Seaside Daytrip from Bath

With that choice there is no competition at all to me- Weymouth.

For history in bucketloads hop over on the every 15 minutes bus to Portland (island) and/or stop off in Dorchester.
Buy a PlusBus ticket with your train ticket and you have unlimited use of buses in Weymouth and Portland for £2.70 for the day, or £1.75 with a railcard.
Less than one bus fare!!

It's a Summer Saturday with stunning weather so the only drawback is that Weymouth, like anywhere at all seaside, will be busy.
Weston will be exactly the same.

Among other things on Portland are three lighthouses, the Castle, the Sculpture park and the D day museum. Where the cruise ships dock now played a very important role in the D day landings. Weymouth and Portland were packed with troops.

PS- The only draw back, to some, is that there is a cruise ship in at Portland - the 2500 pax Tui Mein Schiff 3. Many of her passengers will be off on coach trips around the Jurassic Coast so I just don't see it as a problem.

Weston Super Mare is on the estuary rather than open sea so it’s not really that appealing as a natural spectacle, and culturally - quite frankly forget it.

Weymouth is better. Walk away from the main centre, which is very busy and not exactly chic.

Weston is a lot closer to Bath. If you did go there the walk at Brean Down is very nice. It’s National Trust protected.

Between Weymouth and Weston-Super-Mare, Weymouth wins hands down every time.

But on a hot summer's weekend, both will be very busy.

Wells might still be worth a look; it's a very pretty town with a cathedral etc. It'll probably be quieter than the seaside.

It’s actually not easy to get to any nice beaches from the Bath/Bristol area. The best ones are a good couple of hours drive away in either Devon or South Wales and a slog by public transport.

Not the seaside but you could consider Bristol and its harbour. Lots to see around the harbour (SS Great Britain and the M Shed for two) and in the city in general and a great contrast to Bath. Only 15 minutes on the train whether air conditioned or not.

Sorry, I can't imagine going to Britain to go to the beach.
Still, I recommend visiting Devon and Cornwall or a scenic location of which Britain has loads of places.

Sorry geovagriffith, maybe you’ve never been to the UK when temperatures have been in the 80s at the coast and 100 in London? We have and fortunately we were staying Poole in the summer of 2022. We aren’t really beach people but we got on a boat every time we could and headed out on the water. One of our favorite trips was to Weymouth passing by Old Harry Rocks which we later went back to walk the south coast trail during a cooler spell. I’d vote for Weymouth for the history, scenery and cooler temperatures even if I never stepped onto the beach.

Mona has made a very good point. There are several boat companies who run boat trips from Weymouth to Portland (landing and non landing), including a sailing ship no less.

Geovagriffin - Britain is a small island so the coast is really very important historically and culturally. I’ve come across a few American posters here stating that they don’t care much for the sea. This is literally a sentiment I never heard expressed by a British person. It’s practically hard wired that being by the sea is always going to be a good idea.

You certainly don’t have to be a ‘beach person’ to enjoy the coast. In fact, given the usual weather it’s probably a good idea if you’re not!

I'm not one of those posters who doesn't care for the sea!
I really love the sea, the beach, and beach towns in England.

Back to the question SOTL asked....
You posted a thread inquiring about including the Isle Of Wight in your trip.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/england/isle-of-wight-0a3475b4-9073-4613-8aca-6cbbf724f99c

I might suggest checking out of your Bath hotel and getting yourself to the Isle Of Wight.
Lovely beaches there.
And hopefully a breeze coming off the sea.

Thanks all I’m heading to Weymouth tomorrow via the first train and have picked up the bus add on. Thx for that tip.

I was actually in Dawlish on another leg. Was wonderful!

Theoretically I could check out early and go to IOW but by the time I reorganize and get through the ferry process, it would probably be a wash.

Thx everyone!

Sorry, I can't imagine going to Britain to go to the beach.

But the OP does and is seeking some advice. Besides, the UK has some amazing beaches.

Rounding back as a follow up, traveled down via direct train and then regional bus to Portland for a full English breakfast right on the seaside, coastal walks along the quarry cliffs and foot trails, and a sweet tour up to the top of the lighthouse. From there, I took the open top bus back to Weymouth and hopped off at the Weymouth Quay where I enjoyed the atmosphere and walked down the quay to visit Nothe Fort. Afterwards I had a bit of time to stroll out to the pier and then back to Weymouth beach for a different vibe before taking ann evening boat out to Durdle Door. Appreciated the guidance above from isn3c, jc, and all others! I totally recommend seasides in English itineraries for a full range of history, activities, and enjoyment of nature. Was a great last minute change up to beat the heat wave that was going on and do some new things.

Good to hear that you enjoyed your trip to the seaside. It seems to me that visiting the seaside in Britain is not on the to do list for foreigners but given good weather I would highly recommended it. The sea temperature in the southern UK is now (early August) around 20C =68 °F (about the same as LA).

Was it very crowded in Weymouth? I'm glad you had a lovely day and thank you for reporting back.

The beach itself was crowded - there was a dj and some kind of sand sporting event going on with a pro rugby team going on that day. Was a neat atmosphere to walk around in. The train back was also jammed due to the 2000 to London having been cancelled and those folks having to re-route though Bath, but it was tolerable. The rest of the day there were always lots of people around but not so much that I couldn’t enjoy my activities or visit. Would for sure recommend if others are in need of a seaside escape. Thx again for the guidance!

We went to Swanage in September 2024. It was a warmish day and we rode the steam train from Corfe Castle to Swanage. It was post-season, so most things were closed. A couple of arcades were open, but I loved walking by the beach huts and the Punch-and-Judy show stand. Fortunately the fish-n-chips shop was open, so we had a lovely dinner after a walk on the boardwalk. I hope to visit more English beaches sometime. I enjoyed your report of your day at the beach.

This is probably off topic now given that the OP has had advice and had a successful trip to Weymouth, but I think it’s important to say, as Helen did above, how important the sea is to the people of the British Isles. Pretty much everyone is within a day trip of the sea and our seas have kept out most hostile invasions from elsewhere. We have some of the finest beaches anywhere on our shores - they are maybe not as well known as our cool and changeable climate means that sea swimming and sunbathing are not as easy as in warmer shores.

I’m typing this on the terrace of our holiday apartment looking out over Crantock Bay in Cornwall. I would call it as fine a sea view as there is except that I know full well there are maybe hundreds of other views that compete for that title. It’s just sublime. I know that most of you come here more for historical and royal connections but I would urge anyone to build in some time by the sea if yo7 can. Perhaps there’s a case for a separate thread on this?