Town Quay
2.5
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
2.5
102 reviews
Excellent
18
Very good
10
Average
17
Poor
6
Terrible
51
Stuart P
1 contribution
Aug 2023 • Family
I visited Town Quay on 23rd August 2023 to have lunch with my son. I found an empty parking bay. Paid cash for two hours of parking at a nearby machine and displayed my ticket. 14 days later I received £100 Penalty notice, saying I did not pay, it showed me entering and leaving staying for 1 hour 27 minutes. By then I no longer had the ticket. On appeal, they said I could not prove I had paid. Without access to their payment system, it's impossible for me to prove I paid. Followed by the usual threats of increased penalties etc and they do participate in the Ombudsman appeal system.
Written September 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Darren J
39 contributions
Sep 2021 • Solo
Car Parking Experience Shambles. The most complicated car parking machines out. I tried numerous times to register my car reg number and placed my payment card in the reader. As soon as I did that it cancelled everything although I followed the instructions on the machine. The pay by phone App is not recognised when I input the location number. Completely useless and a waste of time. Update your payment system down there. Not user friendly at all. Useless.
Written September 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emily S
2 contributions
Nov 2022
Parking Eye is making me pay £100 fine because I was 5 minutes over returning to my car after enjoying a meal out at one of the nearby restaurants. I have been a resident in the area all my life and I will not return to this area again. How are small businesses in the area meant to survive with these private parking companies ripping off the very people trying to support them? DO NOT USE THE CAR PARK HERE.
Written November 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Martin A
Sway, UK10 contributions
Aug 2015 • Couples
I visited a local restaurant for an evening meal and parked at Town Quay which is policed by Parking Eye. I am not local and cannot return to check local signs but Parking Eye claim they have warnings posted - funny enough I always check and pay parking charges when required so frankly, I have my doubts. I now understand why the pier was more or less deserted at 7pm on a lovely evening. Parking Eye charged me £100 for being a bona - fide customer of a local restaurant on the pier, staying slightly more than 2 hours. What is the point in this company being appointed to damage local business interests and discourage visitors?
I will not be going back until the local businesses wake up and throw Parking Eye, bunch of crooks they are, out. My advice to anyone thinking of having an evening out at Town Quay Southampton would be to not bother and go somewhere else where you are welcomed!
I will not be going back until the local businesses wake up and throw Parking Eye, bunch of crooks they are, out. My advice to anyone thinking of having an evening out at Town Quay Southampton would be to not bother and go somewhere else where you are welcomed!
Written August 16, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dr3vans
2 contributions
May 2013
Returned from a lovely holiday to receive a car parking fine letter from Town Quay's appointed parking company - Parking Eye. I will of course pay, but it appears to myself and others that this is little more than an scam, authorised by Town Quay and ABP. Southampton have an amazing resource in Town Quay, that could attract many paying customers. But fines like mine - £100 for a 30min stay on a Sunday - are having a very negative effect. Trip Advisor has some great examples of people like me, being caught out from poorly sign posted fees. A barrier might make it clearer that you need to pay. It may well have been cheaper than installing a camera and vehicle recognition system, with an over-complicated payment system to match. I understand the need to charge to park, and the positive effect this can have in reducing numbers of vehicles on the quay. However, there has clearly been a lot of effort placed here into tricking people into large fines which will benefit nobody but Parking Eye - least of all future business on Town Quay.
Written June 7, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HomerJSimpson01
Springfield, OR464 contributions
Jun 2015 • Family
they watch you go in and out, but have no evidence of where you parked - DO NOT PAY THE FINE - ITS A SCAM
Written August 3, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Skip-Pete
17 contributions
If you take a car onto Town Quay, be aware that the moment you leave the public road you have 15 minutes grace before you are fined £100 for being in a 'short stay' parking zone.
Even if you don't park!
No barriers, no clear indication, just looks like a public road.
Even if you don't park!
No barriers, no clear indication, just looks like a public road.
Written January 29, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BoatSkipper123
Southampton, UK1 contribution
Aug 2013 • Friends
Town Quay has a poorly sign posted Parking Eye car park facility. No warnings given that this is a 24 hour operation with a £100 fine and video camera number plate recognition. Is this legal? Disgusting way to rip off potential customers. Not surprised the place is run down with many closed units.
Written September 20, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
J0nnyF
Southampton, UK125 contributions
Jan 2014 • Family
Robin Hood stole from the rich to give to the poor.... a different sort of theft is taking place at Town Key so simply stay away.... do not go near the place....
Written March 23, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maya C
Southampton, UK54 contributions
Jun 2012 • Solo
Avoid this area by all means!
The car park management company "Parking Eye" will always find a reason to issue you with a penalty charge, whether you leave your car unattended or not. I got fined £110.00 for overstaying by 1 minute - I kid you not!
When you think that some people in this country get away with murder, it's simply despicable.
Forewarned is forearmed...
The car park management company "Parking Eye" will always find a reason to issue you with a penalty charge, whether you leave your car unattended or not. I got fined £110.00 for overstaying by 1 minute - I kid you not!
When you think that some people in this country get away with murder, it's simply despicable.
Forewarned is forearmed...
Written August 3, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robin G
Truro District, UK121 contributions
Thank you everyone for the warnings about Town Quay - Parking Eye are about the worst crooks in te whole crooked world of car parking - and this looks like one of their worst scams.
Glad to know in advance to avoid this trap. The Triangle car park not far along the road is more reasonable. There are also Southampton city council pay and display car parks not too far away.
The scam of fining you if you happen to exceed 15 mins waiting for a passenger from RFS RedJet or car ferry is daylight robbery coupled with a minimum charge for 2 Hours if you want to avoid the excessive £100 rip off fine for exceeding 15 mins.
Not sure if it is Parking Eye of Associated British Ports who sets this policy but whoever it certainly achieves the desired aim of discouraging potential visitors from coming anywhere near this trap. Last time i was there (fortunately travelling on Redjet & free bus to the station, it seemed bereft of life in the evening, everything shut - so why they charge 24 hours a day beggars belief. Who wants to go to this dead place in the evening/night and pay their extortionate parking fees to do so.
No doubt their next trick will be to charge to to WALK in this place and fine you if you walk in the area for more than 30 mins!!!
Thank goodness RedFunnel are planning to move away from here. Just hope in their plans they will have adequate facilities to drop off and meet foot passengers in their new facilities in stead of this appalling trap at Town Quay
david t
Pays de la Loire, France57 contributions
Southampton City Council are equally as bad. I got fined at 9.30 at night in a car park, which has poor signage and did not make it clear that it was 24 hour payment, Its such an awful City they should be trying to persuade people to come here not put them off I would never use the awful City again. Southampton City Council are just greedy !!!!!
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Claim your listingTown Quay - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Frequently Asked Questions about Town Quay
- Hotels near Town Quay:
- (0.11 mi) room2 Southampton Hometel
- (0.13 mi) Ennios Boutique Hotel
- (0.07 mi) Pier4 Studios
- (0.20 mi) The White Star Tavern, Southampton
- (0.11 mi) Southampton City By Charles Hope
- Restaurants near Town Quay:
- (0.09 mi) Everest Cuisine
- (0.08 mi) Bayleaf Kitchen
- (0.11 mi) La Regata Restaurant
- (0.08 mi) Platform Tavern
- (0.13 mi) Ennio's