We will land at Heathrow Terminal 3 at 13.35 on Friday. We have only carry-on luggage. We then want to take the coach to Bath (in my mind I see a bus, but I remember to say 'coach'). I am planning to buy the tickets at the central coach/bus station at Heathrow. We should be able to take the one that leaves at 3.15pm. Does this sound do-able? Please tell me if there is something I miss.
The more tricky question is returning on Sunday late afternoon from Bath to our hotel on the Strand in London. Should we coach back to Heathrow and from there take a car/the Heathrow Express? Should we rather train to Paddington and then onwards? At this stage I will probably opt for what is faster, not what is less expensive (within reason!).
THANKS!

O my. I see that the fastest coach on Sunday from Bath to Heathrow takes five hours (National Express). Please ... is there a better plan?

Don't bother with Heathrow if you're going into central London.

Train from Bath to Paddington, then taxi (or Bakerloo Line to to Charing Cross and walk 10 minutes or so along the Strand)

(There are coaches to Victoria Coach Station, but they take much longer and the onward journey from Victoria to the Strand Palace isn't that convenient).

Easy...train to paddington then the Bakerloo line to Charing Cross. Just check on www.tfl.gov.uk for engineering works closures on weekends for the tube. But I don't think the Bakerloo line is under maintenance for that part of the live these days.

Great minds Patrick

Thanks a lot Patrick and Jamikins! I see the train takes less than 2 hours. Much better.

If there are two of us, we've got luggage and we're headed somewhere like the Strand, I honestly doubt we ever bother with the tube from Paddington.

If we're feeling spectacularly frugal, or responsible,or feel like recreating our childhood we MIGHT sometimes get a bus: they're free for us - and we can sit in the front seat at the top and pretend we're driving.

Most of the time we'll grab a cab. With only light bags, on a nice day, we'll walk: through the parks and the Mall, then along the Embankment and up Savoy Hill, it's spectacular and mostly - especially on a Sunday - traffic-free.

At this moment in time I do not feel frugal or responsible or wanting to drive a big red bus from the top Flanner! The walk sounds great, but we may have had a long walk in the morning. And if you factor in the very real possibility of me getting lost in the early dusk ... I think the cab will be the way to go. When we returned from our very first visit to London last year, my DD was quite disappointed when she realized that we have never taken a cab. Not once. How could that be ... to miss such an integral part of her image of being in London. So yes, thank you: it will be train to Paddington, cab to the Strand.