Stonehenge & Avebury (Originally Posted 2/4/08)

Could anyone travel to this area of the world and not want to visit Stonehenge? It is estimated that Stonehenge was built in 3100 B.C. and nobody really knows what it was built for but the most common guesses are human sacrifice, astronomy, and solar/lunar worship. The problem is that you have to pay to get in but, except for special occasions, you’re not allowed to walk amongst the stones. What’s a curious, die-hard traveler to do???

Visit Avebury! It’s bigger than Stonehenge! It’s older than Stonehenge! It’s free! Seriously though, this henge is about 25 miles north of Stonehenge and apparently carries different theme than Stonehenge. If you’d like to read more about Stonehenge and Avebury, click on this link.

So, there I am without a car needing to get around the English Countryside. Well, I’ve done a good bit of research and unless I find something better, I’m going with Mad Max Tours. I’m not sure which day yet...it will all depend on how tired I am but if I’m not too tired, I’m going to try to do this on Monday. If I’m not up for it on Monday, no sweat, I’ll do it on Tuesday. I plan to keep my itinerary as flexible as possible. The tour is an all-day tour to Stonehenge, Avebury, Lacock, and Castle Combe. Lacock is a village that was filmed during some of the Harry Potter movies and in the BBC production of Pride and Prejudice. It’s about an 8 hour day but I’m going to get to see some of the beautiful English Countryside without having to get behind a wheel myself.

This is a great way to keep your travel independent and still get a chance to meet some people that have very similar interests. There are several groups that offer tours of this type from Bath, as well as London, so do your research. Read testimonials and find out if they are mentioned in any guide or travel books. Talk to the people at your hotel (fellow travelers, not concierge’s who may be getting a kickback for referrals) or join groups like TravelZine (a Yahoo group) so fellow traveler’s can give you referrals. Do your homework (or hire a travel planner like me to do it for you) and enjoy the sights!