Pls help with decision on how to split time between London and Southampton

[cpl100]

We (two female friends)  have a week in England before our cruise departs from Southampton.  We are certain we want to see Stonehenge and we are certain we want to spend time in London.  We have both been to London but a long time ago.  Will not revisit the Tower of London.  Our flight arrives in Heathrow and our cruise departs from Southampton on a Saturday.  It will be late October.  We are moderately interested in history and not at all interested in seeing things like museums about guns or cars.  Definitely want to go to Harrods and would like to do the Buckingham Palace/Kensington tour if available during our stay.  

 

It seems like it is closer to see Stonehenge from Southampton.  So we were thinking of going to Southampton a day early and doing that.  But we are not sure if there is any reason we should go an additional day early.  What else would we do from there (or there)?

 

Thanks for any and all advice.

[ducklite]

There's really not much to do in Southampton.  That said, it's not a bad idea to take the train there in the evening, get up the next morning and drive to Amesbury in your hire car, see the rocks (I'll warn you that unless you can get inner circle access, you'll be two football fields from them) and then drive back.  If nothing else hotels in Southampton are probably half of what they are in London and it will save you a few quid.

[sddsddean]

Not a lot to do in Southampton, but you can use it as base.

Got to Salisbury (about 30 mins on the train). You can get the HOHO bus to Stonehenge from there and also see the cathedral in Salisbury (tallest spire in UK, original of the Magna Carta, worlds oldest mechanical clock).

Go to Winchester...another cathedral city.

Go to Portsmouth. Lots of stuff to do with the Royal Navy eg HMS Victory, HMS Warrior, the Mary Rose museum, D Day museum.

 

Have a search through this board...JB did a big spiel not so long ago about the things to see around Southampton.

 

Simon

[tartanexile81]

We only ever spend the night before the cruise in Southampton as it has little to offer - sorry those who live there. Can I suggest you take advantage of the tour specially designed for people cruising from Southampton which includes pick up at your hotel, visiting Stonehenge and then on to Southampton for your cruise. It is used by many cruisers on these boards.

 

https://www.londontoolkit.com/travel/southampton-from-london-via-stonehenge.html

 

Personally I think Stonehenge is over-rated ....but that's only my opinion!

[John Bull]

9 hours ago, ducklite said:

There's really not much to do in Southampton.  That said, it's not a bad idea to take the train there in the evening, get up the next morning and drive to Amesbury in your hire car, see the rocks (I'll warn you that unless you can get inner circle access, you'll be two football fields from them) and then drive back.  If nothing else hotels in Southampton are probably half of what they are in London and it will save you a few quid.

 

Hi Ducklite,

Two football fields for Snow White's dwarfs, maybe 

 

6 hours ago, sddsddean said:

Not a lot to do in Southampton, but you can use it as base.

Got to Salisbury (about 30 mins on the train). You can get the HOHO bus to Stonehenge from there and also see the cathedral in Salisbury (tallest spire in UK, original of the Magna Carta, worlds oldest mechanical clock).

Go to Winchester...another cathedral city.

Go to Portsmouth. Lots of stuff to do with the Royal Navy eg HMS Victory, HMS Warrior, the Mary Rose museum, D Day museum.

 

Have a search through this board...JB did a big spiel not so long ago about the things to see around Southampton.

 

Simon

 

Here's one of those missives.

and this one includes Salisbury / Stonehenge from central London or Heathrow or Southampton

https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/topic/2599662-things-to-do-in-southampton/ 

 

2 hours ago, tartanexile81 said:

 

Personally I think Stonehenge is over-rated ....but that's only my opinion!

 

No, it's not only your opinion - it's mine and a lot of other Brits' opinions too. 

But hey, the visitors drool over it. And we need their tourist money 

cpl -  if you're gonna go to Stonehenge, do read up about it first so that you can understand its significance - or you'll leave with the same opinion as us. 

 

JB 

[cft8]

I actually enjoyed seeing Stonehenge and in fact I want to go back because it was pouring rain (our only really rainy day) and we did not have time to see the museum. I am glad John Bull posted that photo because I’d heard so many times that you are far, far away from the stones and I didn’t feel that way at all!

 

You will not be able to tour Buckingham Palace in October. Tours this year end September 29. Kensington Palace is open year-round (the part you see is not the part where anyone lives). 

 

Here is my very long review of our pre-cruise stay in London last year. 

 

 

[ducklite]

9 hours ago, John Bull said:

 

Hi Ducklite,

Two football fields for Snow White's dwarfs, maybe 

 

JB 

 

For a very small section you are about 30-40 feet away.  For the majority of the monument you are about 150-200 feet from the stones when on the path.  By the way, this is a photo of me at Stonehenge.  I didn't break any rules.  There are legitimate ways to get access inside the circle, but it won't happen on a bus tour.  

