How To Easily Get From London to Bath

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Located just over 100 miles from London, the charming city of Bath is touted as one of the best day trips from London according to Conde Nast Travel.  Bath is close enough to make it a great day trip from London, or a great weekend getaway. 

Bath will surround you with great shopping, wonderful restaurants, Roman artifacts, and incredible hot springs.  Once you arrive, you will feel as though you have left the hustle and bustle of big city London behind, making Bath the perfect addition to your London itinerary.

Of course, if you wanted to make the trip a little longer, consider adding on one of the best road trips in the U.K. as well!

In a few short hours, you will find yourself transported to a wonderful holiday destination in Bath.  N

o matter if you are choosing to do a day trip to Bath from London, or if you are planning to stay for a few days, we have outlined all of the ways to easily get from London to Bath including taking the London to Bath train here in this post.

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London to Bath: Train, Bus, or Car

Day Trip to Bath From London

Getting from London to Bath is quite simple.  You can take a train, bus or car and be in Bath within three hours time.  Your best option if you are wanting to do a day trip to Bath from London is to either take the train or to go with a private tour company.

If you want to go on your own and don’t want to travel with a group, then you should definitely take the train.  The train ride from London to Bath is approximately 1.5 hours. This is the fastest way to get you to Bath so that you can enjoy your day and not waste too much time traveling.

Of course, you might want to consider going with a tour company.  This allows you to sit back and relax and let someone else do all of the work, planning, and driving for you.  There are several companies that offer full-service day trips to Bath from London.  Here are a few of our favorites:

Stonehenge & Bath Full Day Trip

Stonehenge, Bath, and West Country Day Trip

Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and Bath Day Trip 

London to Bath Train

As mentioned above, the fastest way to travel from London to Bath is by train.  This is the best option if you are short on time, or if you don’t want to rent a car.

The trains start to run as early as 5:19 am, so if you are an early bird, you can get up and be in Bath before breakfast is being served. 

If you’re like us, and getting up early is the last thing you want to do while on vacation, don’t worry, there are over 30 daily departures for the London to Bath train, so you can sleep in and catch a later train!  Trains depart every 30 minutes apart, so not to worry!

Now, here is an important tip, make sure and reserve your train tickets at least a week in advance (longer if you can).  Reserving in advance will ensure that you find the best rate, a direct train, and the travel time that you most desire. 

Advanced tickets go on sale about eight to 10 weeks prior to the travel date.

Tickets for the London to Bath train range in price from £15-100 each way.  Try to be flexible with your dates and times in order to get the best deal as well.  For the best deal, don’t buy a roundtrip ticket, instead, buy two one way tickets.

Your train will leave from London’s Paddington Station and will arrive in Bath at Bath SPA Station.  You will find that the Bath SPA Station is easily accessible to walk into the rest of the town.

London to Bath by Bus

The most economical way to get from London to Bath is to take the bus.  By booking on one of the National Express busses, you can make it to Bath from London for £5!  You can’t beat that!  You can even book as far out as the day before and find tickets for around £10.

Now, granted that this is not the fastest way to get to Bath, but if you aren’t in a hurry or just want some downtime to read a magazine, nap, or stare out of the window, then this is the way to go! 

I mean, National Express offers free wifi, movies, air conditioning, and comfortable seats to make your journey as enjoyable as possible.

You will board the bus from London Victoria Coach Station and arrive at Bath’s Main Bus Stop on Dorchester Street.  This is just one minute away from the Bath SPA Rail Station. 

It is important to note that the bus will make other stops on its way to Bath.  It will stop at Heathrow Airport, Cirencester, and Rudloe during the 2.5 hours journey.

The first bus leaves at 7:30 am and the last bus at 11:00 pm, with buses leaving every hour.  When traveling to London from Bath, the first bus leaves at 3:35 am and the last bus departs Bath at 10:35 pm.

London to Bath by Car

One of the most scenic and freeing ways to travel from London to Bath is by private car.  Traveling by car allows you more flexibility and freedom to make your own schedule on your day trip to Bath from London. 

If you decide to rent a car, the drive takes about 2 hours and 20 minutes via the M4.

Remember that in addition to your car rental fees, you will also need to pay £11.50 to drive in the center of London.  This is a daily congestion charge that the city imposes to help encourage people to not drive and use other means of transportation instead. 

You could also incur emission charges and toll fees in addition to these fees depending on the route you choose.

What is the Most Scenic Route From London to Bath?

There are a few options if you have a private car.  The two main highways that lead from London to Bath are the M3 and M4.  Both of these highways go through an “Area of Outstanding Beauty”. 

A title that is given to a beautiful or historic area by the British Government.  Since both highways will get you there, you might check traffic conditions before heading out and allow that to help you make your decision.

If you would like to make a stop at Windsor Castle on the way from London to Bath, then take the M4 towards South Gloucestershire and turn off at junction 8.  Then, continue on to the A46 to Cheap Street in Bath. 

This will allow you to drive through North Wessex Downs and by Windsor Castle.

If you would like to incorporate a stop at Stonehenge, this can be done as well.  This will require several highway changes, some of which do charge a toll.  You can park at the Stonehenge Visitors Center and explore the site before heading into Bath.

If driving sounds like more then you bargained for, then you might want to consider using BlaBlaCar.  BlaBlaCar will cost you between £12-30 and save you the headache of renting a car. 

Just be sure to check the ratings of your driver and be sure the car you choose is roomy enough for a comfortable ride.

How to Get Around Bath

Now that you have arrived in Bath, getting around is actually quite simple.  Bath is easily toured by foot, bicycle, or city bus.  There are even open-top bus tours if you would like one of those!

Top Sites in Bath

Most people come to Bath to see the world-famous Roman baths.  These unique thermal spas are located right in the city center and still flow with hot water even today! 

You also won’t want to miss Bath Abbey with its beautiful architecture and stained glass windows.  Take some time to relax in Royal Victoria Park before exploring some of Bath’s incredible museums. 

The Jane Austen Centre is located in Bath and houses some of the author’s work and inspiration for her novels, while the Victoria Art Gallery is home to countless works of art.

Finish out your time in Bath with some true relaxation by pampering yourself at one of the many spas located here.  The Thermae Bath Spa is home to Britain’s only natural thermal waters, making it the great end to a wonderful trip from London to Bath!

Check out these great tours!

Check Out Our Other England Posts:

An Awesome London Itinerary: 4 Days in London

15 Incredible Day Trips from London

Three Days in London-A First Timer’s Guide

What to See at the Tower of London

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