Transportation from Heathrow Airport to Bath

I hate to disagree with our estimable expert but NO definitely don;t go into Paddington(London) and out again on the train. You are going around in c ircles!
Take the Railair bus nonstop to Reading Station where you can meet that same train to Bath (and it will cost less as you are closer!!!) OR take the direct bus to Bath. The Railaira connection Heathrow/Reading Station is about an hour with a luggage compartment below for your bags. The direct bus to Bath would take...and this is an educated guess about 2 1/2 hrs. as it is direct to Bath on the M4 which is right at Heathrow.

If price isn't a consideration, I'd vote for the National Express. The central bus station at Heathrow is easy to get to, and you'd go straight from Heathrow to Bath with no transfers on some routes.

If your boys are under 15, you can get a family advance purchase ticket for 28.50 pounds as opposed to 9.50 pounds each.If you book in advance, you can pick up your train ticket from a ticket machine at the Reading train station. Now this fare is an offpeak one meaning after 9 am.

You didn't mention your time of arrival (and you COULD be late nor the terminal you arrive in. I know Terminal 3 very well and you will find lots of places for a snack, etc. and a bank of ATM machines from just about every bank in the UK!!! You then walk with your luggage on trolleys in an underground tunnel to the Bus Station. This is much nicer than it sounds and is well-signposted.

If you need anymore info please PM me.

I'm weighing in on this one. I disagree with Rick on taking the bus Heathrow to Bath. Last fall, with an advance reservation for the bus, I arrived in Bath at 1:15pm after landing at Heathrow about 7:30am. I was completely exhausted. I think the train to Paddington followed by another train to Bath would be quicker, even if not less costly. That bus station is a long walk from where United lands; the bus trip is 2 1/2 hours from there. And I had to wait over an hour for my bus after reaching the bus station. On a positive note, the Heathrow bus station has been dramatically improved in the past couple of years. I recommend signing up with National Express and buying your ticket online before your trip if you plan to take a bus from there (the buses tend to fill up). Keep in mind that it can take an hour or more to get through Passport Control, so allow at least a couple of hours from the time you are supposed to land before your bus departure time. Or, take the train and don't bother with reservations. I'm taking the train next time.

Last year I arrived at Heathrow in the morning, and it took about 30 minutes to get through passport control, then a few minutes to walk to the bus station. My flight came in at 8:30 (on time, with Virgin Atlantic), and I had a National Express bus ticket for 9:40. I actually got there in time for the 9:15 bus, and they let me board that one instead. So you never know -- it's hard to estimate how much time to allow. But I can tell you also that if you miss a scheduled National Express bus, you can just get on the next one with no problem.

Another factors. Bath Spa train station has taxi but not bus connections & it probably not in walking distance to hotel. The bus station might be close enough to walk to lodgings. (rail station info available at http://www.nationalrail.co.uk)

Dan & Barb, my suggestion would be to use the National Express Coach from Heathrow to Bath. The Coach that leaves London Victoria makes a stop at Heathrow, and it's not a long trip (an hour or two from the airport - I did the trip last fall but can't remember the exact time). I haven't checked, but I suspect this might be the quickest and most cost efficient method - the time spent travelling to railway stations, perhaps waiting for the train and then the journey to Bath might be longer than just using the Coach. Check the National Express web site for times.

As someone else noted, there was construction work in progress in Bath, but as your B&B will have a Taxi waiting you won't have any problems once you arrive there.

Hope you have a great time in Bath. Happy travels!

The bus station is near the train station in Bath Spa. The bus station was under construction last October when I was there, so that added to the confusion since the temporary station was farther from the train station than before. The new bus station, whenever it is completed, will be close to the train station. Centrally located lodging in Bath should be walking distance from either bus or train. You may want to take a taxi if your hotel/B&B is up the hill or across the river. The taxi rank is in front of the train station.

I can't tell you how grateful I am for all of the information and advice you have passed our way. Now I need to digest it all and make our final decision.

Actually, our plane arrives at 11:45am in Heathrow and I'm not sure which terminal we will be coming through.

Our B&B host has offered to have a taxi waiting for us when we know what time and where we will arrive in Bath.

Thank you again, all of you, for being so generous with your information.

Barb Whitaker (Dan's wife)