bus Station to Reading Bus Station by RA1 RailAir (Central Reading) bus. Then, walk about 2 mins to Reading train station. Take the CrossCountry Bournemouth train at Platform 7 to get to Southampton Central Station. When you arrive at the Southampton Central Station, you can get on the U1A Unilink bus to go to the conference site.
- Finally, you can also take the London Tube to London Waterloo Station. From there, there are direct trains to Southampton Airport Parkway and to Southampton Central Station roughly every 30 mins until late in the evening.
3. From London City Airport: Take the London Tube to London Waterloo Station (first take the DLR Line in the direction of "Bank" or "Stratford"; at "Canning Town" change to the Jubilee Line in the direction of "Stanmore"; this takes you to London Waterloo). From London Waterloo there are direct trains to Southampton Airport Parkway and to Southampton Central, roughly every 30 mins until late in the evening. Note that these trains are often significantly cheaper if booked in advance rather than on the day at a ticket machine.
4. From London Gatwick Airport: Direct trains will take you from Gatwick Airport to the Southampton Central Station within 2 hours. Then you can get on the U1A Unilink bus to go to the conference site. Note that trains in the UK are usually significantly cheaper if booked in advance.
5. From London Stansted Airport: First travel to London Waterloo Station, for example using the National Express bus, which runs roughly every 30 minutes. From London Waterloo Station there are regular direct trains to Southampton (see above).
We hope this travel guide can help you get to the conference site safely and smoothly. If you do not know where to go or what to do, using Google Maps in your phone is the best thing to do.
Travelling from London to the University of Southampton
From London the most convenient option is the direct SWR train from London Waterloo to Southampton Airport Parkway or to Southampton Central Station. These trains run approximately every 30 minutes until late in the evening. Southampton Airport Parkway is the station closest to the conference venue. It takes around 15 mins by bus U1C the Highfield Interchange stop where the conference takes place. (This is also within walking distance of the Glen Eyre Halls of Residence.)
Local transportation
There are many options for you to travel by Unilink buses.
1. You can buy pre-paid tickets from the Unilink Bus app. The price for single trip is currently £2.00. If you plan to travel many trips in a day you can get an adult dayrider ticket for £4.00. If you want to travel around Southampton multiple times in different days, you might choose Multipletrip 12 tickes which cost £20.00 or a 7 day ticket for £14.00.
2. If you do not have any Unilink pre-paid tickets, you can simply use any Credit/Debit card on the buses like in many cities in Europe. This is called Tap on/Tap off. As long as you keep using the same card, the system will automatically charge the cheapest available daily fare. Remember to tap off before you leave the bus.
Please refer to the maps below:
Transportation to Winchester
If you decide not to use the provided conference buses to Winchester on Wednesday afternoon (e.g., if you want to come to the banquet but not join the prior excursion) you have two options:
1. Take the Bluestar Bus 1 (Winchester) for £2.00. The stop closest to Highfield Campus is called "Bassett Crossroads (northbound)".
2. Take a train from Southampton Airport Parkway or from Southampton Central to Winchester (any train in the direction of London Waterloo will work). Return tickets from Southampton Airport Parkway typically cost £4.50.
