Travel Information

For the latest information about travelling to Bristol from overseas, please check the UK Government website. We also recommend checking VisitBritain’s ‘Plan Your Trip’ page, which includes plenty of helpful tips to help with any practical questions you may have about visiting the country.

Public Transport

Bristol’s main railway and bus stations are in the heart of the city, close to many key attractions, hotels, shops, and eateries. Temple Meads railway station, the city’s principal station, is situated in the Redcliffe area, a short distance to the east of the city centre, while Bristol Bus & Coach Station is situated opposite Bristol Shopping Quarter, a short distance to the north of the city centre. We recommend using the TravelWest website to find the best way to reach your destination by public transport in Bristol and the wider region.

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• Travelling to Bristol
• Travelling around Bristol

With a Great Western Railway PlusBus pass, you can get unlimited travel on most buses in Bristol’s urban area for as little as £2 per day with your train ticket. Taxi services and e-scooters are also easy to find around the city centre. Read more about public transport in Bristol.

Driving & Parking in Bristol

If you are bringing your car to Bristol, there are a few things to be aware of and to help you out. In total, there are over 11,000 parking spaces in Bristol city centre. Many of the car parks operated by Bristol City Council feature electric vehicle (EV) charging bays on the Revive network - find a full list on their website. You’ll also find 12 Pod Point charging bays on the ground floor of the Cabot Circus car park.

However, to avoid congestion in the city centre, we recommend using one of the city’s six Park & Ride services.

Bristol operates a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in the city centre. Charges apply 24/7 to all higher emission vehicles not meeting the zone’s requirements. As a general guide, charges will not apply to:

  • Euro 4, 5 and 6 petrol vehicles manufactured roughly from 2006 onwards
  • Euro 6 diesel vehicles, manufactured roughly from the end of 2015 onwards
  • Fully electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles
  • Modified or retrofitted vehicles registered with the Energy Saving Trust's Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS) 
  • Motorbikes

Buses and coaches are subject to a daily charge. To check if charges apply to your vehicle, use the UK Government's online compliance tool.

Be aware that there are bus gates throughout the city. A bus gate is a short section of road which only buses and authorised vehicles can use. All Bristol's bus gates are in use 24-hours a day, seven days a week. 

  • Find out more about bus gates

Coaches

Bristol provides dedicated coach parking at a range of locations, alongside several on-street pick-up and drop-off points across the city. You can also find out more about coach travel and coach hire companies operating in the area, such as First Travel Solutions and megabus.

Special Travel Passes

Visitors to Bristol can expand their visit with a Great West Way Discoverer Pass, offering bus and rail travel to all destinations on the Great West Way touring route between Bristol and London. Please note that these passes are only available to international travellers prior to their visit, and cannot be purchased in the UK. 

Explore the rest of the country with a BritRail Pass, including travel on the entire railway network of Great Britain, or enjoy unlimited rail and ferry travel across 33 European countries, including the United Kingdom, with an Eurail Pass

 

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About Bristol

A guide to taking the bus in Bristol

  • 11 min read

Buses are the main form of public transport here in Bristol. The city and its surrounding areas are covered by an expansive bus network that can get you where you need to go quickly and conveniently, with a range of ticket types and payment methods to cover all needs. In this guide, we’ll…

Practical Information

Use these guides to help you plan the details of your trip and get planning the ultimate Bristol visit.

Visitor Information

Visit Bristol has all the ideas, inspiration, and information you'll need to plan the perfect trip to our wonderful city.

Maps

Need a map of Bristol? This is where you'll find it. View and download our range of Bristol maps to help plan your visit. 

Ideas & Inspiration

Bristol has so much to see and do and we know how tricky it can be to narrow down exactly what you’d like to get up to while you’re here. So, to help you plan your perfect itinerary, we’ve pulled together plenty of ideas and inspiration for things to do in the city.