Arriving by train

Train timetables are available on the National Rail website and app. Direct trains run frequently from London Waterloo to Southampton until late in the evening, and there are convenient train routes from London Gatwick Airport.

The most convenient stations to alight at in Southampton are Southampton Central and Southampton Airport Parkway. If you arre traveling from the London area or the north of England, your train will stop at Airport Parkway before continuing to Southampton Central. Airport Parkway is the station closest to the conference venue; it takes around 15 to 25 mins by bus U1C to the Highfield Interchange stop on the university campus. More information about the Unilink bus servise is available at the Local Information tab.

Train fares in the UK depend on the time of day and the route. They are often significantly cheaper if booked in advance. There are multiple companies running the train network, but there is no restriction on which train you ride on unless you buy an advance ticket for a specific train.

Arriving by air

Southampton is well connected to London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Southampton Airport, and London City Airport. 

1. From London Heathrow Airport: Southampton is easily reached from Heathrow by public transport. 

• National Express coaches can take you directly from Heathrow to Southampton within about 2 hours. If you land at Terminals 2 or 3, you need to walk a few minutes to Heathrow Central Bus Station. If you land at Terminals 4 or 5, you can take the coach from the arrivals section. The coach will stop at the University of Southampton and at Southampton Coach Station in the city centre. This coach is the most convenient option, but it only runs roughly every 2.5 hours. Tickets can be purchased online, at ticket machines in the Central Bus Station, or from the driver on the bus.

• Travel by train is also possible but less convenient. You can take a RailAir coach from Heathrow to either Reading or Woking train station. Information on where to find RailAir coaches is available here. From either Woking or Reading you can take a train to  Southampton.

• You can also take the London Underground to London Waterloo Station. From there, there are frequent direct trains to Southampton.

• A taxi or Uber from Heathrow is very expensive (usually around £120).

2. From London Gatwick Airport: Depending on the day and time of arrival, there are direct trains from Gatwick Airport to Southampton Central Station. When direct trains aren't available, there are multiple train routes that involve only one transfer. The transfer can be at Clapham Juntion (faster but more expensive) or at one of a few stations along the south coast route (slower but cheaper). From Southampton Central Station, you can take the U1A Unilink bus to get to the university campus. 

3. From Southampton Airport: There are Unilink U1C buses every 15 mins departing from the stop Airport Parkway Station. It takes around 15 to 25 minutes from the airport to the Highfield Interchange at the University of Southampton. You can also travel by train from Southampton Airport Parkway to Southampton Central Station in the city centre. Taxis are available from the airport but are at a fixed fare that can be inordinately expensive. If you'd like to go by taxi, we suggest calling an Uber or Radio Taxi or else walking across the road, and through the covered bridge over the train tracks, to the taxi rank at the train station.

4. From London City Airport: Take the London Underground to London Waterloo Station (first take the DLR Line in the direction of "Bank" or "Stratford"; at "Canning Town" change to the Jubilee Line in the direction of "Stanmore"; this takes you to London Waterloo). From London Waterloo there are frequent direct trains to Southampton; see "Arrving by Train" above.

• The Leonardo Hotel, Charlotte Place 

The Leonardo Hotel Southampton is 25 minutes from campus by bus. It is offering rooms at a discounted rate to Capra attendees, which need to be booked by 25/05/2025. Participants interested in booking should reach out to the Capra organising committee to obtain the promo code. 

Rate: £129 per night for a single-occupancy room with breakfast from 20 July to 25 July. Participants who wish to stay until 26 July will have a slightly different rate of £158 for the final night. 

Getting to campus:  Buses U1A, U2, or U2B from Giddy Bridge or bus U6H from RSH Hospital. Destination: Highfield Interchange. 

• Glen Eyre Halls of Residence 

Rooms will be available at the Glen Eyre student halls, which  are close to campus (15 minutes away by foot or 10 minutes by bus). To find places to eat, participants might need to walk to Burgess Road (approx. 15 minutes away by foot) or take a bus to the city centre. A link will be made available to book rooms here. Until then, please contact the organizing committee for more information.

Rate: £48.50 per night with breakfast. 

Getting to campus: 15-minute walk: see this map. 

• The Elizabeth House Hotel 

The Elizabeth House is the most conveniently located hotel for reaching the university campus, and most university visitors stay here. It is 30 minutes by foot or 15 minutes by bus. 

Getting to campus: 30-minute walk: see this map. 

15 minutes by bus U1A from Stag Gates. Destination: Highfield Interchange 

• Affordable accommodation is available at Travelodge Southampton, Travelodge Southampton Central (not to be confused with Travelodge Southampton), Premier Inn Southampton City Centre, and Premier Inn Cumberland Place. All are within easy reach of the campus via bus U1A.

• For those interested in a more secluded stay, the Best Western Chilworth Manor and the DoubleTree by Hilton are both within easy reach of campus by bus. The Best Western is 15 minutes from campus by Unilink bus U8, but the return trip is about 30 minutes. The Hilton is served by Unilink buses U8 and U2C and by Bluestar bus 1; it is 10 or 20 minutes from campus depending on which bus is taken.

Bus

The most convenient method of local transportation is by Unilink buses.

1. The easiest payment option is to Tap on/Tap off using any Credit/Debit card with contactless payment enabled. As long as you keep using the same card, the system will automatically charge the cheapest available daily fare. Remember to tap off before you leave the bus.

2. You can also purchase single fare or day tickets using contactless payment or buy pre-paid tickets from the Unilink Bus app.

Please refer to the maps below:

Unilink bus map

Unilink bus map (city centre)

Taxis/Rideshare

Ubers are also readily available. The local taxi company Radio Taxis is also reliable.