From London, by train
This is the good one. Direct trains run from London Paddington to Bath Spa, and the journey is roughly an hour and a half. There is no change, the line runs through the Thames valley and then Brunel’s Box Tunnel, and Bath Spa station puts you in the middle of the city. Not on an industrial edge with a shuttle bus, but a five-minute walk from the Abbey.
It is, without much argument, the best way to arrive. Advance fares booked early are dramatically cheaper than turning up on the day, and the difference is large enough to be worth planning around. Check current times and prices with the operator rather than relying on anything here.
Coming from further north, you will usually change at Bristol Temple Meads or Bristol Parkway; from the west, Temple Meads to Bath Spa is a short hop of about fifteen minutes and trains are frequent.
From Bristol Airport
Bristol Airport is the nearest airport, and it is worth understanding before you book: it has no railway station. Every route from the airport to Bath is a road route.
- Direct bus: a coach service runs between Bristol Airport and Bath. It is the cheapest sensible option and takes something under an hour depending on traffic. Check the current timetable and the last departure before you book a late flight.
- Taxi or private hire: around forty-five minutes on a good run, considerably more at rush hour. Convenient with luggage or a family; priced accordingly.
- Via Bristol city centre: the airport flyer bus into Temple Meads, then a train to Bath Spa. Two legs, but useful if the direct coach times do not work.
If you are choosing between airports, Heathrow to Bath by coach or via Paddington is entirely reasonable, and Birmingham has direct rail connections. Bristol is closest but not always cheapest once you have added the transfer.
By road
Bath sits just off the M4: junction 18 and then south on the A46, which is the approach most people take. From the south and west, the A36, A4 and A367 all feed in. None of it is difficult driving until the last mile, at which point it becomes a Georgian city with a one-way system.
Two things to know before you drive in. First, Bath has a Clean Air Zone in the centre, aimed principally at older commercial vehicles rather than private cars, but if you are in a van or a campervan, check your vehicle against the current rules, because it is camera-enforced. Second, and more practically: central parking is limited, expensive and time-restricted.
The house is on the western edge in Newbridge, which means you reach it on the A4 without going through the centre at all, and there is free, unrestricted on-street parking when you arrive. We have written the whole thing up in the parking guide, because it is the question we are asked most.
From Bath Spa station to the house
The house is in Newbridge, west of the centre. Three ways to cover it:
Once you are at the station
- 01On foot: about thirty-five minutes along the river and the canal towpath. Flat the whole way and much the nicest arrival, though not the one to choose with heavy suitcases in the rain.
- 02By bus: the 39 and X39 serve Newbridge from the city centre, and the 716 links Newbridge, Locksbrook and Lower Weston with the centre. Check current times, particularly on Sundays and in the evening.
- 03By taxi: a short ride out along the A4. There is a rank at the station, and Uber works well in Bath.
Getting around
The 39 and X39 serve Newbridge for Bath city centre and Bristol. The 716 links Newbridge, Locksbrook and Lower Weston with the city centre. Uber is a convenient taxi option. Bath Spa railway station connects to Bristol, London and beyond.
Once you are here
You will not need the car again, and that is rather the point. Everything in central Bath is within a mile of everything else, the walk in along the canal is flat, and the buses run from Newbridge if the weather turns. Guests who arrive by train and use their feet for four days tend to have the better holiday.
Arriving at the house
- Check-in is between 3:00pm and 9:00pm, and check-out is by 11:00am.
- The address is 35 Brassmill Lane, Bath BA1 3JE.
- It is self check-in via the lockbox. We will send you everything you need before you travel.
- If your train is delayed or your flight moves, message us. It is not a problem, but we would rather know.