tbsdebbie

Will be in London in February. Our second time. Husband really wants to visit Stonehenge with the inner circle access. Only 8am visit on M, TH, F is possible that time of year. We can only do TH or F because we just arrive on Sunday very late night. Can we easily make this if traveling ourselves to the site?

What is the best transportation option without going too broke or being too worried about not making it in time. If I can make it work, I would really like to.

We unfortunately already have our hotel booked in London and cannot make a change.

KidsToLondon

Assuming you are correct...and you must have checked...that 8 am is the only time, then you'd have to rent a car and drive from London, leaving quite early for the 2 hour drive to Stonehenge.

Have you checked with tour companies that operate inner circle access tours? Not sure there's much demand in February, but some offer 4 person private tours and may run them then.

Also, keep in mind that early mornings in February on the Salisbury Plain can be cold as....

socialworker

I may be uncreative here, but it seems to me that it would be unpleasant bordering on miserable to get up at 4-5 am, in order to make the train to Stonehenge. You go to Salisbury, ~a 2hr. train ride from London and then a bus to Stonehenge, ~15-20 minutes. I have to wonder if trains go early enough to make it.

If you can swing it financially, pack an overnight bag and absorb the expense of an extra hotel room. It is going to be a *very* early excursion even if your starting point is Salisbury.

socialworker

I just put some random dates in for Feb '09 and found that this hotel, near the cathedral, where we stayed that we liked very much, is only 75 GBP/nt.

http://www.thekingsarmshotelsalisbury.com/

tbsdebbie

I have put in some inquiries to private tour services found on internet. Just waiting for replies. If anyone has specific companies they have worked with, I am open to suggestions.

We have been told Stonehenge is ok, but the inner circle makes the visit. Mostly because the regular visit keeps you farther away behind ropes. Dropped it from our itinerary last visit because of time. This trip is just husband and myself (daughter now in college)so we have five full days to visit the things we missed last time and just enjoy our time.

Stonehenge, Greenwich, and Kensington Palace are the things we would like to do that got dropped last time. I was sick one day last trip, so I missed St. Pauls Cathedral- that is on our list as well.

Is it worth going to Stonehenge if we don't do inner circle access? We hate being rushed on group tours, but realize sometimes it is the better way to visit a sight after looking at the entire picture- travel, entrance fee, time, etc..

janisj

&quot;<i>Is it worth going to Stonehenge if we don't do inner circle access?</i>&quot;

Of course it is &quot;worth it&quot; to visit Stonehenge if it interests you. The &quot;ropes&quot; are not miles away from the stones - in some places you get quite close and in others you will be farther away.

But the inner access tour is very special. You really can't do it as a day trip from London by public transport because you'd have to get to Salisbury before 7 AM.

So - you either have to go down to Salisbury the night before - or rent a car the day before (since London rental agencies won't be open at 5 AM) and drive down very early in the AM - or forget about inner access.

travelgirl2

We visited Stonehenge the 'regular' way and it was just fine. The site is amazing.

Visiting inside the circle would have been fun, but I don't feel I missed anything major by not doing it.

julia_t

I know you have a hotel booked in London and don't want to incur extra expense, but you can get rooms at a perfectly adequate if basic Travelodge for as little as 19 GBP.

I just looked using 19 Feb as a date, and there are rooms at the Amesbury one for 29 GBP. It is just 2 miles from Stonehenge.

www.travelodge.co.uk

I have stayed at several of these places (usually close to an airport) and found them clean, fairly spacious, with comfortable beds. Some are a bit tired but most have been refurbished recently.

Have you considered Avebury Stone Circle, about 20 miles north? Older and larger than Stonehenge, in fact the largest in the world, you can walk right round the stones, touch them, there is no denied access and it is free.

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-avebury

chartley

If you go from Stonehenge to Avebury, you can also see Silbury Hill.

&quot;The largest man-made mound in Europe, huge and mysterious Silbury Hill is comparable in height and volume to the roughly contemporary Egyptian pyramids.

Probably completed by about 2350 BC and part of the Avebury 'sacred landscape', it apparently contains no burial or shrine, and was clearly important in itself. But its purpose and significance remain enigmatic.&quot;

There is no access to the hill itself. You just park next to the hill and view from a short distance.

traveller1959

I am really in doubt if it is worth to make special arrangements for the inner circle access.

Normal access brings you close enough into the site. There is really nothing to see from the inner circle that cannot be seen from the normal visitor path.

I personally find it much more rewarding to spend some time walking through the surrounding landscape to explore the sites of the prehistoric mounds around Stonehenge.

hetismij

I would say if it's what your husband really wants to do then do it - but stay somewhere close to Stonehenge for the night before, and eat the missed night in London.
As a photographer I'd be tempted by the access - it is only a short time after sunrise so if the weather was good you would have fantastic light for photos still. Of course the weather in February could be anything so you'd have to take a chance on it.
I haven't been to Stonehenge since before access was limited, so some 30 odd years ago. I enjoyed wandering around the stones, getting up close to them.

Cruiseryyc

I had a wonderful tour to Stonehenge in June with a private tour guide whom I would highly recommend. His name is Harry Norman and his email address is [email protected]. Website is www.cruising-america.com.

bratsandbeer

We have been to Stonehenge twice - once in May and once in late September. Both times we near froze to death. It was very windy and cold - so dress appropriately.

Reisender

I agree with the suggestion that you see Silbury Hill - very interesting.

tbsdebbie

Thanks so much for all the discussion. I really appreciate it.

After reading all the notes, my husband decided that going during the day without all the morning hassle is fine. We will continue to watch our plans for the entire week and see where it takes us.

The Travelodges have been a wonderful opportunity. We are booked at the Tower Travelodge already for 3 nights. Can't beat 29 pounds a night for a new hotel. We don't require fancy because we spend most of our time outside the hotel. We are using points for our other nights at the Marriott.

I will say, the Travelodge Amesbury is very tempting. It looks quite quaint.

We really enjoyed London the first time and this trip was too good to pass up. $222 RT flight each!

Thanks again!

travelgirl2

$222 from where?

tbsdebbie

Travel had to be from Chicago. Sometimes you just have to book a good deal when it involves traveling overseas!

patshelley

For inner circle tours in winter try www.salisburyguidedtours.com/ Lots of availability in February, but expensive.

You cannot make it by train to get to Salisbury in time for special access at 8am.

janisj

ummm- three posts ever - and all three are to flog the same website.

Waldo

How did those rocks get up there???