By rail
Bath Spa, ~1.5 h from London
United Kingdom
Bath, United Kingdom
Roman baths and Georgian crescents
Getting there
By air
Bristol (BRS), ~30 km
Best time to visit
May to September — the long days
Don't miss
The Roman Baths
The Royal Crescent
Bath Abbey
The Circus
Things to do
The Roman Baths
The Royal Crescent
Jane Austen's Bath
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Arpingstone · Public domain
What to pack
Comfortable shoes
A quieter corner
Pulteney Bridge and the weir at dusk
Questions travellers ask
When is Bath at its best?
May to September, when the days are long. Wear comfortable shoes — this is a city for walking between Roman baths and Georgian crescents.
Can I get to Bath by train?
Trains reach Bath Spa in about 1.5 h from London. Flying in, Bristol (BRS) is about 30 km away.
What's on the must-see list in Bath?
The Roman Baths, the Royal Crescent, Bath Abbey and the Circus — plus Jane Austen's Bath for her fans.
Where should I be in Bath at dusk?
At Pulteney Bridge, watching the weir. Before that, fit in a Bath bun or afternoon tea.
About Bath
- Riverside
- Hills
Where it is
Bath is the largest city in Somerset, in south-west England, set in the valley of the River Avon about 18 km south-east of Bristol, among limestone hills at the southern edge of the Cotswolds.
History
The Romans made the town a spa around AD 60, building baths and a temple at the hot spring sacred to the goddess Sulis Minerva, and called it Aquae Sulis. In the 18th century Bath became perhaps the most fashionable spa in Britain, and the architects John Wood the Elder and his son laid out its Georgian streets, squares and crescents in golden Bath stone.
People
Bath's people speak English with a West Country accent, and the city has two universities, the University of Bath and Bath Spa University, and a strong rugby tradition. The Jane Austen Festival each September sees people parade through the streets in Regency costume.
Known for
- The Roman Baths
- The Royal Crescent and the Circus
- Bath Abbey
- Pulteney Bridge
- Jane Austen and her novels set in Bath
Did you know?
Bath is part of two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the whole city was inscribed in 1987, and in 2021 it joined the Great Spa Towns of Europe.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.