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Post by JustCallMeMommy on Mar 20, 2017 17:22:22 GMT
I'm trip planning and while the planning is mostly done, I'm kind of stuck on these two. I don't know enough to make an informed decision, and I keep going down Internet bunny trails. I'm hoping for some Pea recommendations to get me going in the right direction.
London - we will have already been in London for several days doing the normal touristy stuff, but we want to spend just one more (very long) day to see Stonehenge and the WB Studio tour. We would arrive late the night before from Paris via train, so we need lodging that does late night check-in. I don't think we'll have a car during this part of the trip, so we need easy access to departure spots. We hope to arrive at Stonehenge by the time it opens to tourists at 9:30, spend 2ish hours, then return to depart for the WB studio tour. It would be nice if we could find a hotel that is near wherever we would want to depart from for the two activities and that would hold our luggage until we are ready to leave London that night. Any suggestions? Either for a hotel or part of town I can search for? Oh - my friend is not open to shared bathrooms.
Belfast - I need just one night. We'll have a full day in Belfast before flying out from Harbour early the next morning. We want either something where we can easily tour the highlights or close to the airport.
About us: We're two adults (friends) and our two teenaged (14 year old) girls. We're starting the trip with EFTours but parting company when the tour group heads home. At that point, we're taking the train back to London, another train to Edinburgh, probably another train to Inverness, renting a car for Isle of Skye, back to Inverness to fly to Belfast, touring my friend's family home in Northern Ireland, then flying out of Belfast. We're spending a lot of time on the road (or tracks). We would love recommendations from real people!
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Post by gar on Mar 20, 2017 17:25:59 GMT
I'll let someone more knowledgable give you suggestions but geez you're going to be tired!!  I hope you have a fantastic trip  When is it? |
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Post by JustCallMeMommy on Mar 20, 2017 17:28:01 GMT
I'll let someone more knowledgable give you suggestions but geez you're going to be tired!! I hope you have a fantastic trip When is it? Yes! We've semi-jokingly told the girls that they can sleep when we get home.  The trip is in June, which seems to be getting here very quickly. I started paying for the trip almost 2 years ago, so it took forever to get here, and now it feels like it is tomorrow. |
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Post by jennyap on Mar 20, 2017 17:44:19 GMT
How are you travelling to Stonehenge and WB?
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Post by JustCallMeMommy on Mar 20, 2017 17:46:21 GMT
How are you travelling to Stonehenge and WB? I don't know. I can use recommendations there, too. I know I can get packages that include transfers on both of their websites, but I don't know if that is the best option. |
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Post by Darcy Collins on Mar 20, 2017 17:47:15 GMT
Yowzers that sounds ambitious. We had a car and did both Windsor Castle and Stonehedge in one day - and it was pretty tight and helped that we didn't really need a ton of time at Windsor. Are you planning to take the train to Salisbury? That's about 1.5 from Waterloo (on the fastest train - unless the schedule has changed). So you'd catch the train at 8 hit Stonehedge - stay 2ish hours (that was plenty for me btw) 11:30 back to Waterloo arrive at 1. Tube out to Euston to grab the fast train out to WB Studios - an hour at least and get after 2 probably 3, assuming you don't eat. I guess a later afternoon ticket would work. I'd probably stay somewhere on top of Waterloo station (or perhaps one of the London peas can recommend a better hub station (when we were looking Waterloo seemed to have best option out to Stonehedge, but we ended up driving) You'll want to maximize your sleep if you're getting in late from Paris. We really, really enjoyed WB Studios, it was probably my kids favorite part of London, I'd probably ditch Stonehedge to have more time and less stress before the studio tour, but I have a couple potter heads, so YMMV
No clue on Belfast. Have fun!
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Post by JustCallMeMommy on Mar 20, 2017 17:54:55 GMT
Yowzers that sounds ambitious. We had a car and did both Windsor Castle and Stonehedge in one day - and it was pretty tight and helped that we didn't really need a ton of time at Windsor. Are you planning to take the train to Salisbury? That's about 1.5 from Waterloo (on the fastest train - unless the schedule has changed). So you'd catch the train at 8 hit Stonehedge - stay 2ish hours (that was plenty for me btw) 11:30 back to Waterloo arrive at 1. Tube out to Euston to grab the fast train out to WB Studios - an hour at least and get after 2 probably 3, assuming you don't eat. I guess a later afternoon ticket would work. I'd probably stay somewhere on top of Waterloo station (or perhaps one of the London peas can recommend a better hub station (when we were looking Waterloo seemed to have best option out to Stonehedge, but we ended up driving) You'll want to maximize your sleep if you're getting in late from Paris. We really, really enjoyed WB Studios, it was probably my kids favorite part of London, I'd probably ditch Stonehedge to have more time and less stress before the studio tour, but I have a couple potter heads, so YMMV No clue on Belfast. Have fun! Great info. I would actually prefer to ditch Stonehenge in the interest of time, but my friend really, really wants to go. We're still planning, so it could change between now and then. |
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Post by brina on Mar 20, 2017 18:00:39 GMT
We stayed at the Marriott by the London Eye. I am generally more apt to choose smaller, locally owned hotels, but this place was really great. We had a view of Big Ben out our window.
