Group Travel / Group Travel News / Bristol Group Travel Update 2008

Bristol Group Travel Update 2008

Bristol is the largest city in the South West of England and to many its regional capital. A bustling, lively commercial city set around one of England's most historic harbours. Bristol is also a creative city which has undergone a renaissance in recent years, finding its heart and soul as never before. It is lively and dynamic, with a mix of award winning attractions, world-class events and festivals and enticing shops and markets, making it the perfect choice for a popular group city break.

Stay for a couple of days, a long weekend, or allow your group time to explore Bristol and the wider region. There's plenty of choice when it comes to finding a place to stay, from waterfront hotels and penthouse apartments to guest houses in the terraces of Georgian Clifton and cottages in the country - Bristol has it all!

Bristol's revitalised harbour weaves its way through this historic city and is lined with trendy bars and restaurants housed in converted warehouses. The waterfront offers inspirational galleries, imaginative and futuristic visitor attractions such as Explore-At-Bristol, and two of Britain's most important ships, Brunel's ss Great Britain and The Matthew. Groups can see the harbourside with the hop-on hop-off service provided by the Bristol Ferry Boat Company - a fabulous way of transferring from one attraction to the next whilst taking in the waterfront views backed by rows of pretty coloured houses.

Spanning away from the water's edge, winding streets lead to elegant parks and squares, stunning Georgian architecture in Clifton and the iconic landmark of Brunel's Clifton Suspension Bridge plus one of the oldest zoos in the world - Bristol Zoo Gardens.

Out and about, Bristol offers a perfect base for exploring the wider region, it is just 15 minutes by train from the world heritage city of Bath and attractions such as historic Berkeley Castle, Avon Valley Railway, Cheddar Gorge & Caves, WWT Slimbridge and the beauty of Westonbirt Arboretum are only a stone's throw away.

Things to see and do
Before it moves from Bristol, be sure to visit the British Empire and Commonwealth Museum and its groundbreaking exhibition 'Breaking the Chains'. The international exhibition tells the story of Britain's involvement in the slave trade and its abolition 200 years ago.

For the young and young at heart, Explore-At-Bristol is one of the UK's leading science centres. Explore-At-Bristol welcomes coaches and groups by offering free familiarisation visits, special group rates, free entry for group organiser and coach drivers and coach drop-off and pick-up on site.

The latest exhibit at Bristol Zoo Gardens is Monkey Jungle - an immersive forest experience where monkeys mingle with gorillas and where you can enjoy close up encounters with lemurs. To enhance your visit, groups may pre-book a guided Walk and Talk for just £35 per group. Groups of 10+ paying visitors receive discounted entry to the Zoo and free familiarisation tickets are available for group organisers.

Brunel's masterpiece, the ss Great Britain has been restored to her former glory and is a must see when visiting the city of Bristol. The ship won the Gulbenkian Prize for museums and galleries in 2006 and more recently the Enjoy England Excellence Award 2007 for the UK's 'Large Visitor Attraction of the Year'. Descend the glass sea, step back in time in the Dockyard Museum and experience life onboard the ship as a Victorian passenger.

The world famous Clifton Suspension Bridge also designed by the great Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel is the symbol of Bristol, drawing thousands of visitors a year just to stroll across for views of the gorge and elegant Clifton. Guided tours of the Bridge for are available at any time by arrangement.

Founded as an abbey in 1140, Bristol Cathedral is one of the finest examples of a 'hall church' anywhere in the world. The sailors' church was always St Mary Redcliffe and it was said by Queen Elizabeth I to be 'the goodliest, fairest and most famous parish church in England'. Tours are available. Bristol is also home to the oldest Methodist building in the world. John Wesley's Chapel, 'The New Room'.

Pete the Pirate's famous Pirate Walks are continuing to prove ever popular with visitors from all over Europe. Join Pirate Pete for an entertaining two hour guided walking tour of Bristol's historic harbourside.

Bristol's City Museum & Art Gallery will be bringing more of world's best-loved artworks out of London in 2008 with the brand new 'Love' exhibition from the National Gallery. Entry is free.

The world famous Bristol Blue Glass name is over 350 years old. Today, skilled glassmakers are continuing a time-honoured tradition. See history in the making with glassblowing demonstrations, spend time in the musuem, listen to commentaries and join in with hands-on activities at the visitor centre.

The Bristol Hippodrome is one of the country's top provincial theatres and one which continues to stage major West End and Broadway productions. The Hippodrome also caters for the best in opera, ballet, dance, comedy and family entertainment with forthcoming shows including Half A Sixpence, Coppelie, Beauty and the Beast on Ice, Fiddler on the Roof and Disney's High School Musical in July.

Shopping in Bristol
Bristol offers some of the best shopping in Britain. Broadmead and The Mall at Cribbs Causeway offer all the top high street names, with Clifton Village and Park Street showcasing independent local labels. St Nicholas Markets offer an intriguing choice of stalls and small shops and the popular weekly farmers market is held every Wednesday.

The highlight of 2008 will come in the Autumn, when Bristol's largest city centre regeneration programme since the post World War 2 reconstruction will be completed. The £500m Cabot Circus scheme will feature an expanded shopping district with 120 new stores - a mix of aspirational fashion retailers and prime high street chains.

The new shopping quarter will include a landmark House of Fraser store and a Harvey Nichols boutique catapulting Bristol into the elite of UK shopping destinations. In addition, the historic buildings at Quakers Friars will become the centrepiece of a new European style piazza, featuring apartments, a new hotel, shops, a 13-screen cinema, restaurants and cafes as well as a brasserie from internationally-renowned French chef Raymond Blanc. This development will be complimented with 20 coach parking bays for group visitors.

Events in Bristol

There's always something going on in Bristol - the annual programme of events and festivals just gets better and better!

Click here for a detailed listing of events in Bristol in 2008.

For great itinerary ideas, tips on special offers, coach parking, guiding services and all the latest news on visiting Bristol, e-mail grouptravel@destinationbristol.co.uk or call Kerrie Grist on 0117 946 2205.