Southampton: post-cruise tour to Stonehenge?

[cruisersfromoz]

Hi,

 

I've noticed on the RCCL website that there is a tour available that picks you up from the ship when you arrive back in Southampton, takes a tour of Stonehenge and drops you at Heathrow at around 2.30pm. We're staying in London for a week post-cruise and getting from Heathrow to our hotel would be relatively easy (and we'd be able to purchase our Oyster card at the TI there too). It's listed at $USD135.

 

Another option would be to take the National Express bus (probably back to Heathrow as well). This wouldn't be a hassle as we're planning on using the National Express to get FROM Heathrow TO Southampton pre-cruise. I suppose yet another option would be for us to hire a car from Southampton and drive it ourselves. The RCCL site says that you travel through "the lovely Woodford Valley, containing some of the most peaceful and scenic villages in the County and through which the River Avon lazily flows. The narrow road winds along the valley following almost every twist and turn of the west bank of the river and passing through picturesque villages whose thatched and stonework cottages shelter in the lee of the protecting slopes" on the way to Stonehenge. Is this area worth stopping and exploring on the way? Hubby and I have never been to the UK before and unfortunately this trip we can only spare a week post-cruise so we've limited ourselves to just London. I was thinking this could be a good opportunity to experience a little of the countryside.

 

I've always been interested in Stonehenge but since we have such limited time in London I didn't want to 'waste' a day going all the way out to Stonehenge and back. This way we could be using our mostly useless travel day to sneak something extra in.

 

What do you think?

 

Thanks.

[dixonfrance]

Don't miss Stonehenge - it's been there a lot longer than London! Also the Woodford Valley was something else, we had an unforgettable lunch in a pub there all organized by a local tour company called Salisbury Guided Tours http://www.salisburyguidedtours.com. They organized everything for us, we really wish we had spent a lot longer in the area, but gotta move on! Our guide was called Pat and really he is just a font of knowledge and made our stay a memorable one. If you want the inside track on Stonehenge and the surrounding countryside I thoroughly recommend them. :p

[Host Sharon]

If this is your first trip to the UK, I wouldn't miss seeing a bit more than just London. I would go for it. Stonehenge is amazing anyway and the change to see some of our countryside is worth a day at least.

[PEJ]

I don't understand what the excitement is with Stonehenge as a local I think it is pretty dull and I don't recall the trip up there being particularly scenic compared with other bits of the south of England.

 

The countryside of the New Forest is nicer. A trip to the town of Bath would be nice, you could go via Stonehenge, its kind of on the way.

[forest_]

PEJ look at the age of stonehenge then you might understand why it is worth a visit.

 

Anyone one going to stonehenge will love it and i am a local.

[Cortesefam]

Cruisersfromoz: As we considered transfer options from London to Southampton for a QM2 crossing in August, one of the companies we contacted suggested adding a 1 hour visit to Stonehenge to our transfer from London. This looks like a perfect plan for us, as the kids were eager to see Stonehenge, but we were reluctant to commit a whole day of our time in London to a visit. We'll be picked up at our hotel in London, and dropped off at the Cunard terminal after the tour. They were very helpful in setting up these arrangements via email.

 

Good luck!

 

http://www.woodfordchauffeurcars.co.uk/index.html

[dark star]

it's definatly worth a look

[handfordr]

Its worth remembering that Stonehenge is just one of literally hundreds of henges in the British Isles. The Woodford Valley between Salisbury and Stonehenge is a good taster of the Englsh Countryside but it only takes about 15 minutes to go along.

If you want to see beyond Stonehenge as just a pile of rocks on a windswept barren field you really need to read about it and neolthic society or have a pretty good guide to brief you before arriving.

Just 30 minutes north of Stonehenge is Avebury a march larger henge than Stonehenge and unlike Stonehenge there is totally free access to walk among and touch the stones.

The area around Stonehenge and Avebury is worthwhile exploring independently in a car.