Avebury From Southampton

We are arriving in Southampton on a Sunday at 5AM after a cruise of the British Isles. We sail at 5PM from there on a TA. We would like to see the village of Avebury, Stonehenge and Salisbury. Would this be doable and are there any tour companys in Southampton that might provide this?

Thanks,

Pam

We live near Southampton and we know someone who might do it write me at stuartlake@ btinternet.com and we will put you in touch

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Try http://www.discoverthesouth.co.uk

Its the touring arm of West Quay Cars, well-respected on Cruise Critic for transfers. They put their most knowledgeable & customer-friendly drivers onto these jobs - they're not guides, just well-experienced tour drivers.

If you simply want a car plus driver, http://www.smithsforairports.com provide a good service at reasonable prices - again, much-used by CC members.

Total driving time for So'ton to Stonehenge to Avebury to Salisbury to So'ton is about 3 hours. Add 90 minutes at Stonehenge, about 30 minutes in the Avebury area and at least 90 minutes in Salisbury, plus perhaps a break in somewhere like Polly's tea-room in Marlborough or the Red Lion pub in Avebury and you'll have little time to spare. But do try to include West Kennet long barrow and Silbury Hill, both near Avebury & added value for the 90 minute loop to include Avebury Ring.

Also before making arrangements, check what time you must be aboard for your T/A cruise. Is it the same ship? If not, and perhaps even if it is, all-aboard is likely to be about 3pm to 3.30. That could scupper plans to include Avebury.

And switching ships also creates the problem of storing your luggage unless you have a private tour.

Although your Round-Britain ship may be scheduled to berth at 5am, it's normally 6.30 to 7am before its cleared for (unassisted) disembarkation.

But you might still be able to schedule an early-morning out-of-hours visit to Stonehenge, which allows you to go amongst the stones. This for seriously-interested folk only, at that time audio-guides aren't available so you really need a guide. I can suggest a couple , not expensive but they are local & you'd need to fix transport separately. And even washrooms & catering weren't available out-of-hours through that may have changed with the new visitor centre. Full details of out-of-hours visits at https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/content/imported-docs/p-t/stone-circle-access-application-dec14-mar15.pdf

But, as I said, that's only for the seriously-interested. If you want just the usual tourist experience, best to go during regular hours when all facilities are available.

Whatever time you plan to visit Stonehenge you will need to book advance timed tickets &.plan your day around that time.

English Heritage just love their excessive paperwork. :rolleyes:

A real bind, but not so bad for you as for some others.

Most important to research the place before you visit because there's not a l;ot to see.

Those who do, are generally mesmerised by being there.

Those who don't, see it simply as a bunch of rocks.

To avoid the need for timed Stonehenge tickets, and at the other end of the cost scale, if you wanted to skip Avebury you can visit just Salisbury & Stonehenge by taking the train from Southampton central station to Salisbury - a day-return ticket costs about £10 pp, it's a half-hourly direct service & journey time 30 minutes. Then the Stonehenge hop-on bus from Salisbury rail station to Stonehenge (about 20 minutes e/w) including anytime Stonehenge tickets costs £26. Expect to spend about 90 minutes at Stonehenge. If the weather's fine & you have the time, on the way back to Salisbury hop-off at Old Sarum. This is the original site of Salisbury (Sarum), though only earthworks survive.

In Salisbury, hop off at the city centre stop (New Canal) to check out the magnificent cathedral (with original of Magna Carta etc), and the historic city centre.

Finally return to the station by hop-on (if one is conveniently-timed) or local bus or taxi, or 15 - 20 minute walk, for the train back to Southampton.

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/stonehenge/prices-and-opening-times?lang=en

http://www.thestonehengetour.info/

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

JB :)

What an incredibly complete answer from John Bull which deserves to be saved somewhere prominent to stop it rolling of the bottom of the page.

I also live not too far away but I could not have given such a detailed response. Indeed, I can only think of one thing to add and that is to point out to anyone who chooses to follow JB's suggestion and 'hop off' at Old Sarum, and is interested in history, that from 1295 right up until the Reform Act of 1832 it was one of the Parliamentary constituencies which became known as 'a rotten borough' simply because they had no resident voters. In the case of Old Sarum, even though it had had no residents for at least two hundred years and had never had a significant population, the landowner had the right to elect (nominate) two Members of Parliament (equivalents to US Congress(wo)men).

Just another part of our quirky history.

Thanks to each of you for your help! I have written and received a response from Discover the South. I look at Stonehenge and will keep watch on the early morning tickets ( to keep my options open) and agree John - your thorough answer was invaluable!

Pam

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