Travel and transport

Bath by train

Bath is on the main railway line between London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads stations. During the daytime there are generally trains every half hour from London, operated by First Great Western. The journey takes approximately an hour and a half. Most London trains to/from Bath also stop at Reading, Swindon, and Chippenham. Half the services also call in at Didcot Parkway, where you can change for Oxford.

Slower trains connect Bath with Bradford-on-Avon, Weymouth, Portsmouth and Cardiff. For a wider range of destinations, or to travel northwards, change at Bristol.

The railway station is named Bath Spa, and is fairly small, with just two platforms. There are small cafe-shops on the platforms and by the main entrance, and there is a lift to each platform. The station is located by the river and the bus station, close to the centre of Bath (less than ten minutes’ walk from the Abbey). There are two exits from the station. Visitors will generally want to head for the main entrance/exit, below Platform 2. This is just across the road from Bath’s high street shopping area, and is a ten minute walk from the Abbey and the heart of town. A secondary exit from the station (useful for locals) leads from Platform 1 out to the river and Widcombe.

Note that London-Bath train fares can be very expensive if you buy your ticket on the day of travel. If you book in advance you will be restricted to a particular train, but you are likely to save a lot of money.

Bath by coach

Bath is served by National Express coach services to/from London, Heathrow Airport and other UK towns.

Bath bus services

Bath is served by a large number of local bus services run by First. Longer distance buses serve nearby towns and villages including Wells, Bristol and Bradford-on-Avon. Special network bus passes will enable you to travel all over the South West of England on a single ticket. Nearly all bus services stop in or close to the main Bus Station in Dorchester Street, close to the railway station, where there is an information office equipped with leaflets, timetables and route details.

Bath by air
The nearest airport to Bath is Bristol International Airport.  There is an hourly bus service, the A4,  between Bristol Airport and the centre of Bath, operated by the Bath Bus Company. The bus stop in Bath is on Dorchester Street, opposite the railway and bus stations. The journey takes around 55 minutes.

There is also an express bus service called the Airport Flyer Express Link between the airport and Bristol Temple Meads Station. From the station there are trains to Bath approximately every half hour. The rail journey takes ten minutes.

Bath is easy to reach from the UK’s larger airports, as its road and rail connections are good. After Bristol, Heathrow is probably the most convenient; there is a bus link from the airport to Reading railway station, where you can catch a train to Bath.

Taxis

There is a taxi rank outside the railway station, and another by Bath Abbey. Taxis can be also be ordered through local firms including Abbey Taxis.