The easiest day trips from Bath are by train: Bradford-on-Avon is about 12 minutes away and Bristol about 15, both frequent and cheap. Stonehenge, Castle Combe, Lacock and Longleat are the classic outings but need a car or a tour, because public transport to them is slow or indirect. Here's every trip, rated on how easy it actually is.
Bath sits in easy reach of the Cotswolds, Wiltshire and Somerset, so the choice is wide. The honest catch is that the prettiest spots are also the hardest to reach without a car. This sorts them out.
At a glance
| Destination | Easiest way | Rough time each way | By car from Bath |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bradford-on-Avon | Direct train | About 12 min | ~20 min |
| Bristol | Direct train | 11 to 17 min | ~30 to 40 min |
| Wells | Direct bus (173/376) | About 1h 10 | ~40 min |
| Cheddar Gorge | Bus via Wells | About 2h+ | ~50 min |
| Stonehenge | Train to Salisbury + tour bus, or coach tour | About 2h | ~1 hour |
| Castle Combe | Train to Chippenham + bus | About 1h+ | ~30 min |
| Lacock | Train to Chippenham + bus | About 1h+ | ~30 min |
| Longleat | Car or Warminster + onward | 2h+ by transport | ~40 min |
Fares and times checked August 2026; confirm live times before you travel.
The easy ones (go by train)
Bradford-on-Avon. The most underrated day out from Bath, and the simplest: a direct train of about 12 minutes, roughly every half hour, with fares from around £6. A handsome little Saxon town of honey-coloured stone, a medieval tithe barn, a tiny Saxon church and canal-side walks along the Kennet and Avon. Half a day is plenty, which makes it a good morning out.
Bristol. A direct train of 11 to 17 minutes, dozens a day, from around £10 one way. A completely different city from Bath: harbourside, street art, the SS Great Britain and Brunel's Clifton Suspension Bridge. If you drive instead, mind Bristol's Clean Air Zone, which charges older cars. Easily a full day.
Wells. England's smallest city, with a stunning cathedral and the moated Bishop's Palace, reachable by direct bus in about an hour and ten. A calm, compact day out, and the gateway to the Mendips.
Photo: visitbath.co.uk
The classics (car or tour is easier)
Stonehenge. There's no direct public transport from Bath. The realistic routes are a train to Salisbury (about an hour) then the Stonehenge Tour bus, or a coach tour that leaves from Bath and gives you a couple of hours on site. By car it's about an hour. Book timed entry to the stones in advance whichever way you go.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Castle Combe and Lacock. The two prettiest Cotswold-edge villages near Bath, both often called the most beautiful in England, and both awkward without a car. Each means a train to Chippenham then a local bus, or roughly 30 minutes by car. Lacock adds the National Trust abbey (a Harry Potter and Cranford filming location); Castle Combe is the picture-book village with the market cross and the bridge, and also home to the outdoor kart circuit covered in our karting near Bath guide. If you have a car, you can do both in a day.
Photo: visitbath.co.uk
Cheddar Gorge. Britain's biggest gorge, with show caves and cliff walks, beyond Wells. By public transport it's a bus to Wells then an onward connection, well over two hours, so it's really a car trip (about 50 minutes). Pair it with Wells for a full Somerset day.
Photo: visitbath.co.uk
Longleat. The safari park and Elizabethan house near Warminster. It's difficult without a car: the nearest station is Warminster, then an onward bus or taxi. By car it's about 40 minutes. Tickets are dynamically priced from around £35 an adult when booked ahead, more at peak, so buy online in advance.
Getting out of Bath
For the train trips, Bath Spa station is central and frequent. For the car trips, remember Bath's own parking and Park and Ride if you're hiring, and note that a hire car opens up Castle Combe, Lacock and Cheddar that are otherwise a faff. For the coach tours, most leave from near the centre; book ahead in summer.
The honest alternative
If you don't have a car and don't fancy a tour, don't fight it: Bradford-on-Avon, Bristol and Wells give you three genuinely good, easy days out by public transport, and you can leave Stonehenge and the Cotswold villages for a trip when you're driving. Trying to reach Castle Combe or Longleat by bus can eat the whole day in connections, and a day out shouldn't feel like a logistics exercise.
FAQs
What is the best day trip from Bath without a car?
Bradford-on-Avon, a direct train of about 12 minutes, or Bristol, 11 to 17 minutes by direct train. Both are frequent and cheap. Wells is also reachable by direct bus in about an hour and ten. Stonehenge and the Cotswold villages are much harder without a car.
How do you get from Bath to Stonehenge?
There's no direct public transport. Either take the train to Salisbury (about an hour) and change to the Stonehenge Tour bus, or book a coach tour that departs from Bath. By car it's about an hour. Reserve timed entry to the stones in advance.
Can you visit Castle Combe and Lacock from Bath by public transport?
It's possible but awkward: a train to Chippenham then a local bus to each. Both are about 30 minutes by car, and with a car you can see both in one day. Without one, expect a slow trip built around bus connections.
How far is Bristol from Bath?
About 13 miles. The train from Bath Spa to Bristol Temple Meads takes 11 to 17 minutes and runs very frequently, from around £10 one way. By car it's roughly 30 to 40 minutes, but Bristol's Clean Air Zone charges older cars entering the centre.