Stonehenge, tickets and open mics

Posted by Norma (Ohio) on 04/21/17 08:21 PM

Planning a trip with my husband to England July 5-23. I have some questions.
Two days at airport hotel to get our feet back then renting a car to travel to Liverpool (2 days) Cotswolds (3 days) Bath (2 days) and finishing in London (7 days)

1) Best to go to Stonehenge from Cotswolds (Stow-on-the-Wold) or
Bath?
2) What tickets for tours and or admissions should we buy in
advance for London sites? Would like to see all the well-known
sites ...Tower, Westminster Abbey, British Museum & Library,
Portrait Gallery etc...also cruise to Greenwich and travel to
Windsor.
3) My husband is a musician and enjoys playing open mics
whenever we travel. Does anyone have suggestions for good ones in
London? He has already learned about one in Bath.

Thanks so much!

Posted by Pam

Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA

04/21/17 09:25 PM

14826 posts

Stonehenge is closer to Bath than Stow on the Wold so I would visit from there. You could also loop up to include Avebury.

I guess you are staying at the airport to facilitate the car rental but it seems like a waste of a day to stay out there instead of in London or somewhere more interesting. Even staying in Windsor would be more charming to me, but not sure about the car rental.

Will you be dropping your car in Bath and taking the train back to London? Otherwise, with just 2 nights/one full day in Bath you might consider doing Stonehenge on the way back to London, or seeing Stonehenge and dropping the car in Salisbury and taking the train back.

The British Museum and British Library are free except for special exhibitions. If there is a special exhibit at either there will be a charge and you may want to get your tickets ahead of time.

At Westminster Abbey I encourage you to pay the extra 5GBP and take the Verger Tour thru the Cathedral. Also if you have the time you might enjoy evensong there.

Posted by jaeson1992

Los Angeles

04/22/17 02:01 PM

220 posts

Get your stonehenge tickets in advance and unless you are going with a tour group... Stonehenge is crowded.

Posted by Jill

Calgary, Canada

04/22/17 02:16 PM

37 posts

Hi njrc_hill --

The open mic will be such a fun way to experience London! Found this and it looks like you'll have some choices: the main site is openmicfinder.com
and here's one of the listings -- every Sunday night -- http://openmicfinder.com/UK/England/Greater-London/Waterloo/The-Stage-Door-Pub-28-30-Webber-St-SE1-8QA

Cheers,

Jill

Posted by epltd

04/22/17 11:20 PM

3124 posts

With Stonehenge you'll have a timed ticket. As you'll be there in July, allow plenty of time for traffic delays. The A303 is notorious for this during tourist season.

From Stonehenge to Avebury you can either take the A338, which is a secondary road, or the more direct (on a map) A345. The latter is more like a tertiary road, scenic but slow. At the point where the A303 intersects with the A345 you'll be right by Woodhenge and Durrington Walls, which are also worth a visit to round out (so to speak) your stone circle experience.