Day trip to Bath from Reading
Just over an hour by direct train, $40-60 return, and the most rewarding long day trip out of Reading.
Roman Baths and Bath Abbey in warm evening light
Getting there
GWR direct from Reading to Bath Spa runs roughly hourly, 65-75 minutes, and costs $40-60 return depending on advance booking. Buy an Advance Single each way if you know your times — often under $20 each. Leave Reading by 8am at the latest to make a full day of it. Bath Spa station is 5 minutes on foot from the Roman Baths.
The essentials
Roman Baths entry is around $32 with an audio guide — book online for a timed slot to skip the queue. Bath Abbey is free (donation $5), and the tower tours run for $12. Walk the Royal Crescent and the Circus, both free. The Jane Austen Centre on Gay Street costs $16 and divides opinion — worth it only if you’re a proper fan.
Food and the spa
Sally Lunn's on North Parade Passage sells the famous Bath bun in a 15th-century townhouse — lunch around $18. The Pump Room does a proper afternoon tea for $45 with a string trio. If you want to actually bathe, Thermae Bath Spa (a separate modern facility) charges $45 for a two-hour session with a rooftop pool overlooking the city — book ahead. Last direct trains back to Reading run until about 10pm.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask before they set off on this one.
65-75 minutes direct on GWR, roughly hourly.
Around $110 including train ($50), Roman Baths ($32), and lunch ($20-25).
No, the historic baths aren’t for bathing. Thermae Bath Spa is the modern facility across the square, $45 for two hours.
Yes but tight — start early, prioritise the Roman Baths and the Crescent, save the spa for a longer stay.
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