Travelling to Bath

Located in South West England, Bath is easy to reach, just 80 minutes from London by train and a short drive from both the M4 and M5 motorways. Bath is also just 19 miles from Bristol Airport and well connected by regular bus services. Bath Spa railway station and Bath Bus Station are both located in the heart of the city centre.

Bath is a compact city and easy to navigate on foot, with all of the top attractions situated within walking distance of each other. You'll also find a wide selection of convenient bus and rail connections to nearby towns and villages, including Freshford, Bradford-on-Avon, Frome, Keynsham, and many more.

A Clean Air Zone is now operating in the centre of Bath. The class C Clean Air Zone means that charges only apply to taxis, private hire vehicles, vans, pick-ups, some camper vans, light goods vehicles, buses, coaches and heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) that do not meet the required emission standards. Charges apply 24/7 to all higher emission vehicles. We strongly recommend checking your vehicle before travelling using the UK Government's online tool here. For more information on Bath's Clean Air Zone, visit the Bath & North East Somerset Council website. You can also plan your visit here.

Visiting from overseas

For the latest information about travelling to Bath, please check guidance and details at gov.uk.

The UK Government has announced the introduction of Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETAs) worldwide for visitors to the UK who do not currently need a visa for short stays, or who do not already have a UK immigration status prior to travelling. Find out more here. Find out more here.

VisitBritain have a useful 'Plan Your Visit' website, which provides overseas visitors with practical advice for planning a trip to the UK. If you have any enquiries regarding travel to Bath, please contact us. We will aim to respond to all enquries within five working days.

Travelling by train

Bath Spa Railway Station is conveniently located in the heart of the city centre, just a short walk away from Bath’s main attractions and shopping districts, including the historic Roman Baths and Thermae Bath Spa.

Visit Bath’s travel partner, Great Western Railway, serves the city and the wider South West region with regular high-speed services from London Paddington, taking just 80 minutes to transport you to the heart of the World Heritage city. A taxi rank can be found immediately outside the station's main exit, and Bath Bus Station is located just a minutes’ walk along Dorchester Street. Click here for the latest service updates from Great Western Railway.

Travelling by coach

Bath is easy to reach by coach with regular services providing good value travel between all major towns and cities in Europe. Frequent services run from London Victoria coach station, London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport to Bath Bus Station. National Express is the UK's largest coach operator, offering an extensive franchised network. Other coach operators are available.

Bath provides on street coach bays for coaches wanting to drop off and pick up visitors close to visitor attractions in the city centre. There are also a couple of short stay bays for coaches wanting to stay up to 90 minutes. All coaches staying for longer than 90 minutes should park at Odd Down Coach Park. See a map of coach bays here

Higher emission coaches and minibuses (pre-euro 6/VI diesel and pre-euro 4/IV petrol) are subject to a daily charge in Bath’s Clean Air Zone. To check if charges apply to your coach or minibus, go to www.gov.uk/clean-air-zones.

For further information about coach parking in Bath, click here.

Travelling by Park & Ride

Bath is now operating a Clean Air Zone in central Bath, with daily charges applying to most higher emission vehicles. While charges do not apply to cars or motorbikes, they do apply to higher emission private vans, pick-ups, motorhomes and some camper vans. We therefore advise all visitors to consider using the Park & Ride services.

Please note that all of Bath's Park & Ride services are extending their hours of operation to 11:30pm on a trial basis every Monday-Saturday between 7 April 2025 and 31 August 2025.

The city has three Park & Ride services, which operate seven days a week. Buses run into the city from all three Park and Ride sites at least every 15 minutes, with a journey time of just ten minutes. All buses are wheelchair and pushchair friendly.

You can view a live update of the spaces currently available at Bath's main car parks, including the three Park & Ride sites.

Visitors with tall vehicles are advised that Newbridge Park & Ride has a height barrier of 6ft 6", Odd Down Park & Ride has a 7ft 2" barrier, and there are no barriers at Lansdown Park and Ride.

