How to travel from London to Salisbury where bus connections are available to Stonehenge

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London to Salisbury by train

The public transport option for a journey from the UK capital to Stonehenge involves taking a train from Waterloo station to Salisbury; and then connecting at the station into a dedicated local bus service.
Full details are available on the Salisbury station guide.

Routes you can take to go from London to Salisbury

When travelling between most cities by train there is only one logical option, though on other journeys there is a choice between different trains or alternative routes. If different options are available you can use the info to decide which is best for you.

Choose one of the following options:

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Journey guides for travel to London

Route Information

Station Guides

The main street entrance to Waterloo station is by the South Bank art complex

London Waterloo Rail Station Guide

The platforms at Salisbury station have their original Victorian glass canopies

Salisbury Rail Station Guide

Travel Time (approx)

1hr 23min - 1hr 30min

Frequency

Daily

Travel Info

1 or 2 x trains per hour

The usual Sunday service is one train per hour

Journey Summary:

Is the journey direct? = Yes
Is the journey scenic? = Not particularly
When is the usual approximate earliest arrival at the destination? = Before 08:15 on Monday to Saturday; before 09:45 on Sunday
When is the usual approximate latest departure? = After 23:30 daily
Are tickets cheaper if booked in advance? = Yes
How soon ahead of travel are tickets typically placed on sale? = 12 weeks; see the Ticket Information
What are the child ticket terms? = aged 5 to 15 = 50%; aged 4 and under = free
Does the ticket include assigned seats? = Varies: Yes with Advance Tickets, but reservations are not marked on the train; see the Ticket Information
Do rail pass users need to book reservations? = No
Is catering available on the train? = A trolley service can be available

Tickets

Book early and save: Yes

The cheaper 'Advance' tickets tend to be available from around 10-11 weeks ahead of the travel date, but tickets can be booked up to 12 weeks ahead.
So if you look up a journey more than 10-12 weeks ahead and can't see any 'Advance' tickets, it will mean that they haven't been released for sale yet - it won't be because they have sold out.

The two disadvantages of booking an 'Advance' ticket is that they can only be used on the specific departure you select when making a booking - and then if you don't take that train, because you change your travel plans or don't get to the station on time, they can't be refunded.

The big plus of booking an 'Advance' ticket is the price, they can be more £10 cheaper than booking last minute tickets at the station; because Advance tickets are taken off sale at 23:59 on the previous day.

Seat reservations:

The process for assigning seats on the trains on this route is unconventional, because the train operator, South Western Railway, doesn’t typically offer seat reservations.
However if you book an Advance ticket for a journey on this route, coach and seat number(s) can be included on the ticket.
But what’s exceptional to the norm is that there is no indication on the trains, which inform you and your fellow passengers, which seat(s) have been assigned.
So another traveller may have unwittingly occupied your seat, because the other types of ticket sold for journeys by these trains don’t have reservations available.
They won’t be aware that you, or anybody else, has a ‘reservation’ for the seat they have occupied.

So it’s best to be at Waterloo station ready to board at least 20 minutes ahead of departure, you can then be among the first passengers to join the train, so can claim the seat(s) on your ticket.
Or if you’d prefer not to sit in the seat you have been assigned, because it is facing backwards etc, you can choose to sit elsewhere.
You don’t have to occupy the seat(s) you have been assigned for your ticket(s) to be valid.

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