In the current financial climate, most of us are trying to make savings where we can, but budgeting doesn’t mean that you have to stop travelling.
In the first of a series of guides for travellers looking to beat the credit crunch, we take a look at some of the things that you can see and do for free in the historic UK city of Bath.
1. Take a Guided Walking Tour of the City
The Mayor of Bath’s Honorary Guides provide free two-hour walking tours of the city, so that visitors can learn more about Bath’s rich history.
The tours operate daily throughout the year and depart from the main entrance of Bath Pump Rooms at 10.30 and 14.00, Sundays to Fridays, and 10.30 on Saturdays. Additional tours take place during the summer months (May – September, Tuesdays and Fridays at 19.00. Bookings aren’t necessary for individuals and families (although large groups should book well in advance of their trip to Bath).
2. Visit an Art Gallery
It won’t cost you a penny to get into the Victoria Art Gallery on Bridge Street, Bath. The gallery’s collection includes works by more than 2,000 artists, including Edward Burne-Jones, Thomas Gainsborough, Joseph Turner and John Nash. The gallery also houses collections of caricatures and decorative arts.
3. Follow in Jane Austen’s Footsteps
Lovers of literature can download a free MP3 audio walking tour entitled “In the Footsteps of Jane Austen” from the Visit Bath tourism website. The audio tour has been produced by Bath Tourism Plus, and you can download the files and transfer them to your MP3 player before you visit the city.
The tour will take you to famous locations from Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, including the Royal Crescent and the Assembly Rooms, and will provide you with an insight into Jane Austen’s life and what Georgian Bath was like.
4. Relax in the Park
Bath’s Royal Victoria Park is a great place to relax, have a picnic or take a stroll. It has two golf courses, a boating pond, tennis courts and bird aviary, and there is a play area for children to enjoy. Whether you want to feed the ducks, sail model boats on the pond, or have a picnic in the sun, Royal Victoria Park is the place to be, and it’s open all year round.
5. Experience some Movie Magic
Bath’s Georgian architecture and literary history has made it a popular location for film makers, and it has featured in many movies and TV series over the years. Movies filmed in Bath include Vanity Fair (2003), which starred Reese Witherspoon and Gabriel Byrne, and The Duchess (2008), which starred Keira Knightley and Ralph Fiennes. TV programmes filmed in the city have included Casualty, Bonekickers, and a BBC dramatisation of Dracula (2006).
A free Bath Movie Map is available for download on the Visit Bath site, so you can plan your own tour of the city’s film and TV locations.
Image courtesy of: © Magomed Magomedagaev | Dreamstime.com
Tags: Bath, budget travel, free attractions, travel, UK holidays
What about the fantastic newly opened Bath Spa Hotel? – it’s pricey to stay over night but a chap could treat his girlie to a visit to the thermal baths. Not Free but a gift idea for a special treat
[...] Five Free Things to Do in Bath Published on August 4, 2009 · Filed under: Best of Smart Traveller, General, Top Fives, budget travel; Tagged as: Bath, Blackpool, Bristol, budget holidays, Cheltenham, Chester, Edinburgh, free attractions, Newcastle and Gateshead, Paris, York [...]
I’d recommend this free city guide for Bath…
http://www.free-city-guides.com/bath/
It’s written by a couple who want to pass on their tips on what to see and where to go.