Bath

Introduction

Bath is a city in Somerset, England, known for and named after its Roman-built baths. It sits in the valley of the River Avon, west of London and southeast of Bristol, and is the largest city and urban settlement in Somerset.

The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and was later listed as one of the "Great Spa Towns of Europe".

Before you go

Bath lies in the valley of the Avon River, roughly 100 miles west of London and a short distance south-east of Bristol, so it's easy to reach and easy to place on a wider trip. The city has drawn visitors for centuries, first as the Roman spa settlement of Aquae Sulis around its hot springs, later as a fashionable Georgian resort whose Neo-Classical streets and crescents still shape the centre. Reading Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey before you arrive is traditional preparation — it satirises the social life of the city, and many of the sites it mentions can still be visited.

Bath is generally a very safe city, with a friendly, vigorous feel generated by its many tourists and university students. The centre stays lively and bustling until late on Friday and Saturday evenings, though it gets rougher around kicking-out time, and women would be well advised not to wander alone at night. You may encounter groups of homeless beggars around the parks and the abbey; they are not pushy when asking for money and argue among themselves rather than involving passers-by. If you're a keen cyclist, the Bath-to-Bristol cycle path is at your disposal, but be aware that robberies and attacks have occurred on that stretch, so consider this if planning the journey. The river between Pultney Bridge and the weir looks tempting for a swim but is very dangerous — people die there every year; Warleigh weir, about three miles along the canal, is the better option.

Getting there

Bath is well served by rail, and the train is the simplest way in. Bath Spa railway station sits right in the city centre on Dorchester Street — a Victorian station on the Great Western Railway designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It has regular inter-city and regional services from Bristol, London, Reading, Salisbury, Southampton, Weymouth and Swindon. From London you travel from Paddington, with trains running roughly every half hour and a journey of about an hour and a half. There is a taxi rank outside the station and the bus station is adjacent. Note that Oldfield Park station, a mile out in a residential suburb on the Bristol side, is not the central stop — don't get off there with all your luggage expecting to be in the middle of town.

By plane, the regional airports are the calmer option, with shorter queues and fewer people about than the London ones. Bristol Airport has scheduled flights from many major European cities. From there you can take the Flyer bus to Bristol Temple Meads and pick up a train to Bath, allowing about an hour (longer between 4PM and 6PM when Bristol's roads are congested); catch the Air Decker direct bus to Bath railway station, which runs every thirty minutes from early until late and takes about 55 minutes; or take a taxi, reaching Bath in about 40 minutes. Southampton Airport is under two hours from Bath by train with good connections, and Cardiff, Exeter and Bournemouth airports are within a couple of hours' drive. Of the London airports, Heathrow is the most convenient: about two hours down the M4, or via the RailAir bus to Reading to join the London–Bath rail service, or the Heathrow Express to Paddington and on to Bath Spa, or a direct National Express coach to Bath bus station. Gatwick connects by a half-hourly rail service meeting the London–Bath trains at Reading, and National Express coaches also run to Bristol, London Victoria and Heathrow.

Driving brings its own warnings. Leave the M4 at Junction 18 and follow signs for about ten miles, but once there, much of Bath is one-way with a traffic system that stops you crossing from one side of the city to the other, and congestion is often severe — on Saturdays the car parks fill and the roads jam with people queueing for them. At peak times it can be quicker to walk in from the edge of the city than to drive and park. Use the park-and-ride facilities instead: park for free and take a bus right into the city, though the last bus leaves at 8:30PM, so it won't suit you if you're staying late. If you do drive in, the large underground multi-storey under the Southgate Shopping Centre has improved central parking, and other main car parks are at Walcot Street, Manvers Street and Charlotte Street; smaller long-stay car parks tend to fill by 8:30AM on working days. Many bays are residents-only, so check before leaving your car, and traffic wardens are efficient. Most parking is free on Sundays and between 7PM and 8AM on other days, but check the machines for exact details.

For a car-free approach from Bristol, the Bristol–Bath Railway Path, part of the National Cycle Network, is a relatively flat corridor between the two city centres with only two road crossings, taking about 90 minutes; it is a busy commute route in the morning and evening, so you may prefer to avoid those peak hours.

Getting around

Most of Bath is easily walkable from the city centre and the stations, and walking is the practical way to cover the central sights. Be aware that some shopping streets feel like pedestrian-only areas but aren't: have a quick look around before you follow everyone else into the road, and if you're driving, expect pedestrians to step out in front of you. Driving in town is best avoided altogether — much of the city is one-way, congestion is often heavy, and at peak times walking in from the edge of Bath can be quicker than driving and hunting for parking.

• Public buses are, typically for British public transport, at best adequate, and often expensive compared with other cities. If you'll make more than one return journey, or more than one single journey in a day, ask the driver for a day pass instead, which gives unlimited travel on that company's buses in Bath. Several companies operate, including WessexConnect and FareSaver, but the most useful for tourists are those run by First.
• A popular Park and Ride system runs from a ring of car parks on the outskirts — Newbridge, Lansdown, Claverton Down and Odd Down — taking you into the city centre. The main drawback is that the last bus leaves in the evening, so it isn't an option if you're staying in Bath late.
• Tour buses run an enjoyable hop-on, hop-off circuit of the main attractions; pick them up en route, at the bay at 'Bog Island' for the Skyline tour, or next to the fountain near Bath Abbey for the city centre tour. Attractions en route include the historic Royal Crescent and The Circus, and some companies include a route up the winding Ralph Allen Drive past Prior Park Gardens.
• Taxi ranks sit outside the train station and the Abbey, and at Kingsmead Square. Drivers know the city well and will entertain you with often cranky stories.

