Visiting Bath this Christmas
There aren’t many places in the U.K more magical than Bath at Christmas. With the festive lights and atmosphere of the Christmas Market to the winter wonderland of Bath on Ice, the city is the perfect place to enjoy the most wonderful time of the year.
Christmas Market
Bath’s iconic Christmas Markets are a must-visit this year and are guaranteed to get you in the festive spirit. With over 150 chalets featuring a variety of handmade gifts from jewellery to decorations and chocolates by companies based in Bath and the Southwest, you’re sure to find plenty of stocking fillers here.
The markets also offer a variety of freshly prepared food and drinks at stalls, and don’t forget to bring a reusable cup, or pick one up from the Visitor Information Centre to get a discount on any drinks you buy at the market.
The market opens 28th November – 15th December, from 10AM to 8PM and
you can pick up a map of the Christmas market chalets from the Visitor Information Centre.
Bath on Ice
(Visit Bath)
(Bath on Ice)
As one of Bath’s biggest winter attractions, Bath on Ice is definitely one not to miss if you’re in the city this Christmas! Now bigger than ever at 1,000 square metres and complete with festive lights and music, this is more than just your average ice rink.
Chill out in the cosy winter-themed Mogul’s Alpine Bar while you wait for your skating session to start, or warm up with a hot chocolate and wood-fired pizza afterwards. You can also head to the Glow Golf course to play a round of glow-in-the-dark mini golf surrounded by twinkling trees.
Bath on Ice is open now up until the 5th January so head to the Royal Victoria Park from 11:45AM to 10PM weekdays and 10:30AM to 10PM weekends
Book your slot here: www.bathonice.com
The Christmas Village
Located in SouthGate shopping centre, the Christmas Village is the perfect place to take a break from all your Christmas shopping and grab a hot chocolate or mulled wine from the Gingerbread Bar or visit the SnowGlobe for a golden snowflake. Ideal for children, you can also post a Christmas card with Santa’s elves and watch the flurry of falling snow every hour.
You can visit the Christmas Village now until 5th January.
The Après Ski Bar
(Instagram @abbeyhotelbath)
Visit the Abbey Hotel’s Après Ski Bar for an Alpine mountain experience. Complete with warm blankets, candles and cosy atmosphere, this is Bath’s most festive bar and the perfect place for a mulled wine or Christmas cocktail after a long day of ice skating and Christmas shopping at the markets.
Après Ski Bar is open now until 22nd December
The Luxury Gift Wrapping Station
After a day at the Christmas markets, you can take all your Christmas shopping to Union Street for expert gift wrapping. This is free of charge, but with a suggested donation to Julian House, a local homeless charity.
The gift wrapping station will be available from 28th November right up until 24th December
Having spent a lot of time in Bath around the festive season over the past few years, there aren’t many places more magical to visit at this time of year.
Places to Stay
There are many accommodation options to suit all budgets in the city centre of Bath and nearby, including hotels, apartments and B&Bs.
Hotel options include the Abbey Hotel, The Z Hotel, or the Travelodge and Holiday Inn, all located in the city centre. If you’re looking for a B&B, Three Abbey Green, the Cedars and Paradise House are all highly rated. Apartments in the city include the Courtyard Apartments and the Halcyon Hotel Apartments.
Travel
Bath’s Christmas Market is located in the city centre, close to Bath Spa train station, bus station and car parks.
Train
There are regular train services to Bath from London Paddington and Waterloo, whilst the nearby Bristol Temple Meads is a major hub for transport to all other parts of the country. There are also regular trains direct from Cardiff Central.
Car
For people travelling from London or Heathrow, Bath is only 20 miles from junction 18 of the M4, whilst those from the North, Devon or Cornwall can reach Bath via the M5. Bath is also only a short distance west on the M4.
Keep in mind that parking availability is very limited during peak season and roads can get extremely busy, so a good option is to park outside of the city and use the Park and Ride services.
Park and Ride
You can reach the city centre of Bath in just 10 minutes using any of the three Park and Ride services, which run 7 days a week. You can also park your car for free.
If you live in a city and don’t own a car, you can borrow a friend’s and insure it for just the duration you’ll need it for with Tempcover. If you’ll be travelling a long way and want to share the drive with someone, you can also cover them to drive your car for just a day or two.
