How to get to Bristol - Getting to Bristol by train, plane, car or bus

1. Before arriving in Bristol
2. How to get to Bristol - Getting to Bristol by train, plane, car or bus
3. Public transport in and around Bristol - Getting around Bristol and the UK
4. The cost of living in Bristol
5. Save money in Bristol - Tips for living on a student budget in Bristol
6. Accommodation for students in Bristol - Top tips and advice
7. Bristol neighborhoods - The most important districts of Bristol
8. Nightlife in Bristol - Nightclub guide and going out in Bristol
9. British cuisine - The gastronomy of Britain and traditional dishes
10. What to do in Bristol
11. Festivals in Bristol - Festivals and events in Bristol and the South West
12. Day trips from Bristol - Places to visit and excursions around Bristol
13. Bristol in 3 days - What to see and do in 3 days

Now you are packed and ready to go (nearly!), let’s have a look at the best ways to get to Bristol...

Bristol Airport (BRS)

As your first option, you can fly into Bristol airport. Bristol airport is fairly small and it is located about 30 minutes from the city, however, you can fly there from most European countries using Airlines such as EasyJet, Ryanair and KLM, among others. It is not always the cheapest option though, so I recommend checking websites such as Skyscanner to compare the best fares.

Bus from the airport to the city

Catching a bus into the city is your cheapest option. There is the Bristol Airport Flyer Express that runs every 20 mins - 1 hour (depending on the time of your arrival) from outside the Airport and it costs £7.00 for a single or £11.00 for a return (the return is valid for one month). The bus stops at West Street, Chessel Street, Bristol Temple Meads (the main train station in Bristol) and Bristol Bus Station (which is in the centre of Bristol at the bottom of Stokes Croft). You can check the timetable here. Make sure to check the timetable if you are arriving on a Saturday or a Sunday as the times may be different and less frequent. If you ask the driver nicely, they can also drop you at one of the following bus stops: Hobbs Lane A38, Kings Head Bridgwater Road, Asda Bedminster/Bedminster Parade (D), Temple Way (Tl), Old Market (Om), so make sure you know where you need to get off once you are on the bus and on your way into Bristol.

You can also travel using the First Bus company, which you will get to know well during your stay as it is the main Bus company in Bristol, Bath and the West. With First, you will need to catch bus A1 and you can view the timetable here. Once on this link scroll down to see the timetable for the bus going from the airport towards the city. This bus stops at Bedminster, Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Bus station and it is also around £7.00 for a single.

Taxi

Catching a taxi is definitely the more expensive option unless there happens to be more than 2 of you, I would recommend taking the bus. However, if you feel more comfortable taking a taxi to arrive at your new home for the first time, you can visit the taxi service that is at the airport. You will be given a ticket with the name of your destination along with a price. Taxis will usually cost between £25.00 and £30.00 to travel into the centre of Bristol (prices can vary).

Train

Unfortunately, there is no train station at Bristol airport.

If, for whatever reason, you cannot fly to Bristol from your hometown or it is really expensive, you can fly to another airport in Britain. London is usually the cheapest option and although there are numerous airports in London, as you will be continuing on to Bristol once you arrive there, it is recommendable to fly to Heathrow or Gatwick.

London Heathrow (LHR)

Heathrow is a huge international airport and has flights arriving daily from all over the world with various airlines such as British Airways, Vueling, Iberia, Eurowings and Lufthansa from Europe and airlines such as American Airlines, United and Delta coming from America. As Heathrow is such a big airport, it has transport that goes directly to Bristol to save you having to go into the centre of London, which can be quite time-consuming.

Coach to Bristol from Heathrow

As a student, National Express Coach Services are your friend. They offer cheap coaches all over the country and they offer a service from Heathrow Airport directly to Bristol, which takes around 2 hours with prices starting from £1.00 if you book far enough in advance. Click here to search the timetable.

Megabus UK will become another dear friend of yours. They also offer services from different terminals at Heathrow airport that go directly to Bristol. Depending on when you book the ticket, prices can range from £1.00 to £30.00 (I know, seems crazy) and the coach takes around 2.5 hours.

Train to Bristol from Heathrow

There are train services that run from Heathrow airport to Bristol Temple Meads, which is very close to Bristol city centre. The Trainline and Splitticketing are good websites to use for trains in the UK. Split ticketing tends to be cheaper but it is recommended to check both before you purchase a ticket. It is also a good idea to purchase your ticket online before you arrive as this tends to make it cheaper. Trains in Britain are kind of expensive and can vary a lot in price depending on when you book it and at what time you travel. You should also be aware that they can put you quite out of pocket if you wait until you are on the train to purchase a ticket.

You can also catch a train to Bristol Parkway which is located about 15 minutes outside the city near the motorway. Once there, you can either take a First bus from bus stand A (bus number 73) and get off at City Centre, Rupert Street [Hg], and make your way from there to your new home (check here for the timetable). Alternatively, you can hop in a taxi in the taxi rank but this will be a lot more expensive; between £15.00 and £30.00 depending on the time of day and where you want to go.

Gatwick (LGW)

Although Gatwick is listed as an airport in London, it is not actually based in London. However, it is still a very large international airport that receives arrivals from all over Europe and the US on a daily basis, so you could also check if you can bag a cheap flight to here from your home country.

Coach to Bristol from Gatwick

Just like Heathrow, you can ride a National Express coach from Gatwick to Bristol and they run quite frequently throughout the day. This is a little more expensive though as the journey can take between 3.5 to 5 hours, depending on whether you have to change or not. This coach can cost between £25.00 and £30.00.

You can also ride with Megabus UK from Gatwick to Bristol which takes a similar time as National express but can cost anything between £10.00 and £30.00.

Prices with Megabus tend to vary the most but more often than not, Megabus is cheaper than National Express.

Train to Bristol from Gatwick

Train services are available from Gatwick to Bristol Temple Meads, which takes about 3 hours. Train services from Gatwick to Bristol tend to be more expensive than Heathrow, ranging from £60 - £80, so unless you can find a really really cheap flight to Gatwick, the additional cost of the train (or coach for that matter) may not actually save you much, so be sure to do your research.

BlaBlacar

If you are feeling really adventurous, you have some time to kill and you are traveling fairly light, you can take a look at this wonderful, economically and environmentally friendly, trusted carpooling website; BlaBlaCar. You can find lifts from all over Europe to England for very reasonable prices whilst you make friends along the way. Each driver is given a rating each time a passenger travels with them so when you are choosing the driver you wish to travel with you can see the ratings of how safely they drive, how friendly they are, etc.

• Continue to Public transport in and around Bristol - Getting around Bristol and the UK
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