SoloAlex

I'm speding a long weekend in Bath in mid-September. While I know this won't be in the midst of the high season, can anyone tell me what the crowds might be like? Is Friday better than Saturday? How about Sunday?

I plan on doing one whole day (at least) in Bath then venture out the other days (perhaps Bristol, Cotswolds, etc.)

SoloAlex

anyone? Bueller?

miggs24

LOLOLOL that was a good one. Wish i had an answer for you.

Scarlett

Aww Alex, I wish I had some info for you, but all I know is that there are people that I know who spend a weekend in the Bath and love to tell about it.

I do have friends in Kew that drive to Bristol for the weekend,and go to Bath on the way home, they love the tea places. She has never mentioned crowds..
I hope this will at least keep you topped~

icithecat

10 years ago, Bath in September mid week was crowded.

I cannot imagine that the crowds have lessened.
It is a popular destination.

By the way, bring your own soap and washclothes. None are provided.

I could not believe that the tea house charged for a glass of bathwater even after I had been soaking in it.

Steve_James

Alex - Bath is quite busy most days. If you want to visit the Roman Baths especially - and other museums - plan to visit before the tour buses arrive.

Steve

isabel

I was just there on a Sunday in August and while there were certainly plenty of people around it was not so crowded as to make it unpleasant. In fact very little of England or Ireland was so crowded that it was unenjoyable. I've been reading on this board for so long about how terribly crowded everything is - I suppose it's all relative, I have to wonder if everyone here is from some small midwest town that never sees tourists. Compared to Cape Cod on a summer weekend most of England and Ireland was positively tranquil.

The Roman Baths stay open till 10:00pm (last admission around 9:00). We went around 6-7 and stayed till it got dark. Very uncrowded and very atmospheric as they light the torches and everything.

SoloAlex

Isabel,

That's kind of what I was expecting. I'm guessing that during the shoulder and off seasons crowds would be bigger on the weekends. (Such is life here in DC.) I'll likely see what I can of Bath on Friday then get out of Dodge during the day Saturday and Sunday.

Thanks for the tip re: Roman Baths. It's only open until 6pm in Sept/Oct. Nevertheless, being very late can sometimes be as good as being very early.

qqqsal

I spent 3 days in Bath in early July. Sat. night they suggested reservations for dinner but it didn't really seem necessary after I got there. I actually didn't think Bath was very crowded at any time. If you need something to do in the evening, try the Bazarre Walk (about 2 hours for 5 GBP) or the Ghost Walk. If interested, check the times at the visitors' center.

nancy

I had one day & one night in Bath (1999) and took the Guide Friday tour (everyday as far as I know). There's no way I could have seen as much of Bath otherwise. Only takes a couple of hours as I recall. You can also hop on/off. You might consider checking it out.

TravelMaster

Hi Alex:

We did a day trip to Bath last October, mid month on a Saturday & did not find it that crowded. We took the morning train from London & when back that evening so were in Bath for ~9 hours and did a decent enough tour.

We had the 1-day "Bath Pass" which included the Roman Baths, pump house, Jane Austin Centre (a bit of a dissapointment), the Guide Friday Hop-on-hop off bus (which also did a guided tour of the city which really helped in getting familiar/oriented).

Enjoy the trip,

Z