 

This photo reminds me of how windy it is there.  Whatever the temperature is in London or Southampton, take 10-20 degrees F off and add a strong wind--dress appropriately.  I was in a wool coat, boots, jeans, and a cashmere jumper and still freezing!

Edited June 20, 2019 by ducklite

[Cotswold Eagle]

21 minutes ago, ducklite said:

For the majority of the monument you are about 150-200 feet from the stones when on the path.  !

 

As JB said, that is a couple of very small football fields, then 😀

26 minutes ago, ducklite said:

There are legitimate ways to get access inside the circle, but it won't happen on a bus tour.  

 

 

There are tours from London that offer Inner Circle access, for example after a dinner in Bath and on the way back to town. 

[John Bull]

12 minutes ago, ducklite said:

 

For a very small section you are about 30-40 feet away.  For the majority of the monument you are about 150-200 feet from the stones when on the path.  By the way, this is a photo of me at Stonehenge.  I didn't break any rules.  There are legitimate ways to get access inside the circle, but it won't happen on a bus tour.  

 

This photo reminds me of how windy it is there.  Whatever the temperature is in London or Southampton, take 10-20 degrees F off and add a strong wind--dress appropriately.  I was in a wool coat, boots, jeans, and a cashmere jumper and still freezing!

 

That'll be the early-morning or post-public hours "inner circle"  admissions.

The photo suggests early morning 

Mebbe November or February. Though with the UK's changeable weather it could have been high summer 

 

I've driven groups for that experience, leaving the Southampton coach yard at daft o'clock in the morning 

Very limited visitor numbers, usually booked months in advance, groups take a guide because they're deeply into ancient history (and there are no audio-guides outside of public hours). And bring your own coffee and sticky buns.

 

Yes, for aficianados that's the way to do it.

But for the average Joe, a coach trip does the job. 

 

JB 

[ducklite]

6 minutes ago, John Bull said:

 

That'll be the early-morning or post-public hours "inner circle"  admissions.

The photo suggests early morning 

Mebbe November or February. Though with the UK's changeable weather it could have been high summer 

 

I've driven groups for that experience, leaving the Southampton coach yard at daft o'clock in the morning 

Very limited visitor numbers, usually booked months in advance, groups take a guide because they're deeply into ancient history (and there are no audio-guides outside of public hours). And bring your own coffee and sticky buns.

 

Yes, for aficianados that's the way to do it.

But for the average Joe, a coach trip does the job. 

 

JB 

March, evening.  From there we drove to Southampton and had dinner with friends.  Left around midnight, had numerous diversions due to works on the M3 back to London and arrived to return the hire car in Hammersmith at around 3:00 am.  It was a very long day.

[John Bull]

1 minute ago, ducklite said:

March, evening.  From there we drove to Southampton and had dinner with friends.  Left around midnight, had numerous diversions due to works on the M3 back to London and arrived to return the hire car in Hammersmith at around 3:00 am.  It was a very long day.

 

The long-standing road works on the M3 finished last year, and all the (65 million, or so it seems) traffic cones have gone 

Those 65 million traffic cones are now closer to home on the M27  for 3 years for a similar "upgrade." 

 

JB 

[cpl100]

On 6/20/2019 at 7:23 AM, John Bull said:

 

That'll be the early-morning or post-public hours "inner circle"  admissions.

The photo suggests early morning 

Mebbe November or February. Though with the UK's changeable weather it could have been high summer 

 

I've driven groups for that experience, leaving the Southampton coach yard at daft o'clock in the morning 

Very limited visitor numbers, usually booked months in advance, groups take a guide because they're deeply into ancient history (and there are no audio-guides outside of public hours). And bring your own coffee and sticky buns.

 

Yes, for aficianados that's the way to do it.

But for the average Joe, a coach trip does the job. 

 

JB 

I plan to take the tour you suggested from London via the toolkit link.  Not sure which type of admission it is.

[John Bull]

34 minutes ago, cpl100 said:

I plan to take the tour you suggested from London via the toolkit link.  Not sure which type of admission it is.

 

It'll be the standard public one,  this one

https://www.internationalfriends.co.uk/white/londontk/london-heathrow-to-southampton-via-stonehenge.html

It includes a standard day-time admission, transfer between visitor centre & the Stones, audio-guide, etc.

 

It's not the "inner circle" tour. They are early morning or early evening outside normal visitor hours, they're in very limited  supply, no audio guide or refreshments available, and they get booked by archeology students and enthusiasts.

 

As per my post, the standard tour will do the job for the vast majority of folk. 

 

JB