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Brother, somebody local probably better educated than me, can answer that. Generally speaking though, I usually take the tube from Heathrow to London/Victoria and then green trains from all parts from there. I’m back in the USA now, Ohio. Wouldn’t know about Winchester area transit. Stayed at the lovely Grosvenor Square Marriott in London, a posh and lavish door to the vibrant inner city.
I've got an apartment booked for that weekend in Winchester. Hopefully there will be a few nation goers stopping in Winchester and we can have a drink somewhere.
I'm pretty sure there is a bus service from Winchester to Matterley just for the GP/MXON.
So much to see and do in that area. Portsmouth has a big navy base and museum with hms victory (Lord Nelson boat) and the Mary Rose to visit.
London is great to visit. Easier to go by train but a bit of a faff to drive into and not easy to navigate driving around.
Wiltshire has some amazing historical villages.
New forest is good too.
You will run out of days before you run out of places to see and do.
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I believe it was said above, there will be a shuttle service from the rail station in Winchester to the track.
There's usually a double decker bus, it leaves from the train station
Totally agree what the guys say about stone henge , fck knows how it's renowned around the world,I had the same sentiment when I went to canyon,best to look at it from the car window
Winchester it self , is great city history and bars , if you like bands try oneils
Just outside matterly , there a place called Alsford,pretty laid back , it also has an old steam train that runs along the water cress line
About 10-15 min drive from Winchester, there's a place called Stockbridge, swing in there for coffee , then 5 minute drive to danebury ring,it's from the stone age, it's nice to have a walk and get some country side air.then mins up the road to middle wallop army flying museum,then on the way back swing into a place called motisfont, it's a national trust gardens, not my cup of tea , but I hear it's nice if you like that sort of thing, this would be tally up to a nice hassel free / cheap day
If you like the cost , then I would take a look around sandbanks , next door to Bournemouth.down that way you have the new forest , I would recommend beaulie motoring museum
Brighton is a pretty cool place , if London is not you're thing, I would go here
Haha that’s pretty cool to hear I live in Christchurch !
I would strongly suggest going to London,Loads to do & all the museums are free. However there are some outstanding sights around Winchester area, if you’re renting a car you’ll have a lot of options ; South Downs, Glastonbury Tor, Bath, Bristol, Cheddar & Avebury are must see, stone henge ain’t what it used to be - you have a better view driving past on the main road.
Main Trainline from Winchester goes straight to Waterloo frequently & its reasonably quick into London.
England, and London has heaps of cool history every time you turn a corner.
Just ask questions when ordering food at a pub, and don't drink a Guiness.
I quite liked the tank museum too, probably better than Haynes motor museum and I'm a car guy.
How it would stack up against American museums would be the only concern I guess 😂
Haynes did have one large very obvious plus point though...
I had got my head round the fact i wouldnt be going again this year, but now i wish i was .
It clashes with a big race we do in Belgium, so we will be at the docks going out to Belgium as everyone else is coming in.
What race is that Phil?
Mettet Superbiker. Biggest Supermoto race in the world.
Now the Nations is pushed back into October, it clashes, back in the day we used to get tons of MXGP + MotoGP riders all up for it, but now the season is too long, and they are all still racing.
Stonehenge is literally an American obsession, if you want to see a fellow american, go to their three places: The Cotswolds, Stonehenge or Oxford. I don't get it, but in my decade in the US all people wanted to do when they heard I was from the UK was to tell me about their UK trip and its like a game of bingo waiting for them to say those three places.
A few logistical/practical things to think about:
- The UK is small, but soo populated it takes a long time to get to places. Don't go looking at something 200 miles away and thinking its like going 200 miles in the US.
- Driving in the UK is on the other side of the car and the road and rental cars don't tend to be automatics, so unless you can drive a stick shift you'd need to request (and pay extra for) an automatic and they tend to be bigger cars. The UK roads are far smaller than the US, I've hosted a LOT of Americans in the UK and more than one has refused to drive their rental car once they try it because the roads are too small, or too busy or the whole wrong side of the car / road thing.
- They don't tip in the UK like they do in the US.
- Service in pubs is not a thing, you go to the bar to order drinks/food, I've seen Americans wait over 30 mins at a table for a server before they work out that you have to go to the bar to order.
Driving in the UK, left side and a stick is still a piece of cake compared to Turkey or Macedonia or (shudder) Albania.
Italy is the most fun - no one gives quarter and to make eye contact means you lost.
But yes, the roads are very small and the hedgerows tall and thick. Love it!
Tell me your not comparing Stonehenge to the Grand Canyon in Arizona?
Maybe you are talking about some other canyon being underwhelming, lol.
England is great to visit, and it is a lot cheaper for Americans now than it used to be. To the OP, I bet you won't find prices to be too crazy if you stay outside of the most popular areas. We got a nice "looking" hotel in Basingstoke the weekend of nations for $68 a night (though I booked that 3 months ago, prices have probably been going up). Driving is doable, I have never thought it took too long to get the road directions flipped around in your head. I can't speak to how well mass transit would work, I have only ever driven a car (apart from the underground in London), but I know you would be at the mercy of more limited routes and travel schedules and will not be able to make it out to more remote areas.
You guys will have an awesome time I am sure.
You still get service at most pubs, in the south west anyway...
While you're down there, The Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum is just south west of Matterley Basin, only around 90ks* from it, near the coast. And, the New Forest area can be taken in , on the way to that. Then, you could head over eastwards to Portsmouth - The Isle of Wight is (sort of, but offshore) between SMMM and Portsmouth.
So, so much to see and do in the UK - it's pretty good, despite all of those Pommie Bastards. *For we Aussies, nowhere is far away in England.....
I doubt I'll get to Matterley this year, but really hope to get to Blighty again, soon. I've got some pretty swank accommodation through a friend, who works "In The City" ( he's one of those "scumbag bankers" - His Words - so he's absolutely loaded) , so I hope to spend a week or two, or more, in London and it's surroundings. I'm not a Big City Person, but what a City is London!
Pit Row
Absolutely mate ,
You spend ages getting there , look at it for 5 minutes , then it's , o ok, what's next.i wish they had dropped me off at hoover dam , now that was impressive
BTW, if anyone Is struggling for hotels in Winchester, try a small town called Eastleigh, nothing exciting there , but will be cheaper, also you can get 10 min train to Winchester or drive to matterly in 10 mins
Do any of you know a place named Wormington over there?
That’s my last name. I think it would be cool to see the race and then sightsee as well.
The only Wormington is a tiny village near Cheltenham (about halfway between Birmingham and Bristol). On the edge of the Cotswolds, a scenic area. About 2 hrs from Matterly Basin by car.
That’s the one. Just a wide spot in the road!
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