Bath and Stonehenge: Guided Tour or Solo?
 

After much debate (and against the advice of some experienced fodorites), my husband and I have decided to do a day trip to both Bath and Stonehenge (all in one day...yes I know that is trying to fit in a lot at once, but we're pretty set on it). The question I wanted to pose to everyone is...should we do a guided tour or go out on our own?

If we go the tour route, we are leaning towards Premium Tours:
http://www.premiumtours.co.uk/tours/...ths.id299.html

If we go solo, we're looking at taking the 9:30 train to Bath, walking around, visiting the "major" sites, and then taking a coach to Stonehenge. We would then return to Bath, and take the 19:45 train back to London.

Thought? Comments? Concerns? Thanks in advance!

If you go on your own, there are free walking tours of Bath at 10:30 a.m. You meet outside the Pump Room in the Abbey Church Yard and look for a sign that says 'Free Walking Tours Here." We did this last year. It takes a couple of hours, and you get a ice overview of Bath.

The audio tours of Stonehenge give you a lot (almost too much) info as you walk around, so you could do this day on your own, in my opinion.

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"and you get a ice overview of Bath."

Well, only if there is sleet. Otherwise, you get a "nice" overview of Bath.

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Is there a reason to return to Bath for the train? We found Salisbury to London trains very easy, unless the timing doesn't fit your schedule perhaps.

Thanks for the tip, maitaitom...I'll look into those. 29FEB, I hadn't thought of that, but I'll look into it as well.

You would have to take an earlier train to be able make the tour (link below).

http://visitbath.co.uk/travel-and-ma...-guides-p43001

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Yes going back to Bath from Salisbury makes no sense - like going around two sides of a triangle - either take a coach from Salisbury to London - much cheaper than a train but probably longer - or the frequent trains - book in advance at www.nationalrail.co.uk for LOndon to Bath and Salisbury to London for possible discounts.

Walk up or full fare can be much more expensive and actually if you pay full fare you may find the London Plus railpass a good deal - lets you hop any train to or from Bath or Salisbury anytime and you also get two vouchers for free airport transfers via the Heathrow or Gatwick or Stansted express trains to be used anytime - even outside the normal validity of the pass. If doing other day trips from London the pass would be even a better deal - most of Southeast England is included, including Stratford and Cambridge, Oxford, Dover, etc.

Anyway compare the pass to train fares if you cannot get a discounted fare and the pass again lets you hop any train anytime - no going to ticket windows, just jump on.

For lots of good stuff on British trains and passes check these IMO superb sites: www.seat61.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.ricksteves.com.

and then taking a coach to Stonehenge>

does the coach go right to Stonehenge or Salisbury from which local buses go to Stonehenge. There are at least hourly trains rolling between Bath Spa (main train station in Bath) and Salisbury and from the Salisbury train station buses depart frequently for Stonehenge, about six miles north of Salisbury.

If the coach from Bath takes you right to Stonehnge then that's perfect it not the train takes less than an hour usually - normally faster than buses may - not sure but that's usually the case.

With the new visitors center, it seems Stonehenge visits can take much longer than in 'the old days'

I haven't been since the changes but have read reports about the problems/delays.

So, I've taken the above suggestions and looked at train tickets from London to Bath and then from Salisbury back to London. The price difference is just way too much, and it would be much cheaper for me to go from London to Bath, and then from Bath back to London, even though it adds way more time onto my journey. Any suggestions for finding cheap tickets into Bath and then out of Salisbury? I don't see an option for "open-jaw" type tickets on www.nationalrail.co.uk.

Look then at the London Plus Pass - cost $159 for two days of unimited travel on all those trains - just walk up and also gives reound trip included on the Express trains from airports. If that is nearly as cheap as the London-Bath Bath-Stonehenge coach and Salisbury - London coach it's a no-brainer. $159 is less than 100 pounds all told - still expensive but if you can't get any discounts...

does not www.nationalrail.co.uk offer any one-way discounted tickets? You could take a coach to Bath but then it would probably be much slower than the train - time is precious for your ambitious plans for the day.

I guess time is precious or you could break up into two separate days and have a whole nicer trip IMO and then perhaps get return fares from nationalrail.co.uk that are about as cheap as one ways?

Anyways just some ides to float.

London to Bath Spa I see fares at 8:00 am for 21 pounds to Bath and just 16 pounds if you go at 8:20 - you will not get any cheaper than that - are those what you are saying are very expensive? Just curious.

Hi PalenQ. I saw those fares too, and yes they're VERY cheap. The expensive route is the one way from Salisbury back to London. That's the dilemma. I can do it very cheaply from London to Bath and then from Bath back to London, but I'm wanting to go from Salisbury back to London because I'll be seeing Stonehenge that day too.

I'm seeing £37 for Salisbury to London, which doesn't sound outrageous to me. The prices are the same whether you buy them well in advance or at the last minute.

I was going to suggest that you read maitaitom's recent TR so am glad to see his input.

DH and I took a guided tour and we made a day trip from London to Bath, Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral on the same day. We could have stayed longer in Bath for savoring, but it can be done.

You have to decide if it's worth you doing all of the schlepping for tickets and coordinating entrance times vs. having someone else do it but not having time flexibility.

Tom's report should give you an idea about doing it on your own.

bvlenci... yes not "outrageous" but far more expensive than from Bath to London. Hence the problem. The question now is do I add an hour onto my trip to get a ticket that is less than half the cost??

On a day that's this intense, I'd gladly spend another £16 to save myself an hour. It would still be far less than the cost of a tour.

Actually I think the only realistic way to do all that is to take a tour - either that or break it up into two days. Bath is a fantastic city that can devour a whole day - I'd cut out Stonehenge in a heart beat if needed and spend a wondrous day in Bath, to me the most sublime city in England.

I agree with PQ about Bath, but I have a different suggestion to cut travel and have a great day. I would skip Bath on this trip (a few hours gives it no justice).

One of the Top 10 things I have ever done in Europe was the tour of Salisbury Cathedral Tower (see trip report with photos below).

Go to Stonehenge first, then head to Salisbury for lunch (I can highly recommend the pub we went to...The Cloisters... that is only about a five-minute walk...if that...from the Cathedral).

Pre-book a tour of the Cathedral Tower (link below). Truly fascinating with captivating views from the top. The cathedral itself is magnificent and it has a copy of the Magna Carta (you'll see a little of our Magna Carta story in the trip report).

Meander about Salisbury for a bit, have a beer at the Haunch Of Venison and then head back to London. Save Bath for when your kids are grown (it will still be there...hopefully). This way, you get your English town plus Stonehenge with much less hassle. Have fun!

http://www.salisburycathedral.org.uk...es-and-booking

http://www.travelswithmaitaitom.com/...6_Entry_1.html

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Thanks, PalenQ. If I had my way, I would only do Bath, but Stonehenge is my husband's #1 "must see" in England, and since we only have 5 days there, we need to fit our Bath/Stonehenge trip into one day. After massive amounts of research, I have too come to the conclusion that a tour will probably be our best option (as much as I hate cookie-cutter tours).
Maitai, I do want to explore Salisbury, but we can't fit it all in. And since Bath and Stonehenge are our #1 "must-see" destinations, we're compromising, and fitting them both in!
Thanks everyone for all of your great suggestions and tips!