Coach and Minibus Hire in the United Kingdom

From your front door to the cruise terminal, together

The start of a cruise should feel like a holiday, not a scramble with suitcases. If your family or group is sailing together, a minibus with a driver collects everyone, loads the bags once and takes you to the right terminal.

Southampton: know your terminal

Southampton's cruise terminals are spread across two docks, and the dock gate you drive through depends on which terminal you're sailing from. Check your ticket for the terminal name and pass it on when you book; it saves a wrong turn at the port. Every terminal has dedicated coach bays, so bigger groups are set down close to the door.

Heathrow is about 68 miles away, typically 75 to 90 minutes on the road. If you're flying in on sailing day, allow a generous margin.

Full-size touring coach parked for boarding
Full-size touring coach parked for boarding

Suitcases and arrival times

Cruise luggage is bulky. A 16-seat minibus with every seat full has little room behind the last row, so a family of ten with large cases may be happier in something bigger. Tell us how many cases, not just how many people.

Ports prefer you to arrive at your allocated time rather than early. At Liverpool, cruise lines ask groups to turn up at their embarkation time, and at the Port of Tyne groups arrive within their assigned window and are set down right by the terminal entrance.

Rules worth knowing

  • In Southampton, Ocean and QEII terminals are reached by Dock Gate 4, City and Horizon by Dock Gate 10, and Mayflower by Dock Gate 20
  • At Liverpool, passengers are picked up and dropped off outside the terminal building; arrive only at your embarkation time
  • Heathrow charter coaches collecting from the forecourt must pre-book a forecourt permit and slot through the West Ramp Coach Park

Dover, Greenock and the Tyne

From central London to Dover's cruise terminals is roughly 75 to 80 miles, so a hotel pick-up in town works well for a morning embarkation. At Greenock you step off almost into the town centre, and Glasgow Airport is roughly 14 miles up the road. The Port of Tyne terminal at North Shields is roughly 8 to 9 miles east of Newcastle.

Your questions

Can we be met off the ship at the end of the cruise?

Yes. Give the ship, the date and your expected disembarkation time. Pick-ups are planned for that time, because ports discourage vehicles waiting around.

Can the airport and the port be one booking?

Often, yes: an airport collection, a hotel night if you want one, and the port run next morning. Send your flight numbers with the sailing details.

What if our flight is late?

Include your flight number in the booking, and ask how a late landing is dealt with, since that differs from one operator to the next.

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