YAGN25 Practical Information
All events will be held in the Highfield Campus of the University of Southampton, in Room 2001 of Building 27.
The official address is: B27 (Chemistry), Highfield Lane, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 3QZ, United Kingdom.
The entrance is on the north west side of the building, as shown in the map below.
The images below show the location of the venue, accommodation and highfield interchange which is the main campus bus stop.
How to get to Southampton
General tourist information on how to get to Southampton (note that most visitors will need a visa or an electronic travel authorisation to enter the UK: check this page for more information). More detailed information below:
By Air
Limited flights are available into Southampton Airport which is a 15-minute bus ride from Highfield campus. London Airports: Gatwick (LGW) and Heathrow (LHR) are the nearest major airports with cheaper and more regular flights into the UK. Trains are available via London to Southampton. From London Heathrow the easiest option is to take a National Express bus, with stops at Southampton University and Southampton Coach Station. From London Gatwick the easiest option is to take the train, typically with a change at Clapham Junction (see link for bookings below).
By Train
Southampton Central (30 minutes bus to Highfield campus) and Southampton Airport Parkway (15 mins to Highfield campus) are stations with bus links directly to Highfield Bus Interchange. Accessible on the same train line direct from London Waterloo or with 1 change at Reading from London Paddington Station. Plan and book tickets online here.
How to get around
Buses
Local Unilink buses are great for getting around the city and run through the Highfield Bus Interchange on campus every ~10-15 minutes. Payments are via tap-on, tap-off contactless payments and only charge you the cheapest daily fare depending on your usage - £2.50 single, £4.10 dayrider. Plan your journey here.
Bus Recommendations:
Highfield campus to city centre (for Southampton central train station):
U1C, U6C (25 mins)
City centre to Highfield campus:
U1A, U6H (25 mins)
Highfield campus to Airport Parkway (for local airport
and Southampton Airport Parkway train station):
U1A (20 mins)
Airport Parkway to Highfield campus:
U1C (20 mins)
Walking
The city is walkable, with accommodation at Glen Eyre in Chamberlain Halls only a 15-minute walk away from the conference location. Highfield campus to city centre is a 50-minute walk, passing Southampton Common. Uber is also available throughout the city for ~£10 fares.
Accommodation
We have reserved a limited number of rooms at the Chamberlain Hall in the Glen Eyre student halls of residence. These are single ensuite rooms in shared apartments and breakfast is included. The shared apartments will be just for conference participants. The rooms are available for 3-night bookings, from 31st Aug - 3 Sep 2025 for a total cost of 174.60 GBP (i.e. 58.20 GBP/night).
The rooms can be booked and paid via the Southampton's store page. They are available on a first come, first served basis. We have extended the deadline to book rooms until 4 July.
Food and social activities
There are several places to eat on campus and around campus. You can see some suggestions in the map below:
On campus food options:
B38 (Arlott & Terrace Restaurant): open from 11:45 am-2 pm, three options (at least one
vegan) every day. But you won't know what it is until you go there.
B44 (Piazza Restaurant): Breakfast for those staying at halls of residence.
B57 (SUSU shop): open from 8 am-8 pm grocery store, sandwiches, wraps, etc.
Cheapest option.
B100 (Centenary restaurant): open 10:30 am-10 pm. Lunch is Chinese buffet, weighted
price. A bit more expensive but more options. Dinner is ordered
dishes, almost the same price as restaurants outside the campus.
B60 (Pret a Manger & Costa Coffee): Sandwiches, salads, pastries, coffee.
B36 Hartley Library (Starbucks): Sandwiches, pastries, coffee
B85 (Life Sciences Cafe): Sandwiches, coffee, snacks
Outside campus food options:
Burgess Road: To the north of the campus, a street of Chinese, Turkish, Thai, Pizza,
Burger, noodle, etc. restaurants and bars. Latest ones open until 11 p.m.
Portswood Road: 20 minutes walk from campus, more options.
City centre: Take buses end with 'C', e.g. U1C, U2C, will bring you there.
Pubs and social events:
Since this is the UK, we have a wide range of pubs in the city. The map below shows some recommendations.
Pubs serve drinks and food and are a good option for informal gatherings after the talks.
There is also a nice board games cafe serving drinks and light meals:
Board in the city
The conference dinner will be on Tuesday at 6:30pm, in the Indian restaurant Padharo.
Things to see around Southampton
Southampton is a very well connected city. While it contains its own attractions, there are frequent connections by train, bus, and ferry to historic sights and scenic walks. Here we list a few, but not all, major attractions accessible as day trips for those staying a little longer.
Isle of Wight
Scenic walking routes across most the island. Frequent ferries from Southampton docks (Redfunnel return ~£13.50 (after 10:55am) - ~£25). Alternatively, hovercraft crossings depart from Portsmouth. Buses on the island operate similarly to Southampton, with the tap-on tap-off system. Be sure to check return trip times as the island is only accessible by ferry.
New Forest
Many walking routes and towns. You can take the train or cycle from Southampton. The New Forest Wildlife Park is a popular visit and close to Southampton (£15.95 entry fee)
Portsmouth
Museums and historic ships can be visited. There is a train from Southampton to Portsmouth harbour (Anytime return for £15:30 without railcard)
Salisbury
Accessible by train (from Southampton Central 30min, from Southampton Airport Parkway 50min, £15.70 anytime day return without railcard). Home to Salisbury Cathedral (entry ticket £8.50 for students, £11 adults), with the tallest cathedral's spire of England at 404 ft that can be visited during the tower tour (climb inside the roof and the tower. £17 for students, £22 for adults). Ancient settlement from Iron Age to Norman: Old Sarum (£7.20 for students, £8.10 for adults).
Stonehenge
Accessible from Southampton by train and bus. Be aware that there is a regular bus (tap-on tap-off £5.20 return) and Stonehenge tour bus (~£20) that both depart from Salisbury,
Winchester
Accessible from Southampton by train (10 min from Southampton Airport Parkway station, £7.30 anytime day return without railcard). Medieval city with a rich history, numerous buildings and places to visit.
Southampton museums
SeaCity Museum (titanic museum)
Solent Sky Museum (aviation museum)
Southampton walking around
There are several parks in Southampton where you could go for a nice walk: the Common ( just next to Highfield campus), River Walk (along the Itchen, 30 min walk from Hightfield campus), East park / Watts park (in the city centre). In the city centre you can also wander along (or on in some places) the old fortifications of the city and through the Bargate (next to Westfield), as well as pass by the ruins of Holyrood church, see old Tudor houses and walk on the waterfront (harbour lights on the water can be beautiful at night).
Travel further
Should you decide to travel further from Southampton, consider getting a Railcard should you make use of the trains. They provide 30% reduction on most routes and cost £35. You can apply the railcard when booking tickets to see if they apply for your trip.
Links
A few links to find inspiration when planning a trip:
For England or wider:
english-heritage.org.uk
atlasobscura.com
For a specific area:
visit-hampshire.co.uk
visitwiltshire.co.uk (includes Salisbury)
visitwinchester.co.uk