southampton - looking for local input/validation of short visit plan

[blueexpedition29]

-We ( active 62/67 year olds) are coming to Southampton for 3 nights before leaving on a cruise.  I would appreciate any/all input, thoughts and suggestions on the following plans/itinerary. We have been to London, so not looking to spend time there. We are used to "self touring" and taking bus/trains "on our own"! 

 

We plan on taking the National Express Bus from LHR to Southampton arriving between 2 and 4 pm depending on Flight arrival and bus schedules.  We have rented a condo  in the Ocean Village area.  We will take a taxi ( or Uber) from the bus station to the ondo and to get around town and back/forth to train station, when needed.  

 

General Plan ( always subject to modification "on the fly" if something piques our interest ): 

 

Day 1 - Pick up snacks, etc for condo and have early local dinner ( suggestions welcome in Ocean Village area). Rest and get settled with good night sleep. 

 

Day 2 - Day trip to Salisbury/Stonehenge by Train.  Tour Salisbury and take Tour bus to Stonehenge.  Hopefully early start with late afternoon return.  Dinner in Southampton /local town walking self tour. 

 

Day 3 - early day trip to Winchester by train or bus.  Late afternoon return and dinner in Southampton with some more self touring in town. 

 

Day 4 - taxi or walk to Ship.  I am told the Condo is walking distance to Port; but, by then I can assess that reality myself. 

 

Some specific questions : 

  (1) Is it the Bus route to Winchester scenic in any way? Or is it better to take train both ways.  

  (2) Do i need to  buy train tickets in advance or just buy them on day of travel ? 

 

Any thoughts and suggestions Welcome. 

 

Thanks

 

[John Bull]

Yes, your plan is easy, simple, and un-hurried.

From the centre of Southampton (the historic Bargate), Ocean Village is off-centre to the east (15 minute walk) & the coach & train stations off-centre to the west (30 minute walk from Ocean Village)

So yes, you'll need a taxi or Uber to Ocean Village - it's about 1 1/2 miles, cost about £8 to £10.

 

There's a Tesco Local convenience store at the entrance to Ocean Village, prices will be a little higher than major stores. There are several ways into Ocean Village, ask the driver to drive past it so that you know where it is.

(Ocean Village has been developed over the past 40 years - I remember catching cross-channel ferries to France from what is now the marina)

 

For dining out evenings or sunday lunch it's best to book ahead on-line, especially for weekends.

 

For eats in Ocean Village try

either

Bacaro

https://www.bacarosouthampton.com/

Tucked away behind the Tesco in an original single-storey dock building.

Italian, we've dined here a few times, always a good atmosphere, attentive and friendly service. Mid-priced.

or

HarBar on 6th 

https://www.harbourhotels.co.uk/southampton/eat-and-drink/harbar-on-6th

A totally different but equally good experience - rooftop bar in a modern vaguely cruise-ship shaped  5* hotel jutting out into the Marina. Smart and up-market surroundings, lively atmosphere, quick & attentive service. Mainly but certainly not exclusively a younger set, smart casual dress. 

Dined here just a couple of weeks ago, a friend's birthday. Was worried it'd be expensive, but the HarBar is surprisingly mid-priced altho food is limited to burgers, pizzas, etc.

 

There are other eateries in Ocean Village.

 

For other evenings, spread your wings a little.....

In old-town Southampton, a 10-15 minute waterfront walk

The Duke of Wellington pub. Historic building, good value. Dined here this week. https://www.dukesouthampton.co.uk/

Dancing Man pub/micro-brewery. Re-purposed 13th Century stone wool store with a chequered history. I love their beef rag & bone. https://dancingmanbrewery.co.uk/# 

La Regata Spanish restaurant or (next door) Ennio's Italian restaurant. Have dined at both - both are more expensive but good

Or in Oxford Street, a 5 - 10 minute walk, a selection of pubs & restaurants. 

A big eating & entertainment complex at West Quay (near the Bargate) but the restaurants are all national or international brands - not my scene.

 

Days 2 or 3 might benefit from switching, depending on dates & circumstances. 

On a sunday there's limited access to both Salisbury and Winchester cathedrals, and there may be rail disruption if there's planned engineering works on the rail track. Dates & locations of planned works are published 3 months ahead, usually there's a rail-replacement bus service between affected stations.. Do you have your dates yet?

 

For Salisbury / Stonehenge you'd do better to head first to Stonehenge on the Stonehenge Tour bus from the station forecourt, and explore Salisbury afterwards. This means you can choose whether to stop off at Old Sarum and how long you want to spend in Salisbury, and you can find your way back to the station (a 15-minute walk)  if there's no convenient tour bus for that little hop. 

