Parking in Bath

" Is that true of Bath "

Yes, use the park and ride.

I presume that you are coming from London or Oxford. That being so, you will be on the M4 and coming off at Junction 18 & proceeding south on the A46. After about 4 miles, you come to a roundabout with the A420. Take that westbound (right) towards Bristol. After about a mile, you will see the signs for the racecourse & Lansdown Park & Ride - it is avery sharp turn to the left - so go slowly. Just after the racecourse, you will see on your right, the entrance to the Lansdown Park & Ride. I would suggest that this would be the best place for you to park & then go by shuttle bus to Bath centre. (Parking on the streets of Bath is difficult with limited spaces and time limits on the parking meters. The city does not seem to have large multi storey car parks. It would also be difficult to find space for your large vehicle but the downside of the P&R for your party is that each person has to pay the shuttle bus fare rather than just pay a parking fee.https://www.google.co.uk/maps/search/bath+park+%26+ride/@51.4240431,-2.389621,13z
http://visitbath.co.uk/travel-and-maps/bath-park-and-ride

Try and avoid event days at the racecourse. http://www.bath-racecourse.co.uk/whats-on/fixtures/?yr=2015
You could familiarise yourself with the road layouts by going on Google Earth & pulling down the yellow man to see the junctions on Streetview. Also look at the streets in Bath!

How big your vehicle be? If it is unlikely to fit in a multi-storey car park, the best city centre car park is probably Charlotte Street, but the farthest reaches of this are some distance from the main tourist area, and you may have difficulty finding a parking bay large enough and easy to get into. Charges are also high:
www.bathnes.gov.uk/services/parking-and-travel/car-parking/parking-bath

The Lansdowne Park & Ride is probably the best option, since you will not have to worry about getting back to your vehicle before the ticket expires or goes into a higher price band. You will also have the opportunity of experiencing sitting on the top deck of a double-decker bus - possibly in the front seat - while the bus goes down one of Bath's steepest streets.

James has indicated what the locals do (or at least what my friend in the south Cotswolds does.) Part of Bath becomes a pedestrian precinct at some times of the year, making downtown parking even more challenging.

I should have said that we will be staying near Stow-on-the-Wold and after touring small villages we may want to do something different. Bath looks to be about 1:30 hours away, so seems doable for a day trip. We will have a VW 9 person vehicle.

It may feel discouraging if it is a hassle to try to get into town. Any thoughts on parking at a train station and taking a train in? Might we find parking on the street further from the town center?

What is the best way?

If we drive to the park and ride like James suggested (thank you, by the way) any idea how often shuttles come by and what the cost is?

Never mind, I found that information. Thank you all very much for the help!

Given the choice- Bath or Oxford for a day trip?

If you use a park and ride a brave driver can drop off the gang at an easily found place near the drop off of the park and ride bus, then go and park the car... then when you want to leave they could do it in reverse...

The thing about driving in Bath is not only is the place full of narrow streets, with cars parked on one or both sides meaning people have to give way in turn (actually the law is that the people stopped behind the obstruction has to give way but in practice people often take turns - watch for the flashed headlights which mean "I'm letting you go first"), but the place is hilly, really hilly, and it is full at this time of year with Americans who are often jetlagged (because folk like Rick Steves tell them to go there to recover from jetlag) and are not familiar with which side of the road to drive on and not used to starting a manual transmission on a hill.

Oxford is easier in my mind, but Bath has quite a lot of variety. It really all depends on what all of you would like to see....

Right - now we have more info - so you are staying in Stow-on-the-Wold. That means that you would drive to Bath via A429 to Cirencester & then A433 via Tetbury to join A46 - which would bring you into Bath on the same way as I mentioned when suggesting the Lansdown Park & Ride. From Stow to Bath, driving to this P&R would be your best option - and I would not do any Cotswold villages first (on the same day). If you are going to go to Bath, you need to go straight. (Do villages with spare time on your return or another day).

In your other post, you are also considering Oxford. You could go from Stow to Moreton-in-Marsh train station and park the vehicle (not sure if parking is free). Then, take a train to Oxford - it takes 40 minutes and costs £9.90 anytime return (may be dearer for early departure from MIM). See http://www.nationalrail.co.uk

If you are going to Oxford, you might also wish to visit nearby Blenheim Palace (at Woodstock). If that is so, it would be best to drive to Oxford & then drive to the Palace. Like Bath, Oxford also has Park & Rides surrounding the city. (British cities developed from medieval times so they were not built for mass movements of cars).
http://www.blenheimpalace.com
www.visitbath.co.uk
http://www.visitoxfordandoxfordshire.com/oxford/

Thanks so much for all the detailed info!