Bath Spa is a wonderful day trip away from London. If you're not interested in going to an actual spa for some Roman-style relaxation, you can see the best Bath Spa has to offer in a day. Here's what we did at Bath Spa.
*I do want to note that we skipped the Roman Baths because we didn't find the price of entry to be worth it (sorry!) Luckily, there's still a ton of stuff to do around the picturesque Bath.
Getting there
You can take a train from London or take a coach which is what we did. In general, trains cost more but will get you to your destination faster while coaches are cheaper but the trip will be longer. We took the coach priced at GBP19.50 per person two-way total (there were three of us so we got a discount on Trainline) for a 3 hour coach ride from London Victoria Coach Station to Bath Spa and visa versa. So that's around GBP10 going and another GBP10 going back. We took the first bus out at 7AM and the 6PM bus heading back to London.
City Center
If you're a fan of Hallmark films where a city girl finds love in some provincial cottage town, Bath is literally the backdrop for that. Just strolling around the city centre is an activity that can take hours. You can also spot a lot of movie or TV Show filming locations! Bath is truly beautiful,
Pulteney Bridge
Honestly my favourite spot in Bath after the Abbey, Pulteney Bridge is a beautiful piece of Gregorian architecture. Designed in 1769, it has shops end to end you can browse around in. I would recommend getting a coffee/snack here to savour the view more. There's two cafes facing the water, absolutely beautiful views!
Fun fact: this is where they shot Javert's suicide in Tom Hooper's Les Miserables (2012)
Bath Abbey
ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. The Bath Abbey has to be on your list. This place of worship has been ip for almost 1,200 years now. The fan-vaulted ceilings look so surreal, dating back from the 1500s. Even if you're not a religious person, the structure is worth a visit. This is also the spot there the first king of England (Kind Edward) was crowned in 973. The entry is free but they do recommend a 5-pound donation per person. They also have a gift shop!
Sally Lunn's
We had breakfast and dinner here, a It is a quintessential stop in Bath. The Sally Lunn Bun is a must-try when you're in town. Read my full experience at Sally Lunn's in this blog post.
Tip: When we went, restaurants were already closed at 5PM. I would recommend eating a heavy meal before this time because dinner at Sally Lunn's was quite pricey versus the breakfast.
Bath Royal Circus
A 10-20 minute walk from the main city centre is The Circus. Like its moniker suggests, it is shaped like a giant circular circus tent. Fun fact, Nicholas Cage (yes, that Nick Cage) lived here at some point!
Bath Royal Crescent
A 10-20 minute walk from the Bath Circus is the Royal Crescent, not to be confused with each other but the names are confusing, I know. But just remember that the Circus (a whole circle) comes first, the crescent comes later on and is further away, Both of these spots are commonly used in period dramas.
Would I Come Back?
YES! Bath is such a lovely, provincial town to escape the hustle and bustle of London. I would probably come back to try one of the spas.
General Cost:
Since the activities I listed down here are generally free, most of the money we spent in Bath were for food and the coach to get to and from Bath.
20GBP for the two-way National Express coach
15GBP per head for Sally Lunn's Breakfast
25GBP per head for Sally Lunn's Dinner
5 GBP donation to Bath Abbey - this is optional
I would say bring 60-80GBP for your day trip to Bath if you just want to have a look around. Most of the activities are free but the museums (Roman baths, Jane Austen Museum, Mary Shelley Museum) have an entrance fee, they generally charge around 15-20GBP per person, per museum. Again, there are still so many free things to do in Bath! Definitely worth a visit!
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