Travelling by bus

There are several bus operators that provide regular services in and around Bath.

First West of England is the largest, operating from the main Bath Bus Station in Dorchester Street, adjacent to Bath Spa Railway Station.

You will find excellent bus links to Bath from neighbouring towns and cities, as well as a regular direct bus service from Bristol Airport. You can plan your journey to Bath by bus and search for local timetables on the Travelwest website.

Explore Bath using the hop-on hop-off City Sightseeing Tour bus. The buses stop at over 20 locations around the city, covering all the most popular sights and attractions within the centre and across Bath Skyline.

There are frequent departures from all over the city, and all buses provide an audio guide in ten languages, as well as a live guide in English on some buses.

Travelling by car

Bath is located just ten miles from Junction 18 of the M4 motorway, which runs directly from London and Heathrow Airport. There are also excellent motorway links from the north and south of the country via the M5 motorway, and Wales is just a short drive west along the M4 motorway.

As Bath is a small city, the roads can become congested at busy times. To avoid traffic, parking charges and Bath’s Clean Air Zone, we strongly recommend using one of the city’s three Park & Ride services. Take care when driving around the city, as there are a number of one-way streets and bus lanes in operation.

As of September 2023, a vehicle emission-based parking charge system is in operation at all council-owned car parks in Bath to improve air quality in the city. The price of parking will depend on your vehicle's emissions, in line with the bands used for DVLA vehicle excise duty. Drivers of non-diesel vehicles with emissions below 131 grams per kilometre will not see prices increase. However, more polluting vehicles such as those with diesel engines will now pay a higher rate.

Motorists will be required to input their registration plate details when paying for parking, in order for their charge to be automatically calculated. Payment is accepted by cash or card at on-site terminals, or online using MiPermit. You can find out whether you may be charged the higher rate ahead of your visit by checking your vehicle’s emissions on the UK Government website.

Parking at Bath's Park & Ride sites will remain free of charge.

The new parking charge system aims to incentivise owners of more polluting vehicles to use more sustainable transport alternatives when visiting Bath city centre, and encourage a shift to public transport, walking, wheeling and cycling. Find out more on the Bath & North East Somerset Council website.

View a parking map to find your nearest car park in Bath.

View live car park occupancy in Bath

Bath’s historic Cleveland Bridge is open to two-way traffic with a temporary 18-tonne weight limit. ANPR cameras are currently installed on the bridge to enforce this restriction. Read more at http://bathnes.gov.uk/clevelandbridge.

Please note that Avon Street Car Park is temporarily limited to 140 spaces while refurbishment works take place on the site's multi-storey parking structure. The site will reopen with 291 spaces when work is completed. Find out more here.

Clean Air Zone

To help tackle harmful pollution, Bath operates a Clean Air Zone (CAZ). Charges apply daily, from midnight to midnight, all year round.

The class C Clean Air Zone means that charges only apply to taxis, private hire vehicles, light goods vehicles and heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). Higher emission buses, coaches, vans, pick-ups, motorhomes, horse transporters and some campers may also be charged. A higher emission vehicle is a pre-Euro 6 (VI) diesel vehicle (Euro 1 to 5 (V) or earlier), or pre-Euro 4 petrol vehicle (Euro 1 to 3 or earlier).

Cars and motorbikes are not charged (except taxis).

To check if charges apply to your vehicle go to www.gov.uk/clean-air-zones.

If charges apply, pay within 6 days at GOV.UK. No reminders are sent.

Exemptions and discounts are available for certain vehicles, such as larger motorhomes and for blue badge holders. Go to www.bathnes.gov.uk/CAZexemptions

Plan your visit at www.bathnes.gov.uk/planyourvisit.

Travelling by air

Travelling from Bristol Airport to Bath

Bristol Airport is just 19 miles from Bath, making it the city’s closest airport. It currently serves over 100 destinations worldwide.