Do buy your Stonehenge tickets with your Stonehenge Tour bus tickets  - if you buy tickets from English Heritage you have to quote a 30-minute arrival slot - miss that slot on a busy day and you won't be admitted until the number of visitors on-site drop below the maximum. Tickets bought from the Stonehenge Tour (and other bus & coach tours) allow entry at any time.

On the way back to Salisbury hop-off at Old Sarum only if the weather's fine & you're feeling fit. I think that your ho-ho tickets are good for any Salisbury Reds bus into Salisbury from the Old Sarum stop, but check with the tour driver.

 

For Winchester the local bus route is slow & a little tortuous, and not scenic. Train is quicker & easier, altho it's a 15 minute walk from the station to the centre & cathedral.

But the walk takes you past 

- the Great Hall. The only remaining part of Winchester Castle, and hung on the wall is the reputed King Arthur's Round Table - If he ever existed, King Arthur would have been around the 5th / 6th Century and this table has been dated as about 13th Century, but lets not allow facts to get in the way of legends 😏 . Long time since we've been, but admission was by donation.

- the little West Gate museum is just a few yards down from the Great Hall.

 

There's no need - and no advantage  - in booking trains ahead, These are local routes, inexpensive and (except for Winchester early morning) un-crowded. Choose "return" tickets, they cost little more than one-way tickets.

 

Ocean Cruise Terminal from the nearest part of Ocean Village is a level 10-minute walk - when you're there figure for yourself whether its walkable from the condo. You'll certainly need a taxi for other cruise terminals.

 

https://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/

https://www.thestonehengetour.info/

https://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/Live_Information/Shipping_Movements_and_Cruise_Ship_Schedule/Cruise_Ship_Schedule/

 

JB 🙂

 

[blueexpedition29]

4 hours ago, John Bull said:

Yes, your plan is easy, simple, and un-hurried.

From the centre of Southampton (the historic Bargate), Ocean Village is off-centre to the east (15 minute walk) & the coach & train stations off-centre to the west (30 minute walk from Ocean Village)

So yes, you'll need a taxi or Uber to Ocean Village - it's about 1 1/2 miles, cost about £8 to £10.

 

There's a Tesco Local convenience store at the entrance to Ocean Village, prices will be a little higher than major stores. There are several ways into Ocean Village, ask the driver to drive past it so that you know where it is.

(Ocean Village has been developed over the past 40 years - I remember catching cross-channel ferries to France from what is now the marina)

 

For dining out evenings or sunday lunch it's best to book ahead on-line, especially for weekends.

 

For eats in Ocean Village try

either

Bacaro

https://www.bacarosouthampton.com/

Tucked away behind the Tesco in an original single-storey dock building.

Italian, we've dined here a few times, always a good atmosphere, attentive and friendly service. Mid-priced.

or

HarBar on 6th 

https://www.harbourhotels.co.uk/southampton/eat-and-drink/harbar-on-6th

A totally different but equally good experience - rooftop bar in a modern vaguely cruise-ship shaped  5* hotel jutting out into the Marina. Smart and up-market surroundings, lively atmosphere, quick & attentive service. Mainly but certainly not exclusively a younger set, smart casual dress. 

Dined here just a couple of weeks ago, a friend's birthday. Was worried it'd be expensive, but the HarBar is surprisingly mid-priced altho food is limited to burgers, pizzas, etc.

 

There are other eateries in Ocean Village.

 

For other evenings, spread your wings a little.....

In old-town Southampton, a 10-15 minute waterfront walk

The Duke of Wellington pub. Historic building, good value. Dined here this week. https://www.dukesouthampton.co.uk/

Dancing Man pub/micro-brewery. Re-purposed 13th Century stone wool store with a chequered history. I love their beef rag & bone. https://dancingmanbrewery.co.uk/# 

La Regata Spanish restaurant or (next door) Ennio's Italian restaurant. Have dined at both - both are more expensive but good

Or in Oxford Street, a 5 - 10 minute walk, a selection of pubs & restaurants. 

A big eating & entertainment complex at West Quay (near the Bargate) but the restaurants are all national or international brands - not my scene.

 

Days 2 or 3 might benefit from switching, depending on dates & circumstances. 

On a sunday there's limited access to both Salisbury and Winchester cathedrals, and there may be rail disruption if there's planned engineering works on the rail track. Dates & locations of planned works are published 3 months ahead, usually there's a rail-replacement bus service between affected stations.. Do you have your dates yet?

 

For Salisbury / Stonehenge you'd do better to head first to Stonehenge on the Stonehenge Tour bus from the station forecourt, and explore Salisbury afterwards. This means you can choose whether to stop off at Old Sarum and how long you want to spend in Salisbury, and you can find your way back to the station (a 15-minute walk)  if there's no convenient tour bus for that little hop. 

