Long story, short, I have 3 1/2 winter months traveling Europe, including 2 weeks London and 3 days in Bath, December 1-3.
1) I have opportunity to go back to Bath in mid January., (lodging is free). Will 3 days be enough or should I go back for 5 more winter days. Not planning on car rental, but I could.
2) Keeping cost in mind, best way to get from south London to Bath on December 1, and Bath to Stanstead airport for a 4:00 flight Dec 3rd?
Or should I just rent a car for the 3 days? I have never driven in UK.
Posted by
Atlanta
4802 posts
You can base yourself in Bath and do plenty of day trips to nearby places to fill up your time if you tire of Bath itself. Just depends on your interest and what you see before the return visit.
Posted by
Washington DC
27063 posts
Bath has a really fine Museum of East Asian Art, the baths, and several Georgian crescents. I found the architecture really repetitive and would have been sort of bored walking around after a day outdoors. Still, it is within striking distance of a lot of attractive sights, though I don't know what conditions will be like at the time you visit. You have Bristol, Cardiff and the Cotswolds quite close by. There are tours running to the Cotswolds from Bath during peak season; I don't know about their frequency at the time of your visit.
You can check out the availability of trains to places you might want to see on the National Rail website.
Posted by
Charleston & Birmingham
4300 posts
Trains are great in England-no need to rent a car if you're going to places accessible by train. I've never driven in UK, but my husband finds it stressful and avoids it if at all possible.
Posted by
Nashville, TN, USA
3747 posts
Three days is probably enough in Bath. One of those days you can take a Mad Max Tour to the Cotswolds.
One way to get from London to Bath on December 1 is by train. Leave London from Paddington Station.
Another way is by bus, leaving from Victoria Coach (Bus) Station. This is across the street from Victoria (train) Station.
Bath to Stansted airport--Take the train back to London Paddington Station from Bath, go by tube or taxi to Liverpool Street Station, take the Stansted Express train to the airport. Just buy a ticket at Liverpool Street Station.
If you don't already have a good map of London, do get one. Start studying it now, as it will help in planning. You will absolutely need it to find your way around when you are in London.
Posted by
S.F. Bay Area, CA, United States
1878 posts
Three nights, (two full days) is about right for Bath. No need to rent a car, take the bus or the train. You would want to purchase in advance for a discount. We took the bus from Heathrow direct to Bath in 2013 and it worked very well.
Posted by
22 posts
I visited Bath last year and we stayed there for 3 nights, so we spent 2 full days there.