Can we get a direct train or bus from Heathrow Airport to Bath?

You can a bus to Bath from the Central Bus Station at LHR. My sister took the bus to Reading and stayed there overnight since they only wanted to eat and sleep & then took a short train ride the next morning.

This question gets asked all the time.

There is no direct train from Heathrow. If you take the train, you will need to change. There is a direct bus. Here is one recent reponse with info:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england/heathrow-to-bath-62473600-39a3-4c70-b2fa-45e9e9f46b05

I am really surprised that RS doesn’t include this info in the tour materials as they usually have instructions on how to get to your first hotel.

1019firsteditionfarm
Could you verify that the instructions about the bus to Bath were not included in the documents you were sent one month out from your tour?
They are also in your tour account here on the site.

National Express bus: https://www.nationalexpress.com/en

The real problem with the direct bus is the infrequency, every 3 or 4 hours.

So if you just miss a bus you have a very long wait, in which time you could have been there by train.

Note that flixbus now also run the route, but that hasn't improved frequency as they run at almost the same time as National Express.

We took the bus to Reading and then straight shot train to Bath. Worked great, except for my motion sickness.

I had this tour in 2023 and took the bus from LHR to Bath. Enjoyed the ride seeing the towns and countryside. Trip ended at the bus/train station.