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Post by Darcy Collins on Mar 20, 2017 18:05:16 GMT
When you're fine tuning your plan, play very careful attention to the train schedules. There are both local (many, many stops) and express trains. We ran into a huge mess at Watford Station after the HP tour (keep in mind there are a huge number of tourists, some of which do not speak English). A huge tour group was monopolizing the automated tickets and could NOT read the instructions and dispense their tickets. We missed the express train and our 15 minute ride turned into an hour plus.
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Post by marzbar71 on Mar 20, 2017 18:09:01 GMT
I think we used a company called Viator to book our Stonehenge tour. It was an all day tour that stopped at Stonehenge then went on to Bath. It departed by bus near one of the major train stations.
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Post by pierogi on Mar 20, 2017 18:10:19 GMT
The Europa in Belfast is my favorite. It's right in City Centre, so it's very walkable and convenient. It's also very safe to go out at night by yourself. If you have extra time and interest in the recent Conflict/Troubles, ask about taking a Black Taxi tour. You see a part of the city that's sort of hidden from tourists, and you can ask questions from people who were there. Hope this helps! I have mad love for Northern Ireland, so I'm always thrilled when people are interested.  |
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Weaselwise
Shy Member
Posts: 34 
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Post by Weaselwise on Mar 20, 2017 18:14:15 GMT
I'm from Southend in the UK (about 45 miles due East of London) and here's my thoughts... Hotels I can't be much help with but you might need to seriously rethink this and do Stonehenge on one day and the WB Studio tour another day...
Trains from Paris arrive into St Pancras. As a guideline Google Maps gives general travel time (by a combination of the London underground, mainline train, bus and also walking) from St Pancras station to Stonehenge as a good 3 hours each way.
St Pancras to WB Studios at Leavesden is about an hour each way. This is of course if the underground, mainline trains and buses are all running as planned and there are no delays. It doesn't take much for a train to be cancelled or a bus to get stuck in traffic!
Whilst I agree with allowing about 2 hours visiting time for Stonehenge you will need a LOT longer for Harry Potter... I went last year on an organised coach trip which had a timed admission of 11.30am - but the initial holding queue to get in was horiffic and although we joined it in plenty of time, by the time we got to the main entrance we had missed our timed entry slot and had to wait 30 minutes before being let in... you then go into another holding area as a group to watch a short documentary before entering yet another auditorium where you watch another film - and only then are you allowed thru the hallowed doors into the Great Hall... there is then a specific route you are herded around all the exhibits, you are not specifically allowed to go back on yourself which when the place is jam-packed full makes it hard to see everything.
Halfway through at the Back Lot you get a chance for a sit down and a Butterbeer beer and/or icecream, and then its outside to the Night Bus and Privet Close before going back indoors again... then of course there's the chance to ride a broomstick and/or ride in the flying car and/or Hogwarts train and get a DVD or USB of your film and photographs (which you have to queue up for each thing separately and THEN queue to pay for them which can take another hour at least - and you don't get to collect your DVD/USB until right at the end of the tour before the main shop/exit...), there's the shops (at least three of them) for all your Harry Potter purchases and don't get me started on the queue's for the toilets...
Our coach was leaving at 5pm and we had to RUN through the final few exhibits and had literally 5 minutes in the main shop which was mostly taken up by queueing for the cash registers before running back to the coach via the toilets again (hey it was a 2 hour coach trip home and I had drunk Butterbeer lol)...
This was before the new exhibit of The Forbidden Forest was open so that will add extra time into your day... the studio is open from 10am to 8pm and I would seriously allow yourself the whole day to really get the most out of it by getting there as soon as they open and being able to take it a bit slower around the exhibits. We missed several things and I am now looking at going back with my friends but driving there ourselves and getting there as early as possible - the admission price is quite expensive and your tickets need to be booked in advance - I've just looked on their website and April is totally sold out and May is booking up real quick too... The website also states that if you miss your timed entry slot they may not let you in at all.
You are travelling a long way to see a lot of things - it would be a shame to miss half of them due to timing and hold-ups - there is a lot of walking each way on the journeys to both Stonehenge and Harry Potter and you are not going to do yourself any favours trying to pack both of these tours into one day. If you can rejig your schedule to allow a day for each your bodies will seriously thank you for it - and you will be able to enjoy both attractions fully rather than being worried about missing things.
