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A Wonderful Day Trip to Bath, England

ByLeah & Samuel

Bath, England – A Quaint, Historical English Town with Impressive Architecture

Bath, England is a beautiful little town not too far from London which makes for the perfect day trip destination! As the name suggests, you can find public baths sourced from natural hot springs from ancient Roman times. Apart from that, the town of Bath is the perfect place to walk around and admire the Georgian style homes and the Gothic churches. Bath, England became a UNESCO World Heritage site over 35 years ago and you’ll see why if you visit. If your hoping to make a budget-friendly day trip to Bath, England and don’t want to miss any of the historic sites then I’ve got you covered!

Check out our full, detailed blog post about our trip to London here: London 4-Day Travel Guide!

Itinerary

8:30am – Take the Bus to Bath

There are a couple different options for getting to Bath, England. We opted for the bus, which was by far the cheapest route but also took twice the time. The roundtrip bus route from London Victoria Station to Bath (Bus Station) costs about 20 pounds per person and takes 3 hours and 5 minutes each way. We purchased our tickets in advance at Coach Travel & Airport Transfers | National Express. The other option you have is to take the train. While this is much quicker (about an hour and a half) it also costs closer to 100 pounds per person. Depending on your budget, pick whichever option is best for you.

11:30am – Brunch in Bath

The Bath bus station is right outside the main streets of Bath. After the long bus ride (which we brought snacks for) we were ready to start the day with some coffee and an early lunch. We walked into town admiring the beautiful feel of the brick streets and stopped at Caffe Nero for to satiate our hunger.  We enjoyed cappuccinos and sandwiches. They’ll put cacao powder on your cappuccino if you ask, which is Samuel’s favorite way to enjoy his coffee! The coffee was right on a square so we sat at a small table near the windows and gazed out at the town while eating our lunches!

1:00pm – Roman Baths

Spending an afternoon exploring the Roman Baths in Bath is like stepping back in time to ancient Rome. Begin your visit by grabbing a free headphone audio guide and by viewing the impressive Sacred Spring, the heart and source of the Roman Baths, bubbling with naturally heated water. Wander through the museum exhibits, which showcase a variety of fascinating artifacts. Without the audio guide we would have been lost to all the history so we thoroughly enjoyed listening to the excerpts about all the exhibits. The Great Bath, which is the centerpiece of the bath complex, is a grand outdoor bath surrounded by balcony on all sides. Take a moment to imagine all the Roman social gatherings that once occurred here. The relaxing environment and serene atmosphere make for a perfect afternoon of experiencing some of the greatest Roman ruins in England. It’s hard to conceptualize how far the Roman empire’s power stretched and seeing these grand Roman ruins and baths so far away in the south of England helps to put it in perspective! Ticket prices vary based on your age and are a little cheaper if you are a student, but expect to pay 25-30 euros per person.  Tickets are also a two pounds cheaper on the weekdays which is something to keep in mind. You can buy tickets here on their official website – Roman Baths | 2,000 years of history are waiting for you to discover and explore.

3:00pm – Marvel at the Gothic Bath Abbey

After spending a couple hours admiring the Roman Baths, take a quick stroll over to the Bath Abbey. The Bath Abbey is a beautiful church that still operates today. It’s architectural style belongs to the Gothic category, a popular style of churches throughout England. A cool history fact we learned is that King Edgar, England’s first Kind, had his coronation ceremony at this church in 973 AD. Imagine attending that! Even today you can marvel at the impressively designed church and amazing windows made of stained glass. Take some time to walk around and look at the stories told in the stained glass windows. Also make sure to spend some time walking around the church’s exterior, which is built of out almost-yellow Bath stone, to see some of its unique Gothic characteristics. While visiting the church is free, there’s also an option to climb up the Abbey’s tower consisting of 212 steps to get a perfect panoramic view of Bath. This costs about 10 pounds.

4:00pm – Stroll over to the Georgian Architecture

Bath offers a variety of beautiful architectural styles to wander at. From the terracotta structure of the ancient Roman Baths to the Perpendicular Gothic style of Bath Abbey to the Georgian Classical style of the residences. In the 18th century, Bath became a popular travel destination boasting their unique spa experiences. During this time, a few major structures were constructed as residences for the town. The two most notable are the Royal Crescent and the Circus. The Royal Crescent was once solely private residences designed in the shape of a perfectly symmetrical crescent. Today, only some of the units have remained as private residences while others have been turned into hotels. The Lansdown Crescent is another private residence developed not long after the Royal Crescent and in similar style. The Circus, which also offers both private residences and some public spaces, is in the shape of a circle and also boasts the intricate terraces of other Georgian style structures. If you’re really loving this type of style, check out the Pulteney Bridge, the Assembly Rooms, and the Queens Square to see more of these lovely structures. They are all free options that are open to the public.

6:00pm – Bus Back to London

Bath Day Trip Recap

Getting to Bath – Three hours via bus or one and a half hours by train

Getting Around Bath – Bath is a quaint town with all the major landmarks explorable on foot

Best Time to Visit – May to October

Budget for A Couple – $100-$150 pounds

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