Southampton to Gatwick via Stonehenge?

[emrmom]

Hello! I’ve been combing the boards and chasing links and now I come to the experts for your valued opinions!

We arrive back in Southampton from our cruise on July 12 with a flight scheduled to leave from Gatwick at 4:35 pm. I was thinking we would have enough time to visit Stonehenge on the way, yes?

i am figuring private car transfer by 8 am (there are three of us). Looks like Stonehenge opens at 9. 
Anybody done this before? And who might you recommend? 
Thank you so much for your advice!

 Cindy

[sddsddean]

Bad thing...Stonehenge is the opposite direction to Gatwick. Good thing...July 12th is a Sunday, so traffic first thing shouldn't be too bad. Say you got to S'henge for 9, you don't need that long to go round it (its a pile of stones!), so even if you left at 11, you would have 3 hours to get to Gatwick (arriving at 2 for your 4.35 flight), so definately possible. If you've looked through the boards, you will see links to the various car services (eg Smiths, West Quay cars).  Best bet is to e mail them, say what you want to do and they will give you a price and any risk involved (though I can't see much).

John Bull, as a local, will now come and shoot me down in flames!!

 

Simon

[John Bull]

Hi Cindy, 

 

This is a sunday, right?

Yippeee 

 

Unassisted disembarkation is usually around 7 am, with the first tranche of regular disembarkation at 7.30.

The drive to Stonehenge via Salisbury is a little over an hour, and I don't foresee any traffic grief on a sunday morning.

You will need about 90 minutes at Stonehenge.

Stonehenge to LGW is about 2hrs 45 mins using the motorway loop M3, M25, M 23. There are long-term roadworks upgrading the M23. so you should certainly add 15 minutes. ie a 3 - hour drive.

So ship to LGW  will total about 5 hrs 40 minutes. Add an hour for wiggle-room.

 

You will want to be at check-in two hours ahead of flight time even if you've checked-in on-line. ie be at check-in by 2.35 pm.

 

You will need to pre-book a time-slot for arrival at Stonehenge. If you miss your time-slot, your entry may be delayed - and since it's a summer sunday that almost certainly means your entry will be delayed. And possibly for hours if all time-slots are fully-booked. 

 

Can I suggest that you ask at ship's guest relations that you be switched to a 7.30am disembarkation slot, citing your onward travel arrangements. If that's not possible, opt for unassisted some time before 7.30. Whichever you end up with, book a car for 7.45  am.

And book Stonehenge for the 9.00  - 9.30 am entry slot. If you're in good time, take a detour for an outside look at Salisbury cathedra, it's only 20 / 25 minutes from Stonehengel.

But don't get to Stonehenge after 9.30 am

 

Leave Stonehenge by 11.30 and you'll be fine for your flight time.

 

But also ask your transfer operator for their opinion

 

JB  

 

[emrmom]

Thank you so much for your help and advice! We may rethink this a bit. We are in London two weeks pre-cruise. It may be a whole lot less stressful to just do a day trip — and have time for Salisbury as well ...

xoxo

 

[sddsddean]

You could always travel to Southampton a day early and do a day trip to Salisbury and Stonehenge from there. Really easy. 30 mins on the train, Stonehenge tour bus leaves from Salisbury station and you will have plenty of time to see the cathedral (tallest spire in the UK, an original copy of the Magna Carta and the oldest mechanical clock in the world)...better than some sights in London in my opinion!

 

Simon

[scottbee]

Or perhaps just stay in Salisbury the night before the cruise?  It's an interesting small city, with a lovely cathedral. Just don't pick up any perfume bottles you come across.

 

Salisbury to Southampton is a quick cheap train ride (just over 30 minutes)