How to Get to Bath from London

Bath – the spa town known for its Roman ruins, Georgian architecture, literary history and as the seat of England’s regency area – is a popular side trip from London.

So what’s the best way to get to Bath from London?

I first visited Bath in 2023 and absolutely fell in love with this charming city. I highly recommend a Bath weekend break or even a Bath day trip from London, if that’s all you have time for.

But what you don’t want to do is waste time on transportation. That’s time you could be spending in Bath!

I experienced both the bus and train routes to/from Bath firsthand, plus familiarized myself with local transport, day tours and driving routes.

Below I will break down all of the options to get you from London to Bath and help you choose the right one for your trip!

Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning if you click through and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!

And thank you to Visit Bath and Hotel Indigo Bath for supporting my visit to Bath. While some of my experiences and accommodation were complimentary, all opinions below are my own.

How far is Bath from London?

Bath is about 115 miles (185 km) from London and it would take 2.5-3.5 hours to drive there by car or bus. Trains connect London to Bath in just 90 minutes.

Please note that the transportation information below is current as of the time of writing. Please check with transport operators for the most up to date services and schedules. 

London to Bath by bus

Take the bus from London to Bath if you want to save money and don’t mind a longer journey.

If you’d like to go from London to Bath by bus, you can take the National Express coach from London Victoria Coach Station to Bath Spa Bus Station.

The journey will take on average 2.5-3.5 hours and is direct, though there are stops. They advertise the fastest journey as 2.5 hours, but with traffic and depending on the time of day, it could be closer to 4 hours.

Fares start at just $9 USD one-way and there are up to nine National Express departures each day.

Book your London to Bath bus tickets here!

Bonus: The London to Bath bus service also stops at Heathrow Airport. So if you’re looking to save some money by taking the bus and/or want to go directly from Heathrow to Bath (or Bath to Heathrow), the bus might be a good option.

I took a coach bus to Bath from Cheltenham and, honestly, I regret it. While it was slightly cheaper than the train, the temperature control wasn’t working so it was sweltering inside!

London to Bath by train

Take the train from London to Bath if you want to get to Bath as quickly and comfortably as possible. 

If you’d prefer to travel from London to Bath by train, you can take the GWR train from London Paddington to Bath Spa station.

The journey takes about 90 minutes and there are on average seven departures per day. All seven of those trains are direct from London to Bath (no switching trains).

Fares start at $33 USD one-way. Note that tickets are much cheaper when booked in advance!

Because the train is so much faster than the bus, more comfortable and more reliable (when there’s not a rail strike!), most people going from London to Bath choose to take the train.

Book your London to Bath train tickets here!

Of course, taking the train will cost you more than the bus. But in my opinion, the comfort, reliability and lack of traffic with trains makes the price increase worth it.

I took the train back from Bath to London and I’m very glad I did. It was an easy route and much more enjoyable than my bus journey to Bath.

London to Bath day tours

Take a London to Bath tour if you don’t want the stress of arranging your own transportation and want to add on a side trip near Bath. 

If you don’t want to drive yourself and don’t want to deal with arranging bus or train transportation, you can opt to take a London to Bath tour.

While taking the bus or train from London to Bath is fairly straight forward (most routes are direct) and more affordable, a day tour is preferable for some travellers.

Many tour operators will pick you up and drop you off at your London hotel, meaning no hassle to get to a bus or train station, and no need to switch hotels.

A lot of London to Bath tours also include informative commentary and side trips to harder to reach places, like Stonehenge, the Cotswolds or Windsor Castle.

If you’re short on time and want to see Bath plus another popular UK site, a day tour is a really efficient way to do that.

While I didn’t take a day tour to Bath, I have taken many day tours before. When my husband and I were in Ireland, we primarily took day tours from the bigger cities out into the country.

This was an awesome way for us to get out into the beautiful Irish countryside, learn more about the culture and history of Ireland, all without having to worry about renting a car or figuring out a bus schedule.

London to Bath by car

Drive from London to Bath if you want to make stops on the way or you’re planning a larger road trip.

Lastly, you can also choose to rent a car and drive from London to Bath. The drive will take about 2.5-3 hours, or longer depending on traffic.

Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend driving if you only want to go from London to Bath.

As mentioned above, London and Bath are very easily connected by bus and train. And once you’re in Bath, you won’t need a car to get around.

In fact, you’ll probably have a really hard time finding a place to park your car!

I would only recommend renting a car if you plan to make a lot of stops on your way from London to Bath or if Bath is the first stop on your larger UK road trip.

Make sure you’re comfortable driving on the lefthand side of the road and try not to rent your car in central London to avoid hectic city driving and traffic.

Book your London rental car here!

Once in Bath, you’re encouraged to leave your car at one of the city’s Park & Ride lots. From there, you can take a convenient 10 minute bus into the city centre.

Getting around once you’re in Bath

Once you’ve made it to Bath – whether by train, bus, day tour or car – you’ll be able to easily get around town.

When I was in Bath, I walked everywhere. If that’s accessible to you, I recommend it.

Otherwise, Bath does have city buses, operated by First Bus, that you can use to get around. There are also taxis and e-scooters available.

For more information about public transport in Bath, click here.

Is Bath a walkable city?

Yes, Bath is an extremely walkable city! All of the main things to see and do are located within the historic city centre or just a short walk from it.

You can simply show up to the train or bus station and then walk everywhere from there.

Not only is everything in Bath easy to walk to, it’s also a beautiful place to walk. What slowed me down the most walking around the city wasn’t the large distances, but wanting to take photos of all of the beautiful parks, buildings, shops, etc.

Wrapping up: What’s the best way to get from London to Bath?

In my opinion, the best way to get to Bath from London is by train. It’s more affordable than a day tour or car rental, more comfortable than the bus, and the fastest way to get from London to Bath.

I took the train back from Bath to London and was very happy with that choice!

However, I do think there are good reasons to take other means of transportation to Bath.

The bus makes sense if you’re on a budget, a day tour is a good option if you want to see Stonehenge or the Cotswolds, and a rental car is smart if you’re planning a larger England road trip.

All to say, the best way for you to get from London to Bath is going to depend on the type of traveller you are and the type of trip you’re on.

The good news is that once you’re in Bath, you won’t have to worry about transportation!

Simply walk everywhere and follow along on my 3 day Bath itinerary or day trip Bath itinerary to make the most of your time in town.