Hostels in SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND

Touring the Cruise City of Southampton

England has traditionally not been a tourism based nation, but with exciting places, events and historical sites in its territory, England has thumped its popularity in the tourism segment. One such place which offers musical fests laden with culture is the city of Southampton in Hampshire County near the southern coast of England. Due it proximity with many rivers and sea, Southampton has an oceanic climate.

History
As Southampton boasts of many water bodies around its area, the place has historically been a convenient trading and transit port. Earlier known as Porth Hamo, Southampton was recognized as a city in 1964. The city has a nice tradition of luxury cruising since the 18th century.

Accommodation Options
With music, cruise and culture attracting a lot of domestic and foreign tourists, Southampton offers wide range of accommodation options, from youth hostels, budget hotels to small bed and breakfasts. 5 star hotels and guesthouse facilities are available at discount rates during the off seasons.

Popular Places
Music concerts are popular here (mostly packed houses) thronged by locals and people coming from other parts of England. King John's House and Canute's Palace are some 12th century homes which attract a host of visitors. Memorial to the Engineers of RMS Titanic is popular as this monument stands for the Southampton’s link with RMS Titanic. Other popular places include WestQuay Shopping Centre, Carnival house, Southampton City Centre etc.

Getting Around
The period from October to January gets the maximum rainfall while the city gets rainfall throughout the year, making the travelling part a bit inconvenient. The city is linked to major English cities via many motorways while railway network is also available. The town of Eastleigh has the Southampton Airport providing aviation facilities to major English cities. In addition, internal ferry services via terminals at Town Quay are available. But, the most hassle free and the cheapest guide to transport here is the bus service via the local public transport.
 
Places of Entertainment
Cruise shipping through the Cunard Line provides a thrilling experience, thoroughly enjoyed by tourists. Some of the largest and the most popular cruise ships can be seen here. Musical venues like the Mayflower Theatre (formerly known as the Gaumont Theatre) and the Guildhall offer music concerts; popular artists like Pink Floyd, Amy Winehouse and many others have performed here. The city offers some smaller popular music venues like The Brook, Talking Heads, The Soul Cellar, Turner Sims etc. along with pubs, discos and clubs provide local flavored entertainment.

Languages Spoken
English is the most common language spoken here apart from a small percentage of migratory languages used by migrants.

Currency Used
The official currency used here is Pound sterling (GBP). As like other European countries news and updates about currency conversions are easily available at the airport itself.