Having never stayed in a hostel with my family before, I was not entirely sure what to expect. Would it be family-friendly? What about the cleanliness? Also, I’ve heard that some youth hostels have an age limit, will it be suitable for families? With YHA Bath our fears were totally unfounded. It was peaceful, warm, and very secure and what’s more, we discovered that there were lots of other families staying too, one evening we sat across the bar from a lovely grandma who had taken her granddaughter to Bath as a trip away to see the sights and catch up on some quality time, they were playing board games, laughing and joking, so adorable!
Our stay was in the newly built annex building, which is located alongside the original historic Victorian mansion. A purpose-built development was constructed in a modern style, with private en-suite family rooms, most of which had beautiful views over the stunning Georgian limestone architecture of Bath in the valley below us. Our room was clean and modern and had everything we needed for our base whilst we discovered Bath. Whilst it was clear that this was a hostel, the homely and relaxed vibe added to its charm, and as for the rooms, our children loved their bunk beds, and sleeping close to mum and dad!
The location of YHA Bath is a great mix of convenience and secludedness, with free on-street parking and a bus stop just outside and 7 minutes into the city center. It could easily have been walked but with two young children we thought we’d better save their legs for exploring once in the city, and the facilities at YHA are fantastic! I’d highly recommend fueling up on their unlimited breakfast! It was delicious and at £9.95 per person with under 10 child’s eating free! We were able to choose from a full cooked breakfast, breads, fruit, and drinks, plus cereals and continental options also available. The dining room was beautiful (the whole building is) with original features and murals of the city.
There is a bar/ restaurant serving lunch and dinner. We loved hanging out here in the afternoon having a drink and playing board games. I really liked how they had the games printed on solid wooden boards hanging from the wall – our kids are just getting into Chess, but they had something for every age.
Our first stop in Bath was, as you would guess… The Roman Baths of course! We hopped on the bus which dropped us close to the center. The Roman Baths were fascinating, steeped in history with immersive displays of how it would have been two thousand years ago, and so family friendly too. Our children really loved having their own interactive audio guides, they got so into reading the numbers out in each area entering them into their handset, and listening to the commentary! I really liked how there were clearly marked options of children and adult audio guides to choose from.
Being in Bath, we couldn’t resist Sally Lunn’s historic eating house and museum, where we picked up one of her famous (and might I add absolutely enormous!) sweet buns. If you have a sweet tooth Mrs Potts chocolate house and Swoon Gelato are also well worth a visit!
While in the area we visited the Bath Abbey and took in its beauty, took in the exquisite Gothic architecture and gazed at the beautiful stained glass windows, and learned about the amazing conservation efforts, and energy-saving solutions they came up with to keep the place warm (spoiler alert – it may have something to do with the ancient thermal spring next door!). What I also found so great about it is that the Abby itself is right in the center of town, with city squares and seating areas which is a lovely place to sit outside, take in the views, and watch some amazing buskers playing classical guitar or finding other ways to entertain the crowds.
Just a stones throw away, was Pultney Bridge, which is another must-see sight, overlooking the weir which in itself we found to be an iconic part of our Bath experience. From there we took the Toot bus which is a hop-on hop-off open-top bus tour to get around Bath. You get a headset to plug in and listen to the interesting audio guide, taking you to all the top sights, and giving us an insight into the esteemed Georgian history of the City, the stunning grand architecture, and not to mention, just the fun of sitting on an open-topped bus! The kids really enjoyed the novelty of it all! One of our stops was at the Royal Crescent, one of Bath’s most iconic landmarks. We had a picnic on the green and then headed to Royal Victoria Park play area. It’s a large play area which our kids enjoyed and there was a nice cafe too.
Another great day out was the American Museum and Gardens, this had some great things for the kids.
The main museum has exhibitions that have a vast collection of American quilts, folk art, and historical artifacts that offer glimpses into the past, with period rooms transporting kids to different time periods, allowing them to step into the shoes of early American settlers.
The museum’s family-friendly atmosphere was further enhanced by their welcoming staff who share stories and facts with the little ones. We also visited the museum’s Brick America Exhibit, its on until the end of 2023, which has loads of great Lego creations following the American theme, as well as an area for the kids to make a creation of their own to put on display.
Again, after a busy day exploring Bath and the surrounding areas it was so nice to be able to call back into our home-from-home at YHA to relax, kick back, enjoy a drink or two in the bar, eat some delicious pizza and fries, play a board game and enjoy the atmosphere.
If you are looking for low-cost accommodation to explore the beautiful city of Bath then YHA Bath is definitely worth a look!
Written by Norfolk Family Outings
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