Bath is famous for its well-preserved Roman Baths. The train station (Bath Spa) is in a great location. From the station, it is slightly uphill to get to the Roman Baths. The walk is only seven minutes, but there is a lot to see between the two points.
Tips on traveling by train in the UK.
The entire town center is constructed from an unusual yellow brick, from the local clay, which gives it a very uniform, orderly feel. Bath, with the River Avon curving around it, was a major Roman Empire get away, so it was elegantly built and feels regal to this day.
Roman Baths
Think about the detail and work that went into building the Roman Baths. On a cold day, the water will look like it is steaming. The tour will take you up and down and around; it is a great way to start your day in Bath. Be sure to get the headsets and listen to the audio tour. There is a lot of information about the baths that you will discover as you walk through the site. Near the end, you have a chance to taste the water, if you are brave enough.
Bath Abbey
Adjacent to the baths is Bath Abbey (church). They offer tower tours that take you to the top of the tower but be warned. It includes 212 steps up. The tour is different than most as you will be in a group with two guides. One good thing is that you will make a couple of rest stops and you get to see the bells up close and personal. You will even come across the peephole on the floor to know when the bride is coming down the aisle during her wedding. From the top, the views are stunning. I would highly recommend this trek if you can handle the steps. The Abbey itself is impressive too; take a minute to explore it inside and out.
Battle of the Buns
One fun thing to take part in is the “battle of the buns.” There are two rival places, Bath Bun and Sally Lunn’s house that have delicious buns. But which one is better? You may need to go and try both. I know a tough job, but someone needs to do it. Although you do need to give yourself lots of time as the lines can be long.
You may also be interested in taking a look at Canterbury.
Christmas Market
If you are there for the Christmas holidays, Bath has a Christmas market that is fun to explore. Take a look at their website for dates and times – Bath Christmas market.
It is easy to feel you have traveled back in time 2,000 years. Beyond the baths and abbey are dozens of places to enjoy a cup of tea, river to walk along, shopping and more shopping.
From London – 2 hours by train (Station Bath Spa), 2 ½ hours by car (114 miles)
