Bath in a Day – “Jane Austen Meets Roman Baths”

🚂 GETTING THERE Train: London Paddington → Bath Spa 1 hr 20 min (off-peak day return ≈ £35). Station → city: 5 min flat walk – you’ll see the golden Crescent immediately. 🗺️ COMPACT ROUTE (2 km loop, all pedestrian) Station ➡️ Royal Crescent ➡️ Jane Austen Centre ➡️ Roman Baths + Abbey + Guildhall Market ➡️ Milsom Street coffees ➡️ station Total walking: 25 min; photo stops add 3 hrs. 📸 STOP 1 – ROYAL CRESCENT Where: Royal Victoria Park, BA1 2LR Shot: stand middle of lawn – 30 curved houses frame like theatre set. Hack: 16 mm wide-angle vertical – grass foreground = depth. Bonus: park bench foreground = English movie poster. Time: 08:30 = soft side-light + zero tour buses. 📚 STOP 2 – JANE AUSTEN CENTRE Where: 40 Gay St, BA1 2NT Entry: 12.50 £, audio guide included; book online to skip queue. Shop gems: “I ❤️ Mr. Darcy” tote, Regency tea, wax seal kits – cute gifts, not tacky. Photo: wax Austen figure + period costume try-on = IG story gold. Hack: ask staff to stamp your ticket with 1815 date = free souvenir. 🏛️ STOP 3 – ROMAN BATHS + ABBEY + GUILDHALL MARKET Roman Baths: 09:00 first slot = steam on water, no heads in shot. Shot: 24 mm, stand on west balcony – green pool + pillars reflected. Abbey: free entry, donate 3 £; rose window at 10 a.m. = rainbow light inside. Guildhall Market: stone arcade + local cheese stalls; buy 2 £ Sally Lunn bun = historic brioche. Hack: abbey doorway outward – frames Crescent skyline = two icons one click. ☕ COFFEE PIT-STOPS Colonna & Hunter – Milsom St – oat flat-white + retro mirror = barista porn. Society Café – Kingsmead Sq – floor-to-ceiling windows = people-watch while charging. 🕔 TIMELINE (no rush) 09:00 Train arrive 09:15 Royal Crescent wide-shot 10:00 Jane Austen Centre costume selfie 11:30 Roman Baths steam shot 12:30 Abbey rainbow window 13:00 Sally Lunn bun + coffee 14:00 Milsom St coffee mirror 15:00 Gift-shop sweep 16:00 Train home (last direct train 22:00 if you want dinner). 💰 ONE-DAY BUDGET (1 person) Return train off-peak 35 £ Roman Baths 25 £ Jane Austen 12.5 £ Coffee + bun + lunch 20 £ Total ≈ 95 GBP (≈ 850 RMB) – all attractions + food + transport. 📸 SHOT LIST (memory-killers) Royal Crescent lawn symmetry Jane Austen wax figure close-up Roman Baths steam + pillars Abbey rose-window rainbow Milsom St coffee mirror selfie Sally Lunn bun half-eaten flat-lay 🎯 ONE-SENTENCE TAKE-AWAY “Bath in a day = breakfast in 1700s Crescent, tea with Jane, swim in Roman steam, and home by sunset – all walkable, all photogenic, all before the last train.” 🚂 #US #Austin #Texas #Bath