Do buy your Stonehenge tickets with your Stonehenge Tour bus tickets  - if you buy tickets from English Heritage you have to quote a 30-minute arrival slot - miss that slot on a busy day and you won't be admitted until the number of visitors on-site drop below the maximum. Tickets bought from the Stonehenge Tour (and other bus & coach tours) allow entry at any time.

On the way back to Salisbury hop-off at Old Sarum only if the weather's fine & you're feeling fit. I think that your ho-ho tickets are good for any Salisbury Reds bus into Salisbury from the Old Sarum stop, but check with the tour driver.

 

For Winchester the local bus route is slow & a little tortuous, and not scenic. Train is quicker & easier, altho it's a 15 minute walk from the station to the centre & cathedral.

But the walk takes you past 

- the Great Hall. The only remaining part of Winchester Castle, and hung on the wall is the reputed King Arthur's Round Table - If he ever existed, King Arthur would have been around the 5th / 6th Century and this table has been dated as about 13th Century, but lets not allow facts to get in the way of legends 😏 . Long time since we've been, but admission was by donation.

- the little West Gate museum is just a few yards down from the Great Hall.

 

There's no need - and no advantage  - in booking trains ahead, These are local routes, inexpensive and (except for Winchester early morning) un-crowded. Choose "return" tickets, they cost little more than one-way tickets.

 

Ocean Cruise Terminal from the nearest part of Ocean Village is a level 10-minute walk - when you're there figure for yourself whether its walkable from the condo. You'll certainly need a taxi for other cruise terminals.

 

https://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/

https://www.thestonehengetour.info/

https://www.southamptonvts.co.uk/Live_Information/Shipping_Movements_and_Cruise_Ship_Schedule/Cruise_Ship_Schedule/

 

JB 🙂

 

JB - thanks for all of your insightful - and helpful - input.  I do a fair amount of preplanning for our trips and "excursions"; but, the loacl input always teaches you something new or that you havent thought about.  So, thanks Again. 

 

PS -  We are there from 9/26-9/29, so midweek for Friday departure.  Accordingly,  Sunday is not an issue and I am  fine with Crowded morning trains! 

Also, the condo is in one of the new construction buildings right up the street from Bacaro, so im sure we will be there one night.   

 

THANKS AGAIN

[Post Captain]

@blueexpedition29

 

Just a quick follow-up to John Bull's comprehensive and (as always) excellent advice.  I would only add that Winchester has a reputation as something of a foodies' haven, with an eclectic selection of first-rate restaurants -- among them a Rick Stein (seafood), various Japanese, Thai, Indian, and Asian fusion establishments, a few brasseries, and of course some very nice pubs and pubby English inn-restaurants (e.g. the Wykeham Arms).  So don't feel you need to rush back to Southampton in order to enjoy a nice dinner -- although the So'ton selections listed by JB are quite tempting! 

 

I'm not au currant with the restaurant situation in Salisbury--it's probably slightly more prosaic than Winchester, but a bit of research might nonetheless yield some desirable dining places.

 

(At the more ordinary end of the scale, of course, wherever you go you'll also stumble upon the ubiquitous outposts of major chains --  the likes of Wetherspoons, Pizza Express, and the Golden Arches.)

 

 

[blueexpedition29]

Thanks for the input Post Captain.  Will Definitely do a meal in Winchester.  When I travel I look for "different"/local  food :  NO Golden arches for me!!😄  And, I have no interest in something called Pizza Express.  However, I have never heard of Wetherspoons, so i will keep an eye out for one and see if it works at the time!  

 

THX Again

[rtdiva]

Please check rail schedules, for interruption as mentioned above, and bank holiday this weekend 9/27/23

[gumshoe958]

7 hours ago, blueexpedition29 said:

Thanks for the input Post Captain.  Will Definitely do a meal in Winchester.  When I travel I look for "different"/local  food :  NO Golden arches for me!!😄  And, I have no interest in something called Pizza Express.  However, I have never heard of Wetherspoons, so i will keep an eye out for one and see if it works at the time!  

 

THX Again

Don’t feel the need to seek out a Wetherspoons. They’re a huge national pub chain with cheap beer and microwaved food. Very popular, always crowded and definitely not “different” or local.

 

Pizza Express, to be fair, is far nicer than it sounds. Pleasant, full service restaurants with pizzas that are a big step up in quality from Pizza Hut or Domino’s. Still a chain though!

[Globaliser]

5 hours ago, rtdiva said:

Please check rail schedules, for interruption as mentioned above, and bank holiday this weekend 9/27/23

 

There is no Bank Holiday anywhere near 27/9/23.

