When to Visit - Arts and Events

Southampton has a great sporting tradition and offers excellent scope for the sports lover. Beside Premier League Soccer and County Cricket, the region has a reputation for producing some of Britain's finest athletes such as Roger Black and Kriss Akabusi, who both trained at the city's Sports Centre. Southampton plays host to some of the world's most prestigious yachting events that include the Whitbread Round the World Race and the BT Global Challenge as well as the annual Southampton International Boatshow, Europe's largest floating event attracting crowds of over 100,000. The region's biggest free outdoor event, the Balloon and Flower Festival, attracts over 150,000 people to the common in the heart of the city for a summer weekend of mass balloon launches and floral displays.

Southampton Dining

The British are renowned for plain home-style cooking with dishes such as roast beef, meat-and-two-veg, fish and chips, steak and the traditional ‘English breakfast' of eggs, bacon, sausage, tomato and mushrooms. In recent years however, a new generation of chefs has redefined British cuisine combining the best of traditional with a modern cosmopolitan approach using the finest fresh ingredients. Southampton, and neighbouring Winchester, have a good selection of international as well as English restaurants, with waterside dining at Town Quay.

Southampton Tipping Advice

Tipping in the United Kingdom is discretionary, however it is customary to give taxi drivers a tip of around ten percent of the fare. One or two GBP is the standard tip for hotel service personnel such as luggage handlers, doormen and maids. A service charge is included in some restaurants, otherwise it is quite acceptable to leave an extra ten percent for good service.