A day trip to Bath on a budget

7 min readJul 6, 2017

The start of something new amidst the old world

Six months ago a stack of tarot cards and “Madame Marga” (a spiritual healer from Barcelona who I met in Mexico) told me that come mid summer I would embark on a big journey that would be very different from the long-term, round-the-world healing mission I began in April of 2016.

“This trip will not be for healing. It will not be for work. It will not be for love. It will just be for you. So you can learn how to enjoy life without chronic pain.”

Sitting on a big coach bus on my way from London to the historic city of Bath, I couldn’t help but beam with happiness at the realization that Marga’s fortune had in fact come true for me.

After 8 years battling a mysterious chronic pain condition (called Repetitive Strain Injury), and 13 months searching the world-over for a cure, it struck me that the next leg of my journey is finally no longer about pain, rest, healing work, recovery and refuge. My days are now about living in blissful freedom and experiencing the beautiful world that unfolds before me.

Just because.

It may sounds hippy-dippy, but as I looked out the window at the passing structures of the old world, it dawned on me that there’s so much beauty to behold. And it’s here for you, too, when you’re good and ready to make the time to soak it in.

So about that day trip to Bath…

Logistics: getting there from London

Taking the train would have been faster, but the bus was by far the most affordable option, so I booked my trip through Megabu s.com. There were a number of buses to choose from throughout the day, but I went with the earliest departure (leaving Victoria Coach Station at 8:30am > arriving at Bath City Center at 11:30am) and the latest return bus (departing Bath at 6:05pm > arriving back in London at 9:30pm). All for a whopping £17. Both buses were new and practically empty so I had plenty of room to stretch out.

Free tours

I suggest listening to the Rick Steves Audio Europe discussion on what to do and see in Bath on SoundCloud during your bus ride there. You can also apply ahead of time for the World Heritage Audio Tour of Bath by filling out a simple online form.

Or if you prefer an in-person tour and more structure, free 2-hour guided tours start at the Abbey Church Yard from Sunday-Friday at 10:30 and 2pm, and Saturday at 10:30am, regardless of weather. I like to snap a lot of photos and dilly dally at my own pace, so I’m all about the self-guided adventure.

My Bath-on-a-budget itinerary

Most visitors hit The Roman Baths first, but when I went there around noon the place was packed, the ticket line was long and the sun was beating down, so I decided to save the main attraction for last and ended up strolling right up to the ticket counter when I came back around 4:30 in the afternoon. I chose to skip the swanky Thermae Bath Spa because it was out of my budget (£35 for 2 hours).

Here’s a quick run down of how I suggest spending an afternoon in Bath:

Visit Bath Abbey (optional: go inside for a suggested £4 donation)
Take in the beauty of the River Anon at Pulteney Bridge
Have a picnic lunch in the little park next to the river
Take a stroll down Great Pulteney Street
See the exhibits at the free Holburne Museum
Walk Bathwick Street to The King’s Circus and have some chill time in the Circus park
Check out The Royal Crescent and visit the Crescent Museum (if you have £10 to spare)
Walk through Victoria Park to the Jane Austen Center (adult entry £11) or just browse their gift shop
Detour: Grab some food for the bus ride home at Waitrose
Loop back for your afternoon tour of The Roman Baths (adult: £17)
If you still have time to kill, stop at Sally Lunn’s Historic Eating House for a peak at the free museum and a cup of tea