Bath or York-day trip from London

For the home team....York Everytime, I hear Bath has a church , we have The Minster

We stayed in York last May, it is a fairly long train ride from London and then a good walk from the train station into the center of York. It can be done, but I think you would enjoy the sights there if you stayed at least one night. We found it really refreshing after five days in London. They also have big horse racing in York so make sure you aren't trying to get in on the train on a big race day.

York is so good that it should not be done as merely a day trip from London.

Another vote for York.

Both will be quite long days from London. Bath is c 1.5 hours and York just under 2 hours each way.

Trains are generally expensive before 9.30 or 10 am when off-peak fares start. Both are relatively flat in the city centre but Bath is hillier on the outskirts and both have rail stations near the action.

I can't advise on York, but I loved my day trip to Bath. I was there on a group tour, but the town was easy to walk around in and quite charming. The Roman baths are fascinating and the museum interesting. I loved walking around the little shops and stopping for tea and scones with clotted cream (yum) before we left. I wished for more time, but that's the story for most of us when it comes to travel!

You have another vote for Bath!
Lisa

We've done both many times. York is my favorite (except at Christmas when Bath has a great market). The Shambles is really fun to walk around and I liked the small shops there, too. Their market is nice, though not huge. It is a very walkable town. Try to make time to walk a bit of the wall. You get some great views. I actually found the walk from the station to the center of town to be quite nice and not difficult or long at all. We usually took a train leaving London as soon after 9:00 as possible and would have an early lunch on arrival. Then wander around. The Jorvik museum is good, and fun in a Disneyesque way and their shop isn't too bad, either. There are lots of jewelry shops in York. We would usually wind up with supper at Gert and Henery's (a restaurant just at the edge of the Shamble and the market- not certain they are still there) and then take the train back to London getting in after 8:00 or 9:00.

To throw a hammer into the mix, you can also do Cardiff Wales as a day trip from London. Same train route as Bath- just a longer ride. It is a really interesting city- and you get a taste of Wales.

Just remember- on any of these trips you are getting a taste of the location. It might tempt you back for more- it always did us!!!

We did both in June and preferred York, although Bath was lovely. It was just so refreshing to leave the crowds of London and poke around an interesting city with lots to do. We didn't think Bath was as interesting to walk around in, but the baths were fascinating.

I don't think you can go wrong with either, but I prefer Bath. Trip is shorter, town to me is more interesting, though the history in both places is amazing. Abbey in Bath is vastly underrated, and the Roman Baths are fascinating. Town has a youthful energy with university presence, lovely pubs, great architecture, River Avon, and so much to love. Again, I don't think you could go wrong either way though.