Bath - day trip to Salisbury/Stonehedge/Avebury??
 

Hi. Family of six spending two nights in Bath in June. After first full day in Bath, we are looking for a way to leave from Bath the next morning for the day to go to Salisbury and Stonehedge and maybe Avebury if possible before returning to Bath. Anyone know of such a service? Could be self-guided by bus or could be tour, either way is OK. Would rent a car for the day, but do they make them big enough for six there? Thanks.

You can get a train from Bath to Salisbury,the journey takes an hour and then there are bus tours from Salisbury to Stonehenge, if you do a search on this site I am sure you will find information about these, they have been mentioned before. There is also a bus to Avebury from Salisbury. I think you would be pushing it to do all three places in a day if you were just using public transport, there are only three or four buses a day to Avebury and the journey one way is about one and a half hours. If you want to visit all three places a hire car would be the best bet, I am sure some of the hire companies hire out people movers e.g.something like a Renault Espace or Megane Scenic, you would have room for six in one of those.

I drove from Bath to Salisbury in a rental car last October and was quite surprised at how long it took, given that the distance is not so long. So, from my experience, I would say you CAN drive and do Stonehedge and Salisbury, but the latter will be rushed, especially if you want to return to Bath. It might work better to do Avebury and Stonehedge and skip Salisbury. It was pretty country and I did enjoy the drive immensely, just surprised at the time it took. In June Stonehedge is going to take longer than it took us in October, given the summer crowds. I enjoyed all three places you mention. There is lots to see around Salisbury especially if you like old country estates. Stately piles, as the English call them!

Ooops, of course I mean StoneheNge!

Schuvy Doo... Avebury! You can actually walk around the stone monoliths, amidst sheep grazing in the field, where as in Stonehenge, they have the walk roped off and there are many more tourists. West of Bath and also a day trip is Glastonbury, where the ancient and mythic Isle of Avalon is said to have been, St. Mary's church (the oldest standing remnants, that is)where Guenivere spents her last days, the Tor, the Sacred Chalice Well, and other new age offereings. The Wells Cathedral, in Wells, is also in the area and is spectacular. <BR> <BR>Have a wonderful time. <BR> <BR>Anne <BR>

try madmax tours located in Bath about 15 pounds per person and very well informed. you can find out more about them at the Bath tourist web site.

Hi Schuvy, <BR> I vote for Avebury too. It is a very intriguing place and IMO better than Stonehenge. <BR> If you get a chance, get some pub grub at the Red Lion. They have great food and good desserts. <BR> Another wonderful day trip is Stourhead. There are beautiful gardens and follies and it is definitely a highlight of any trip to England. <BR> Have a great time whatever you choose to do. <BR>

Avebury is great but I am so glad my husband insisted we see Stonehenge. They make a good combo. Stonehenge is awesome despite the crowds, and Avebury you can get lost in. But I would never counsel someone to do only Avebury. <BR>Stourhead is worth a whole trip to England. Fantastic grounds and a wonderful country estate. I'd wanted to see it for twenty years and it did not disappoint. Good suggestion, Jeff.

To the top for a recent poster.

Just add my 2 cents worth (or should I say, my 2 pence worth?)...My husband and I drove to Stonehenge, Avebury and a number of other small villages from Bath in one day. It was a long day, but doable. The one suggestion I have for visiting Stonehenge: visit late in the day, when most of the tourists are gone; we did, and even though we couldn't walk through the stones, I wasn't bothered in the least by the rope around it. And I got wonderful photos of the stones, too. <BR> <BR>If it's possible to visit Glastonbury and Wells, do it-- as the earlier poster wrote, they are both well worth visiting. The Wells Cathedral is a standout.

Schuvy, <BR> <BR>Last year I did almost exactly what you are planning, but I had a rental car. I think you will find a place that has a small van or large car for your whole group, and it might be more cost effective. Anyhow, we left around 9:00 am and went to Stonehenge. Make sure you get the hand held earset (its free with admission) and makes all the difference. We spent quite a while there -- it was late March and the crowds weren't too bad. Most people I've spoken to who didn't like Stonehenge didn't pay to go in and just looked at it from the road, no wonder they didn't like (or understand) it. It was a huge highlight for me, but the most magical part of our day trip was Salisbury Cathedral. If you care or know anything at all about gothic architecture you know how famous this building is. When I walked in there was a group playing early music and I felt like I was going to bust open with the beauty of it. The town of Salisbury is very quaint and medieval also, there is a pub there with a mummified hand, especially with kids worth a gander for morbid curiousity. Also, north of Salisbury is Sarum, the old (really ancient) town built on a hill. I think kids would really like to see the ruins of the old castle, etc. <BR> <BR>I did Avesbury on the day I drove back to London, but you could do it on the same day, although it would be rushed. The roads are narrow and winding. Finally, you should definitely double check that you can still walk around the stones if that is important to you. They have been discussing closing off access due to erosion and my recent archeology magazine made it sound like it was a done deal. Even when we were there in March last year, about half the stones were roped off, so double check before you spend a lot of effort to get there. <BR> <BR>Have a great trip. Cat <BR>