I went to Bath because Rick Steves recommended going to Bath.  I generally align with his opinions on places, so I figured I’d give it a try.  I figured it would be a nice change of pace from the booming London streets.  I figured I probably like it because I do like quaint towns, and I have read all of Jane Austen’s novels, so loved the idea of seeing the place that had captivated England’s society elites during the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries.   I hate to admit that I didn’t know much more about Bath than that when I went there, but when I got there, I simply loved it.  It is a special place and truly deserves its place of honor as one of only three Unesco historic towns. 

            After returning from Bath, I heard that one of my friends was planning to visit Bath, and I was so thrilled for her.  I rattled on and on about how much I had loved Bath and how she was going to have an amazing time, etc.  The next time I saw her after she got back I asked, “ How did you like Bath?!?!?!!?” and I was shocked by her grim-faced reaction.  My little traveler heart sank when I heard that her sole takeaway was, “It was so touristy.  There was a Starbucks and all these other stores we have back home. I felt like I was in America.”  I stewed on her takeaway from her trip to Bath and tried to figure out why I had had such a different takeaway from my trip to Bath than she on hers.  Yes, there was a Starbucks right dab in the center of town to be sure and there were also Subway, a Claire’s, and a KFC.  I tried to think about what had made my experience so different than hers.  Were we just different personalities, and therefore we enjoyed things differently?  Or was there something fundamentally different about our trips that allowed me to have a delightful experience and her to have a disappointed one. After a lot of thought, I realized a few things. 

First, I don’t see the existence of a Starbucks in a town as a bad quality.  I see it as a clear sign of having a lot of tourism, but again, that isn’t a bad thing in and of itself.  That being said, even though I drink a fair amount of Starbucks at home, I try to never buy it when I am traveling (I even do this for in-country and local traveling.)  I figure traveling is the time to get out of your usual routines and to try new foods and experiences.  One of the most beautiful parts of traveling is that sometimes there are none of your usual comforts so you have to be open minded and try new things.  Other than that though, I think there were some fundamental differences between her trip and mine that made the city take on a different hue of appreciation and I wanted to share with you some important things that I believe made my trip the wonderful experience and how you could have that same experience too. 

I Stayed There Overnight

            I list this point first because I think it was the foundation of what made my trip different than my friend’s trip.  You see, most people experience Bath as a day-tour trip from London.  They take a bus there in the morning, shuffle through the Roman Baths in the late morning, catch a quick lunch near the Roman Baths so that they can then hop back on their bus to drive around the rest of the town before they are back on the bus to London to the same hotel they slept in the night before.  Seriously, so much of the tourism in Bath is day traffic, so there is a distinctly different experience for those who are staying the night there.  The once crowded town center becomes a virtual ghost town after about 3pm, and that’s when you should pounce on the most popular spots like the Roman Baths.  I had asked the security guard at the Roman Baths when is was the least crowded and he had told me later afternoon.  I looked at how long it took the average person to go through the museum and then doubled that time because I am notoriously slow at getting through museums.   Going in the later afternoon allowed me to have so few people at the Roman Baths that I didn’t feel crowded at all and could enjoy it.   

I Climbed the Tower at Bath Abbey

            I pretty much have a blanket policy that if it can be climbed, I will climb it and it will probably be worth it. I’ve climbed probably 4 or 5 churches now, and I still think it is worth it every time because it is usually not that expensive, it provides a unique look at the city, it usually comes with an interesting little tour so I always learn something. The Bath Abbey climb proved my rule.   You can schedule a climb by going to the Abbey gift shop and buying a ticket with a designated climb time.   I scheduled it for time when I knew the Bath center would be crowded because the tower climbs only allow a small number to go each hour, so it was a way to avoid the crowds even during the peak time in the city center. The climb allowed me to go crawl right up behind the giant clock and to see the other side of the beautiful fan vaulting ceilings. I saw the keystone in the ceiling and awed that the fact that the entirety of the ceiling was being kept together by that one stone. The tour guides were excellent and they led you up to the top of the roof where you could see a 360 view of Bath and get to see beautiful uniformed limestone buildings surrounded by the lush green hills.  

I Bought the Combined Museum Ticket

            Another things that I am glad I did was that I bought the combined museum ticket that allowed me to get into the Roman Bath Museum as well as the Fashion Museum.  I knew for sure that I wanted to see the Roman Bath Museum, but I figured I could take or leave the Fashion Museum.  The combined ticket wasn’t that much more than the ticket to the Roman Bath, so I purchased it and figured I’d stop in if I had the time.  I ended up going to the fashion museum in the late morning when the crowds were swarming the Roman Bath Museum.  While I enjoy that sort of thing, I did think that the Fashion Museum could definitely hold the interest to a wider group than just fashion lovers.  The audio guide provided really helped ground the viewer in the historical context of the items displayed, and the mock costumes you could try on at the end definitely made for some fun pictures and brought me a new appreciation for how uncomfortable caveats are and how my appreciative I am that I don’t have to wear a bonnet everyday anymore. 

I Took the Free Guided Tour by Provided by the City of Bath Guides

This is an absolute MUST if you want to appreciate the history and architecture of Bath.   I know I appreciated the city about 1000% more after taking it, and it’s free, so there’s no reason not to do it! Make sure you go on the free tour put on by the city. The Mayor’s Guide tour guides are all volunteers and do not expect or accept any tips.

I Ate at Sally Lunn’s

            I thought eating at Sally Lunn’s was a treasure.  The building dates back to 1482. I did think the ceiling was going to collapse on me because the building was so old, but I still thought it was worth it for two reasons. First off, I wasn’t a huge fan of the food in England which is travesty to an open-minded food eater like myself, but Sally LuAnn’s was a notable exception.  The food was spot on, and the whole restaurant seemed to be a living monument to the generations who had eaten there before.  I loved eating at a place that was so historic.  The wait was long, but they have a little museum/ gift shop downstairs that you can browse around in while you are waiting. 

I Went on the Bizarre Bath Walk

            I had heard from the Rick Steves video about the Bizarre Bath Walk, so I wanted to give it a try when I got there.  In the morning, I was talking with a fellow travel at the hostel I was staying at over breakfast and he mentioned that he had gone to the Bizarre Bath Walk the night before.  I asked him his thoughts eagerly, and he said, “It was some slight of hand magic stuff and it was not worth it. Not worth 10 pounds.”  I was conflicted then about if I wanted to go or not, but in the end, I decided I trusted Rick Steves and that it was probably worth it.  (Also, Bath pretty much closes up the windows at dark and there is not a ton to do, so I figured why not give it a try because I had nothing else to do.)   I went, and I DID enjoy myself.  I laughed super hard at the clever guide and his comedic improv as we went around the town.  The tour taught you nothing about Bath, and you saw nothing of importance, but you did laugh a lot and it was a great way to spend the evening. 

I Read North Anger Abbey Before I Got There

            Okay, I know I said earlier that I hadn’t done a ton of research on Bath before I got there, but one thing I did do was I read (and by read I mean listened to the audio book while I was driving to work) Jane Austen’s book, North Anger Abbey.  Honestly, this probably was the best “research” I could do to prepare me for the town.  It got me in tune with emotions of a bygone era and I got to hear about the city and its places when it was at its height of glory.  Just hearing the names of the streets, bridges, etc. made me appreciate them that much more when I got to Bath and actually saw them.  Now Cheap Street and the Putney Bridge actually had meaning to me. 

I hope these ideas help you have an amazing trip to Bath. Comment below if there was anything you did to prepare for your trip or something you did while you were there that made your experience in Bath amazing.