Southampton Airport sits about 4 miles north of Southampton city centre, on the edge of Eastleigh, just off junction 5 of the M27 and close to the end of the M3. It has its own railway station, Southampton Airport Parkway, a short walk from the terminal. This page covers the road routes from each direction, the trains, the local buses and coaches, and where to drop off and pick up.
By car: the postcode and the last few miles
For sat-nav, the airport postcode is SO18 2NL. The airport warns that sat-nav accuracy varies and that some systems send drivers onto the terminal forecourt, which is restricted, so follow the airport signs for your car park as you arrive. If you have booked parking away from the airport, use the postcode in your booking confirmation.
Almost every route ends the same way: leave the M27 at junction 5 and follow the A335, signed Eastleigh and Southampton Airport. Go straight over the next roundabout, then take the first left at the roundabout after that.
Routes from each direction
- From London and the north (Basingstoke, Winchester, Reading): take the M3 south. Where it ends and merges into the M27, at M3 junction 14 and M27 junction 4, stay in the right-hand two lanes towards Portsmouth and leave at the next exit, junction 5. Take the second exit at the roundabout onto the A335.
- From the west (Bournemouth, Ringwood, the New Forest, the West Country): the A31 becomes the M27 at Cadnam, junction 1. Stay on the M27 east past the M271 at junction 3 and the M3 at junction 4, then leave at junction 5 and take the second exit onto the A335.
- From the east (Portsmouth, Fareham, Chichester, Brighton): follow the A27 or M275 onto the M27 west. Leave at junction 5, keeping to the right-hand lane on the slip road, and take the fourth exit onto the A335.
- From Southampton city centre: take the A335 north and follow the airport signs.
Dropping off and picking up
The only drop-off and pick-up area is on the ground floor of the Short Stay car park, under cover and about a minute's walk from the terminal. It costs £7 for up to 20 minutes, is open 24 hours, and you pay at the exit barrier by card or contactless only; cash is not accepted.
- No free option at present: the airport says it does not currently offer free drop-off or pick-up, or a shuttle bus, because the Long Stay car park is closed.
- Waiting longer than 20 minutes: use the Short Stay car park itself, a one- to three-minute walk from the terminal, and pay at the exit barrier.
- Do not stop anywhere else: the roads are camera-enforced, and drivers who stop to drop off or pick up outside the Short Stay and Long Stay car parks face an £80 charge, reduced to £50 if paid within 14 days.
- Blue Badge holders in a taxi: tell the car park company about your Blue Badge on entry or exit, so your 30 minutes is validated when you leave.
By train: Southampton Airport Parkway
Southampton Airport Parkway station is next to the terminal. The airport puts it at 99 steps away, across a footbridge with a lift for anyone with luggage, children or reduced mobility, and says the walk takes under a minute. All platforms at the station are step-free.
South Western Railway manages the station and runs trains to London Waterloo, Winchester, Southampton Central, Bournemouth and Weymouth. CrossCountry trains call on their way between Bournemouth and Manchester Piccadilly, via Reading and Birmingham New Street. The airport gives these journey times from the station:
- Southampton city centre: 7 minutes
- Winchester: 10 minutes
- Bournemouth: 36 minutes
- Reading: 49 minutes
- Portsmouth: 60 minutes
- London Waterloo: 69 minutes
The station ticket office opens from 05:45 on weekdays and Saturdays and from 07:45 on Sundays, and there are ticket machines, including one in the terminal's international arrivals area. Check times with National Rail before an early flight.
By bus
The buses stop at Airport Parkway station, beside the terminal.
- Uni-link U1: runs between the airport and Southampton city centre via the University of Southampton's Highfield campus, with buses running on to Town Quay and the National Oceanography Centre on the waterfront, and a few journeys continuing to Eastleigh bus station. The airport says it runs every 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the day and whether it is university term, and takes about 35 to 40 minutes to the city centre. Heading to the airport, look for the U1A; the U1C runs in the other direction.
- Bluestar 24: runs between Eastleigh bus station and Hedge End via Airport Parkway and West End, roughly hourly during the day, with the last journeys in the early evening.
By coach
No long-distance coaches stop at the terminal. National Express coaches use Southampton Coach Station in the city centre, and route 032 between Southampton and Heathrow also calls at the University of Southampton, where you can change onto the U1 to the airport. The coach journey from Southampton to Heathrow takes about an hour and 40 minutes.
By taxi
Radio Taxis is the airport's taxi partner and can be booked online before you travel. Taxis pick up directly outside the arrivals door.
Once you are inside, our page on shops, food and drink at Southampton Airport lists what is before and after security. To compare parking for your dates, see Southampton Airport parking, and for a quieter wait before your flight, see our Southampton Airport lounges page.
Sorted before you fly.
