Visiting Stonehenge

If you have a 'to see' list for your upcoming trip to England, you likely have a visit to Stonehenge on it. Many people think that visiting Stonehenge from London is as easy as getting to their office in Halifax, but actually Stonehenge is located on the Salisbury plains, about a two hour drive from London. If you want to visit Stonehenge, this article will give you some practical tips on getting there from London and what to see when you're there.

The best way to get to Stonehenge is by car. If you're flying into London you can easily arrange for a hire car at the airport. However, if you are not comfortable driving on the left hand side of the road or you tend to think of art ideas rather than watch the road, you may want to take a train or bus instead. The nearest train station to Stonehenge is Salisbury, which is about 10 miles away, so you will need to take a taxi or a local bus the rest of the way. Since Stonehenge is a popular tourist attraction, there should be some available during the day.

Alternatively, you can book into a package tour that will take you from London to Stonehenge on a hired bus and give you a tour of the site. Many of these tours also include other heritage sites such as Avebury and shopping in the same area. If you are arriving alone, expect to pay about 8 pounds for a ticket to the site. The site is open from 9:30 to sundown most days with special restrictions on solstice days. During your visit you will not be able to walk amongst the stones, as they are a protected heritage site.

Those with flat feet should wear sturdy shoes for a visit to Stonehenge as it will require walking over the plain. The site is wheelchair accessible and there are wheelchairs available for hire should you decide you need one. There are also tours available by Braille and transcript for visitors who are blind or deaf. During your visit the English Heritage Trust offers free audio tours and activity packs. There's also a gift shop where you can get souvenirs to commemorate your stay.

As one can appreciate with a tourist area as popular as Stonehenge, the grounds are immaculately kept. No doubt there is a team of workers on staff to keep the grass trimmed professionally -- or perhaps there is a contract landscape maintenance firm that works tirelessly to keep the whole area pristine.

Stonehenge itself is a circle of huge standing rocks arranged in a circle, some of which are stacked to form gates. The construction of the site began over 5,000 years ago and went in three phases. Archaeologists still do not agree on what the site was used for - everything from human sacrifice to astronomy to burial has been suggested - so the mystery of Stonehenge has lured many away from their . Stonehenge is referenced in many folk tales and stories and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

If you enjoyed reading this article about Stonehenge and are now considering flying in to see it for yourself, you may also be interested in reading this article about booking airline reservations.