Travelling To Bristol

Bristol Temple Meads railway station is the largest rail hub in the west of England, with direct services available from London, Scotland, Wales, Manchester and Birmingham. Travel to and from London Paddington and to destinations across the South of England, South West and South Wales with Great Western Railway (GWR). You can plan your journey, check timetables, find out accessibility information book tickets and find out more at GWR.com

Bristol Parkway is located to the north of the city. Services run from Birmingham, Cardiff, Gloucester and London.

GWR have lots of options to save money including combined train and bus tickets, group travel discounts, sales and offers, family tickets and the Long Weekender ticket.

Fancy bagging some cheap First Class tickets? GWR have partnered with Seat Frog, an app that allows you to bid for First Class upgrades on GWR services from as little as £10.

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

Bristol is well served by a number of national and regional coach services. They all run services from across the country to Bristol.

Bristol Bus Station is situated on Marlborough Street, near Broadmead shopping centre.

megabus run coaches to Bristol from a number of different destinations across the UK including London, Birmingham, Cardiff, Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester. They also offer over 70+ services a week from Heathrow Airport. Your drop off point is Bond Street which is right in the city centre.

National Express and runs services from across the country to Bristol’s bus and coach station in the city centre, including from London Heathrow (approximately 2 hours) and Gatwick airport (approximately 3 1/2 hours). Regional bus services terminate here too.

Travelling to Bristol as a large group? National Express Transport Solutions offer group coach hire perfect for getting your group to Bristol. Private coach hire is aimed at large groups of over 16 passengers but can cater for smaller numbers - get in touch with them today to get a quote. 

Falcon run a service from Plymouth and Exeter to Bristol 24 hours a day with various stops including Bristol Airport.

If you are looking for coach parking in Bristol click here.

The Park & Ride in Bristol offers a comfortable and easy way of travelling to Bristol without the stress of navigating your way through the central roads and car parks.

All Park & Ride services provide convenient access to attractions, leisure and shopping developments in the centre of Bristol.

There are six Park & Ride locations in Bristol: 

• Portway, North West of Bristol*
• Long Ashton, South West of Bristol
• Brislington, South East of Bristol
• Lyde Green, East of Bristol
• Parkway North, North of Bristol
• Yate, North East of Bristol

Your ticket allows unlimited travel on the Park & Ride services and all First Buses in Bristol Inner Zone, so you can explore more of the city, car free. Find out more here.

*The Portway Park and Ride has a railway station, which connects to Bristol city centre via the Severn Beach line. The station provide another choice of sustainable travel into the city centre as well as to destinations along the Severn Beach line and connections to the wider rail network. Find out more here.

Bristol is ideally situated for road access from London as well as from the north and east of England and South Wales, it being situated at the intersection of the M4 and M5 motorways. Find out more about Park and Ride and parking in Bristol here.

Bristol operates a Clean Air Zone (CAZ-D). Whilst most vehicles will not be charged, it is your responsibility to check and pay any charges in a timely manner. Find out more on our Bristol Clean Air Zone page.

Several bus gates are in operation around Bristol. These short sections of road can only be used by buses and authorised vehicles can use, and are in use 24 hours a day, seven days a week. CCTV cameras monitor every bus gate to ensure drivers comply with bus gate restrictions. To find out more about bus gates in Bristol, including their locations, visit the Bristol City Council website. 

Find out where you can park Motorhomes and Campervans in Bristol on the Bristol City Council page here.

You can park in: 

• streets that don't have parking restrictions
• off-street car parks that don't have height restrictions if the motorhome is under 3.5 tonnes. See full list here.

Please note: Motorhomes may need to pay charges to drive in Bristol’s Clean Air Zone. 

There are three car parks without height restrictions that are outside of the Clean Air Zone. These are; 

• Brunswick Square
• Diamond Street
• Little Paradise Street

If you are flying to Bristol, travelling to and from Bristol Airport by bus or coach is easy and convenient. Whether it’s into the city or out into the South West and Wales, there are plenty of good value and direct services available. Find out more about the services available here. This includes the A1 Bristol Flyer to and from Bristol City Centre, the A3 Weston Flyer to and from Weston-super-Mare, the A4 Air Decker from Bath and National Express services connecting Bristol Airport with Bristol, Birmingham, Gloucester, Cheltenham, Weston-super-Mare, Penzance, Newquay, Plymouth, Paignton, Exeter

If you are travelling to and from Bristol Airport via M5 Junction 18 at Avonmouth, then please note the Bristol Clean Air Zone operates at the end of the Portway/Hotwell Road under the Clifton Suspension Bridge and across Brunel Way. Find out more about the Clean Air Zone here.

To find out more about travel from Bristol Airport head to the Bristol Airport website.

Find out more about flying in to Bristol here

Bristol is proud to lie at one end of the Great West Way, a 125‑mile touring route combining the world‑renowned with the yet‑to‑be‑discovered. At one end is London with its famous royal sights and rich cultural heritage; at the other is Bristol.

As well as travelling by bicycle, walking the landscapes, relaxing on waterways, or taking the road, you can also take advantage of the Great West Way Discoverer pass. 

The Great West Way Discoverer pass offers unlimited off‑peak train travel with GWR from London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads via Reading With options to branch off towards Oxford, Kemble and Salisbury via Westbury. Plus London Waterloo to Salisbury and on to Bath and Bristol via South Western Railway. Also included is unlimited travel on bus services along the route. Choose from 1, 3 or 7 day options. Find out more here.

For the latest information about travelling to Bristol, please check guidance and details at gov.uk.

The UK Government has announced the introduction of Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETAs) worldwide for visitors to the UK who do not currently need a visa for short stays, or who do not already have a UK immigration status prior to travelling. Find out more here. Find out more here.

VisitBritain have a useful 'Plan Your Visit' website which helps with lots of practical questions that might help you and you are welcome to ask us questions via our contact page.

• Travelling around Bristol
• Public transport in Bristol
• Maps and guides
• Visitor information