[sleepingcat]

no quibbles with your plan or the comments above. the only thing to maybe think about is that the other lovely attraction of Southampton is the closeness of the New Forest (national park, nature reserve, no other habitat like it anywhere I the UK).  easily accessible also by bus and train.   instead of doing two cathedral cities, you might substitute New forest on day 3.  Get off train in Brockenhurst and just wander out, avoiding the free ranging ponies and other animals which are peacefully grazing everywhere including in the middle of the village. nice places to eat as well and lots of history. Have a lovely visit whatever you do. 

[rtdiva]

8 hours ago, Globaliser said:

 

There is no Bank Holiday anywhere near 27/9/23.

Sorry as I’m in Southampton at the moment the locals say this weekend is a bank holiday. We spent a lovely day on the Isle of Wight via the ferry at Queen Victorias Osborne House. Speed boat races too . Yesterday the museums were worthwhile as was the going ons with lqbq . 
Premier Inn has basic accommodations with decent food at a  fair price. Actually the breakfast and dinners surpassed Cunard. 

[blueexpedition29]

8 hours ago, sleepingcat said:

no quibbles with your plan or the comments above. the only thing to maybe think about is that the other lovely attraction of Southampton is the closeness of the New Forest (national park, nature reserve, no other habitat like it anywhere I the UK).  easily accessible also by bus and train.   instead of doing two cathedral cities, you might substitute New forest on day 3.  Get off train in Brockenhurst and just wander out, avoiding the free ranging ponies and other animals which are peacefully grazing everywhere including in the middle of the village. nice places to eat as well and lots of history. Have a lovely visit whatever you do. 

SleepingCat - thanks for the suggestion; but, i think i wil stick to the original plan.  HOWEVER, our ship returns to Southampton before leaving on the Transatlantic journey. SO, you have now given me a good idea for my shore excursion for that day.  THANK YOU!!

[Globaliser]

15 minutes ago, rtdiva said:

Sorry as I’m in Southampton at the moment the locals say this weekend is a bank holiday.

 

Yes it's a Bank Holiday tomorrow, Monday 28 August 2023.

 

The OP will be there towards the end of September 2023, for a cruise departing Southampton on 29 September.

[jmlh]

18 hours ago, rtdiva said:

Sorry as I’m in Southampton at the moment the locals say this weekend is a bank holiday. We spent a lovely day on the Isle of Wight via the ferry at Queen Victorias Osborne House. Speed boat races too . Yesterday the museums were worthwhile as was the going ons with lqbq . 
Premier Inn has basic accommodations with decent food at a  fair price. Actually the breakfast and dinners surpassed Cunard. 

We are looking forward to going to the Isle of Wight & Osborne House at the beginning of October.  Which ferry did you use & was it walkable to Osborne House?  Also, did you find a good restaurant nearby?  Any information, tips are much appreciated!

[rtdiva]

1 hour ago, jmlh said:

We are looking forward to going to the Isle of Wight & Osborne House at the beginning of October.  Which ferry did you use & was it walkable to Osborne House?  Also, did you find a good restaurant nearby?  Any information, tips are much appreciated!

From Southampton we took the Red Funnel fast ferry. We walked, mind you we are 80 years old, kind of decent shape, however, I’d suggest you to take the bus. Why? The ferry is on one side of Cowe, the Osborne - located in East Cowes, the other side of the bay. We walked maybe a mile and a half, from the Red Funnel then caught the “ floating bridge” - a second tiny ferry, finally gave up and caught a bus to go up the hill to the summer palace. Egad! Then there is more walking to the Osborne, than of course walking the house and gardens itself.  We came home by bus on the pale purple line to Newport transfer on the red line back to the Red Funnel ferry. There are restaurants near the Red Funnel. We ate at the Osborne as we were too tired to look elsewhere. There are two dining venues at the Osborne. We ate at the cafe. 

Do not be deceived into thinking The IOW is a small Alcatraz sized island. There are a lot of things to do for all ages, including animal sanctuaries, kids parks, hotels and like any other populated island; countryside, suburban, tiny bergs. 
 

Alternatively going: 

I suggest after leaving the terminal turn left to catch a bus which is located a block up to the right. Sorry I don’t remember which street.
 

I’m an Wightman, many generations back, some say to the island, 1640 immigrants to the colonies.
 

Today, in Southampton we enjoyed the Solent Sky Museum, filled with WW1 British AirCraft and history of Southampton. Incidentally SH has historical Mayflower in its life too. Remember Pricilla and John Alden?

 

 

 

Edited August 28, 2023 by rtdiva

[jmlh]

rtdiva, Thanks so much for your speedy reply!  Lots of good information & yes, we will take the bus to Osborne House!  We are good walkers as well but do want to have energy to see Osborne once we get there.

Our other day out in Southampton will be to Portsmouth.  Will be a first time for us at both of these locations so are really looking forward to all.

Thanks again for your helpful post!

