London to Bath Train Ticket Cost 2026
GWR advance from £14. Trains every 30 minutes from Paddington. 1h15m to Bath Spa.
A London to Bath train costs from £14 on a GWR advance single, £63.60 off-peak, £129.30 on a fully flexible anytime single. The fastest direct journey takes 1h 15m.
Single fares, verified June 2026. Full breakdown and saving tips below.
Great Western Railway (GWR) runs the London-Bath corridor from Paddington into Bath Spa, on the same high-speed line that continues to Bristol, Cardiff and Swansea. The fastest direct services take about 1h15m, with trains roughly every 30 minutes through the day. Bath Spa is a single central station, a short walk from the Roman Baths, the Abbey and the main shopping streets, so there is no onward transfer to factor in.
Bath is a heavy leisure and tourist route, so weekend and Friday-evening trains fill up and advance allocation sells out earlier than on a pure commuter line. The gap between a booked-ahead Advance single (from £14) and a walk-up Anytime single (£129.30) is one of the widest on the GWR network, so booking early is the single biggest saving on this route.
London to Bath Train Prices
| Ticket Type | Single | Return | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| GWR Advance Single | from £14 | 2x singles | Paddington-Bath Spa, booked ahead |
| GWR Off-Peak Single | £63.60 | 2x singles | After 09:30 weekdays, all weekend; Off-Peak Day Return often cheaper than two singles |
| GWR Anytime Single | £129.30 | £258.60 | Any train, fully flexible (return = 2x single) |
Prices indicative singles based on operator-published fares, verified June 2026. Always check the live price on National Rail or the operator's own site before booking.
Saving Tips for London to Bath
- The Advance fare (from £14) versus the Anytime fare (£129.30) is a roughly nine-fold gap - book 12 weeks ahead via GWR.com for the lowest bucket on this popular tourist route.
- Bath Spa services continue to Bristol, Cardiff and Swansea, so there are more trains than a Bath-only timetable suggests - check every fast departure, not just those labelled for Bath.
- If you are visiting Bath for the day and travelling after 09:30, an Off-Peak Day Return is usually priced close to the Off-Peak single (£63.60) and far below two Anytime singles - always ask for the day return rather than two singles.
- GroupSave (3+ travelling together off-peak) and a Family & Friends Railcard both cut the walk-up fare by a third or more - worthwhile for a group day trip.
Best Days to Travel
Train vs Driving vs Coach
Driving: about 115 miles via the M4, £25-35 fuel, plus £15-25 for scarce central Bath parking (Bath has a Clean Air Zone, though private cars are currently exempt). Coach: National Express from about £10, roughly 3h. For a solo traveller an Advance train fare beats driving on both cost and time; for 2-3 people sharing, driving becomes cost-competitive but slower.