steelmagnolia

Hello all. I hope you are well and safe.
I am taking a cruise from Portsmouth UK. I will be flying from South Florida. First week of May.

1. Where do you suggest I fly to, London? Southampton? any other nearby airport? thanks.

2. I want to arrive a few days before the cruise just to be sure all is okay. Any Bed and Breakfast you recommend in Portsmouth? Or small hotel? Thank you.

3. The cruise return is in Barcelona. I was wondering, if it is better to buy a one way ticket to UK. And then, spend some days driving around Spain in a rental, and then buy a one way ticket to South Florida. What do you guys think?

janisj

I doubt there are any flights from Florida to Southampton. Either LHR or LGW would be fine.

Re fights . . . look into open jaw (also called multi city). That would be flying Florida to the UK and then Spain to Florida. This is not two one-way tickets, it is a round trip ticket but flying home from a different city.

If you are planning to fly in a few days early you really don't need to stay in Portsmouth unless you just want to. Portsmouth has the historic Dockyards, etc. But there are easy train connections from London or lots of other places so you could visit/stay most anywhere in southern England

thursdaysd

If you are going to stay in Portsmouth, I would fly into Gatwick and take the train direct to Portsmouth & Southsea. Definitely look for a multi-city ticket.

I stayed here in 2015, and would recommend it then: https://fortitude-cottage-portsmouth.booked.net/

There is plenty to see in and around Portsmouth. Besides the Historic Dockyard, with HMS Victory and Mary Rose, I would recommend a day trip to Chichester and the Roman remains at Fishbourne. That can be done by public transport.

https://www.historicdockyard.co.uk/
https://sussexpast.co.uk/attraction/...-roman-palace/

steelmagnolia

Hi Janisj. Thank you for your response. Regarding the Multi; yes, I am aware. I just wanted the opinion of you guys experienced travelers as so, if it would be better, more practical. The cruise return is in Barcelona. I was wondering, if it is better to buy a one way ticket to UK. And then, spend some days driving around Spain in a rental, and then buy a one way ticket back to South Florida. What do you think? Thanks Janisj.

steelmagnolia

Thanks! thursdaysd. will ckeck it out.

janisj

That doesn't change anything re my recommendation . . . whether you drive around Spain or not, an open jaw still fits. Fly in to the UK, home from Spain . . . doesn't have to be Barcelona, could be Madrid or somewhere else. Just depends on where you end up in Spain.

You could do two one ways (especially if you are using frequent flyer miles to pay for one or both tickets) but for many airlines an open jaw will be cheaper. You just need to do some research like plugging some 'dummy bookings', checking Google Flights, etc. to see what works for you.

steelmagnolia

Thank you! I will explore your suggestions. I appreciate your input.

bilboburgler

Spain and renting a car. You could or you could use their extensive and pleasant train system. North along the coast is really interesting/ beautiful.

Southam

Janisj gives good advice (as usual). A pair of one-way tickets across the Atlantic is often far more expense than a round trip. Don't ask me why. I can only add that you should use a multi-destination search so that the whole trip is one itinerary, rather than trying to patch the route together with individual fares.

steelmagnolia

Thank you! Yes. So beatiful. I love Spain.

steelmagnolia

Hi. Thanks. I did buy my multi tickets. I am happy about that. Now, I have to figure out how to get from Heathrow Airport to Portsmouth by train. I have not idea!

steelmagnolia

Thank you all for your help.

janisj

See my response on your other thread

steelmagnolia

Hello all. Update on my wonderful trip. The end result is that: I purchased a ticket to fly to London, UK, and returned to Miami From Barcelona. In London I hired an excellent service that took me directly to Portsmouth. I stayed at a B & B for two nights, and then boarded my cruise. Last port was Barcelona. I retrieved my rental car and spent 10 days exploring Spain, going also to Lourdes in France. The trip was absolutely wonderful, with great sights, adventures, and people. The last night before my flight I spent it in Barcelona. Took a bus to T1 at Barcelona airport to get tested for COVID, got my results in 15 minutes. Returned to my hotel. Got up very early, returned my rental car, and flew back home. I am blessed and thankful. Thank you all for all your responses.

janisj

Good to hear back - sounds like you had an amazing time.

thursdaysd

Thanks for reporting back!