Southampton Nottingham 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 county of Nottinghamshire, the city of Nottingham is sometime referred to as the "Queen of the Midlands". Although the city has a rich history modern day Nottingham is a vibrant city with excellent retail outlets. It is one of the top ten most visited cities by overseas visitors in England.

Nottingham has two large-capacity theatres, the Nottingham Playhouse and the Theatre Royal which, together with the neighbouring Royal Concert Hall forms the Royal Centre. The city is also host to smaller theatre venues, such as the Nottingham Arts Theatre the Lace Market Theatre and New Theatre, the only entirely student-run theatre in England.

Parks and gardens in the city include Wollaton Park (over 500 acres centred on Wollaton Hall), Colwick Park (which includes the racecourse), the Nottingham Arboretum, Forest Recreation Ground and Victoria Park. Sherwood Forest, Rufford Country Park, Creswell Crags and Clumber Park are further away from the city itself.

There are two main Robin Hood events throughout the Nottingham area, including the Robin Hood Pageant during October, and the Robin Hood Festival during the summer. The pageant is held at the Castle, whilst the festival is held in nearby Sherwood Forest.