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Guide to Southampton, UK
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SouthamptonSouthampton
To some, Southampton can appear to be a glossy, unrealistic portrayal of an English town, but regardless of its expansive boulevards and massive shopping centers, it is a major port city and will continue to serve it's primary purpose as a docking point for all kinds of seafaring vessels. As it so happens, many tourists who do arrive in Southampton have journeyed here by the English Channel, but as the city gained in popularity, its transit centers grew a bit too cramped, and as a result it's very own flight center received a major facelift - today, many more travelers now come and go via the currents above us. It is somewhat peculiar that the outskirts of Southampton receive more attention than its center, but the facts cannot be denied, and as it so happens, it is one of few English cities whose focal points are indeed scattered and whose inner districts are uneventful, to say the least. If you happen to browse about the pier(s), however, thoughts of the downsides and odd anomalies of Southampton drift away, and you're left with pleasing views of the Channel and an array of nightclubs that are second to none.
When to go:
With the exception of winter, there's really no bad time to pack up your bags and move to Southampton for few days, a week, or even longer. For most of the year, the waters licking the rocks of the harbor are fairly docile, only to seem agitated when a storm's a-brewin'. Unless you're planning to visit the gardens around the city, spring ends up a tough sell as opposed to summer and autumn. If you happen to be at odds with the sun and wish to forego seeing the hints of a tan, visit in autumn, when the air is crisp, fairly dry, and the winds of the Channel are a constant and a pedestrian's best friend. Summer is of course peak season, so your choice of a hotel room is limited and you can prepare to spend a premium almost everywhere you go (unless you choose to jump into the harbor, in which case the water mixed with petrol is free), but, oh, the city is so wonderfully spectacular that we fear mentioning more and ruining the effect!
Getting there and around:
Hundreds of flights do not find their way in and out of Southampton Airport every day, but we can't expect the city to compete with the likes of London or Birmingham can we? It'd be nice to have a specific hour to choose as the time of your departure for the coast, but it's not so bad when you have a few flights between the capital and Southampton every 24 hours. When you do arrive, you'll have a few miles to cover before checking into your suite - ahem, room, and after all the troubles have been put in the past, its easy going from there. Private cars hold dominion over the roadways in the city, and only near the harbor do automobiles seem to alter their general characteristics - into trucks and SUVs (You can't tow a boat with the likes of a Golf). If you're keeping your floatation devices at home, however, you can forgo the monstrosities for a taste of Southampton's public transit system. Buses are good for daytime commutes, whilst taxis can be found near every bar or club after the sun sets.
Attractions:
Boating is a much-favored activity in Southampton and it seems nearly every suburban resident owns a dinghy or two. If you loiter around the bay for some time you're bound to catch the attention of an avid sailor, and you'd be surprised how easy it can be to obtain a free tour of the waters and some lessons on rigging and so forth. After you've treated yourself to the title of nautical expert, you can dry off while window-shopping the designer boutiques until you're overwhelmed by the price tags.
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