How to get to Stonehenge from London

Taking advantage of a visit to London to visit Stonehenge should be on the priority list of all travelers who have the opportunity. Certainly, there are many things to see and do on a trip to London, but this prehistoric monument meets all the requirements to make it essential to know and enjoy the mystery and spirituality that follows.

Stonehenge is located just two hours from the capital, near Salisbury. To get there and enjoy its wonders you can choose between private car, train, bus or, most conveniently, one of the organized tours that you can hire in London. Many of the latter will also allow you to visit other interesting places near the monument.

The most convenient option for travelers is to book an organized tour from London to Stonehenge. First of all, with the tour you will have the transport assured, something important considering that there is no direct public transport connection from London to Stonehenge.

Another great advantage of organized tours is that you can forget about booking tickets or opening hours.

On the other hand, many tours to Stonehenge take advantage of the day to visit some of the attractions near the Stonehenge monument, such as Salisbury, Oxford, Windsor or Bath. All this makes these tours the best choice among those departing from London to discover comfortably and carefree part of southern England.

The first type of tour you can book is the one that takes you to Stonehenge. Although it does not usually have a guide, it is one of the best options if you want to get to know the monument without stress.

Entrance fees are included, as well as a free audio guide that will be extremely useful to receive information about each site you visit. These excursions also offer options to hire food as well.

Information of interest

• Price: from 80 €.
• Duration: 6 h 30 min
• Advantages: offers the opportunity to visit the entire complex at your own pace, without having to worry about booking tickets in advance. Hiring it, you can walk at your own pace to perfectly capture all the sensations that Stonehenge gives off.
• Recommended if you do not have too much time for a longer tour that includes other places but do not want to miss the charm of Stonehenge.

A great option for those who want to visit other attractions in the area in a longer tour is the one that combines Stonehenge with the wonderful city of Bath and Windsor Castle.

This tour, which lasts all day, is done in a bus with all the amenities. You will be able to visit the areas of Windsor Castle, residence of the British royal family, with a guide who will explain all its secrets.

Also included are tickets to Stonehenge so you can walk through the rock structures erected by our ancestors. Last but not least, the Stonehenge tour stops in the beautiful city of Bath, where you can see the Roman Baths and wander through its streets.

Information of interest

• Price: from 92 €.
• Duration: 12 h
• Advantages: it is a great way to take advantage of a full day to visit three of the main attractions in the area, all in a comfortable and carefree way. Bath also tends to become one of the favorite cities of all tourists.
• Recommended if you want to have the opportunity to visit three major attractions in the same day, as doing it on your own would be almost impossible in that time.

One of the most interesting aspects of this tour is the possibility to walk around the exclusive inner circle of Stonehenge, something that is not usually allowed.

In addition, those who book this activity will also be able to see Windsor Castle, although depending on the option chosen, entrance to the castle may not be included. Finally, participants will arrive at the famous city of Oxford, where they will be able to stroll through its streets full of history and the buildings that make up the historic university.

Useful information

• Price: from 92 €.
• Duration: 11 h 30 min
• Advantages: undoubtedly, for the opportunity to approach the inner stone circle of the megalithic monument, in addition to the visit to Oxford.
• Recommended if you want to take advantage of your time to visit three of the main attractions of the country in one day.

The plane is still the fastest way to get to London and from there to Stonehenge. Due to the large number of monuments in London, the city is one of the favorite destinations for tourists, which translates into the existence of direct flights from many Spanish cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga, Bilbao, Valencia or Tenerife, among others.

One of the aspects to consider is that, with the exception of Heathrow, which has a direct bus service to Salisbury or Amesbury to visit Stonehenge, if you arrive at any other airport you have to find a way to reach London first. I leave you information about the routes from Gatwick airport, the routes from Luton airport and the routes from Stansted airport, as well as the routes from Heathrow airport in case you need it.

As for the airlines that cover the destination London, in recent years have highlighted the low cost airlines, which have taken a large part of the market. In addition, there are also others with a more traditional pricing policy. Some of the most important ones are the following:

• British Airways
• EasyJet
• Iberia
• Ryanair
• Vueling Airlines

Joaquin Travel Tip

Remember that, after the exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union, the requirements to travel to the country have changed and you should take this into account when preparing your trip.

Unless you have decided to travel by car across the English Channel, it is most likely that if you want to use private transport you will have to rent a car in London. Luckily for those who prefer this option, there are numerous companies dedicated to car rental in the British capital:

• Sixt you can find cars from about 75 € and has pick-up points at airports and some places in the city.
• Europcar starts at about 100 €, with pick-up points at the airports.
• Hertz prices are similar to those of Europcar and you can pick up the car both at the airports and in some offices in the city.
• Easirent from 65 €, with pick-up offices both at airports and in other parts of the city.

Unlike in other areas (although you should check periodically if the law changes), the Brexit has not meant changes in the requirements to drive in the country. Thus, you only need a Spanish driving license to be able to drive. Don't forget that you will also be asked for your passport before booking the vehicle. Another legal requirement that you must take into account is that the minimum age to be able to rent a car in the United Kingdom is 21 years old. On the other hand, if you are under 25 years of age you will be obliged to pay a special young driver fee.

The trip between London and Stonehenge takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes and after leaving the British capital to the southwest you will have to follow the signs to Salisbury/Andover. Once in Salisbury, the road is very well signposted to reach the monument. Therefore, the journey from London is not too difficult as long as you can get used to driving on the left, which is why many end up deciding to go on organized tours from London.

The cheapest way to get to Stonehenge from London is by bus. The company that makes the trip is National Express and has departures from both Victoria Station and Heathrow Airport. Advance booking is recommended.

This bus will take you in about two hours to either Salisbury or Amesbury, depending on your choice:

• Amesbury is just under 2 miles from Stonehenge, which you can reach by walking, cab or public bus.
• If you have decided to get to Salisbury, the best way to get to Stonehenge afterwards is to take the other bus called The Stonehenge Tour Bus.

The main problem with this way of getting to Stonehenge is that the time frequency is quite low, so to make the most of the visit you will probably have to sleep in Salisbury. While not a bad option, those who prefer to save time may be better off booking a tour that includes direct transport and entrance.

As with buses, there is no direct connection between London and Stonehenge. The closest stop to the monument is in Salisbury, so it is mandatory to arrive in this city and then take the Stonehenge Tour bus.

The departure of trains between London and Salisbury takes place at Waterloo station (very well connected with the London Northern, Bakerloo, Jubilee, City and Waterloo subway lines ). The frequency is quite high, as there are departures practically every hour.

This frequency is one of the advantages of the train over the bus. Thanks to the fact that the last one to return to London leaves quite late, you can walk around Salisbury and visit its cathedral almost as comfortably as if you were on an excursion.

Joaquín Travel Tip

If you go in a group, perhaps you can take a cab from Salisbury to get to Stonehenge.

Answering this question is almost impossible, as it depends a lot on the personal tastes of each person. However, if you are hesitating you can always take into account some details to value them, especially the time you are going to spend in the capital.

London is a city where you will hardly get bored. The British capital has a lot of tourist attractions and activities to spend several days with little free time. If you are going to spend more than 3 days in London, taking one of the organized tours to Stonehenge can be a great idea, especially if you combine it with some other place.