[John Bull]

3 hours ago, rtdiva said:

From Southampton we took the Red Funnel fast ferry. We walked, mind you we are 80 years old, kind of decent shape, however, I’d suggest you to take the bus. Why? The ferry is on one side of Cowe, the Osborne - located in East Cowes, the other side of the bay. We walked maybe a mile and a half, from the Red Funnel then caught the “ floating bridge” - a second tiny ferry, finally gave up and caught a bus to go up the hill to the summer palace. Egad! Then there is more walking to the Osborne, than of course walking the house and gardens itself.  We came home by bus on the pale purple line to Newport transfer on the red line back to the Red Funnel ferry. There are restaurants near the Red Funnel. We ate at the Osborne as we were too tired to look elsewhere. There are two dining venues at the Osborne. We ate at the cafe. 

Do not be deceived into thinking The IOW is a small Alcatraz sized island. There are a lot of things to do for all ages, including animal sanctuaries, kids parks, hotels and like any other populated island; countryside, suburban, tiny bergs. 
 

Alternatively going: 

I suggest after leaving the terminal turn left to catch a bus which is located a block up to the right. Sorry I don’t remember which street.
 

I’m an Wightman, many generations back, some say to the island, 1640 immigrants to the colonies.
 

Today, in Southampton we enjoyed the Solent Sky Museum, filled with WW1 British AirCraft and history of Southampton. Incidentally SH has historical Mayflower in its life too. Remember Pricilla and John Alden?

 

 

 

 

 

Osborne House - a simpler way from a local (I can see the place from my home on the mainland)...................

 

Ferries from Southampton's Town Quay go to Cowes, a town divided by the River Medina.

The Red Jet fast passenger ferries go to (west) Cowes, which is the wrong side of the river for Osborne House and involves a walk to the floating bridge (not big enough for buses) which connects it to East Cowes, where you catch a bus to Osborne House.

 

Instead take the Red Funnel car ferry direct to East Cowes and you walk no more than 200 yards to the bus stop outside the Waitrose grocery store. Both bus routes (Nos 4 and 5) from that bus stop go to Osborne House. About 3 buses every hour, journey time 10 to 15 minutes - ask the driver to put you off at Osborne House. Quite a long walk down the drive from gates to House.

Do be sure to visit the "Swiss Cottage" in the grounds, it's a full-size play-house for Queen Victoria's 9 (that's nine, not a typo 😵) children. There's a free shuttle service between the House & the Swiss Cottage.

There's also a free shuttle to the private beach & Queen Vic's bathing machine - but check with the driver whether there's a long line to come back from the beach. 

 

Crossing on the Red Jet car ferry takes 30 minutes more than the fast passenger ferry, and East Cowes is drab & industrial - but  it's a much more relaxed crossing, and very much easier & more convenient than the Red Jet plus walk plus floating bridge plus that bus for Osborne House.

 

(West) Cowes, on the other side of the river, is a quaint and touristic yachtsman's heaven, after visiting Osborne House you should have plenty of time to explore it - take the bus back to East Cowes and cross the river on the floating bridge, which is close by. 

From the (west) Cowes side of the floating bridge it's a 6 - 7 minute walk down-river to the town centre. Crooked narrow streets & alleyways, lots of shops and cafes and pubs, and a vacation atmosphere. At the beginning of the pedestrianised part you'll see the Red Jet passenger ferry terminal on your right.  If you want to return to Southampton from there you can produce your return car ferry tickets and pay the small premium to switch to the fast ferry - perhaps call in there to book a crossing before exploring the town.

 

(The floating bridge is a new one installed a couple of years back to replace the faithful old one, it has proven troublesome & is frequently out-of-service - that greatly annoys local car drivers who instead have to make a 10-mile detour to the nearest river bridge, but when it's out-of-service there's a launch for foot-passengers, so no worries for you).

 

Both the Red Funnel car ferry and the Red Jet passenger ferry operate from Southampton Town Quay, which is at the bottom of High Street & between City cruise terminal and Ocean cruise terminal - the pedestrian entrance for the car ferry is on the right at the start of the Quay, the fast passenger ferry is half-way down the Quay on the left.

 

https://www.redfunnel.co.uk/en/

https://www.islandbuses.info/services

https://goo.gl/maps/ivMDYDSqUucVX64CA

https://goo.gl/maps/y1Gfmh6cxik2Kje89

https://goo.gl/maps/jtfWwQ3TrjVHnd2G6

--------------------------------------- 

Solent Sky museum, mentioned by rtdiva is a volunteer-run museum which focuses on aircraft with local connections, including a Spitfire and its predecessor a Supermarine S6A, (both were designed and first flown & built in Southampton) and a Short Sandringham flying boat (a short-lived pre-war service operated on Southampton Water from where City cruise terminal now stands).

https://www.solentsky.org/exhibitions

You'll have time to visit on the morning of your sailing day

---------------------------------------------------

For Portsmouth's Historic Dockyard & ships take the train from Southampton central station to Portsmouth harbour station(last stop on the line). Hourly direct service, journey time 50 minutes, buy return (out & back) tickets at £13.90

The dockyard is a two minute walk from Portsmouth Harbour station - as you leave the station you'll see the entrance behind the three-masted HMS Warrior.  I suggest you check out the ships first.

