Paultons Park From Southampton: Getting There & Where to Stay
If Paultons Park is on the family calendar, Southampton is a good place to base yourself for the trip. The park is around eight miles from the city, so you can get there fairly quickly in the morning without having to stay right next door to the theme park.
It also means Paultons doesn’t have to be the whole holiday. Stay for a couple of nights and you can spend a day at the park, explore Southampton, head into the New Forest or simply have somewhere with plenty of restaurants and shops to come back to in the evening.
For families travelling from further afield, we’d certainly consider arriving the night before. Starting a day at Paultons after breakfast beats starting it with several hours on the motorway.
What is Paultons Park?
Paultons Park is a family theme park near Romsey in Hampshire, best known as the home of Peppa Pig World. There are more than 80 rides and attractions across the park, ranging from rides for very young children through to bigger rides for older children and adults.
Peppa Pig World is naturally a big part of the attraction for families with younger children. It’s part of Paultons Park rather than a separate theme park, so you don’t need to buy another ticket to enter it once you’re inside.
Don’t make the mistake of assuming Paultons is only for toddlers, though. There are several themed areas beyond Peppa Pig World, including Tornado Springs and Lost Kingdom, which broaden the appeal if you’re travelling with children of different ages.
It’s very easy to spend a full day here.
Where is Paultons Park?
Paultons Park is at Ower, near Romsey in Hampshire:
Paultons Park Ower Romsey Hampshire SO51 6AL
The park is just off Junction 2 of the M27, close to the edge of the New Forest National Park. Brown tourist signs direct drivers towards the park as you get closer.
Its location works particularly well if you’re staying in Southampton. You’re close enough to reach the park without a long journey, but you’ve still got everything Southampton offers when you’re not there.
How far is Paultons Park from Southampton?
Paultons Park is roughly eight miles from central Southampton. In light traffic, you’re looking at around 15–20 minutes by car, though we’d always allow longer if you’re travelling during the morning rush hour, at weekends or in the school holidays.
If you want to make the most of the day, getting to Paultons close to opening time is worthwhile. Staying in Southampton the night before means you can have breakfast, make the short journey across and arrive without feeling as though you’ve already done half a day’s travelling.
The route itself is straightforward. From Southampton, you’ll generally head west along the M27 towards Junction 2 and follow the signs for Paultons Park.
Driving and parking at Paultons Park
Driving is probably the easiest option for most families staying in Southampton, particularly if you’ve got younger children, a pushchair and everything else that seems to come with a family day out.
Parking at Paultons Park is free for guests. There are large main car parks, with additional parking used when the park is particularly busy.
One very simple tip: take a photo of where you’ve parked. After a full day walking around the park with tired children, remembering which part of a huge car park you arrived in eight hours earlier isn’t always as easy as it sounds.
Can you get from Southampton to Paultons Park without a car?
Yes, although you’ll need to plan the journey a little more carefully.
The X7 bus service between Southampton and Salisbury serves the Paultons Park area. Depending on the service, buses may stop within the park grounds or at Ower, followed by a short walk to the entrance.
Timetables can change, and services are more limited on certain days, so check the current timetable before relying on the bus for your visit.
If you’re arriving in Southampton by train, another option is simply to take a taxi from Southampton Central to Paultons Park. The station is around eight miles from the park, making this a fairly manageable journey, particularly if there are several of you travelling together.
What age is Paultons Park best for?
One of Paultons Park’s strengths is that you don’t need all your children to be the same age for it to work.
Peppa Pig World is designed with younger children in mind, which makes Paultons particularly popular with families with toddlers and children in their early primary school years. Older children aren’t restricted to watching their younger siblings meet Peppa all day, as there are bigger rides and other themed areas elsewhere in the park.
If you’re travelling with children of different heights, have a look at the ride restrictions before you arrive. Knowing which rides everyone can go on can save a fair bit of disappointment once you’re standing at the front of a queue.
Children under one metre tall, measured with their shoes on, can currently enter Paultons Park free of charge. If your child is close to the one-metre mark, check Paultons Park’s latest guidance before buying your tickets.
Is Peppa Pig World included in your ticket?
Yes. Peppa Pig World sits inside Paultons Park and is included in your general admission ticket.
If you’re visiting specifically because you’ve got a Peppa Pig fan in the family, you’ll probably spend a good chunk of the day there. We’d still leave time to explore the rest of Paultons, particularly if you’re travelling with older brothers or sisters.
There’s enough outside Peppa Pig World to make it worth wandering beyond it.
How long should you spend at Paultons Park?
Give it a full day.
You could visit for a few hours, but if you’re paying for tickets and travelling to Hampshire specifically for Paultons, it makes sense to arrive early and make the most of it. There are enough rides and attractions to keep most families occupied until late afternoon, especially when you add lunch, toilet stops and the inevitable request to go back on someone’s favourite ride.
