Will be making a week trip to London in February. Stonehenge is a choice of husband and Greenwich is a choice of daughter (15). Can we do these by train or should we look at taking tours? Also, I read that Stonehenge has a regular tour and inner circle tour- any thoughts on this?
Thanks!

From piers at Westminster, Charing Cross, or Tower of London you can take a cruise down the Thames to Greenwich. Return on the DLR and the tube. Or take the tube/DLR both ways for a very cheap ride.

for Stonehenge train to Salisbury, then hop a bus or taxi the several miles to Stonehenge. In busier months buses, such as Guide Friday double-deckers, regularly meet trains, but in Feb you may have to cab it, i don't know. But you'll still be much cheaper off than taking a tour and be at your own pace. On the way to Stonehenge from Salisbury is Old Sarum, a medieval ruin of huge fame (made more famous by the popular book on it). Old sarum is on the edge of Salisbury, which you also want to see for its great cathedral and quaint cathedral preceints. Be sure to walk out in the cow pastures near the church for a memorable view of this astounding structure, one of the most famous English cathedrals, from afar.
In Greenwich time moves fast, especially when you cross the time line separating the east and west hemispheres, the beginning of Greenwich Mean Time, kept at Greenwich's Royal Naval Observatory. Greenwich is also a fine fine day trip but being a part of London, just about six miles from central London, that you could do it in a half day. Try to do both Salisbury/Stonehenge and Greenwich. Trains, the Docklands Light Railway and boats run regularly to Greenwich.

You are trying to decide between two places, one which is part of London and one which is in another part of the country completely.

I would not go to Stonehenge for the sake of it or just because you've heard it's a place people go when they are in the UK. If you are genuinely interested then of course go, but I don't get the impression you are.

If you want a day outside of London there are a lot of other options if that's what you are looking for.

With a 15 year old in tow I would opt for the Greenwich trip. You can take a metro/train there and a boat back (weather permitting). Between the meridian line (I took a pic with feet on both sides - figured it was a must do , museums, views, craft market, etc., it was a very fun day out.

Although I was driving thru much of England for the next 3 weeks, I didn't visit Stonehenge, probably because I'd seen so many pics. And, at that time (1996) you couldn't get beyond the perimeter fence.

Another great day trip is to Hampton Court - all of your family would probably enjoy that. And, you could do this in a half-day.

The observatory at Greenwich is shut for a couple of years but there is still lots to see and do in the area. Go by boat and come back on The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) for great views over the revitalised docklands area including Canary Wharf, our highest building.

Companies such as Evan Evans run regular day trips to places like Stonehenge. You can visit Salisbury (wonderful cathedral) and/or Bath on the same trip. Bath really is a wonderful city. I think they have a website and they pick you up from your London hotel (most of them anyway). Have a great trip, Adam C

If you go to Stonehenge, leave early in the am. The bus that takes you to the site quits early in the off months. We ended up taking a taxi and it was a nice ride, but about 40 pound in 2002.

I would try to do both. Stonehenge in my mind was a bit of a disappointment. But being so close and not going would be like going to paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower. I agree with tying in either Bath or Salisbury into a day trip. I would vote for Bath and I have been to both. Your daughter would also like it. Taking the boat to Greenwich ride will be very cold most likely so you may want to take the tube (but the boat is fun). You will all like greenwich. You can email me with any questions. have fun.

RE: Stonehenge in February -- what will you do if it starts to rain?

I found it thrilling to espy Stonehenge in the open, empty plain below, just as we came over the rise on the A 303 (??) from the east.

But I would reserve it for the summer -- when it may also rain but when you are at less risk of dying of exposure!

OK - we're talking about Feb here -- not midsummer's eve. All the talk about the lovely river trip to Greenwich really doesn't apply in the winter. The boats do run in the winter -- but it is almost always too cold to be up on the open deck. You end up downstairs in basically a big room w/ seats/train type tables, a snack bar, and very fogged up windows.

Save the boat trip for another visit. Just take the tube and/or DLR. Both are faster and a LOT warmer.

As for Stonehenge -- I usually hate guided tours to places you can do cheaper on your own (like Stonehenge). But, again we are talking about Feb. The weather is likely to be bitterly cold on Salisbury Plain (or if you're lucky, just mildly cold w/ blowing rain). If you do it on your own (train to Salisbury/local bus to S'henge) you will be at the mercy of the infrequent bus service and have no shelter except the small gift shop or the cold under-road foot tunnel. So if Stonehenge is a must for your husband, take a tour from London -- you can always get back on the bus if the weather drives you inside.

We took our grandchildren, boy 14 and girl 10, by boat to Greenwich in Feb. 2001. We chose to go on one of the better days and couldn't keep them inside. They really enjoyed the observatory and at the National Matitime Museum. New Englanders are a hardy stock.

We returned by taking the foot tunnel from near the Cutty Sark under the Thames to Island Gardens and then the DLR to Canary Wharf for the Tube.

Thanks for all the replies. We realize it might or most likely will be cold or rain, but we have a week off from school- so we went for it.

We have so much on our list to see. We are trying to narrow down our possibilitites. The hardest part is the early time of sunset. Suggestions besides the theatre once dark arrives?

Here are the schedules for the Wilts & Dorset bus service between Salisbury and Stonehenge:

<b>http://www.wdbus.co.uk/htm/tt2/002-3.pdf</b>

Don't take my post wrong - I LOVE London in the winter. Just that you'll probably do better if you don't take the boat trip (unless of course, you luck out and get a nice day), or get stuck out at Stonehenge w/o shelter.

As for what to do when the sun goes down - most of the major museums/galleries have at least one late night opening.

There are buskers (street performers) at covent Garden -- go there in the late afternoon to catch the London Transport and/or Theatre museums, then stick around for pizza or jacket (baked) potatoes and watch the entertainment.

Go to a movie - the Odean in Leicester Square or any number of others. Your copy of Time Out will have all the listings.

There are all sorts of concerts classical to jazz to pop to rock to alternative to whatever you might want - again Time Out is your source.

If you go to a candle light concert at St Martin's in the Field - you can go downstairs into the crypt restaurant for after-concert soup/cocoa/wine, etc.

That should read &quot;Odeon&quot; - but I guess you knew that . . . . . .