Daytrip to Bath or Cambridge

I would let your imagination use its power of 'Persuasion' to get you to experience Bath. That amazing place would be at the top of my list, especially if you are an Austen fan. Have fun whatever you decide.

If you decide to visit Bath, check out Sally Lunn's tea room and their famous buns. It was a memorable experience after a day of walking around Bath back in 1999. We visited Bath as a day trip via train from London.

Have you been to England before? There are so many beautiful places to remind you of Austen. My husband and I found Bath stuffed w/tourists (mid-week in Oct.), the beautiful buildings covered with scaffolding, and accomodations and dining rather expensive. London seemed cheaper by comparison. Skip the Austen museum. It's not that Bath was horrible, we just didn't love it like everyone said we would. Cambridge is lovely and green and not so touristy.

We traveled to both these cities this last summer. When are you going? Cambridge was pretty dead in the summer, but it was pretty. I enjoy Bath more than Cambridge. There is so much to see that you could be busy all day and the town center can be really great. I guess we missed all the scaffolding!

I'm pretty sure I'll go for Bath! I guess Cambridge will still be around next time I come back to the UK. ;)

We loved the Sally Lunn restaurant and had a great meal there. You can also tour the five hundred year old kitchen. We missed having tea at the Pump Room and it looked like a nice place for tea with a string quartet playing during tea time. The costume museum was not really exciting but worth it to see the interior of the very old building. Parking can be challenging if you are driving. We found parking in a garage which was convenient to the historic center.

Bath definitely! We took a day trip there and wished we had spent the night after all the tourists have gone.

Bath,, plus don't miss the Costume Museum there, it was great.

If you only have one day for these places I would choose Cambridge and leave Bath for next time when you can stay at least one night and have two full days in town. If you can manage longer there are many day trip options from Bath that would be good also.

Bath, no question. I have to agree with some of the previous posters: Give the Austen Museum a miss, but try to see the Museum of Costume. The house at No. 1 Royal Crescent is a museum as well and worth a visit. I wasn't too crazy about the Sally Lunn Bunns but there are great pasties to be had in Bath!

I am surprised at the positive reaction to Bath. I found it way too touristy and wouldn't want to go back. I was very disappointed. Cambridge is so much prettier.

I've made up my mind! I'll definitely go for Bath. I'll check with London Walks when they get their Summer schedule out to see if they run the Bath tour while I'm in London. If not, I'll go on my own (I would rather take the tour though. I love hearing the stories and details that guides usually tell.) So I guess Cambridge will be for my next trip.