So you’ve exhausted Bath and are craving a change of scenery but don’t have a car. No problem! Here are my top 5 places to visit near Bath but accessible without a car.
Bradford on Avon
This town is basically a smaller version of Bath. I only heard of it first from watching a vlog by the youtuber Zoella, and immediately knew, next time I visited Bath I had to visit here too. Bradford on Avon is a beautiful town, built in the same honey coloured Bath stone that makes Bath so picturesque. If you are ever on Instagram, you may recognise this town. It is home to the insta-famous The Bridge Tearooms, a quirky tearooms selling freshly made cakes and light lunch items, all in a quirky old building.
To get here, take a short 11 minute train, costing around £5 per ticket or the bus (D1 discover) costing £2 each way and taking around 50 minutes. Alternatively you could take on the 9 mile walk along the Kennet and Avon canal path from Bath.
Corsham
Corsham is a small town/village about 30 minutes from Bath. Most people will never hear of it, and this is such a shame! I moved to Bath for a masters degree with Bath Spa, that’s how I heard of this underrated place, and this is where the classrooms were – perfect for a Heritage course to be in an old country house. While on the small side, this village is similar to many Cotswold villages but has something more. From Corsham Court to the alms houses, to the quaint high street (NB if you go please be prepared that Corsham dwellers seem to love their sleep and this town does not wake up till gone 11am!) to the peacocks – yes you read that right. The village is known for the peacocks that roam freely about the place and you may catch them for a beautiful photo.
To get here take the X31 bus from Bath to Corsham (again the bus only costs £2 each way!) The town is mainly 3 roads, just take time to walk around admiring the old cottages, or take a longer walk through the parkland surrounding Corsham Court.
Bristol
Bristol is an obvious choice, the closest city to Bath and only 12 minutes on the train (or an hour on the X39 bus as the cheaper option costing just £3 per way). Bristol and Bath are like chalk and cheese. Bath is classic and old, timeless and has grandeur. Bristol on the other hand is young and fresh, it has a lively vibe. While Bath seems to shut down fairly early, Bristol seems to stay alive and there is always something to do. From Banksy walks, to museums, to drinks on the harbourside to exploring Clifton, you will visit many times and still have loads to do in Bristol. It also has better shopping than Bath, Bath has more upmarket furnishing shops and Bristol has a lot of the high street hallmarks such as & Other Stories, Mango, Pull and Bear and a huge Primark.
To get there, take a train from Bath to Bristol, taking only 12 minutes. Once you arrive you will have to walk from the train station which is on the outskirts of the city, to the centre but this is only around 10 minutes. Train ticket for one way will cost around £9.
Here are 3 of my favourite places to escape to when Bath gets too much, or just when you feel you need to see something new. I could go on and on about places to visit from Bath with and without a car so keep your eyes peeled for many more posts on that and all things Bath!
Let me know in the comments if you have visited any of these or if you have any recommendations yourself.
A Life in Wanderlust 
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