Bath or Oxford?
 

We're traveling to England in May with time for a short (overnight) trip to Bath or Oxford from London. Which would you recommend? Which is easier to get to via train from London? Places to stay?

Both are easy to get to from London. We liked the Paradise House Hotel in Bath.

We thought Bath was the more enjoyable and interesting of the two.

Been to both and liked them. If I had to choose I guess it would be Bath. It would be nice if you could take the train to Oxford, spend most of the day and then head off to Bath for the night and the next day. Think about it!

I guess it depends on your interests and what is important to you. Bath is a more beautiful town in my opinion, but Oxford had better pubs and nightlife. If I had to pick between the two knowing nothing about the person that is going, I would say go to Bath because it's more of a different experience if you are spending the rest of your time in London.

both are amazing places - I love both, and for architecture Oxford will be #1 on most people's lists. But for a short overnight on a first trip to the UK - Bath might be the best choice.

The Roman baths, beautiful city - almost "movie set pretty" - parks and gardens etc.

There is actually more to see/do in Oxford though.

I think Oxford is an architectural stunner. Beautiful colleges, chapels, gardens, and a vibrant university town vibe.

Bath did little for me. Very staid and touristy. For me there is no comparison.

If you went from London to Oxford by train, can you get from Oxford to Bath by train? then back to London? Do you make the reservations now for October?

judymo, sure, no problem. From Paddington station direct to Oxford. When you leave Oxford to Bath you will need to transfer at Reading or Didcot Parkway which ever you ticket for.

Oxford's easier to get to from London (though Bath's easy anyway). But Bath's usually a lot more expensive to get to, since it's a lot trickier to get cheapo return tickets to Bath and have a full day there for seeing the sights.

I am for Oxford. Very impressive architecture, intersting to visit the old universities. For me, Oxford and Cambridge are two very special cities, while Bath is a nice one.

Concur with Valtor- Oxford. The Bodleian Library- incredible! Turf Tavern- incredible (if you drink beer).

But, Bath was also nice. We, too, stayed at the Paradise House Hotel, and recommend it highly. They have an in-house cat, which is a plus for me personally.

I vote for Bath. I loved the Roman Baths there (which is pretty much the bulk of what we did there). I liked Oxford, I just thought Bath was more varied and interesting. Of course, I also visited them about 10 years apart.

If you are interested in seeing great Roman ruins and have any interest in Jane Austin, Bath is a good choice. A guided walk allowed a good comparison of life in England at the time with life in the Colonies. We also had a couple of great meals there.

If you choose Oxford, Blenheim Palace is just a short ride away and well worth seeing. Woodstock is also close for a visit to a village.

Jane was of the AUSTEN family when I last checked!