We've been walking the Wessex Ridgeway for a while, doing just a couple of days at a time. Our most recent walk was the result of a last minute decision on Saturday morning one sunny weekend in August, so the likelihood of finding a B and B with a vacancy was pretty much zero! We had previously got to Ludwell (Tisbury station), but decided to go off route and start from Salisbury railway station (easier as no train connection needed) and pick up the official trail at Tollard Royal. We stayed at a large campsite at Sixpenny Handley, which is maybe worth noting as it's not far off the official WR. There was also a pub doing meals and the campsite cafe.The walk out of Salisbury was along a busy road for the first mile or so, but then through the water meadows, followed by a lovely route along the old Roman and drove roads. No problem with route finding.
The second day we walked from Sixpenny Handley to Iwerne Courtney/Shroton with a memorable lunch stop in Tollard Royal - the best gazpacho I've had in a long time. We were considering wild camping, but I'd got attacked by harvest mites (hazard of overgrown paths) and was desperate for a shower! So we got a taxi to Blandford Forum where there wasn't too much problem finding somewhere to stay. During the week it would have been possible to get a bus from Shroton to Blandford and we got one back again the next morning to do a little more just as far as Shillingstone (another bus) before heading for home. We also thought afterwards that we could have struck south before we reached Shroton, along a good path (on the map anyway) to Pimperne , from where we could have got a town bus or a much shorter taxi ride.
We were probably off the official route for about as much time as we were on it, but the countryside was great and we saw no other long distance walkers the whole time - just the occasional dog walker. It's a great route, and there's no real problem finding the way, despite the lack of waymarks. We're looking forward to completing it, hopefully all in one trip and out of peak holiday season.