The train station in Bath is called Bath Spa. From here Great Western (tel: 08457 48 49 50; website: www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk) operates frequent high-speed connections to Paddington Station in London, the fastest taking 1 hour and 25 minutes. Major cities like Birmingham and Manchester have frequent services to Bristol, which is a train journey of just under 15 minutes from Bath. The south coast ports of Southampton and Portsmouth both have direct services by train.