Recommendation for Private Tour Guide to Stonehenge & Salisbury from Southampton

Our MSC Meraviglia will be in Southampton for a full day (8:00 AM to 8:00 PM).

We have 7 in our group, all adults. I have read and email Pat Shelley, but she's not available for the date that we will be in Southampton.

Any recommendations for a good and reliable tour guide that anyone have use for Stonehenge and Salisbury?

Thank you in advance for your help.

Danny

You can check this:

https://www.londontoolkit.com/mnu/london_tours.htm

http://www.londontoolkit.com

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I suggest that you contact West Quay cars. http://westquaycars.com/

Have you asked Pat Shelley if he (yes, he's a he, not a she) can recommend a colleague? I'm sure he gets asked all the time so could easily put up names/contact details. No harm in asking.

He's a Blue Badge guide, the top recognised qualification for guides in the UK.

Here's the relevant page on their website for seven other Blue Badge guides in the area - judging from the landline phone numbers of those who've included a landline number, David Hutchison and Judith Cross are local so more likely to specialise in Stonehenge and no travel costs.

http://britainsbestguides.org/guide/find-a-guide/?search_p=1&region=South+West&language=&date=&time=&specialties=Archaeology

I think Pat doesn't provide transportation - he lives in Salisbury, and clients collect him from Salisbury on the way thru'

That may be the same with other local Blue Badge guides.

A Blue Badge qualification is a guarantee of an extremely knowledgeable guide - without that qualification the quality can vary from an equally-knowledgeable guide who doesn't want to be pinned-down to the Blue Badge regime, to a driver who simply knows a bit about the place.

The vast vast majority of tour operators provide narrated transportation, then leave you to explore Stonehenge by yourselves with audio-guides - and to be fair that's as much as the vast vast majority of visitors need. For better, you'll have to sift through pages of google or go by recommendations.

Specialist local guides are sought mainly for pre- and post- public opening hours, when the severely- restricted visitor numbers have access to the inner circle and there are no audio-guides. Those visitors tend to be heavily into pre-history archaeology, and book many months ahead.

Do you fit that category?

If not, Bob has suggested a local taxi / transfer operator.

West Quay Cars also have a touring arm, http://www.discoverthesouth.co.uk/

Their drivers are driver/guides - not qualified guides, but selected for their interest & knowledge in local history etc and for their friendly and informative customer-service. You'll pay more for Discover the South than for West Quay Cars, but you might consider it worth the extra.

At the bottom end of the expense scale it's easy to take a train from Southampton to Salisbury (half-hourly service, 40 minute journey time, about £10 return), then the Stonehenge ho-ho from Salisbury station to Stonehenge, then ho-ho back to Salisbury, spend such time as you have exploring the historic city centre & magnificent cathedral, then ho-ho or local bus or taxi or 15 minute walk back to the station for the train back to Southampton.

You can buy your Stonehenge admission tickets from the ho-ho driver - tickets issued by the ho-ho (and to other coach tour operators) are access any time, no need for a timed slot (see below)

Stonehenge operates a timed-entry booking system - to guarantee no delay due to over-booking you select a half-hour slot for arrival. If you miss that slot or choose to pay at the gate you risk a delay in gaining admission - the risk depends very much on your date & time of arrival.

.

http://www.discoverthesouth.co.uk/tours/1383-9387/salisbury-stonehenge.php

http://www.thestonehengetour.info/contact

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

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/prices-and-opening-times

JB :)

Thank you everyone for your suggestions.

We'll look them up and do some research.

Have you asked Pat Shelley if he can recommend a colleague?

 

He's a Blue Badge guide, the top recognised qualification for guides in the UK.

Here's the relevant page on their website for seven other Blue Badge guides in the area: David Hutchison and Judith Cross are local so more likely to specialise in Stonehenge and no travel costs.

http://britainsbestguides.org/guide/find-a-guide/?search_p=1&region=South+West&language=&date=&time=&specialties=Archaeology

 

I think Pat doesn't provide transportation - he lives in Salisbury, and clients collect him from Salisbury on the way thru'

That may be the same with other local Blue Badge guides.

.

http://www.discoverthesouth.co.uk/tours/1383-9387/salisbury-stonehenge.php

http://www.thestonehengetour.info/contact

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

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/prices-and-opening-times

 

JB :)

JB - thank you for all this information. We are looking for a tour to Stonehenge and Salisbury cathedral for 2 from our hotel near Winchester if possible. We can arrange transportation to Salisbury if needed. I had already email Pat Shelley for suggestions and have now just emailed David Hutchison. Beverly

Thank you everyone for your suggestions.

We'll look them up and do some research.

Thanks for asking this question. We are looking for a similar tour but just for 2. If you haven't found someone, try Toursbylocals.com - Stonehenge & Salisbury. The guide Steve P was very responsive, but it is one set price for up to 7 people and not cost effective for 2 of us.

We DIY with JBs instructions a few years ago and it was very easy. The Southampton train station is easy to get to and the hoho in Salisbury is just outside the station to the left. The bus is clearly marked.

We DIY with JBs instructions a few years ago and it was very easy. The Southampton train station is easy to get to and the hoho in Salisbury is just outside the station to the left. The bus is clearly marked.

Thanks, we may DIY also. The one guide we have found that is available requires payment in advance and no refunds in the event we can't get there for some reason.

In 2013 we used Discover the South for visit to Salisbury, Stonehenge, and the New Forest as recommended by another CC member. The driver picked us up at Heathrow and dropped us at our Hotel in Southampton. As JB said, the drivers/guides are not certified guides. Our guide James Hallum, a retired engineer, "knew the territory" and was knowledgeable as he lived in that area.

Hope this helps,