Stonehenge Question

livetravelcruise07 · July 10

We recently just booked our first transatlantic cruise out of Southampton! We are planning to arrive to London a few days before the cruise, explore London, then go over to Southampton and see that area a day before the cruise sets sail. My question is we really want to see Stonehenge, is it easier to get to when we are in London or Southampton? Or is it about the same time wise to get to it? I hope this makes sense!

John Bull · July 11

Since you'll be spending time in London and sailing out of Southampton you can visit Stonehenge en-route on the morning of your sailing on a coach tour-transfer, rather than taking it out of your sight-seeing time. Pick-up at your central London hotel (or another hotel close by), guaranteed "anytime" ticket to Stonehenge included, drop at your Southampton cruise terminal

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

JB 🙂

sddsddean · July 11

Not disagreeing with JB, but in the sense of your question, I'd say go from Southampton. Its a really easy 30 minute train ride from Southampton to Salisbury and the Stonehenge tour bus https://www.thestonehengetour.info/bus-timetable/ picks you up at Salisbury station. You can also make a day of it and see Salisbury cathedral (Tallest spire in the UK, an original copy of the Magna Carta and the worlds oldest mechanical clock). You can certainly make a day out of it.

Simon

Harters · July 11

3 hours ago, sddsddean said:

You can certainly make a day out of it.

And, if so, and visiting the cathedral, it may be worth popping in to the military museum which is on the same site. It tells the history of the Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiments, as well as the regiments that now make up The Rifles Regiment. When I was last there, a few years back, they had a major exhibition about the Rifles involvement n the Afghan wars of the 19th century and, in particular, the disastrous defeat of the British in 1880 at Kandahar. My visit was at the time that British troops were once again in Kandahar and, once again, not winning. It made it a particularly moving visit, not least as the guy on duty in the museum was an army veteran. My recollection is that the museum tells its story well, putting the army involvement into the wider context of empire so not just a visit for military history geeks (like me).

Salisbury is also a nice town just to wander round.

John Bull · July 11

4 hours ago, sddsddean said:

Not disagreeing with JB, but in the sense of your question, I'd say go from Southampton. Its a really easy 30 minute train ride from Southampton to Salisbury and the Stonehenge tour bus https://www.thestonehengetour.info/bus-timetable/ picks you up at Salisbury station. You can also make a day of it and see Salisbury cathedral (Tallest spire in the UK, an original copy of the Magna Carta and the worlds oldest mechanical clock). You can certainly make a day out of it.

Simon

I agree, Simon, but since @livetravelcruise07 will be travelling London - Southampton for their cruise & wants to visit Stonehenge, it's a two-birds-with-one-stone situation.

And it would have saved my typing finger 😃

Yes, cheaper and easier from Southampton and the ability to set your own agenda rather than the confines of a tour from & back to London. Also considerably cheaper lodgings in Southampton than in the big bad city.

Half-hourly train service from Southampton to Salisbury at about £10 return pp, the Stonehenge Tour ho-ho bus from the station forecourt to Stonehenge, as long as you like at Stonehenge, if time & weather permit stop off at Old Sarum (remnants of hill fort & buildings), then continue into Salisbury from the same bus stop on the ho-ho or any Salisbury Reds local bus (unless things have changed changed, your Stonehenge Tour tickets are good for those local buses), and end the day by exploring the historic & laid-back city of Salisbury and its magnificent cathedral before a train back to Southampton Central.

If you use the Stonehenge Tour bus, buy your Stonehenge tickets from them (admission is included with the International Friends tour-transfer & almost-certainly with tours from London).

This is because numbers at Stonehenge are capped. If you buy tickets in advance independently you have to choose an arrival slot, or if you buy at the gate you may have to wait for numbers to be below that cap - coach tour tickets and tickets bought thro the Stonehenge ho-ho are guaranteed entry to Stonehenge at any time. Same applies to ships' excursions to Stonehenge.

JB 🙂

ps @Harters Write out 100 times "Salisbury is a city, not a town"😉

Harters · July 11

30 minutes ago, John Bull said:

Write out 100 times "Salisbury is a city, not a town"😉

I use "town" in the generic sense, rather than it's legal sense. When I visit Manchester, as I do every couple of weeks, I'm still catching the tram into town. It's why I , and my local council, still refer to where I live as a "village", even though it ceased to be that in any meaningful sense during the building boom of the 1930s and, now, it's just another Greater Manchester suburb. Village sounds much nicer than "urban sprawl". 😀

John Bull · July 11

1 minute ago, Harters said:

I use "town" in the generic sense, rather than it's legal sense. When I visit Manchester, as I do every couple of weeks, I'm still catching the tram into town. It's why I , and my local council, still refer to where I live as a "village", even though it ceased to be that in any meaningful sense during the building boom of the 1930s and, now, it's just another Greater Manchester suburb. Village sounds much nicer than "urban sprawl". 😀

Excuses, excuses.😜

What I'm looking for from you is

Salisbury is a city, not a town Salisbury is a city, not a town

JB 🙂

(Bored. So terribly terribly bored) 😉

Harters · July 11

Like this:

Salisbury is a city, not a town Salisbury is a city, not a town

Cut and paste is a wonderful thing 😀

John Bull · July 11

5 hours ago, Harters said:

Like this:

Salisbury is a city, not a town Salisbury is a city, not a town

Salisbury is a city, not a town etc etc etc

Cut and paste is a wonderful thing 😀

What is this "cut and paste" of which you speak?

Is that some kind of etherial technology ?

JB 🙂

Edited July 11 by John Bull

sddsddean · July 12

9 hours ago, John Bull said:

What is this "cut and paste" of which you speak?

Is that some kind of etherial technology ?

JB 🙂

It be witchcraft I tell 'ee!! You come along with me my beauty to the ducking stool!!

Simon

PS Just off to take my pills! What are those guys in white coats doing at the door?

cleobella · July 19

I agree that seeing Stonehenge from Southampton is a breeze. If you have a couple of pre days it is a lovely day trip. We took a train ride Salisbury ( I think it was short, 30 or 40 min). Very close to where you get off you can buy tickets for a Bus that takes you out to the Stonehenge, like JB said. This includes tickets to the attraction. You can also buy these tickets on line if I remember correctly. When you are done you can spend some time in Salisbury, the Cathedral is historic and beautiful. It’s a nice easy day. We also considered going out to Bath, a bit longer on the train but saved that for the next trip.

Stonehenge Question

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