Hi! I'll be backpacking from Glasgow, Edinburgh, York, St.Austell, Oxford, Cambridge, Bath and finally London sometime in September. Ive already booked my transportation and accomodation. The thing is, I'd really like to go to Stonehenge and Stratford-upon-Avon but I couldnt find a bus or train that would take me there. Am thinking that maybe I could go to these two places on day trips, since I'll be staying around 2-3 nights at each destination. Help anyone? Also, any other places that I must not miss? What about the Forbidden Corner in York? Thanks a lot in advance!!
1
drdavidknibb
If you do a rail timetable query then the following routes are suggested from Salisbury to Stratford
Salisbury -London Waterloo - London Marylebone - Stratford (about 4hr 25 minutes)
Salisbury -Basingstoke-Leamington - Stratford (about 3hr 50 mins)
Not really very good connections. There are often cheap tickets from Marylebone to Stratford of just £5 single if you use their internet system which sends a 'ticket' to your mobile phone.
Having said that, Stratford as a tourist destination is pretty poor. It's a big tourist rip off which offers very little that is of genuine historic interest. The areas by the river which are supposed to be 'beautiful' are disected by very busy roads - which should have been diverted years ago. And the shops down by the water front are a 'blot on the landscape'.
I know lots of tourists go there - (and I visit frequently as I live nearby) - but I always feel sad that so many will come away feeling a bit cheated by a town that is much less interesting than the way in which it is promoted.
David
2
tony_b
David expresses my own views on Stratford too. All the Shakespeare related tat is really quite grotesque and the town is not at all attractive. It may very well turn out to be the anticlimax of your trip.
I'm afraid that the Forbidden Corner is actually quite some distance from York in terms of travel time. It's out in the sticks (the Yorkshire Dales actually). The nearest railway station is many miles away (Northallerton) and even the nearest bus service is five miles away in Leyburn. On the other hand, I strongly recommend Durham as a stop on your way from Edinburgh to York. It's on the same railway line and many of the trains stop there. It's a world heritage site but you'd hardly know it judging by the number of tourists who get there.
Durham 1
Durham 2
Durham 3
3
dick_dangerous
Loads of the backpackers in Bath advertise day trips to Stonehenge and I believe they go via Avebury which is a much more interesting stone circle. So if you're heading to Bath anyway there's no need to go to Salisbury.
As for Stratford, I'd have to disagree with the above posters, but I attach a caveat. The area down by the river is actually quite pretty, especially when you wander up towards the church, past the theatres, but a lot of the town is quite dissappointing, and "The Shakespeare Experience," beggars disbelief. The thing to do in Stratford is visit the theatre, and you could do that on a day trip if you go see a matinee. Not sure you'll be able to get tickets, but they've got Ian McKellen as King Lear in what used to be The Other Place (They're renovating the RST down on the river). And you can always take a tour backstage at The Swan. You're within spitting distance of Stratford in Oxford.
DD
4
squamous
From Oxford the train to Leamington Spa takes about 45 minutes, and there are lots of trains from there to Stratford (about half an hour). You could go there and back easily in a day.
I'd go on a weekend day when it's busier.
5
chiryu
Hi! Thanks a lot for the replies :) Those two places are in my must-see list for UK, but thanks a lot for telling me about Stratford, I guess I'll be going there with an open mind :)
Looking forward to my trip! Cheers
6
mjan
I'd agree on Durham as an interesting stop. If you're backpacking and Stonehenge interests you, you might stop and hike a bit of Hadrians Wall in the north from Hexham on the way down.
Hexham
Langley Castle
There'll be plenty in York to occupy you for a few days. If you get out into Yorkshire Dales
Ripley Castle
A view of Stratford_Upon_Avon for reference
Stratford Shakespeare
7
ethelred
While in Bath, you could do a day trip of Stonehenge and surrounding area. We did a full-day Stonehenge tour with this company. They took us to Stonehenge first thing in the morning before it got crowded, then we went to several small picturesque towns and Avebury, which has its own stone circle.
We really don't like group tours, and the guide was a bit annoying in the sense that he felt like he had to keep up this constant patter while we were in the van (a few moments of silence wouldn't have hurt, especially when he ran out of things to say and began repeating himself), but it was well worth it because it would have been time-consuming to get to all these places on our own using public transit.
If you decide to do this tour and you're on a budget, bring your own lunch. The place we stopped for lunch was not cheap, and there weren't many other options in the small town.
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