Southampton Lancaster Train

Southampton is the largest city in Hampshire on the south coast of England. The city lies at the northern tip of Southampton Water, where the rivers Test and Itchen converge. The River Test runs along the western edge of the city. It is roughly 75 miles to the south west of London and around 20 miles to the west of Portsmouth. The Port of Southampton is a major cruise ship terminal and ferry port. The ferryport is no longer home to any international ferry operations but it is the terminus for three ferry services to the Isle if Wight. Southampton's tradition of luxury cruising began in around 1840. Many of the world's largest cruise ships can regularly be seen in the port including vessels from Royal Caribbean and Carnival Corporation, which includes brands including Princess Cruises and Cunard Line.

Southampton has two large live music venues, the Mayflower Theatre and the Guildhall. The Guildhall has seen concerts from a wide range of popular artists including Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Manic Street Preachers, The Killers, The Kaiser Chiefs and Amy Winehouse. It also hosts classical concerts presented by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, City of Southampton Orchestra, Southampton Concert Orchestra, Southampton Philharmonic Choir and Southampton Choral Society.

Located in the north west of England in the county of Lancashire, the city of Lancaster is home to a top university and is gateway to the Lake District and Morecambe. The city is in the Duchy of Lancaster and The County Palatine of Lancashire. There are many regular bus services servicing Lancaster and nearby Morecambe. A return on the bus from the city centre to the University costs about £2, and takes about 20 minutes on the direct bus or over 30 minutes on the other routes through Bowerham.

Attractions to see in the city include the Ashton Memorial and Lancaster Castle. The Ashton Memorial is a folly created for Lord Ashton's Wife upon her death. There's a butterfly house in Williamson Park, with great views across Morecambe Bay to the Lake District. A cafe shop and a kid's playground make it an ideal day activity. Next to the butterfly house is "The mini-beast exhibit". The park its self has extensive ponds, fountains, hills, trees, orienteering trails and picnic tables to have a quick snack. There are tours available to Lancaster Castle where you can see the state rooms, the official court rooms and the prison cells.