Opening times vary throughout the year, and Paultons isn’t open every day during some quieter periods. Check the official calendar before booking your trip rather than assuming the park will be open.
During busy school holidays, arriving early also gives you a better chance of getting on some of the most popular rides before queues build.
Do you need one day or two at Paultons Park?
For most families, we’d start with one full day.
Two days could be worth considering if you’re travelling with very young children, visiting at a busy time or coming from a long way away. Younger children rarely share their parents’ enthusiasm for squeezing maximum value out of a theme park ticket, and sometimes a slower visit makes for a much better trip.
If you’re staying in Southampton for a couple of nights, another option is to spend one full day at Paultons and use the second for something completely different. Southampton, the New Forest and other Hampshire attractions are all close enough to give you plenty of choice.
When is the best time to visit?
School holidays and weekends are naturally popular. Families with preschool-age children have a little more flexibility, and visiting on a weekday outside the main school holidays can mean a quieter day.
Ticket prices, opening days and opening hours vary, so we’d book directly with Paultons Park and check the current information before travelling. Buying in advance also means one less thing to sort out when you’ve got excited children waiting to get through the gates.
The weather is worth keeping an eye on too. A little rain doesn’t necessarily ruin a theme park day, but comfortable shoes, waterproof jackets and a change of clothes for younger children can make life considerably easier.
Where should you stay when visiting Paultons Park?
You don’t have to stay right beside the park.
There are places to stay around Romsey and the New Forest, but Southampton works particularly well if you’re making a short break of it. You’re around eight miles from Paultons Park and have far more choice when it comes to restaurants, shops and things to do in the evening.
It also gives you flexibility. You might arrive in Southampton on Friday evening, have dinner and get everyone settled, spend Saturday at Paultons Park and then have Sunday morning to explore before heading home.
That feels more like a weekend away and less like an endurance test involving an alarm clock, the motorway and several emergency service-station toilet stops.
Staying at Settle Southampton for Paultons Park
At Settle Southampton, families can choose the amount of space that works for their trip rather than having one standard room type.
Three of our larger rooms can accommodate two adults and a child. Some of the larger rooms also have their own kitchenette, with a small fridge, microwave, air fryer and basic cooking utensils. That can be useful when you’ve got children and don’t want to eat every meal in a restaurant.
If you need more room, our two-bedroom apartment can accommodate up to five adults. It has two bedrooms, two en-suite bathrooms, a separate lounge, kitchenette and its own private entrance.
All of our rooms have a private en-suite, superfast Wi-Fi and a Smart TV, along with the usual practical bits including a small fridge, hairdryer, iron and ironing board. Tea, coffee and biscuits are provided too.
Settle is completely self check-in, which works well if you’re arriving after work or driving down in the evening. There’s no reception desk to reach before a certain time, although our team is available if you need help during your stay.
We also have limited free parking on site. Spaces are available on a first come, first served basis and can’t be reserved, with on-street parking available on neighbouring roads.
Making a weekend of it
If you’re already travelling to Hampshire, adding another night gives you plenty of options.
Southampton itself has enough to occupy a family for a day. SeaCity Museum is a good choice if the weather isn’t playing ball, while Westquay is handy for shopping and food. You can also explore the Old Town and medieval walls or head down towards the waterfront.
The New Forest is another obvious choice and is particularly easy to combine with Paultons because the park sits close to its eastern edge. Rather than trying to squeeze the forest into the end of your theme park day, we’d save it for the following morning and take your time.
You could find somewhere for breakfast, head into the forest for a walk and stop for lunch before starting the journey home.
What should you take to Paultons Park?
Comfortable shoes would be near the top of our list. You’ll spend a lot of the day on your feet, and this isn’t the occasion for discovering that someone’s new trainers rub after three miles.
Check the weather before leaving Southampton and pack accordingly. Waterproofs are useful on a questionable day, while sun cream and hats are easily forgotten when the British weather unexpectedly decides to cooperate.
A portable phone charger can be handy when your phone is being used for tickets, directions, photos and keeping everyone entertained. Families with younger children may also be grateful for a spare set of clothes by the end of the day.
You can check Paultons Park’s current visitor information before setting off for any changes to what can be brought into the park.
Can you visit the New Forest and Paultons Park on the same trip?
Yes, and we’d recommend it if you have another day available.
Paultons Park is close to the New Forest, so the two fit naturally into the same Hampshire trip. We’d give Paultons its own day rather than trying to leave early and race around the forest afterwards.
A second day gives you time to visit one or two New Forest villages, go for a walk or find a country pub for lunch. If you’ve spent the previous day queueing for rollercoasters and following Peppa Pig around, a slower morning isn’t a bad idea.