Hooray! You’ve come to visit us by car – welcome. Before you get stuck into all the amazing things to do in Bristol, we know what you’ll all be thinking: Where are the car parks in Bristol and what are the rules for driving in Bristol?
Okay, maybe you won’t all be thinking that, but driving into a new city can be daunting so it’s always nice to have an idea of where to park in advance. That’s why we’ve got this handy Bristol Parking Map* ready for you. All you need to do is hover over each of the ‘P’ parking symbols to find details of where you can park up in central Bristol. These include a number of multi-storey car parks as well as non-covered open-air car parks.
You can also find plenty of metered street parking around the city, some of which has limited hours for visitors. Please check the street meters and signs which can easily be found all over Bristol.
Where can I park in Bristol?
The city centre has over 11,000 parking spaces and as you’ll discover there’s parking in Bristol near popular areas such as the Harbourside, Bristol Shopping Quarter and the Old City, allowing you to find somewhere convenient to leave your vehicle and access Bristol attractions including Brunel’s SS Great Britain, Bristol Aquarium, We The Curious, Bristol Hippodrome and so much more.
For on-street parking you can use Just Park or RingGo to find a parking spot or car park throughout the city.
Find out more about UK parking laws in this helpful guide from GoCompare.**
Park and Ride and Electric Vehicle Parking
If you don't want the hassle of finding a free spot it’s well worth thinking about Park and Ride options for getting into Bristol. Travel West is also a wealth of information on driving in the South West, including tips for people with electric vehicles as well as for those interested in car and taxi sharing. You can also find out which car parks in Bristol has electric vehicle charging points on the Bristol City Council website here.
Bus Gates in Bristol
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. CCTV cameras operate to make sure drivers obey bus gate restrictions. Find out more about bus gates and how to make sure you don't get a fine for using them by mistake on the Bristol City Council website here.
Bristol's Clean Air Zone
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.
Disabled and Blue Badge Parking in Bristol
Find out where you can park with a Blue Badge in Bristol here, which includes free parking all day in any on-street pay and display parking bay, any permit holder parking bay, shared use parking bay, or pay and display bay in a residents’ parking scheme area.
Public Transport and Alternatives
Have you considered alternative ways of getting to Bristol? As an environmentally-minded city, you can be sure any steps you can take to reduce your carbon footprint will be well-received here. You won't miss your car when you're here, since Bristol is a relatively compact city, which makes it easy to explore on foot. So, consider arriving by bus, coach, train, or even by bike if you’re not coming from too far away! We’ve got lots of helpful information about cycling in and around the city to help you on your journey.
Bristol Balloon Fiesta Parking
If you are heading to Bristol's biggest annual event, the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta and looking for somewhere to park check out the details on nearby car parking options.
*Please note that the Bristol Parking Map is to be used as a reference only - Visit Bristol cannot accept responsibility for any inaccuracies.
**The UK Parking Laws link from GoCompare should be used as a guide only - Visit Bristol cannot accept responsibility for any inaccuracies.
Find out more:
