Southampton to Stonehenge...private or DIY?

We will be in Southampton in July this year, prior to embarking on a British Isles cruise. I have allowed a few days in our itinerary to explore the area, since we have never visited here. We thought we'd go to Salisbury and Stonehenge one day. My question is this: I have priced a private car and driver/guide for a full day for two persons from Southampton to Stonehenge, with some time in Salisbury as well. This is very expensive, considering that the train to those places (with HOHO bus to and from Stonehenge out of Salisbury) appears to be straightforward and much less costly. I'd really like to do this on our own.

So, have I missed something? It will be a Monday morning...is this a commuter train, likely to be full and lots of stops? I see that I can buy a ticket to travel any time, but we want to get to Stonehenge early. Any other things that might trip us up? I don't read great reviews about the HOHO to Stonehenge, but figure that we can surely cope...sounds like it's the only way there short of renting a car or hiring a private driver. This probably sounds like a silly question, but I don't like to be stressed out on vacation. Any and all advice will be appreciated. Thanks in advance to you experienced CCers!

Only one stop between Southampton and Salisbury. There may be commuters who work in that city but hopefully someone here will know if it's busy in the mornings. The Stonehenge Tour Bus picks you up from the station every half hour in the summer (first one is 9.30 am). Doesn't include entrance ticket so you should book that in advance if you can.

As per Philbeach's post, this isn't a popular commuter route - at that time of day commuters are taking trains into Southampton or to London, whereas Southampton to Salisbury is cross-country, en-route to Bath, Bristol & South Wales. Simple journey, ho-ho on Salisbury station forecourt & it can drop you back there or in the historic city centre - and if you're feeling energetic & the weather's fine you can stop off to explore Old Sarum on the way back to Salisbury.

No worries.:)

Folk are advised to pre-purchase timed tickets to guarantee entry at the stated time if the place is busy. That's what you should do if you use a private transfer.

But, like coach tours from London to Stonehenge, tickets you buy from the ho-ho operator are exempt - you can enter anytime without delay. So pre-purchase your Stonehenge admission tickets with your ho-ho tickets, or on-the-day from the ho-ho driver (if you pay the driver you might need cash rather than card).

TripAdvisor reviews average 4 out of 5, which is pretty acceptable..

It's fun to sometimes read one-star reviews - some on this subject will be understandable cos no business gets it right all the time, but others have quite ridiculous complaints or blame the ho-ho for the weather, for the facilities / prices at Stonehenge, for the opening hours at Old Sarum etc. And for not directing their scheduled local bus services via Stonehenge - which is stuck out on Salisbury Plain!!

But it's certainly more a means of transport than a "tour", and for those without their own car it's certainly the most economical way of visiting Stonehenge.

Those who fix a private tour tend to be archaeology enthusiasts, who book special pre/post public access tours & fix their own personal guides.

The train & ho-ho is the sensible option for those who are merely "interested".

I would urge you to research Stonehenge's history - if you simply roll up you'll merely see a lot of big stones & wonder what all the fuss is about.

JB :)

Thanks for the detailed answers...so helpful!

One more question: we will be staying at the Southampton Grand Harbour Hotel (I think I've got it right, but it's the new one). What's the best way to get to the rail station from there, and is there, in fact, only one rail station in Southampton?

Thanks for the detailed answers...so helpful!

One more question: we will be staying at the Southampton Grand Harbour Hotel (I think I've got it right, but it's the new one). What's the best way to get to the rail station from there, and is there, in fact, only one rail station in Southampton?

The new 5* hotel, designed vaguely as a ship & getting excellent reviews, is Southampton Harbour Hotel in Ocean Village, not far from Ocean Cruise Terminal.

Grand Harbour is a 4* hotel between City Cruise Terminal and Town Quay.

Southampton has several rail stations, the one you need is the main one, Southampton Central Station.

Not walkable from Southampton Harbour Hotel, it's about 1.7 miles - a 5 to 8 minute taxi ride costing about £9.

The hotel can call a taxi for you, and there's a taxi stand at Southampton central for your return.

Alternatively you can walk 10 minutes to the bus stop on Town Quay & catch a Blue Star bus route U1, or less-frequent U6, to the station. Buses run every ten minutes.

Double-check with the hotel, but

- I believe that those buses no longer use the bus stop outside Dock Gate 4 because they start at the Oceanographic Centre (NOCS) inside the docks, and traffic exiting the docks now uses Dock Gate 5. So you have to walk past the stop at Dock Gate 4 to the next stop, Town Quay, just past Dock Gate 5.

- the buses' start point, the NOCS, is 2 minutes from the Southampton Harbour Hotel but NOCS is inside the docks & the hotel is outside the docks - with a fence between :(

Route U1 is mainly for university students (NOCS is part of Southampton Uni), but available to all. Fare will be pennies.

http://www.bluestarbus.co.uk/service.shtml?serviceid=3846

Taxi is simpler, but mebbe experiment with the bus going back to your hotel, just to try it out as well as for the savings..

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Southampton+Harbour+Hotel,+Ocean+Village,+Southampton+SO14+3TG/50.8961082,-1.4023655/Southampton+central+station,+Western+Esplanade,+Southampton/@50.8999605,-1.4070485,15z/data=!4m15!4m14!1m5!1m1!1s0x4874713475e55557:0x9a19b83ac32141bc!2m2!1d-1.3923012!2d50.8951545!1m0!1m5!1m1!1s0x487476bb0f5148f9:0x6c5035a39a9e00aa!2m2!1d-1.4138895!2d50.9074866!3e0

JB :)

Thank you so much for the detailed assist, John Bull. I should be all set for Southampton!

Last September we took a TA British Isles cruise from Southampton. We also wanted to visit Stonehenge, but wanted to be able to visit it trying to avoid peak tour crowds.

We arrived at about 10 am at Heathrow and booked a private bus to Salisbury ( Busbud 18L each). We arrived in Salisbury by about 2 pm Friday and checked into our hotel, and walked to the train station to catch the hoho shuttle bus to Stonehenge ( last one departs train station at 4pm - depends on time of year), and had a very nice and relatively uncrowded visit to the stones. If you use the hoho, make sure you also purchase the Stonehenge entrance tickets from the bus so you can avoid the ticket line at the stones.

We spent the evening at lovely pubs in Salisbury and had the opportunity to browse the open market Saturday morning before taking a very easy train journey to Southampton at 2 pm to arrive in plenty of time at the port.

If I had to do it over again, I would have allowed an extra day in Salisbury to see the Cathedral, and spend more time in this lovely city.

The hotel we stayed in was very nice and centrally located and walkable to everything. I believe it was called Kings Head Inn, and had lots of character and was ridiculously inexpensive ( about 75L) despite being very well appointed.

Based upon my prior research and advice of many others, it's best to either go very early, to beat the tour buses, or go in late afternoon, when tourist buses are gone.

Enjoy your trip.

Thank you! Good information.

I have one more question, please...should I buy my train tickets online in advance to Salisbury and to Bath?

I have one more question, please...should I buy my train tickets online in advance to Salisbury and to Bath?

I don't think advance tickets will save you any money on those journeys. And you will in any case have to convert your booking reference number to a ticket at a machine at the station.

But if you're sure of your date - advance ticket is for any of the day's hourly (to Bath) or half-hourly (to Salisbury) direct trains - it would avoid a potential line at the manned ticket booth.

BTW, the station for Bath is listed as Bath Spa.

JB :)

Thank you!

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I don't think advance tickets will save you any money on those journeys. And you will in any case have to convert your booking reference number to a ticket at a machine at the station.

But if you're sure of your date - advance ticket is for any of the day's hourly (to Bath) or half-hourly (to Salisbury) direct trains - it would avoid a potential line at the manned ticket booth.

BTW, the station for Bath is listed as Bath Spa.

 

JB :)

Hi! JB, we will be in Southampton 9/18 Tuesday! Can you recommend a private tour company doing the small group excursion to Windsor Catsle?

Hi! JB, we will be in Southampton 9/18 Tuesday! Can you recommend a private tour company doing the small group excursion to Windsor Catsle?

Private guides aren't permitted in Windsor Castle - you book an official Castle guide or use the excellent and convenient audio-guides. And for the town, a little research (including Elton College) and wander at will on foot.

So although you could for instance book a private tour with www.discoverthesouth.co.uk you'd do almost as well and significantly cheaper by booking just a car or van and driver with their transfer arm http://www.westquaycars.com or probably cheaper with www.smithsforairports.com or www.aquacars.co.uk

All these operators are long-established &. reputable, and often recommended by CC members who've used them

JB :)

Private guides aren't permitted in Windsor Castle - you book an official Castle guide or use the excellent and convenient audio-guides. And for the town, a little research (including Elton College) and wander at will on foot.

 

So although you could for instance book a private tour with www.discoverthesouth.co.uk you'd do almost as well and significantly cheaper by booking just a car or van and driver with their transfer arm www.westquaycars.com or probably cheaper with www.smithsforairports.com or www.aquacars.co.uk

All these operators are long-established &. reputable, and often recommended by CC members who've used them

 

 

JB :)

Thanks so much JB for such a quick & informative reply!

I already sent some inquiries out! We always did small group excursions from previous cruises with helps of these boards. This our very first time to GB, do you think Windsor Castle is a good choice to go(on Tuesday?) or you have other suggestions? Also, we will be in Malaga a week after(Tuesday), I am debating to go Granada,Alhambra or Ronda? If you are familiar with this area?! Appreciate your input! 🙂! Rayju.

Hi Rayju,

First of all, my last post it's Eton College, not microsofts stupid Elton autocorrect :rolleyes:

Windsor is only about 7 miles from Heathrow airport and 15 from central London (direct trains from London Waterloo station.

So if you're flying in or out of Heathrow, or spending pre or post-Cruise time in London, and the timing works out, you could combine Windsor with a transfer or visit by train from London.

But it will work perfectly well as a private transfer from and back to Southampton.

There are plenty of alternatives from Southampton, depending on your interests. For instance.............

The historic cathedral city of Salisbury (about 25 miles), mebbe combined with Stonehenge

The cathedral city of Winchester (under 10 miles from Southampton)

The Georgian city of Bath, with its Roman baths and Jane Austen associations, very popular with international tourists

Portsmouth and its conjoined holiday city of Southsea, with its historic dockyard and ships, incl Mary Rose and Nelson's HMS Victory. And lots more in the city.

All the above very easy by direct train from Southampton.

Or a road tour west from Southampton. On a day trip you could include 3 or 4 from Corfu Castle, lulworth Cove & Durdle Door, Weymouth and Portland Bill, the Jurassic coast, the Dorset villages, spooky Glastonbury, Wells cathedral, Cheddar Gorge.

From Malaga both options are perfectly feasible, the choice is a matter of personal preference.

Granada is for the Alhambra, a journey of about 2 hrs e/w. You need to pre-book, there's very very rarely availability for walk-ups.

Ronda has a spectacular gorge cutting in two, joined by a Roman bridge. One half Moorish, the other comparatively modern half has an excellent bullring.

JB

Damned auto-incorrect again. :rolleyes:

It's Corfe Castle, not Corfu

JB :)

Stonehenge tour bus leaves from right outside Salisbury railway station.

Hi Rayju,

First of all, my last post it's Eton College, not microsofts stupid Elton autocorrect :rolleyes:

 

Windsor is only about 7 miles from Heathrow airport and 15 from central London (direct trains from London Waterloo station.

So if you're flying in or out of Heathrow, or spending pre or post-Cruise time in London, and the timing works out, you could combine Windsor with a transfer or visit by train from London.

But it will work perfectly well as a private transfer from and back to Southampton.

 

There are plenty of alternatives from Southampton, depending on your interests. For instance.............

 

The historic cathedral city of Salisbury (about 25 miles), mebbe combined with Stonehenge

 

The cathedral city of Winchester (under 10 miles from Southampton)

 

The Georgian city of Bath, with its Roman baths and Jane Austen associations, very popular with international tourists

 

Portsmouth and its conjoined holiday city of Southsea, with its historic dockyard and ships, incl Mary Rose and Nelson's HMS Victory. And lots more in the city.

 

All the above very easy by direct train from Southampton.

 

Or a road tour west from Southampton. On a day trip you could include 3 or 4 from Corfu Castle, lulworth Cove & Durdle Door, Weymouth and Portland Bill, the Jurassic coast, the Dorset villages, spooky Glastonbury, Wells cathedral, Cheddar Gorge.

 

From Malaga both options are perfectly feasible, the choice is a matter of personal preference.

Granada is for the Alhambra, a journey of about 2 hrs e/w. You need to pre-book, there's very very rarely availability for walk-ups.

Ronda has a spectacular gorge cutting in two, joined by a Roman bridge. One half Moorish, the other comparatively modern half has an excellent bullring.

