Frequently Asked Questions

You can download a free map on our map page. Many of the city’s hotels and attractions will also have maps available on stands in their reception areas.

You can view and download our Official Bristol Visitor Guide.  If you prefer a physical copy, you'll be able to find one at information stands across the city, in hotels, attractions, shopping centres, and major transport hubs such as Bristol Airport, Temple Meads railway station, and Bristol Bus & Coach Station.

Check out our Accessible Bristol page for information on how you can enjoy everything the city has to offer, with inspiration on accessible accommodation, accessible things to do, and much more.

The city’s top paid visitor attractions include:

Brunel’s SS Great Britain: acclaimed living museum based around the world’s first great ocean liner, designed by famed Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel and built in the same dry dock in which it now rests between 1839 and 1843.

We The Curious (reopening Summer 2024)

Bristol Aquarium

Aerospace Bristol: home of the last Concorde supersonic airliner to fly, Alpha Foxtrot, which was originally built in Bristol on the same site in which the museum now stands.

Bristol Zoo Project

The following attractions and places of interest are free of charge to visit (although they do welcome donations and paid-for tours are available for a deeper insight):

Museums: M Shed, Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, The Red Lodge Museum, Georgian House Museum.

Sacred buildings: Bristol Cathedral, St Mary Redcliffe Church, John Wesley’s Chapel ‘The New Room’

Landmarks: Clifton Suspension Bridge & Visitor Centre, Cabot Tower, Street Art (including Banksy murals)

You can search and book accommodation via our Where to Stay section. Use the links on our hotel listings to be taken directly to their booking pages, where you can enter your dates, check availability, and book your stay. Booking directly with individual accommodation providers saves you money and ensures that every pound goes towards supporting tourism in the city.

There are plenty of tours available, including walking tours, bus tours, and cycling tours. Many tours are themed around specific interests, such as street art, history, food and even beer. View a full list of tours and sightseeing options.

Clifton Suspension Bridge is roughly 40 minutes’ walk away from the city centre and involves climbing very steep hills. Alternatively, you can catch a bus (route number 8), which offers frequent services throughout the day from various stops in the city centre, including Temple Meads railway station.

The best place to view the bridge is from Observatory Hill, which has plenty of viewpoints perfect for photos and a natural stone slide that nobody should miss (even if you don’t fancy having a go!). Our top tip is to enjoy a drink and maybe even a bite to eat in the sunshine on the terrace of The White Lion Bar at The Avon Gorge Hotel. If you’re looking for the perfect date night, try visiting on a summer’s evening and watching the sun set over the far tower of the bridge.

You’re in the right place! Just take a look at our Public Transport in Bristol page for full information. You can also head to the TravelWest website for full information on public transport in the city.

Find out more about car parks, where you can park, and parking charges on our parking page.

You can find out more about coach parking and drop off in and around Bristol here. This is also where you will find information on coach parking and drop off for major annual events such as the Bristol Balloon Fiesta and Bristol Harbour Festival.

Since November 2022, Bristol City Council has operated a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in the city centre. You can find full information on our website here, and check if you will need to pay on the UK Government’s website.

The Bristol International Balloon Fiesta is a free-to-enter event, and takes place over the first clear weekend in August at Ashton Court Estate each year. You can find the latest information here.

Bristol Harbour Festival is typically held in mid to late July each year. You can find the latest information here.

There are often a range of special offers and package deals for accommodation, things to do, tours, and food and drink in Bristol. Browse our extensive special offers section and bag yourself a Bristol bargain!

By Train: The quickest way between Bristol’s neighbouring towns and cities is by train. There are frequent services from Bristol Temple Meads railway station in the city centre and from Bristol Parkway railway station in North Bristol. Times and prices can be found on the GWR website, and the journey takes just 12-15 minutes.

By Bus: There is a frequent bus service (route number 39/X39, branded ‘Aquae’) running between Bristol and Bath. First Bus’ West of England day ticket allows unlimited trips on all First buses in Bristol, Bath, and the surrounding region for 24 hours. These tickets can be purchased via the First Bus app or website, on board the bus from the driver, or from the First Bus shop at Bristol Bus & Coach Station. Prices can be found on the First Bus website.

By Bike: The Bristol & Bath Railway Path is a 13-mile off-road cycle and foot path linking the two cities, following the route of an old railway line. It takes roughly two and a half hours to cycle from Bristol to Bath, and four and a half hours to walk. Find out more about the Bristol and Bath Railway Path, and where to hire a bike in Bristol.

By Road: Bath is roughly a 25-to-40-minute drive from central Bristol without traffic, but may take longer during rush hour times. Routes and parking information can be found on the TravelWest website. If you are driving to Bath, we recommend using the Park & Ride service.

Catch a direct train from Temple Meads station to Salisbury station, which takes around 80 minutes. See the GWR website for times and prices.

The ‘Stonehenge Tour’ bus picks up outside Salisbury station and runs every hour from 10:00am to 2:00pm in the winter and 4:00pm in the summer. Adult, child and family tickets are available, and you can also purchase Stonehenge entry tickets from the driver. The hop-on hop-off tour also stops at Salisbury Cathedral and Old Sarum.

Fully guided minibus tours from Bristol to Stonehenge are available from Mad Max Tours and Rabbie’s Tours.

By car, the journey from Bristol takes around 1 hour, 40 minutes. For satellite navigation systems, use the postcode SP4 7DE. Parking is available on site, and is free to English Heritage members or Stonehenge ticket holders. Otherwise, parking tickets cost £5 and can be bought from ticket kiosks on site.

A wheelchair-accessible Visitor Shuttle bus runs frequently between the Visitor Centre and the Stones, with a journey time of 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can choose to follow a walking route to the Stones through the ancient landscape, taking roughly an hour and a half either way.

If you have an issue with an accommodation, attraction, or activity booking that you have made, you will need to contact the organisation directly. You can search for a range of businesses on our website and find contact details on their listings to get in touch.

Left luggage facilities are available from Bounce or Stasher, with several locations in Bristol to choose from. 

There are a number of excellent learning facilities in Bristol where you can learn English. Take a look at our Study in Bristol page, or the list below.

Some of the rules on entering the UK following the country’s exit from the European Union have changed. Use the pages below to find out more about visas and entry requirements:

International visitors coming to the UK

Visiting family and friends

Chinese groups visiting the UK

Students

A question that everyone wants to know the answer to! 

There are several official public toilets across Bristol, which can be viewed on this list from Bristol City Council.

Each toilet in the list also has a postcode on so that you can search for the closest one to you, or you can download a map. Public toilets are also labelled on the Bristol city map.

Please bear in mind the following:

• Most toilets are free to use, although not all, so you may need to pay a small fee.
• Some toilets are not open 24 hours a day.
• Many public toilets will be situated inside businesses subscribed to Bristol’s Community Toilet Scheme.

There are several facilities to change currency within The Galleries shopping centre in central Bristol, including the Post Office, NM Money, No.1 Currency and Ramsdens. You can also change currency at other select Post Office branches across Bristol, and at Bristol Airport.

You’ll find ATMs throughout the city, but a few recommendations are: Bristol Airport, The Galleries, Cabot Circus, Tesco Express on College Green, and Sainsbury’s on Broad Quay.

There is no longer a physical Tourist Information Centre in Bristol. All of our services have now moved online to this website and its associated social media channels. You can also contact us, and we will aim to respond within five working days.