Bath upon arrival ?

Well I'd definitely recommend a couple of nights to enjoy Bath to the full. There's the Royal Crescent, Holburne Museum, Jane Austen Centre, architecture, small shops etc. To name but a few.

I'd definitely recommend a couple days in Bath. It is delightful. Check out Mad Max tours from Bath that include Stonehenge, Avebury, Lacock & Castle Coombe. That was a great day I had a couple years ago in Bath. I also recommend the Fashion Museum and just walking around, especially in the park down by the river.

Fly into London. Get settled in your London accommodation. Wander around your neighborhood to locate a coffee shop, the Underground station and market where you can buy bottled water and snacks.

Enjoy London ( theatre, Parliament Square, historical landmarks, shopping, street markets, et al ) then move to Bath for a few of nights with your day trip Stonehenge included.

Has your son expressed an interest in Bath?

The reason people rush to Bath after arriving is because Rick Steves recommends it.

He recommends it because his Best of England tour starts there and he hopes you'll take his tour instead of doing it on your own.

I agree with Claudia. See London first then spend a couple of nights in Bath.

Incidentally Stonehenge isn’t in Bath and can be done just as (almost as?) easily via a day trip from London as from Bath (train to Salisbury then bus tour). I don’t know if this impacts on your planning.

I don't think it makes that much difference, outside of, what is your arrival time at Heathrow? If it is early morning, and you can't get into your hotel, you may as well power through to Bath, I would rather relax and close my eyes on the bus, than stumble around while exhausted all morning. But if you are high energy, the excitement of being in London would keep you going.

I highly recommend 2 nights in Bath. You could do one of the Mad Max tours from there, or it is very easy to take the 1 hour train to Salisbury to view the beautiful cathedral, the cute town and then hopping on the 20 minute bus to Stonehenge.

We were just in Bath in May and we loved it! The Roman Baths, the Abbey, the beautiful location on the river, the fantastic restaurants and the vibe of the town. There is a wonderful, free 2 hour, Mayor's tour, which is very educational.

Whatever, you chose, I do recommend spending the night at Heathrow the night before your flight out. There many hotels on site and it makes for a stress free, easy morning to just walk over to your flight.

He [Rick Steves] recommends it because his Best of England tour starts there and he hopes you'll take his tour instead of doing it on your own.

He makes a fairly good case for going straight to Bath upon arrival as it's less intense than London, so it's an easier transition to a new environment and time zone. We started our trip that way, and in retrospect it made perfect sense - for one thing, it can be difficult to go to the theater every evening while you're dealing with residual effects of jet lag.

Heading straight to Bath from Heathrow can be a great idea! Spending a couple of nights there lets you really explore the Roman Baths and Stonehenge. Besides those, you can visit Bath Abbey, walk around the beautiful Royal Crescent, and relax at the Thermae Bath Spa. You could also check out the charming village of Lacock or the stunning Cheddar Gorge nearby.

For more tips on Bath and Stonehenge, take a look at this guide: https://parkcitylondon.blogspot.com/2022/06/experience-stonehenge-and-bath-tour.html

I've never really considered London to be "intense" - and personally I prefer to settle in first before heading further afield. But each to their own - Bath certainly is lovely.

What are 18year old son's views? What sort of things is he interested in and wanting to do? How does Bath fit in with this?

There is also Glastonbury (if he likes that sort of thing). Bristol isn't far away and may be more in his line than Bath with its maritime heritage, Great Britain Steam Ship, assorted museums, clifdon Suspension Bridge etc. There is also Wells with its cathedral and ruined bishop's palace.

Check what you want to do in London to see what days of the week they are open or show. Many theatres are dark, without a show, on Monday or Tuesdays (in particular). Or, perhaps there is a 1-day market you want to catch either in London or in Bath.

I think we're overlooking the 18 year old travel companion, frankly I think he would be tired of Bath after most of a day there. Even if he's a Jane Austen fan.

Start and end in London, there's more than enough to do there for several lifetimes.

We have decided to stay the entire time in London. Will probably plan a Bath/Stonehenge day trip and maybe another (open to suggestions). Thanks !

That's sounds like a great plan!
Then you can play the weather and go to Stonehenge on a nice day.

Other ideas:

Oxford-
Windsor Castle-Hampton Court Palace-
Richmond (especially if you are Ted Lasso fans)

Greenwich Meridien time line/ Royal Observatory- Bletchley Park(code breakers museum)

You won't run out of things to do! Enjoy!

Or maybe a shower? It's a long flight.
(couldn't resist)

Dennis

https://community.ricksteves.com/users/900297

Definitely. This is why I love having lounge access. BA arrivals lounge. They have nice showers