A friend and I are traveling to England in June and our first stop after Heathrow is to visit friends in Wells. They can pick us up in Bath. I am wondering whether we should take the train or bus/coach. If we go by train, do we need to take the HEX to Paddington and then switch to a train to Bath? And if we choose to go by bus/coach, is there a direct route from Heathrow? And does anyone have a recommendation? Thanks for any help.
Posted by
585 posts
Direct bus (coach) to Bath from the airport takes about 2 hours. The coach is comfortable and it’s a pleasant drive - look out for Windsor Castle soon after leaving the airport. You need to be on l/h side of the coach. You don’t have to worry about dragging your luggage - it goes under the bus and you won’t see it again until you get to Bath. Look at the National Express website for schedule and cost. You can reserve in advance.
Posted by
Washington DC
28249 posts
I believe National Express allow you to pay a slight surcharge that allows you to take a later bus on the same day if your flight is delayed. At least it used to do that.
Posted by
Oxford, United Kingdom
5467 posts
Yes they still do for £5. And it now gives you leeway 12 hours either side of booked time.
Posted by
Nashville, TN, USA
3898 posts
We took the bus/coach to Bath directly from Heathrow. When you get off your flight, follow the signs inside the terminal that direct you to the bus/coach station. You can walk up to the ticket window and buy tickets. Then go through the double glass sliding doors out to the stalls, have a seat on a bench, and wait for your bus. Your bus will pull in; it will have "Bath" on the header on the front of the bus. There is no loudspeaker that announces the arrival of the bus. The bus will stay about 5-10 minutes, then pull out.
We enjoyed our bus trip to Bath, and got to see lots of towns and small villages as we passed through. Because you sit up high on the bus, you get to see a lot. On the train, you are down in a cut, and both sides of the ditch you're in have hedgerows, so you don't see much!
The bus/coach station in Bath is right beside the train station, and it is a short walk, one or two blocks away, to coffee shops and cafes where you might prefer to wait for your friends to pick you up.
Posted by
OP
Eugene, Oregon, USA
33 posts
Thank you Lanlubber, craven, Marco and Rebecca for the info, details and insights. The bus it is! :)
Posted by
11 posts
Does anyone know if I can ride the buses on my Brit Rail pass as we used to do years ago on Eurrail Passes? I can not seem to find anything information on that.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
34010 posts
buses are not part of the UK rail network and are not included.