Hey, so my friends and I were thinking about taking a day trip from London to Stonehenge. Is it possible/easy to do using only public transportation? Or does it make more sense just to try and book a tour with some company (and if so, which one?). Thanks for your input!
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
Your question: Is it possible/easy to get from London to Stonehenge using only public transportation?
It's possible but whether it's easy is a judgment call to be made by each traveler. To do it by public transport, you'd take the train to Salisbury and then a tourist hop on hop off bus from Salisbury to Stonehenge (the Wilts & Dorset public bus from Salisbury was discontinued in the last year or so). Takes time, to get to the London train station, wait for the train, the 1.5 hr ride to Salisbury, then waiting for the bus, the bus ride to Stonehenge, then doubling all that time in order to return to London.If you book a tour, some will pick you up at your hotel and take you to Salisbury Cathedral and Avebury, in addition to Stonehenge. This choice may provide you with a good value for your dollar, I did some googling around just now and saw some pretty good prices for tours.
Posted by
Denver, CO, USA
1556 posts
If you have the time then do it on your own. It will probably save you and your friends quite a bit of money. Also, it isn't that bad - 1 train and 1 bus ride. You can also see Salisbury cathedral which has a copy of the Magna Carta - an easy walk from the train station.
I for one found Stonehenge to be just a pile of rocks - though I know others who absoulutely marvel at it. I hope you enjoy your trip.
Posted by
Land of La
8676 posts
So Arnold is the Grand Canyon just a hole in the ground? Sorry couldn't resist.
Jared take the train and bus to Stonehenge. Easy to do and you can use the audio tour at "the rocks."
Posted by
Edmonton, AB, Canada
668 posts
Even if you go with a tour, you will still get the audio tour, not a live guide.
We went (one way) with Evan Evans to Windsor, Stonehenge and ath last year. It cost less than going by train to bath and then taking a fay tour to Stonehenge.
Posted by
Denver, CO, USA
1556 posts
Claudia - I love the Grand Canyon - I've hiked it a number of times. However, I still consider Stonehenge just a pile of rocks - for me it pales in comparison to places like the Grand Canyon, Petra, Machu Picchu.
This is just my opinion - it doesn't mean others shouldn't go to Stonehenge and form their own opinion.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32212 posts
Jared,
Another method you might consider would be to take a train or Bus from London to Bath, and then use Mad Max Tours for the trip to Stonehenge. The site is somewhat out in the country, so they take care of the transportation to get you there, and drop you at the "official" entrance (which of course includes a Gift shop) where you can rent an Audioguide.
From the entrance, you'll have to walk through a short tunnel to get to the site and the walkway that goes around the stones. There's a small rope barrier to "prevent" visitors from getting too close to the stones or touching them (the barrier is very low, so anyone could step over it). The barrier must have been installed after the Griswold family visit!
Happy travels!
Posted by
Virginia, USA
5520 posts
You might also check London Walks Explorer Days. I took their day trip of Stonehenge and Salisbury. In the summer they offer this almost every week. In the winter, not so often. You meet at a train station in London, travel to Salisbury, and take a walking tour of the Cathedral. You then have a break on your own for lunch. Then you travel to Stonehenge by bus and have a tour.
London Walks is at www.walks.com
Posted by
Portland, OR, USA
389 posts
I'm kind of with Arnold on this one. I spent the whole day doing Stonehenge and ran out of time to see the cathedral which is the better of the 2 experiences. I say Stonehenge is worth the stop if you're driving by, but I wouldn't recommend the day trip for just that unless you have lots of time on your hands. The rope that kept people away from it bugged me. By the way, there is a replica on the Columbia at Maryhill (Hwy 97 & 14) that is better because you can climb all over it ;-)
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
14 posts
Will you be visiting Bath at all on your trip? If so, Scarper Tours also runs a minibus tour to Stonehenge that leaves from Bath and lasts about half a day. More expensive than public transport, but not too bad, and it's a time-saver. You get a tour of some things on the way TO Stonehenge, and then they more or less let you wander on your own once you get there.
Watch for the "tank crossing" sign on the way there. (I really wish I'd been able to get a picture of that one.)