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WHAT'S THE BEST TIME TO VISIT STONEHENGE?
Either first thing in the morning as it opens or
as late in the day as possible before it closes.
Anytime from 4pm in summer or 2pm in winter. The
first coach tours arrive quite early, but most are
gone back to London/Bath (after having missed seeing
the other monuments in the landscape!) by 4 pm and
it starts to get more peaceful. Be careful of the
last bus times if you have used public transport.
The best time of year for tours is more difficult
to answer. It gets very busy in late July through to
mid September which are certainly the warmest
months. In winter it gets very cold, but you can get
some good pictures like the one above. On balance
the best time to tour is April to early July or
October, but anytime is good! There is usually a
wind up on the Plain and it is better to go with
more clothes than you think you need.
CAN I BUY TICKETS IN ADVANCE?
Buying tickets in advance is not necessary, but
if you prefer to buy them before you visit you can
do so at the following link;
You can also buy tickets to many top London
attractions often at reduced rates.
IS STONEHENGE FENCED OFF?
There is an outer perimeter fence, but once you
are through the turnstiles there is a piece of thin
rope about 60cm/2feet high which keeps you back from
the stones. The nearest you get is around 30m/yds
away, but the view is still good. You won't be
looking through a fence at Stonehenge. The advantage
is that you will still be able to get a good photo
of Stonehenge without anybody else in the shot
making it look like you are there on your own. The
photos taken by people showing a chain link fence
are because they took their tour when it was closed
or they didn't buy a ticket to get in! If you want
to see a photo of the stones from behind the 2 foot
high rope with no magnification just send us an
e-mail and we'll send it to you.
IS THERE A CAFE OR RESTAURANT AT
STONEHENGE?
No. The catering facilities are inadequate,
though the quality of food is OK. There is a coffee
stall selling drinks, sandwiches, and baguettes. In
the summer months there is an ice cream stall as
well. Seating is outside so if it is raining,
snowing, cold and windy there is no cover except in
your car! The facilities were designed for 300,000
visitors each year and not the 1 million that
actually visit. Until the much needed plans for
Stonehenge go ahead English Heritage will struggle
to provide facilities appropriate for a World
Heritage site. If you want a recommendation on a good
pub lunch please
contact us.
INDEPENDENT TRAVELLERS
If you're arriving by train and you just want to
tour Stonehenge, there is a (very expensive!) bus
service from Salisbury railway station. The buses
run every hour on the hour from 10 am until 4pm. The
journey to Stonehenge takes 33 minutes and following
a huge price hike now costs £11.00
return. Return journeys from Stonehenge leave at 40
minutes past the hour starting at 10.40 am. Make sure you know the time of the
last bus as it's a long walk! If 4 of you
are on a tour a taxi will certainly be cheaper for
you - as well as more flexible and quicker. Agree
the price with the driver before you leave the
station.
If you want to tour in more style then we can
recommend luxury transport for you. This will take
you from the railway station to Stonehenge, give you
an hour to tour and return you to the station or
Salisbury . The cost is £40. Up to 6
people can travel for the £40 making it far cheaper
than the bus. This must be booked in advance and
payment is to the driver. For further details and to
make a booking before you arrive
click
here.
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