For a weekend away that offers something for everyone, from spa days to shopping trips, escape rooms to some buzzing nightlife, Bath could certainly be the place for you.
Bath actually reached number 7 on GoHen's 2017 statistics for stag weekends, whilst it topped the list as the number 1 location for hens looking for a UK getaway. So what great things are there around Bath?
Where to Stay
Whilst it's great to be in on all the action, hotels in the centre of Bath are more expensive, some hitting well over the £100 a night mark. If you look a little way outside of central Bath, there are actually some really lovely Victorian houses that are rented out (Air BnB is your best friend!) We stayed in a lovely one called Bath West House on South Lea Road. There was a bride tribe of 10 that comfortably fit in this Tardis of a house, and was just 100 metres around the corner from a bus stop that takes you directly into town in 5 minutes. It was impeccably clean and spacious with plenty of bathrooms - perfect for 10 girls! If you fancy walking it's actually only a 40 minute walk into the centre (downhill, we might add), whilst there's a shop 10 minutes walk away.Â
Many would suggest you pay for a taxi into town which works out at around £3-£4 each way per person, so we found it was actually much cheaper to get a day pass for the bus - £4 for unlimited rides, plus the buses run quite late if you're planning on heading into town later on.
What to do
Naturally a look in at the Roman Baths is often top of the list, but it's not actually the place for swimming. The Thermae Bath Spa is the one you need. They use the same water that's in the Roman Baths but it's been treated to make it safe for swimming. There's a spectacular rooftop pool (beware the breeze as you get out of the lift) whilst the Minerva Bath is something to behold. Two hours in the spa will cost you £40 on a Saturday and Sunday, or £36 on weekdays - do note they only take advance bookings if you're a group of 8 or more.
Once you've chilled out in the spa, you should definitely look into organising an escape room; Bath is said to have some of the best! Bathescape have great reviews - you may have to split into two groups as quite often the games only allow up to 6 people. Get those brains in gear and see if you can work out all the clues to escape before you're locked in...don't worry, they give you a walkie talkie to help you if you get stuck.
The nightlife in Bath is pretty great, and they're quite used to seeing gangs of guys and girls in embarrassing outfits. To start off our night we headed to the Roman Bath Kitchen for a cocktail making session. This was VERY different to Magaluf - we actually learned HOW to make a cocktail correctly and our instructor was pretty knowledgable on the subject. After a cocktail on arrival, we made some of the classics - mojitos and cosmopolitans - making a mess and having a laugh, as well as drinking shots and nibbles throughout the evening, and all for £36 each.Â
If you fancy chilling in the house, there are plenty of options to order entertainment right to your door (and no, we're not just talking strippers). For the afternoon, why not order an afternoon tea party in, with tea, scones, cakes, sandwiches and vintage crockery to match. You could bring the stuff yourself or there are plenty of companies out there who organise these themselves.
For the evening, bring along some suitably embarrassing games (Mr and Mrs is a great one) and blow up dolls for a hilarious night in - usually there's a DVD player if you're staying in a house so you can crack out some classic films for the evening. We might add Butlers in the Buff often go down a treat, though usually for the tribe rather than the bride...
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