Trains from Salisbury to Southampton Central from VND 151,611

The train journey from Salisbury to Southampton Central takes between 30 and 40 minutes, and there are two departures per hour throughout the day, 7 days a week. It's a busy route among students at the University of Southampton and Solent University, as well as weekend leisure travellers - the Westquay Shopping Centre and Southampton FC's stadium are particular draws.

This guide gives you the answers to all your burning questions about taking the train from Salisbury to Southampton Central, including timetables, ways to book and how to save.

Planning and booking for Salisbury to Southampton Central journey

You can book Salisbury to Southampton Central train tickets in a few easy clicks right here on Trip.com. Just scroll up and use the search bar at the top of this page to compare times and prices. Before you do, here are a few useful tips:

Times and frequency for Salisbury to Southampton Central

The first train leaves Salisbury at 05:30, and there are around 2 departures per hour throughout the day, with additional services during the morning rush hour. Trains leave at around 33 and 56 minutes past the hour.

If you're commuting during the week, the 07:50 departure gets you into Southampton in time for work. Saturdays follow the same timetable, while Sunday services start slightly later. There are still 2 departures per hour, though.

Operators on this route

Great Western Railway (GWR)

GWR is the quicker of the two operators, with trains taking around 30 minutes. The service comes from Cardiff Central and continues through to Portsmouth Harbour, calling at Southampton at around 33 minutes past the hour.

Standard Class offers comfortable seating, with free Wi-Fi and power sockets at select seats. There's plenty of luggage space, too, plus a trolley service selling snacks and refreshments. If you want a quieter commute in the mornings – and to guarantee yourself a seat – it's worth considering GWR's First Class.

South Western Railway

Southwestern Railways runs the local commuter service and takes ever so slightly longer, with journey times of around 40 minutes. The service starts in Salisbury and terminates at Romsey. There's only Standard Class available, but you can reserve a seat in quiet zones for a more relaxed journey. Select trains have free Wi-Fi and plug sockets.

Average prices for this route

Advance Off-Peak train tickets for Salisbury to Southampton start from VND 151,611 when you book early and travel outside peak times. The average price is around VND 380,595, but don't forget prices can surge last minute.

Ways to save

• Railcards – Eligible for a 16-25, Senior, or Two Together Railcard? Then, you'll save a third on most fares. If you're a student counting the pennies, you'll definitely want one of these. Learn more about Railcards in our post here.
• Off-Peak travel – Peak fares apply Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays) from 06:30 to 09:30, so travelling outside of these times is a good way to save. Our guide to Off-Peak fares goes into more detail.
• Split Tickets – Sometimes buying separate tickets for different parts of your journey works out cheaper than one through ticket, even though you stay on the same train. Luckily, Trip.com has these savings built into the search results, but if you want to know more about how it works, our Split Ticket guide explains all.
• Season tickets – If you commute from Salisbury to Southampton 3 times a week or more, a Season Ticket could save you at least 20%. 

Departing from Salisbury

The station is just outside of the city centre, although it's easily walkable from Salisbury Cathedral — this is less than a mile away. Bus routes include Red1 (District Hospital & Bemerton Heath), Red3/PR3 (Wilton & Bulbridge), Red8 (Ditchampton), Red10 (St Peter's Place), and 66/X66 (Laverstock & Porton Down). Most of these use the Fisherton Street stops right by the station.

If you're driving, the station car park has room for 270 vehicles, though just keep in mind there are no accessible spaces available at the station.

Arriving at Southampton Central

• Westquay shopping centre – Walk for around 5 to 10 minutes via Western Esplanade and Harbour Parade, or catch a UniLink U1/U2 or frequent city bus to the West Quay stop.
• University of Southampton (Highfield Campus) – Take the UniLink U1 or U2 from Central Station to Highfield Interchange. Buses run every 7 to 10 minutes and the journey takes around 20 to 27 minutes.
• Solent University (East Park Terrace) – It's a straightforward 10 to 15-minute walk from the station through the city centre, or you can catch a UniLink or Bluestar bus for a 5-minute ride.
• St Mary's Stadium (Southampton FC) – There's a signed walking route that takes around 20 minutes. On matchdays, there's a direct shuttle (SF1) from Central Station to St Mary's, or you can take regular city buses like Bluestar 3/14/16/18 to Britannia Road.

Ready to book your Salisbury to Southampton Central train tickets?

Scroll up and enter your journey details in the search bar at the top of this page.