I am flying into Heathrow and heading to Bath. I looked into taking the National Express coach from Heathrow to Bath, but it doesn't run very often and I would rather not sit for 2-1/2 hours on a bus after the long flight. I read suggestions here to take a RailAir bus to Reading, then the train to Bath, which looks great. I am nervous, though, about getting the low-cost Advance train tickets when I don't know what kind of delays I'll run into at Heathrow. Buying non-Advance train tickets makes the cost much more than just taking the bus from Heathrow to Bath. Is there a trick for dealing with this? Do travelers who do this just pay full fare for the train or assume that there won't be any delays?
Posted by
Tumwater, WA, United States
118 posts
My wife and I traveled that route with a Britrail pass. It was pleasant, especially with jet lag, to sit back and relax on the train. We ate lunch in the train station in Reading and then continued to Bath after. Have a great time. Which ever way you go, train or bus, will be fun.
Posted by
OP
Seattle, WA, USA
14 posts
Thanks for the advice. I think that I'll just go with the direct-to-Bath National Express coach, just to remove the stress of worrying about flight delays. Hopefully I'll be able to catch the first bus (about 1-1/2 after landing) and won't have to wait another hour for the one after that.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32352 posts
Michelle,
I'd also suggest using National Express as that will probably be the most flexible given the fact you don't know exactly how much time it's going to take to clear Immigration, collect luggage, etc.
The travel time from Heathrow is about 2.5 hours if the Coach is direct (no stops). You might want to have a look at their schedule and make note of the departure times, so that you'll know which ones are "direct" to Bath Spa.
As you'll be no doubt be tired when you arrive in Bath and hauling luggage, I'd suggest taking a Taxi to your Hotel / B&B. At that point, you'll probably agree that the cost is worth it!
Cheers!