Bath Transport

Bath city centre is fairly compact and mostly pedestrianised, so it is easy to walk to most of the popular attractions. The streets are well-laid out and pleasant. Many of the citys historic sites and tourist attractions are grouped together so its easy to spend the day meandering from one to the other. However, if you want to get your bearings, there are frequent hop-on/hop-off open top bus tours of the city.

If you are not staying in the city centre or you wish to travel to surrounding towns and villages, you will find that Bath is well served by bus services, most of them operated by First bus company. These buses run at least once per hour, but are less frequent on Sundays and public holidays. Buses in Bath offer a cheaper alternative to taxis.

By bus

In Bath, every effort has been made to help visitors get about by bus. The main bus station in Manvers Street (phone: +44 1225 464 446) has clearly marked bays and a helpful information desk to help you avoid making any mistakes. Tickets can be purchased from the driver on the bus, who will be happy to notify you when you reach your destination. In addition, Badgerline also runs a 'purple bus' service which follows many of the popular routes. This service allows easy access for wheelchairs and buggies and the bus is cleaned every hour. All buses departing from Bath Bus Station are non-smoking.

Taxis

Taxi cabs are readily available at the train station. You can also find them concentrated near New Bond Street at the Podium Shopping Centre or you can hire one by telephone, if you are in a less urban area of Bath. Unless you catch a cab from the cab rank at the station or one of the other ranks in town, you will need to telephone for a taxi. All hotels, restaurants and pubs will be able to provide you with a taxi number or will phone for you. Hotels will often have listings of preferred taxi companies. As is typical in many places, extra charges can be incurred for extra passengers, luggage, night or holiday travel. Two reputable companies are: Abbey Taxis (tel: +44 1225 444 444) and City Taxis (tel: +44 1225 426 699).

Tourist services

No visitor to Bath can fail to notice the variety of tour buses circling the city, pointing out the main sights to the crowds. These run regularly from Orange Grove and the bus station, and for those with mobility problems, they are a sensible and affordable way to learn more about the history of the city.

But Bath was made for walking, and if you take the time to explore on foot, you will appreciate the riches that the city has to offer. There are numerous walking tours available, from the Mayors Guided Walk that leaves from the Abbey twice daily and is free to the Bizarre Bath walk that will leave you in stitches. The Tourist Board offers free walking tours of the city every day. The tours are conducted by professional tour guides and/or long-term residents who have a profound knowledge of Bath and its history. They last a couple of hours, and are very entertaining. An absolute must.

If you prefer to explore alone, then the tourist information office has leaflets detailing well defined routes that will take you past the main attractions and beyond.

Bath Tourist Information Centre: +44 870 444 6442

From the airport

As Bristol International Airport is Baths nearest airport, the quickest way to get in to Bath is via Bristol. By bus, it's easy to get to central Bristol from the airport. Bristol International Flyer operates an express link between the airport and the city centre bus station (bus number 331) and Clifton (bus number 330). Both routes also stop at Temple Meads Railway Station. From here, catch a train to Bath Spa Station.