Suzie/Weaselwise
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wellway
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,768
Jun 25, 2014 20:50:09 GMT
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Post by wellway on Mar 20, 2017 18:26:04 GMT
That is a pretty hectic schedule!! Okay, Stonehenge. It's in the middle of the countryside, visible from a dual carriageway called the A303. You need to either drive there or get a tour bus, it is not near a train station. Andover is the nearest big town. You could, I guess get a taxi from Andover but it would be expensive. Can your friend do her thing that day and you and the girls go to the Harry Potter Studios? I think HP Studios would be a far better draw for 14 year olds. If you are using a lot of trains, consider a Railcard (there are different types with different rules) which offer discount on train tickets. The other thing to look up is spilt ticketing. It reduces the cost of your tickets. How it works, say you are travelling from A to C via B, the direct cost is eg £100. But with spilt ticketing you buy a ticket from A to B and from B to C and the total cost could be £70. You stay on the same train, in the same seat, it's just a result of the odd way the rail system works. If you have not booked your HP Studio tickets, do it asap. They sell out really fast. Most British schools break for summer around the 24/25th July but will have a half term break from 29th May to the 2nd June. When the schools are closed the tourist attractions get busier. Belfast is known for it's political murals but there are new murals to see now. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-38981632 |
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Post by shelby on Mar 20, 2017 18:48:15 GMT
I don't know when in June you are planning on visiting Stonehenge. We were there on June 20th which happened to be Summer solstice and it was closed. That was a few years ago so don't know if that is still the case. I do know that my dd and sil are visiting England this June and they were told that a Summer Solstice festival is being held outside of Stonehenge June 18-21 and that they expect at least 30,000 people to be in attendance. They couldn't promise them that they could get them anywhere near the place and advised them to not try and include a visit in their plans.
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wellway
Prolific Pea
Posts: 8,768
Jun 25, 2014 20:50:09 GMT
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Post by wellway on Mar 20, 2017 18:55:33 GMT
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Post by Darcy Collins on Mar 20, 2017 18:58:33 GMT
That is a pretty hectic schedule!! Okay, Stonehenge. It's in the middle of the countryside, visible from a dual carriageway called the A303. You need to either drive there or get a tour bus, it is not near a train station. Andover is the nearest big town. You could, I guess get a taxi from Andover but it would be expensive. Can your friend do her thing that day and you and the girls go to the Harry Potter Studios? I think HP Studios would be a far better draw for 14 year olds. If you are using a lot of trains, consider a Railcard (there are different types with different rules) which offer discount on train tickets. The other thing to look up is spilt ticketing. It reduces the cost of your tickets. How it works, say you are travelling from A to C via B, the direct cost is eg £100. But with spilt ticketing you buy a ticket from A to B and from B to C and the total cost could be £70. You stay on the same train, in the same seat, it's just a result of the odd way the rail system works. If you have not booked your HP Studio tickets, do it asap. They sell out really fast. Most British schools break for summer around the 24/25th July but will have a half term break from 29th May to the 2nd June. When the schools are closed the tourist attractions get busier. Belfast is known for it's political murals but there are new murals to see now. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-38981632Actually if you're going to take the train, Salisbury is better than Andover as there's an express train from Waterloo, and there are regular buses from Salisbury to Stonehedge (at least this was the fastest public transport option when we were researching it). I'll also add to the OP - it was really expensive for a family of 4, which is why we ended up renting a car. |
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Post by Zee on Mar 20, 2017 20:21:55 GMT
The Europa in Belfast is my favorite. It's right in City Centre, so it's very walkable and convenient. It's also very safe to go out at night by yourself. If you have extra time and interest in the recent Conflict/Troubles, ask about taking a Black Taxi tour. You see a part of the city that's sort of hidden from tourists, and you can ask questions from people who were there. Hope this helps! I have mad love for Northern Ireland, so I'm always thrilled when people are interested. Second the Europa, I stayed there a few years ago. It's "the most bombed hotel in Europe" but I felt quite safe, LOL. They're very proud of the fact that Bill Clinton stayed there. Pictures everywhere. OK, maybe not everywhere, but that's what I remember most. Easy walking distance of many things. Also, the bed was the most comfortable I slept on the entire time I was in Scotland/Ireland. |
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Post by JustCallMeMommy on Mar 20, 2017 20:37:02 GMT
You guys are a wealth of info. I'm absorbing and will be back with a thousand questions, I'm sure. I don't know when in June you are planning on visiting Stonehenge. We were there on June 20th which happened to be Summer solstice and it was closed. That was a few years ago so don't know if that is still the case. I do know that my dd and sil are visiting England this June and they were told that a Summer Solstice festival is being held outside of Stonehenge June 18-21 and that they expect at least 30,000 people to be in attendance. They couldn't promise them that they could get them anywhere near the place and advised them to not try and include a visit in their plans. Oh, wow! June 18 is the day we would be visiting. This is very useful to know. |
