Southampton is a very well connected city with road, rail, sea and air links. Here is a list of the most convenient transport options.

Via Southampton international airport (suggested for US participants)

There are frequent flights from many UK/European cities with Flybe or KLM. Participants from the US could fly directly to Southampton by connecting at Dublin, Glasgow, Manchester and Amsterdam. From the airport, there are taxis available to take you to the hotel fro about 10-15£. Alternately, take the train from Southampton Airport Parkway train station (just outside the airport) to Southampton Central train station. When you arrive in Southampton, follow the instructions below to get to the hotel from the train station.

Via Heathrow Airport

Heathrow is the major UK airport with many international flights. To reach Southampton from Heathrow there are two public transport options:

1) You can take the National Express coach bus from/to all terminals in Heathrow to/from Southampton. This bus journey takes approximately 100 mins and costs around 25£. There are 9-10 buses a day between Heathrow and Southampton. When you arrive in Southampton, follow the instructions below to get to the hotel from the coach station.

2) A bus-train combination called the Rail-Air Network. First take a bus to Woking from Heathrow (there are buses every 30 mins and journey takes 30 mins). At Woking, take a train to Southampton Central (trains to Southampton every 30 mins and the journey is 45 mins). When you arrive in Southampton, follow the instructions below to get to the hotel from the coach station. For the return journey, take the train to Woking from Southampton and then at Woking take the bus to Heathrow.

From/to Central London

If you already are in London, there are two public transport options:

1) National Express coach bus will take your from/to London Victoria Bus Station. The bus journey lasts 2 hours and costs around 25£.

2) Southwest Trains run regularly (every 30 minutes) from Southampton Central station to London Waterloo. This train journey is just over 70 minutes and can cost between 15£ to 50£, depending on the time of the day.

Via ferry from France

There are ferries from/to France from Portsmouth. From Portsmouth, you can then either take a National Express coach bus, or take a train to Southampton central station. When you arrive in Southampton, follow the instructions below to get to the hotel.

Map and directions from train/coach station to the hotel

When you arrive at Southampton Central train or at the coach station, you can reach the Grand Harbour Hotel by walk in less than 15 minutes, as shown on this map below. The hotel website contains further directions. If you fancy a bite or a drink after a long travel, try one of the restaurants at West Quay, less than two minutes walk just behind the hotel.

VISA for travel to the UK

If you require a VISA to travel to the UK and need an invitation letter, first register here, pay the conference fee and then contact us to obtain an invitation letter.