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Stonehenge travel time: From Heathrow to stonehenge at 4 am??

Stonehenge travel time: From Heathrow to stonehenge at 4 am??

Old Jul 12th, 2010, 12:54 PM
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Stonehenge travel time: From Heathrow to stonehenge at 4 am??

I'm interested in knowing how long it will take a new/ lost driver in a rented car with a GPS to get from Heathrow to Stonehenge?
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Old Jul 12th, 2010, 12:59 PM
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What time of year? And given the time of day presumably this means you are staying at a Heathrow hotel and collecting the car the previous day.

But at a guess I'd say 90 minutes but it's an easy trip - M25, M3 then A303
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Old Jul 12th, 2010, 02:03 PM
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Yes I will have the car from the day before. I need to be at Stonehenge BY 5:00am. Anyone disagree with the 90-minute assessment for a first-time-on-the-left driver?
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Old Jul 12th, 2010, 08:55 PM
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I'd allow more.

It's only 70 miles, and reasonably fast most of the way. But "a Heathrow hotel" can mean all sorts of things (there are dozens, spread out over a score or two square miles), and none of us have any idea how much trouble you'll get yourself into between leaving the hotel room and getting the car onto the M25.

Once on the M25, at 0330, you ought to be at the Stonehenge car park within 75 mins. But remember: getting from the car park to wherever the tour starts isn't instantaneous.

Unless you're comfortable and confident about getting up at 0230 (after an overnight flight the previous night, I certainly wouldn't be), I'd think twice about this and overnight in Salisbury.
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Old Jul 13th, 2010, 04:46 AM
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Toonzy - You would be cutting it too fine. Don't risk your life and those of others driving in a semi-awake state in the early hours of the morning.
Get on the road as soon as you collect the car and as flanners says, overnight in Salisbury.
At least you won't have a panic feeling that you won't get to your rendevous by 5am! - 5.30, or 6am is no good! You're obviously are attending some type of special ritual (or just
catching a specialised tour)?!
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Old Jul 13th, 2010, 06:08 AM
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@Flanneruk & Tod:
I'll try to respond to all your suggestions and concerns:

(Thanks for the thoughtful responses, by the way, I SO appreciate this message board and the helpful and consciencious members who post here.)

No special ritual, just a special tour, yes.

The Radisson directly north of the airport is where we will start.

Our internal clocks will still be set to USA time, and we have many hours of relax/ rest/ sleep time between arriving and needing to be at Stonehenge.

I have experience with the jet lag thing, so knowing myself, I will need a decent nap and will then be good to go.
I'll probably be a bit screwy, but not dangerously so.
One of the reasons I ask specifically the travel time is so that I can give myself plenty of extra time so as not to have any need to rush.

It will be afternoon/ evening in my home-time at 3am London time. I will, of course, have been traveling, which I know to be tiring, but I don't foresee any problem with the amount of time I have before leaving Heathrow to sleep and relax.

I do appreciate, and don't take lightly, the consideration for safety both of myself and others. Not something I would do if I thought there were real concern.

Hotel's booked so that's a done deal. My only concern at this point in time is for the trip time. Sounds like 2 hours may be more realistic than 1-1/2.
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Old Jul 13th, 2010, 06:51 AM
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I regularly drive to Heathrow via the M25 in the early hours and the roads are clear. Watch your speed though as its easy to find yourself at excessive speeds when nothing is on the roads. Give European HGVs extra space they will have big blind spot as the driver will be on the left and you will be on the right.
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Old Jul 13th, 2010, 08:08 AM
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Go well Toonz!
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Old Jul 13th, 2010, 12:45 PM
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Thanks, everyone! We'll do it safe and with the proper amount of available time and without any stress!
Happy Travels!
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