If you have the time (you probably won't) take a bus or taxi  2 1/2 miles to the D Day museum on Southsea seafront. And next-door to it, diminutive Southsea castle from where Henry V111 watched the Mary Rose keel over & sink.   Free entry, donations invited

https://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/

https://historicdockyard.co.uk/

(the Submarine Museum & HMS Alliance, and Explosions Firepower Museum are remote on the other side of Portsmouth Harbour, you won't have time for them as well)

https://goo.gl/maps/2wmoxR9akFx2c2cs7

https://theddaystory.com/

https://southseacastle.co.uk/

 

They'll both be busy days 😏

 

JB 🙂

 

  

[jmlh]

JB, Thanks so much for the above detailed information.  All very useful.  I did not know we could go on one ferry & take the other one back.  And yes, I expect we will need a 'day off' after these 2 days!

Jan

[Tante Din]

Hey there.

We will arrive von Nov 3rd with cruise ship and thinking about our options.

Maybe someone has a good advice.

We would love to see Stonehenge and after that explore some pubs in Southampton.

We thought about train or taxi.

Has anybody just took a taxi to visit the stones and then drive back?

Greets, Nadine 

[John Bull]

 

4 hours ago, Tante Din said:

Hey there.

We will arrive von Nov 3rd with cruise ship and thinking about our options.

Maybe someone has a good advice.

We would love to see Stonehenge and after that explore some pubs in Southampton.

We thought about train or taxi.

Has anybody just took a taxi to visit the stones and then drive back?

Greets, Nadine 

 

Hi Nadine,

 

November 3rd is a friday.

 

Stonehenge is a round-trip of 65 miles, and with say 90 minutes at Stonehenge a total of about 4 1/2 hours.

At a very rough guess around  £ 200 for a pre-booked car. Plus the temptation to spend another hour or more exploring the nearby laid-back & historic city of Salisbury and its magnificent cathedral.

Get quotes from    https://westquaycars.com/ or https://www.aquacars.co.uk/ or https://gunwharf-executive-travel.co.uk/

 

Most folk instead use the train to Salisbury plus the Stonehenge hop-on tour bus from Salisbury station.

Half-hourly train service from Southampton central station, journey time 35 minutes, return (out & back) tickets cost around £13, no need to buy in advance.

 

Stonehenge Tour bus takes about 30 minutes each-way, bus will be waiting on the station forecourt, Not a busy time, but i's probably best to book in advance. And simplest to buy Stonehenge tickets with your ho-ho booking  or from the driver (only by cash on the bus).

Because the Stonehenge Tour runs a limited service in November, make sure to take a train which arrives in Salisbury to coincide with the tour bus. 

Stonehenge is out on chilly & exposed Salisbury Plain, sometimes November has spring-like weather but more often it's chilly & dull, possibly rain. So dress for all seasons.

 

On the return ho-ho get off to explore Old Sarum only if the weather is decent, it's even more exposed than Stonehenge. If you choose to get off there, check with the driver whether your ho-ho ticket is good for the  frequent Salisbury Reds buses which use the same stop - they all go to Salisbury city centre and might save you a long wait for the next ho-ho.

 

Get off the bus in Salisbury city centre, it's worth a couple of hours, including its fine cathedral (tallest spire in the UK, one of the four original Magna Cartas, world's oldest clock)

Then ho-ho if conveniently timed, or local bus or taxi or 20-minute walk to the station for the train back to Southampton. No need to book train times.

 

Stonehenge visitor numbers are limited, on busy days folk need to pre-book a 30-minute Stonehenge arrival window to be sure of gaining admission as soon as they arrive.

But no need to worry about that in November. There's no limit on how long you stay at Stonehenge, but 90 minutes to 2 hours is fine for most folk.

 

Iff you want to keep your options open you could decide on-the-day.

No money up-front, no saving on the train fare by buying in advance, no risk of Stonehenge being up to maximum numbers, the one risk - and its quite a small one - is that the first  Stonehenge Tour bus of the day, 10 am. might be full. You can buy both the Tour Bus tickets and Stonehenge admission tickets from the driver but that needs to be in cash. (card limit is £30)

 

Your luggage. If you're staying in a central Southampton hotel, you can almost-always drop it off at the hotel before you travel. 

