London or Bath first?
 

Hi everyone,<BR>We land in London at 6am on a Sunday morning and leave the following Sunday at 1pm. We want to spend 2 days in Bath and the rest in London. I'm thinking we should visit Bath at either the start or end of the trip rather than the middle. What would you recommend? We're also considering splurging in Bath and staying at The Priory - anyone have any experience here? Thanks! Gin

I would do Bath at the start - getting there would help kill the wasted morning time on your arrival and I find I cope better with my sleep deprivation in a slower-paced smaller city.

Gin,<BR>I would take a Bath BEFORE you go to London. Otherwise you'll stink up the joint. God Bless.

Hi, I would do London first, take a tour to Bath, not very far, come back and stay the rest in London. I tried to drive in to Bath and got caught in a traffic jam, had to turn around and drive in to London.<BR><BR>I have a great B and B in London if you need one.<BR><BR>Nancy

skip the bath and take a shower

Gin- I would do Bath first--<BR>The Priory is a DELUXE 1st class hotel --you will LOVE IT!!!<BR>And if you are into antiquing,Bath has some wonderful shops at the top of the hill in the center of town PLUS an antique market on certain days of the week....Have a super time-- Bath is one of my favorite areas.

If you're leaving at 1pm, then it wouldn't make sense to be in Bath that morning.

Thanks to all for your responses. I think we will head to Bath first and hope we can stay awake long enough to enjoy the drive! Gin

I would definitely do Bath in the middle. We spent two weeks in London and in the middle we spent 4 days touring the countryside which was a nice reprieve from the city.

Was just noticing that much of Bath seems closed on Sunday. Couldn't find a single "top rated" restaurant that is open on Sunday, for example. Not sure if that is a problem, but something to think about.

Patrick, thanks for that heads up. What's your favorite restaurant there?

Several posters on here warn against driving long distances on unfamiliar roads after a long flight. Jet lag could start to kick in.... You may be best going straight to London and saving Bath till the end.

From your replies it sounds like your planning to drive to Bath. If so my suggestion is to take the train instead. Bath is a nightmare to drive around and a parking spot is nearly impossible to find. Bath is a very walkable city with a convient Train station and much more enjoyable without a car as a headache. <BR>Happy travels, CB <BR>

Personally, I think Bath is only worth a single day trip. While the Roman Baths and the free city walking tours are a must - I didn't find much beyond that to hold my interest. Avoid the Jane Austen "Museum" at all cost! It was very disappointing - basically several rooms filled with large pictures of Bath and the text from her books to describe them.<BR><BR>My suggestion would be to follow your original plan. Land in London and go to Bath. Spend your first day there, spend one night, next morning do what ever is left, and then head to London.<BR><BR>Just my two cents. Some people are enarmored with the city. And I would love to return one day.<BR><BR>And I agree with the previous posters. Go by train. No need for a car in the city and parking is impossible. <BR><BR>Have fun,<BR>jpm<BR>Travelogues posted at www.appleberryroad.com

Gin,<BR><BR>My wife and I just made a trip to Bath for four days and then London for two (we've been to London many times before). I suggest going to London and then making an "early morning to late evening" day trip to Bath sometime in the middle of your trip. Take the train- its easy and fairly cheap.<BR>There is alot of shopping in Bath. I suggest the Pump Room for lunch and Browns for dinner (although its a chain). Browns is very good for people watching. The Pubs in Bath are not very traditional as far as the menu goes and we just didn't like most of them. The Roman bath museum is interesting, as well as the Abby. Other than that- I wouldn't bother with much else. Most of Bath (and everthing I've suggested) is within very easy walking distance from the train station-10 minutes tops.