We're thinking of going to Stonehenge while in Dover, England. It's about a 4 hour drive. We will probably see Salisbury while we're there. This is our first trip to London.

Stonehenge is something I would not have missed. I don't remember the mileage now, but we drove on to Bath and truly enjoyed it too.

We were in London last fall. We continued to Salisbury and my husband took a bus to Stonehenge, a longtime interest of his, and thought it was well worth the time. I wasn't interested, and spent those hours in the charming town of Salisbury, which I thought was worth it. <BR>It wasn't really out of our way, though, as we had to travel to Portsmouth to catch the Brittany Ferry.<BR>Since this happened to be on 9/11, other events overshadowed the day in Salisbury, but I still remember it fondly as a nice contrast to London.

We (husband and I) were in the U.K. last March, right at the beginning of the foot and mouth outbreak. The government decided to close many properties, including Stonehenge. We were very disappointed. Until we went by Stonehenge on our way to Bath. I consider myself a thoughtful traveler who immerses herself in learning the history, etc. of any region I travel to. Of course, I'd heard and read about Stonehenge for so long. So, I was pumped, I was ready. Wow. Underwhelmed. And not a bit disappointed that it wasn't "open". You probably have an image of the majestic stones looming in the shadowy mists of time. Well, the majestic stones are kind of on a little hill at the juxtaposition of a couple roadways where traffic buzzes by at 35-45 mph. The ruins are so close to the road that you can see them quite well without ever stepping foot on the grounds. I'm sorry that modernity has sapped the surroundings of any intrigue. Anyway, my suggestion is that, if it's on your way elsewhere, stop by. If you "have" to say you went there, stop by. Otherwise, you might want to leave your "memory" intact without seeing it! We did enjoy parts of Bath, especially the cathedral and the baths. However, we were there before the real crush of the tourist season. If we had been there in the summer, I can see where it could be quite crowded and lose some of its appeal.

Although I enjoyed Stonehenge, I don't know if I'd drive 4 hours just to see it. Salisbury is defintely worth seeing, so if you can combine the two, I'd say it would make a nice trip. I don't know if you have ever read "Sarum" by Edward Rutherford, but Old Sarum is located quite close to Salisbury and would also be worth a look at, especially if you've read the book. Stonehenge is a little disappointing I think when you realize that there are roads quite close by - somehow whenever you see pictures of it, you get the impression it's on a windswept plain all by itself and the reality is a little disconcerting. However, having said that, there is a very unique "feel" to Stonehenge. There are some day tours out of London that do different combinations of Stonehenge/Salisbury/Bath/Sarum, etc. It's a good way to see a couple of different places and the guides are usually quite good.

Isn't there supposed to be a stone circle in Avebury (close by) that's larger, with fewer crowds and no fence surrounding the place? <BR>In 2 yrs I will be taking family there and was hoping to see both to compare.

Good news -- British Heritage is planning a new tourist center and the entire atmosphere-spoiling road is bring rerouted! In a couple of years, the Stonehenge experience will be much more enjoyable.<BR><BR>In the meantime, sure, it's worth a trip if it's combined with something else in the area, like Salisbury and Old Sarum. There's a fence around it, so you can't go inside the circle unless you sign up for an "Inner Circle" tour. Astral Travels has one that includes Avebury and other neolithic sites, as well as crop circles (as available) and the pub where they're allegedly planned!

Yes, the diameter of the Avebury circle is much larger -- a road goes right through it and there's a pub inside! There are also two museums, one very modern and experiential, the other more old-fashioned, with an excellent staff. <BR><BR>The stones at Avebury are much smaller and spread-out, and you'll see people climbing all over them. Much of the circle is reconstructed; for centuries, the local farmers used the stones for construction projects and our tour guide pointed out a few in the foundations of nearby buildings. There'a a great video about the reconstruction and the efforts it took.

I visited both two years ago. We weren't planning on going to Stonehenge due to all the negative publicity - as someone here just said we thought we'd rather just imagine it and not have it ruined with crowds, etc. But we were very close so decided to drive by even though it was evening and officially "closed". Well you really can see it from the road and it was breathtaking. The setting sun was just breaking though some clouds, there were only a few other people there, it was just great. I'm go glad I went, and also glad that I didn't go when it was crowded with tourists. You look through (or over) a chain link fence but that didn't diminish it as much as I think being in a line of people walking around it would. And without special permission you can't wander through the stones anyway. Avebury, while an interesting place to wander around was nothing by comparison. Since the stones are so spread out, and many are missing, it's just nowhere near as spectacular.

For some Stonehenge is a "MUST" and for others it is a "YAWNER". We can't make that decision for you. But there is so much to see in and around Kent that to devote an entire day (for that is what it would take you) to visit Stonehenge and a short stop in Salisbury is probably not a good use of your time.<BR><BR>Salisbury is one of my favorite places - but I wouldn't go there from Dover when there are a hundresd of things to see within an hour of Dover.

We saw Stonehenge years ago when there was no chain link fence and you could walk amongst the stones .. it was drizzling & misty that day and it was a very memorable sight. No one can say if it is worth your while tho, that is up to you.

Depends on how much time you have overall. Personally I wouldn't unless I was already in the area.

I have been to Stonhenge twice. once when there was no restrictions to walk among the stones & once with the restrictions. I really enjoyed both times. But on the restriction visit, I also visited Salisbury Cathedral & Old Sarum, which really made for a nice day trip for London. But if you have to Drive to & from Dover, that may be a bit much. A side line, if you do go, it is on the wide open Salisbury plain & it is cold & windy & can be so even in the summer. Also, if you have seen the Beatles movie "Help" part of the film was filmed on the Salisbury Plain near Stonehenge - the part where they are playing their music in the wide open with tanks & soldiers around them.

My son really wants to see Stonehenge while we are in London. I am thinking of combining it with a trip to Bath. Based on the comments here, I would like to arrange an "inner circle" tour of Stonehenge for my son. Has anyone taken a tour that combines the "inner circle" tour and Bath? Suggestions appreciated!

The "Inner Circle Tour" offered by Astral Travels is an all-day excursion that does not include Bath. It goes to Avebury and other prehistoric stuff in the area. <BR><BR>http://www.travelbritain.com/tourism/astral/tour_stonehenge.html<BR><BR>You can also arrange an inner circle visit directly through English Heritage, which maintains the site. Perhaps they can tell you of any other tours that include inner circle visits.<BR><BR>http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/d...t%26WCE%3D4969