If not, take it with you on the train and leave it at the Railway Tavern - the building at the end of the station forecourt, beyond the waiting Stonehenge Tour bus https://goo.gl/maps/cyvXvi7YGKfxgMyV6

£5 per bag.  Don't forget to collect it before you board the train back to Southampton 😏

 

https://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/

https://www.thestonehengetour.info/

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/

 

Pubs in Southampton - try the Duke of Wellington, historic little pub in Bugle Street or the Dancing Man pub/micro-brewery housed in a 12th century stone wool store just a couple of hundred yards from the Duke on the corner of Town Quay. Both offer sensibly-priced food.

https://www.dukesouthampton.co.uk/

https://dancingmanbrewery.co.uk/

 

JB 🙂

Edited September 4, 2023 by John Bull

[Tante Din]

On 9/4/2023 at 2:23 PM, John Bull said:

 

 

Hi Nadine,

 

November 3rd is a friday.

 

Stonehenge is a round-trip of 65 miles, and with say 90 minutes at Stonehenge a total of about 4 1/2 hours.

At a very rough guess around  £ 200 for a pre-booked car. Plus the temptation to spend another hour or more exploring the nearby laid-back & historic city of Salisbury and its magnificent cathedral.

Get quotes from    https://westquaycars.com/ or https://www.aquacars.co.uk/ or https://gunwharf-executive-travel.co.uk/

 

Most folk instead use the train to Salisbury plus the Stonehenge hop-on tour bus from Salisbury station.

Half-hourly train service from Southampton central station, journey time 35 minutes, return (out & back) tickets cost around £13, no need to buy in advance.

 

Stonehenge Tour bus takes about 30 minutes each-way, bus will be waiting on the station forecourt, Not a busy time, but i's probably best to book in advance. And simplest to buy Stonehenge tickets with your ho-ho booking  or from the driver (only by cash on the bus).

Because the Stonehenge Tour runs a limited service in November, make sure to take a train which arrives in Salisbury to coincide with the tour bus. 

Stonehenge is out on chilly & exposed Salisbury Plain, sometimes November has spring-like weather but more often it's chilly & dull, possibly rain. So dress for all seasons.

 

On the return ho-ho get off to explore Old Sarum only if the weather is decent, it's even more exposed than Stonehenge. If you choose to get off there, check with the driver whether your ho-ho ticket is good for the  frequent Salisbury Reds buses which use the same stop - they all go to Salisbury city centre and might save you a long wait for the next ho-ho.

 

Get off the bus in Salisbury city centre, it's worth a couple of hours, including its fine cathedral (tallest spire in the UK, one of the four original Magna Cartas, world's oldest clock)

Then ho-ho if conveniently timed, or local bus or taxi or 20-minute walk to the station for the train back to Southampton. No need to book train times.

 

Stonehenge visitor numbers are limited, on busy days folk need to pre-book a 30-minute Stonehenge arrival window to be sure of gaining admission as soon as they arrive.

But no need to worry about that in November. There's no limit on how long you stay at Stonehenge, but 90 minutes to 2 hours is fine for most folk.

 

Iff you want to keep your options open you could decide on-the-day.

No money up-front, no saving on the train fare by buying in advance, no risk of Stonehenge being up to maximum numbers, the one risk - and its quite a small one - is that the first  Stonehenge Tour bus of the day, 10 am. might be full. You can buy both the Tour Bus tickets and Stonehenge admission tickets from the driver but that needs to be in cash. (card limit is £30)

 

Your luggage. If you're staying in a central Southampton hotel, you can almost-always drop it off at the hotel before you travel. 

If not, take it with you on the train and leave it at the Railway Tavern - the building at the end of the station forecourt, beyond the waiting Stonehenge Tour bus https://goo.gl/maps/cyvXvi7YGKfxgMyV6

£5 per bag.  Don't forget to collect it before you board the train back to Southampton 😏

 

https://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/

https://www.thestonehengetour.info/

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/

 

Pubs in Southampton - try the Duke of Wellington, historic little pub in Bugle Street or the Dancing Man pub/micro-brewery housed in a 12th century stone wool store just a couple of hundred yards from the Duke on the corner of Town Quay. Both offer sensibly-priced food.

https://www.dukesouthampton.co.uk/

https://dancingmanbrewery.co.uk/

 

JB 🙂

Thank you very much for the tipps.

We will have a look at all of it and then decide.

 

Nadine 

[Mrs f.]

We just took the National Coach from Heathrow to Southampton.   Worked fine. Just a little hard to find our bus. Turns out the bus front says the END stop and we didn't know that Southampton was not the end stop.  So we almost missed our bus. Definitely take the option to change bus time. On the Sat before our Tuesday flight, BA cancelled the flight. So we had to change all flight plans. Got in same day but different terminal.  You can change time BUT NOT terminal. So we had to schlep our luggage to original terminal spot.  When we got out (near the big mall), there was only 1 cab but a bunch of people wanting a cab. 