Where to stay

Bath has accommodation to suit most budgets, from independent hostels and well-known chains to elegant bed and breakfasts, Georgian manor houses and top-of-the-range hotels. If you're arriving by train or bus, Bath Backpackers on Pierrepont Street is only a few minutes from both stations, while St Christopher's on Green Street puts you right in the centre with breakfast included. Bath YMCA on Broad Street Place is plain but well maintained; if you're travelling alone, ask about the "leader's room", which gives you private-room privacy for roughly the price of a dorm bed. YHA Bath occupies an Italianate mansion on Bathwick Hill on the outskirts, with frequent buses into town. There are two Travelodges — one near the station (Bath Waterside) and one on George Street (Bath Central) — and both are much cheaper if you book well ahead; at Bath Central, ask for a top-floor room to escape the nightclub below. The university on Claverton Down also lets rooms, with a large stock available from June to September.

• Bath Backpackers — independent, community-minded hostel near the stations
• St Christopher's Bath Hostel — central youth hostel with breakfast included
• Bath YMCA — ordinary, well-maintained; Wi-Fi doesn't reach the rooms
• YHA Bath — Italianate mansion on Bathwick Hill, buses to the centre
• Travelodge Bath Waterside and Bath Central — book ahead for the best rates

For something more comfortable, the mid-range spreads across the city. The DoubleTree by Hilton on Walcot Street has small but comfortable rooms in the centre, and the Abbey Hotel on North Parade is relaxed and well equipped with good breakfasts. Harington's Hotel on Queen Street keeps its original Georgian character — which means no lift to the upper floors. The Royal Hotel on Manvers Street was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and has been open for over 150 years. Further out, Tasburgh House on Warminster Road is a boutique hotel with views, Gray's is an opulent B&B in a Victorian villa, and No 15 Great Pulteney is a quirky hotel and spa in a Georgian terrace, full of antiques and curios. At the top end, the Royal Crescent Hotel forms the keystone of the Royal Crescent, grand but not intimidating, with a spa and a strong reputation for service and cuisine. The Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel on Sydney Road is a flagship five-star with fine decor, a grotto on the front lawn and Sydney Gardens next door — a good starting point for the canal walk to Bathampton. The Pig near Bath, in a Georgian country manor off the A368, draws praise for comfort, decor and dining.

• DoubleTree by Hilton Bath — central, compact rooms
• The Abbey Hotel — relaxed, good breakfasts
• Harington's Hotel — Georgian character, no lift
• Royal Hotel Bath — Brunel-designed, in the heart of the city
• Tasburgh House — boutique hotel with views
• Gray's — opulent Victorian-villa B&B
• No 15 Great Pulteney — quirky Georgian-terrace hotel and spa
• The Royal Crescent Hotel — grand, with spa, on the Crescent itself
• Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel — five-star luxury beside Sydney Gardens
• The Pig near Bath — country-manor hotel off the A368

Food & drink

What to see and do

The Roman Baths are the essential stop, built around the only mineral hot springs in England and fed by water that has drawn visitors for centuries. Wander the rooms that made up the baths, including the large open-air Great Bath, take in the Roman, medieval and Georgian architecture, and pick up the free audio guide at the entrance. Allow at least two hours, and buy a ticket online or arrive early, as only a limited number of visitors are admitted at once. A fountain at the end offers a free taste of the filtered thermal water. Stepping out, you are beside Bath Abbey, the last Gothic church in England, where a climb up the tower rewards you with a fine view over the city.

From the abbey, follow the pavement past the statue of "The Lady With The Pitcher" and cross to Pulteney Bridge, designed by Robert Adam and one of the few bridges in the world with shops across its full span on both sides; it overlooks Pulteney Weir, where boat trips leave in summer. Cross to Great Pulteney Street, a quintessential Georgian street made for strolling past the Laura Place fountain down to the Holburne Museum and around Sydney Gardens. Elsewhere, admire the Royal Crescent, a semi-elliptical sweep of houses designed by John Wood, and visit one redecorated to show late 18th-century life at No.1 Royal Crescent; the Building of Bath Museum explains how the Georgian city was built, while the Jane Austen Centre and the Herschel Museum of Astronomy suit literary and scientific tastes. The Circus, a striking circular arrangement of townhouses with superimposed Doric, Ionic and Corinthian columns, is another architectural set piece. For greenery, Parade Gardens overlooks the river with a bandstand in summer, Royal Victoria Park sits in front of the Royal Crescent with botanical gardens in its north-western corner, and Alexandra Park offers views back over the city.

Three days in Bath

Day one: Start in the city centre, where Bath's Roman and Georgian layers sit close together, and take in the Classical and Neo-Classical streetscapes that earned the city its UNESCO World Heritage Site status as one of the Great Spa Towns of Europe. The Roman baths here grew from the spring the Romans knew as Aquae Sulis, and the River Avon runs through the heart of it all. Pultney Bridge is worth a look, and if you are Reading Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey makes good company for the day.

Day two: Use the city as a base for Somerset. Warleigh lies nearby, and Bath Spa station on Dorchester Street, a Victorian station built by Isambard Kingdom Brunel for the Great Western Railway, puts the wider region within reach. Trains run to Bristol, Salisbury, Southampton, Weymouth and Swindon, and from London's Paddington you can arrive directly. Note that Oldfield Park is another local stop if you are staying on that side of the city.

Day three: Take a slower day around the river and the spa quarter, then plan your onward travel. Friday and Saturday are good days to settle into the rhythm of the city before you leave. If you are heading back to London or on to Bristol, the rail links from Bath Spa make either an easy next step.