The Air Decker bus service provides a direct link between Bath and Bristol Airport, with stops at various points in Saltford, Keynsham and South Bristol and a total journey time of approximately one hour.

Alternatively, the Bristol Airport Flyer express coach service will take you from the airport to Bristol Temple Meads railway station, where you can catch one of the many frequent train services into Bath. The coach service runs on a regular basis, seven days a week with a complete journey time of approximately one hour.

National Express services connect Bristol Airport with Bristol, Cardiff, Birmingham, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Weston-super-Mare, Penzance, Newquay, Plymouth, Paignton and Exeter.

Or, for an easy arrival or departure, you can pre-book a private airport transfer to or from Bristol Airport with K&I Cars Taxi and Private Hire Services, Roman Bath Private Hire, or ExecFirm – Executive Travel.

Travelling from Heathrow Airport to Bath

Heathrow Airport is 100 miles east of Bath on the M4 motorway.

A regular coach service runs directly from the airport to Bath with a total journey time of 120-to-180 minutes.

For an easy arrival or departure, you can pre-book a private airport transfer to or from Heathrow Airport with Roman Bath Private Hire or XFA Cars.

A Heathrow Express train service runs between the airport and London Paddington, where you can then pick up a direct train service to Bath Spa railway station. The complete journey time for this is around 135 minutes.

Travelling from Gatwick Airport to Bath

Gatwick Airport is 140 miles east of Bath.

You can take a train from the Airport to Reading railway station, where you can pick up a train service to Bath Spa railway station, with a total journey time of approximately 180 minutes.

For an easy arrival or departure, you can pre-book a private airport transfer to or from Gatwick Airport with Russell’s of Bath Private Hire, Roman Bath Private Hire or XFA Cars.

Alternatively, catch a coach from Gatwick Airport via Heathrow Airport to Bath with a journey time of approximately 270 minutes.

Travelling by Taxi

You can book private hire taxi companies to travel to Bath and the nearby areas.

Russell’s of Bath Private Hire offer taxi tours and transfer tours to multiple locations of your choice. Combine your airport or city transfer with a stop at Stonehenge, hire someone to take you on a day out around scenic local sights, or email the team direct with your suggestions and they will plan your transfer tour.

Roman Bath Private Hire provide executive Airport transfers, bespoke private tours and long distance taxis to and from Bath.

XFA Cars offers private transfers from London airports to Bath and the surrounding areas. They can also offer bespoke private tours and itineraries tailored to your interests and schedule.

Please note: Higher emission taxis (pre-Euro 6 (VI) diesel and pre-Euro 4 (IV) petrol) are charged in Bath’s Clean Air Zone. To check your vehicle and pay zone charges, go to www.gov.uk/clean-air-zones. No reminders are sent.

Special Travel Passes

Visitors to Bath can expand their visit with a Great West Way Discoverer Pass, offering bus and rail travel to all destinations on the Great West Way touring route between Bristol and London. Please note that these passes are only available to international travellers prior to their visit, and cannot be purchased in the UK.

Explore the rest of the country with a BritRail Pass, including travel on the entire railway network of Great Britain, or enjoy unlimited rail and ferry travel across 33 European countries, including the United Kingdom, with an Eurail Pass.

Accessible Transport and Accessible Travel to Bath

There are several initiatives and facilities in Bath to make travel to the city as accessible as possible, whether you’re travelling by car or by public transport.

Find out more about Blue Badge parking in Bath and North East Somerset.
Several local taxi firms have specially adapted vehicles suitable for users of wheelchairs or other mobility aids. Find out more here.
Find out more about Accessibility on buses in Bath on the First Bus website, including details on low floor access, wheelchair accessibility, RNIB charter and extra help to travel.
GWR offer information on accessibility on the train and also at the station itself. Find out more here.
Bristol Airport's special assitance services will help with help and advice for your journey. Find out more here.
National Express offer comprehensive accessibility guides to travelling to Bath on the coach. You can find all the information here.