Oh, how it feels to be in London…eh, honestly, I have mixed feelings about it. London is sort of like this hot ex-boyfriend that you can’t avoid. He took all your money, energy, resources, and sucked the very life out of you materially, but oh boy was he gorgeous. Every. Inch. And then when you’re in his neighborhood (of the great-wide Europe) you can’t help but want to stop by and gawk at him for a day or two. Just because.
I’ve recently gotten questions about my preferred airline when gallivanting off to that side of the world. Personally, I’m a big fan of British Airways. And a really big hater of any type of American airline. Don’t boo me just yet. Every time we’ve flown with a domestic airline, the seats are worn, the carpet is dirty, God knows if they’ve cleaned the lavatory and more importantly, you pay extra for everything. Good ol’ ‘Murica! Just about every European, if not every foreign, airline offers free booze. Well, how can you compare that really? Besides, I really love the little package BA gives you when you get when you sit down and buckle in. You can expect headphones, eye mask, socks, toothbrush and mini-toothpaste, a pencil for that Sudoku game you got in your carry-on and more. It’s like getting your own packed lunch in kindergarten when you’re going on a field trip. The only downside to BA is if you want your seats reserved ahead of time, you have to cough up an extra forty pounds (or more). But hey, if you’re off to London, you might as well fly double-decker style.
My momma…ain’t she beautiful!
Let’s get down to the gritty. There are two ways to discover the ancient city of Bath from London. You can go online and book a roundtrip ticket on the train from London. It can cost anywhere from $60 to $150 USD per person and up, just depending on your class preferences. First-class is always a comfy luxury *wink, wink*. I like to use Rail Europe to book. Be sure to select Bath SPA, Britain in the ‘to:’ box. When searching for fares and schedules, I would recommend traveling from London Paddington station, it’s the main train hub in city centre and a perfect start/end point for your day excursions—especially if you are staying in city centre.
My preferred way to see Bath, as well as a stop at Stonehenge along the way, is via the Stonehenge and Bath Day Trip on Viator. Your first stop will be Stonehenge. I realize some of you might be asking, ‘Why would I want to spend my hard earned money to see a bunch of stones?’ Ah-hah! Good point…Maybe you like stones. Perhaps you even like it when stones are a bit mysterious. *shrugs* Works for me! Also, it caused a nice discussion between Hubby and I on how the stones really got there. It’s just so intriguing! And because sheep. Lots of sheep. I love sheep. They are so fluffy and cute.
A couple of tips to remember on this tour:
- Arrive early. Give yourself plenty of time to get to the bus terminal. Trust me, it’s not as easy to find as you may think. Once entering the terminal in London city centre, you may have quite a walk ahead of you to the actual terminal where your tour bus is parked and you wouldn’t want to be late!
- Coffee prohibition. No drinks are allowed on the bus (save for your personal water bottle tucked away in your bag). Found this one out the hard way, after Hubby and I spent ten pounds on coffee, tea, and scones all to have it thrown to the waste bin!
- Bring a book! Weird, right? I mean, why not stare out the window and take in the beautiful villages and scenery of the English countryside instead of face-planting into a book? Well, if you’re like me, staring out the window for 5+ hours (roundtrip) makes me want to jump off the bus. While moving.
- Drink some wine, but not too much. Ugh ok so this might be TMI but I must warn everyone of my folly! Once in Bath, you will be able to break off from the group, walk around the town and sit down at a nice pub for a hearty English lunch. Essentially, Bath is still so much a Roman experience. They came, they saw, they conquered, and they built baths. Tu sei un biacchere de vino! Yeah, I know, I have to work on my Italian. *ahem* My point is, I ordered some wine at the restaurant. And keep in mind, everywhere BUT the USA measures in milliliters. So the menus will say how much wine you can order in milliliters. Heck if I know! Could be that I had nearly three-quarters of a bottle of wine with my lunch. My point is, suggest to the guide that you may need to make a pit stop from Bath back to London. By suggest I mean beg…it’s a three hour trip back and they usually don’t plan to stop in between. Are you squinting your face in horror/disgust? You should be.
- Tip the guide and driver. Tipping is not a city in China. And even if it is, you’re not in China. You’re in England, so be nice.
j. r. wallington 