Stonehenge from Portsmouth

[lisaatric]

Has anyone visited Stonehenge from the Portsmouth port?  There do not appear to be available tours via the usual independent companies. There is a train to Salisbury which isn’t a long ride so I will investigate that option further. 
 

Wondering how others have accomplished this. 

[John Bull]

Are you in Portsmouth for a day or two, or just a one-day port-of-call visit?

 

Yes, direct trains from Portsmouth to Salisbury (same train that folk join in Southampton).

You'll need a taxi to either  Portsmouth&Southsea station or Portsmouth Harbour station (that's the harbour for local ferries etc, it's not the same place as Portsmouth International Port, which is for cruise ships and cross-channel ferries). 

Portsmouth&Southsea station and Portsmouth Harbour station are equidistant from the International port, Portsmouth harbour is the more scenic & interesting. 

 

At Salisbury station there's a Stonehenge hop-on bus service on the forecourt.. After you've visited Stonehenge catch the ho-ho back to Salisbury.

 

If you have the time (on a port-of-call visit you won't) you might want to stop off at Old Sarum, the original city from the Middle Ages ( Salisbury is sometimes known as New Sarum). Old Sarum is on a hilltop and not much fun in wet or windy weather, and only the foundations remain. Check with the driver whether I'm up-to-date on this but I think all Salisbury Red buses from the same stop as the ho-ho's Old Sarum stop go to Salisbury city centre, and your ho-ho tickets are good for those buses.

 

Certainly do try to make time to  hop off in Salisbury city centre, to visit this historic & laid-back city and its its magnificent cathedral.

Back to the station by hop-on if the timing fits, or by local bus or taxi or 20-minute walk.

 

Its important to buy your Stonehenge tickets with your ho-ho tickets.

Numbers on-site are restricted & folk have to book a 30-minute arrival slot - miss that slot & if the maximum number is reached they have to wait until numbers have dropped.

But those on bus tours - including the ho-ho - can enter at any time with tickets issued by the operator.

There's no limit on how long you can stay at Stonehenge, but for most folk it's worth one to two hours

 

https://www.thestonehengetour.info/

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/old-sarum/

https://www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/visit-us/

 

JB 🙂

Edited July 15, 2023 by John Bull

[Harters]

Salisbury Cathedral is magnificent (even if, like me, you have no religious faith). My highlight was seeing the world's oldest mechanical clock - dating from the 1300s.  

 

I was prompted to visit having read Edward Rutherford's fact based novel "Sarum". 

[lisaatric]

4 hours ago, John Bull said:

Are you in Portsmouth for a day or two, or just a one-day port-of-call visit?

 

Yes, direct trains from Portsmouth to Salisbury (same train that folk join in Southampton).

You'll need a taxi to either  Portsmouth&Southsea station or Portsmouth Harbour station (that's the harbour for local ferries etc, it's not the same place as Portsmouth International Port, which is for cruise ships and cross-channel ferries). 

Portsmouth&Southsea station and Portsmouth Harbour station are equidistant from the International port, Portsmouth harbour is the more scenic & interesting. 

 

At Salisbury station there's a Stonehenge hop-on bus service on the forecourt.. After you've visited Stonehenge catch the ho-ho back to Salisbury.

 

If you have the time (on a port-of-call visit you won't) you might want to stop off at Old Sarum, the original city from the Middle Ages ( Salisbury is sometimes known as New Sarum). Old Sarum is on a hilltop and not much fun in wet or windy weather, and only the foundations remain. Check with the driver whether I'm up-to-date on this but I think all Salisbury Red buses from the same stop as the ho-ho's Old Sarum stop go to Salisbury city centre, and your ho-ho tickets are good for those buses.

 

Certainly do try to make time to  hop off in Salisbury city centre, to visit this historic & laid-back city and its its magnificent cathedral.

Back to the station by hop-on if the timing fits, or by local bus or taxi or 20-minute walk.

 

Its important to buy your Stonehenge tickets with your ho-ho tickets.

Numbers on-site are restricted & folk have to book a 30-minute arrival slot - miss that slot & if the maximum number is reached they have to wait until numbers have dropped.

But those on bus tours - including the ho-ho - can enter at any time with tickets issued by the operator.

There's no limit on how long you can stay at Stonehenge, but for most folk it's worth one to two hours

 

https://www.thestonehengetour.info/

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/old-sarum/

https://www.salisburycathedral.org.uk/visit-us/

 

JB 🙂

SO helpful!  Thank you!  We are cruising, so just a day stop. Not sure how long yet, but I can certainly make some tentative plans. Thank you again. Your time and knowledge is very much appreciated!  

[lisaatric]

4 hours ago, Harters said:

Salisbury Cathedral is magnificent (even if, like me, you have no religious faith). My highlight was seeing the world's oldest mechanical clock - dating from the 1300s.  

 

I was prompted to visit having read Edward Rutherford's fact based novel "Sarum". 

Love this!  Thank you. 

 

4 hours ago, Harters said:

Salisbury Cathedral is magnificent (even if, like me, you have no religious faith). My highlight was seeing the world's oldest mechanical clock - dating from the 1300s.  

 

I was prompted to visit having read Edward Rutherford's fact based novel "Sarum". 

 

[John Bull]

11 minutes ago, lisaatric said:

SO helpful!  Thank you!  We are cruising, so just a day stop. Not sure how long yet, but I can certainly make some tentative plans. Thank you again. Your time and knowledge is very much appreciated!  

 

 

Yes, subject to usual time in port, Stonehenge is certainly viable - probably Salisbury Cathedral too.

 

If Stonehenge is on your bucket-list I'm probably wasting my typing finger, but .............

 

there's enough in and around the conjoined cities of Portsmouth & Southsea to interest a visitor for a week or more - one reason why Southsea is a popular vacation city.

Major draw is the Historic Dockyard & Ships, including Nelson's pristine HMS Victory and the remains of Henry V111's Mary Rose which rolled & sank off Southsea castle due to overloading of guns and marines and an over-ambitious turning manoeuvre.

The dockyard could fill your whole day, but a short bus or taxi ride from there is Southsea esplanade with its D-Day museum next door to Southsea Castle (castle small but free entry) and views across the Solent to the Isle of Wight.

 

Just outside Portsmouth on Portsdown Hill is Fort Nelson, which commands a panoramic view of the city  and houses an excellent  cannon & artillery museum - all free entry (donations appreciated) but needs a taxi ride. Fort Nelson is one of a ring of Portsmouth's Napoleonic forts which surround the city  - including four sea-forts in the Solent, three of which your ship will pass.

Lots of other sights too.

https://www.visitportsmouth.co.uk/

https://royalarmouries.org/venue/fort-nelson/

https://historicdockyard.co.uk/  (nb HMS Alliance / submarine museum, and Explosions Museum are via the ferry across the entrance to Portsmouth harbour and unless you have a special interest would take too much of your day)

 

JB 🙂

[CRUIS4ME]

The day we had free before the cruise out of Southampton, we took the train to Salisbury and picked up the Stonehenge HoHo bus.  We were there by 9:30.  Great option…good day! Completely doable.   After Stonehenge we hopped off in Salisbury where we went to the cathedral.   Magnificent! They were practicing for a Handel concert and we lucked out with the music playing in the cathedral.   Saw the Magna Carte which was a key stop for us.   Went to a couple pubs and walked to a mini flea market.    Took a taxi back to train station and was back in Southampton by five o’clock!