Best way to get to Bath from Heathrow

I would take the car service if the price is the same for the door to door convenience. The train from Heathrow goes to London Paddington Station and then you take another train to Bath from there....meaning you are hoisting baggage from one train to the other. Personally I would just rent my own car at Heathrow. You are west of London and the roads to Bath are easy to follow if one of you is OK steering from the right side of a car to follow traffic on the left side. We did it. Bath is only 100 miles. Check to see if you have parking at your hotel.

Nothing wrong with the bus. Comfortable and convenient. Driving right after arrival not very fun. Do you need the car for further travels?

We do not plan to keep a car while in Bath. We are planning to rent a car to drive from Bath to Stratford-upon-Avon, but just for the day trip. Thanks!

If you are planning to go from Bath to Stratford-upon-Avon as a day trip - returning to Bath, then that is pushing it a bit as you will be on unfamiliar roads. Click this link where you will see Bath towards the bottom and SUA towards the top:> https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.7852775,-2.1562419,103050m/data=!3m1!1e3!5m1!1e1

Now, you will notice that you would leave Bath on the A46 - which continues NE through The Cotswolds. However, you will also see that the A46 crosses the M4 (interstate in American). The quickest way to SUA would be to take the M4 west to its intersection with the M5 and then proceed NE up the M5 to come off near Tewekesbury and head east to SUA.

Check out the various routes here:> http://www.theaa.com/route-planner/index.jsp

Cotswold villages that you should visit include Bourton-on-the-Water, Lower Slaughter, Broadway, Chipping Campden. I suggest that you zoom in an take a look at these places on street view and also look at the roads that connect the various places. Also find you hotel in Bath and see if you could walk to it from the rail station.

From Heathrow, many people take the Railair bus link to Reading station and then the train to Bath. (Rail fares are cheaper if pre-booked for specific trains - which I think can be combined with the bus link. Trouble is, you can’t be sure when you will clear Heathrow). www.nationalrail.co.uk

The best way, in my opinion, is a private car service. After a long flight, jet lag, irritable kids, and being in a new environment, there is nothing better than having your private driver meet you inside the terminal and whisk you to Bath. Some will say it's not the cheapest way, but when you add up the cost for four on the train, you might be surprised at how close the cost will be. We used a Bath based car service that was very good and would use again. The web sit is chauffertravel.co.uk. The email address to get a quote in enquiries@chauffertravel.co.uk.

The bus worked great for us, but it was only 2 of us.

If you're in the market for a BritRail Pass covering three or more train travel days, then the Heathrow Express and connection to Bath are covered by the pass with no time restriction. Options include the whole island, just England, or just portions of southeast or southwest England. One child aged 5-15 travels free on each adult pass and youths aged 16-25 get 40% discounts.

Or your group might qualify for a Family Rail Card, giving you ticket discounts on shorter notice than some of the Advance fare requirements. See both at described at https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-tips/transportation/trains/britain-rail-passes.

Stratford Upon Avon is about 63 miles from Bath, but because you won't be driving 60, it will take close to 2 hours to get there. The roads are in good condition. If you're going to see Shakespeare's grave, check the hours that the church is open. There are some very pretty small Cotswolds villages en route that I'm sure you'll want to stop at, so plan for a long day.

I'd drive the Fosse Way (modern road numbers A46 and A429) and then A3400 between Bath and Stratford-u-Avon every time (unless there is a known issue on the day) rather than the M5. It is only notionally slower this way and much more interesting especially for the passengers.