Hi there,
I need a sanity check for an upcoming trip.
I will be in London late July on business and my wife will be joining me and is planning on keeping herself busy during the day while I am working.
She wants to go to Bath for a day.
We will be staying at Heathrow T5.
I've checked prices for buying individual tickets and also a Britrail pass and it appears that the pass would be a better choice but am unsure if I am not fully aware of any gotcha's.
For the times and day she wants to go to Bath, the rail ticket price is £55 to Bath and £33.50 return.
A Heathrow Express advance ticket to get from T5 to Paddinton to catch the train is 15 each way.
So, the total would be £118.50.
If she buys a 3 day consecutive Britrail Southwest Pass it appears that she can use it to get from T5 to Paddinton and then to Bath and then do the return and the total would be £127.00.
Although more expensive to buy pass and only do this trip, it seems obvious that travelling on a 2nd and/or 3rd day would change this.
She has looked at a coach but the travel time was too much and though it seems counter-intutative to head East to catch a train and then head West it appears to be the most time efficient manner to accomplish.
She is not interested in traveling for the absolute lowest cost and also no need to travel in first class but balance transit times and available times once at the destination as this and the others would be 'day trips' as we have a hotel.
Thanks so much,
Mark