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Post by cmpeter on Mar 20, 2017 20:53:59 GMT
We stayed at the Conrad near Westminster. We arrived really early and they have a lounge you can wait in and showers/bathrooms you can use. I imagine they have options for late arrivals too. There was a tube station right outside across the street.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 17, 2024 6:46:26 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2017 21:04:26 GMT
I would not recommend doing both in one day. It will take you 1hr.30min on the train from London Waterloo ( which is the other side of London to where you will arrive from Paris) to Salisbury which is the nearest station to the site. Then you have to catch the Stonehenge only bus from the rail station which starts running at 10am. There is no public transport from Salisbury to Stonehenge. It's a hop on hop off bus so it's not going to be very quick to get to the site. Alternatively you take a Stonehenge Tour direct from London which would take most of the day up. Harry Potter tour - If you haven't booked you need to do so as soon as possible. You HAVE to pre-book there are no door tickets on sale. You can either take the train to Watford Junction from Euston ( 20 mins) and take the shuttle bus to the studio or you can take a tour bus directly from London. If you give Stonehenge a miss and just do the HP tour I would recommend that you book a room at the Travel Lodge at Kings Cross it's nothing fancy but a clean room with your own bathroom for the night. You'll arrive from Paris at St Pancras International station which is a few minutes away from the travel lodge. or a room at the Premier Inn again nothing fancy but a reasonable room for the night. They'll both be open all night so you'll be able to be there as soon as you get off the Paris train. I would recommend you mention that you'll be late to them when you book. The following morning you can leave from Euston station which is a few blocks down the road...10 min walking at the most and board the train to Watford. Warner Bros Tour Harry Potter link |
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Post by Basket1lady on Mar 20, 2017 21:12:39 GMT
I agree with what others are telling you. The thing to remember about traveling in Europe is that they don't have highways/freeways like we do. They also don't have fast food at every exit. It takes a while to get anywhere and the pace is just different. It would be a shame, in your efforts to see it all, that you missed out and the little things in your travels. And the slower pace of some areas.
I get it. I really do. You paid all that money to get there, hotels are an arm and a leg, and eating out every meal is costing a fortune. You want to see everything you possibly can. But here's the bad news: you can't see everything. And you will make yourself crazy doing so.
When I was researching our trip to London and Paris, I thought we would go to Stonehenge. A half day there, half for something else. But as the above posters spelled out, it takes a while to get from place to place. Even public transportation in America almost always takes longer than getting in your car. And from what I read, for most people it was what our family calls a "check." Meaning that you get there, see it, then "check," you move on to the next thing. You can't get close to the stones anymore and that festival sounds like it will bog down your timeline even more. Book the HP tour for the morning to give yourself enough time for that and add something in the late afternoon.
We went out to Windsor Castle one day and it took us about 6 hours. The train took longer than we thought, we had to buy additional fare that our Oystercards didn't cover, and we roamed the castle grounds, and had a guided tour which took longer. But it was really interesting and we were constantly looking up historical facts on our phones that we vaguely recalled, but couldn't remember exactly. And we had lunch in a pub there. It all takes time. AND we had the city pass/Oystercard combo where we were able to skip the main line to get into the castle--we waited about 15 min vs. at least an hour. AND we were there in early April, vs the summer tourist season.
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Dalai Mama
Drama Llama
La Pea Boheme
Posts: 6,985
Jun 26, 2014 0:31:31 GMT
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Post by Dalai Mama on Mar 21, 2017 11:21:44 GMT
We stayed at Club Quarters on Gracechurch. It's sandwiched between Bank and Monument stations. I will second whoever said check into Viator - see what they have available for Stonehenge and how they do it. We didn't actually take their tour but we looked into one to Paris and basically did it on our own, copying their schedule.
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mallie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,253
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Post by mallie on Mar 21, 2017 12:09:11 GMT
We saw Stonehenge with a tourgroup that got us in before the site opened to the general public. So we had a wonderful experience and Got amazing photographs. I would not have been as enthralled if the place had been crawling with people.
We had very good luck with the trains, but it does take longer than you think. And there is the problem of getting from quite station to a site , like Stonehenge. At our hotel, they had a tur desk where you could book tours through local companies. (Park Plaza Westminster) viator and supervisor are good resources.
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I hope you have a fantastic trip 
When is it?
The trip is in June, which seems to be getting here very quickly. I started paying for the trip almost 2 years ago, so it took forever to get here, and now it feels like it is tomorrow.