 

JB

Thanks so much JB! Our ship ducks Southampton on 9/18 from 7am-7pm, since we never been to GB, I think about going to Windsor Castle is the first choice for the day excursion! But looking into the calendar events that the Apartment will be closed for the summer until 9/28! What do you think going to Windsor without seeing Apartment? Maybe we should try other itineraries as you mentioned above, and go to Windsor next time when we go to London! Thanks again!

Thanks so much JB! Our ship ducks Southampton on 9/18 from 7am-7pm, since we never been to GB, I think about going to Windsor Castle is the first choice for the day excursion! But looking into the calendar events that the Apartment will be closed for the summer until 9/28! What do you think going to Windsor without seeing Apartment? Maybe we should try other itineraries as you mentioned above, and go to Windsor next time when we go to London! Thanks again!

Correction: it’s semi-state room closed for the summer not Apartment!

We just did DIY Stonehenge last week!.

We purchased a same-day return ticket using the machines in the Southampton train station. When we got to Salisbury, the Stonehenge buses were right outside the train station. We purchased the ticket for bus, Stonehenge and Sarum. We were given headphones to listen to the commentary on the bus.

On arrival at Stonehenge we were given entry tickets and directed where to go. On entry, we were given audio guides included with the ticket. There are shuttles which drive you to the stones although you can also walk if you choose. Another option, is to shuttle to about half-way and walk the rest, which we did, on the way out. Rode the shuttle on the way back.

There is also a small interesting museum on-site as well as gift shop and coffee shop.

We then got back on the HOHO for Sarum. We weren't quite sure where to go when we were dropped off so just followed everyone else. We ended up crossing the road and following a path up the hill to the site. Showed our tickets and walked around the site. We had a beautiful day and the view from the site were great! Both DH and I have read the Rutherford book Sarum. I remember nothing (it was a long time ago), but DH remembered some and found it all very interesting.

We returned to the bus stop, and had been told we could use the HOHO ticket on any red bus to take us to Salisbury center. We chose to do this on the next bus that came along. We did miss out on any remaining HOHO commentary though.

Lots of shops and restaurants around the city center so we had a bite of lunch. Then headed towards the cathedral. Entry to the cathedral is a donation (although they have a recommeneded amount), so you don't have to pre-buy tickets.

After that we walked back to the train station.

As per Philbeach's post, this isn't a popular commuter route - at that time of day commuters are taking trains into Southampton or to London, whereas Southampton to Salisbury is cross-country, en-route to Bath, Bristol & South Wales. Simple journey, ho-ho on Salisbury station forecourt & it can drop you back there or in the historic city centre - and if you're feeling energetic & the weather's fine you can stop off to explore Old Sarum on the way back to Salisbury.

No worries.:)

 

Folk are advised to pre-purchase timed tickets to guarantee entry at the stated time if the place is busy. That's what you should do if you use a private transfer.

But, like coach tours from London to Stonehenge, tickets you buy from the ho-ho operator are exempt - you can enter anytime without delay. So pre-purchase your Stonehenge admission tickets with your ho-ho tickets, or on-the-day from the ho-ho driver (if you pay the driver you might need cash rather than card).

 

TripAdvisor reviews average 4 out of 5, which is pretty acceptable..

It's fun to sometimes read one-star reviews - some on this subject will be understandable cos no business gets it right all the time, but others have quite ridiculous complaints or blame the ho-ho for the weather, for the facilities / prices at Stonehenge, for the opening hours at Old Sarum etc. And for not directing their scheduled local bus services via Stonehenge - which is stuck out on Salisbury Plain!!

But it's certainly more a means of transport than a "tour", and for those without their own car it's certainly the most economical way of visiting Stonehenge.

 

Those who fix a private tour tend to be archaeology enthusiasts, who book special pre/post public access tours & fix their own personal guides.

The train & ho-ho is the sensible option for those who are merely "interested".

 

I would urge you to research Stonehenge's history - if you simply roll up you'll merely see a lot of big stones & wonder what all the fuss is about.

 

JB :)

JB, thank you! Coincidentally this was the third post of yours I have read. Very helpful, insightful and much appreciated. Thank you, jh3alligood

I followed JB’s advice a couple of years ago to Salisbury and Stonehenge and it was simple and easy. DW gets stressed when I stop to review information but no need for this trip as it’s pretty straight forward. It was great to be doing it at your own pace. We took the train around 11am and returned on the 7pm.