[Kenhel]

Looking for feedback on this day trip to IOW

• red ferry from Southampton to East Cowes, to visit Osborne House (walk from ferry dock) 
• arrange transport (looking for reasonable suggestion) to west end of island to Needles, walk to beach, hop on boat tour 
• arrange transport (looking for reasonable suggestion) back to ferry dock to return to Southampton

 

Also looking for a casual lunch spot half way between the east and west sides of the island

 

[Harters]

On 8/27/2023 at 8:05 AM, gumshoe958 said:

Pizza Express, to be fair, is far nicer than it sounds.

I used to be a big fan of Pizza Express. And I'm old enough to remember going to their first outlet on Wardour Street in London. And it's always been a reliable option for decent pizza. But we went recently for the first time in a year or so and what a change. Very poor menu choice - with few pizzas now with toppings you'd find in Italy. Poor quality dough.  And what on earth are "pizza wraps" now on the lunch menu. I'll stick to independents in future. 

[John Bull]

13 hours ago, Kenhel said:

Looking for feedback on this day trip to IOW

• red ferry from Southampton to East Cowes, to visit Osborne House (walk from ferry dock) 
• arrange transport (looking for reasonable suggestion) to west end of island to Needles, walk to beach, hop on boat tour 
• arrange transport (looking for reasonable suggestion) back to ferry dock to return to Southampton

 

Also looking for a casual lunch spot half way between the east and west sides of the island

 

 

Red Funnel car ferry from Southampton Town Pier to East Cowes (about 60 minutes). No need to pre-book as foot-passengers.

 

From ferry terminal at East Cowes a 200 yard walk to the bus-stop outside Waitrose grocery store. All buses (route 4 or 5 or N5) go to Osborne House, 3 to 4 buses per hour. Journey time about 10 minutes. To be sure, ask the driver to put you off at Osborne House. It's quite a long walk down the drive from the entrance gates to the house.

 

Back to the same Osborne House bus-stop, this time only Route 5 or N5 will do, it runs every20 minutes. 15 minute ride to its terminus at Newport bus-station (almost-all island routes radiate from Newport)  

From Newport bus station to the bus terminus at Needles Landmark a choice of

Route 7, half-hourly, journey time 45 - 60 minutes

or Route 12. Irregular hours, broadly a bus every two hours but a more attractive route, journey time 55 mins

 

The walk down to Alum Bay (for the boat) is about 15 minutes, it includes a lot of steps.

Or you can take the chair-lift down. Path & chairlift both end close to the boat pier.

(there's no admission fee for Landmark Attraction, they make their money from shops, rides, etc)

If you want to walk down and ride the chair-lift back up I think you have to buy your one-way ticket (£4) at the chairlift top station before you walk down.

 

Same way back to Newport bus station.

Then Route 5 or N5 back to its East Cowes terminus (same Waitrose bus-stop) for the car ferry back.

 

East Cowes is convenient for Osborne House and the car ferry, but it's not a tourist area.

So, alternatively  - if you have the time & the inclination - take the frequent Route 1 or N1 from Newport bus station, 15 minutes to its terminus at Carvel Lane in (West) Cowes.

This is the yachting & tourist village of Cowes, otherwise known as West Cowes. Mostly pedestrianised narrow streets and alleys, shops, pubs, cafes, etc.

From here you can take Red Funnel's "Red Jet" fast-cat back to Southampton Town Quay (30 minutes) by presenting your car-ferry tickets & paying the up-grade - I suggest that to stand a better chance of a suitable fast-cat time you do that when you arrive in Cowes

Or a 10-minute walk to the Cowes Floating Bridge (chain-ferry) across the Medina River to East Cowes, a 3--minute walk from the car ferry terminal

 

Even excluding West Cowes this is a full day - you won't have time for more than Osborne House if this is just a port-of-call at Southampton, or between B2B cruises.

 

https://www.redfunnel.co.uk/en/

https://www.islandbuses.info/travel-bus-osborne-and-get-20-admission

https://www.islandbuses.info/services

https://images-islandbuses.passenger-website.com/2022-04/SV_iownetworkmap 287x210_1221_SUMMER_0.pdf

https://www.needlespleasurecruises.co.uk/

 

JB 🙂

 

Edited September 13, 2023 by John Bull

[Kenhel]

Thanks John for all that information.  We love anything nautical or yachting so for a more leisurely day, it looks like we will skip the bus rides and the tour of Osborne house.  I think enjoying Needles by boat and then meandering the streets of west Cowes is a better choice.