Regarding Railway Travel, Port City and Fine Hotel, 1876

[Celia Hayes]

I need some information for the current WIP, and so far the Great God Google has not been helpful: Given that I have placed a grand wedding at a country estate near Abington in April 1876, and the happy couple depart immediately for America - would they have sailed from Bristol? Could they have gone by train directly to Southampton, or would they have had to stop over in London?
Second question - what grand and fashionable hotel would they have stayed at, in any of these cities.

Thanks in advance - I am sure that someone on the board would be able to suggest a likely wedding journey route.

[Anna Elliott]

Celia, I have a wonderful reprint of Baedeker's guidebook to London and it's environs 1900. I think earlier Baedeker's guides are also available, too. It has a section on train service to and from London, and a whole chapter on hotels that you could pick from.

[Lel]

When I read this question I had a feeling that at that time Southampton was more likely than Bristol for upmarket travel, but a quick google doesn't help much. All I found was a page saying "... the ocean liners found Liverpool and Southampton more suitable and the [Bristol] hotel closed in 1855."
http://www.about-bristol.co.uk/arc-04.asp

[Celia Hayes]

That's pretty much what I could find - Lel and Anna - that by about mid-century at latest, Bristol had pretty much ceded the heavy transatlantic traffic to Southampton and Liverpool, and the very lavish spa-hotel nearby was well-past it's best days at about the same time.
So - stopover in London, and on to Southampton for the newlyweds it is!
Thanks!