A Guide to Getting Around Bristol and the Surrounding Areas

Bristol is the largest city in south west England and straddles the Avon River. The city dates from Roman times and is a cosmopolitan melting pot of languages and ethnic origins. Steeped in history, it is an eclectic mixture of art, cultural museums and modern theatres and restaurants.
It is one of the first cities in England to make biking safe for cyclists, allowing visitors to hire bikes and explore different areas of the city as well as surrounding countryside.

Getting to Bristol

England’s well planned motorways and reliable train system allows you to travel to Bristol with ease from any major city like London, Birmingham, Manchester or Liverpool. Several express coaches leave London’s Victoria train station daily and speed you to Bristol in just over two hours.

More than 20 trains leave London’s Paddington Station for Bristol every day and take around the same travelling time.

Driving by car or hiring a taxi can take varying times depending on the route you take to cover the 120 miles.

Flights from U.K. or European cities land at Lulsgate Bottom in North Somerset, eight miles south-east of Bristol. There are regular trains to the city centre which you can take for just £12.00 return. Failing that you can book anairport transfer, depending on the time of day this will be around £20.00 one way.

Out and About

Because Bristol has a central location, buses and trains have direct routes to towns and places of interest both north and south of the city.

The M5 Motorway heads South West from Birmingham to Exeter, so you can drive, take a taxi or hire a private car to take you the 32 miles north to Gloucester and The Cotswold Hills, famous for picturesque villages with thatched roofs. Continue south from Bristol on the M5 to Weston-super-Mare, with its golden beaches and historic, Victorian architecture, or continue to Somerset, famous for its ‘Scrumpy,’ cider made with local apples, and Taunton with its castle and 10th Century monastery.

A network of local trains, buses and taxis will take you to the city centre’s pedestrianised Bristol Shopping Quarter from all corners of the city. Here there are High Street shops, boutiques, cafés or restaurants and a covered car park with spaces for 1,000 cars.

From Bristol’s Temple Meads station take a train to Clifton Down Station where it is just a short walk to the city’s Zoo Gardens.

To visit The Wave, Bristol’s newest, inland surfing and body boarding attraction, your journey on the line 4 buses will take you almost an hour as it will if you travel by car or Uber.