Public transport in and around Bristol - Getting around Bristol and the UK

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

Getting around new places can be daunting, you might not know where to get off or if you need to buy a bus ticket on or off the bus. Hopefully this next section will help you to sort out how to buy your ticket and the best way to save money whilst traveling with public transport in Bristol and the UK.

Bus

Bristol is a city that is well linked and interconnected by bus. As I already mentioned, First bus will be the bus service that you will see and use most frequently. Be sure to carry your student card with you when you travel with First bus as if you show it to the bus driver whilst traveling throughout the West of England, you can receive a discount of a whopping 30%. You can purchase your ticket once on the bus.

It is also recommended to download the First Group App on your phone. As a student, you can purchase five short travel singles for £5.00 (so £1.00 a trip) which will work out cheaper if you are just catching two buses that day, rather than purchasing a £3.00 all day pass. A ‘short journey’ is anything up to 3 miles, so it should easily get you in and out of town or to uni.

If you are in Bristol for the whole year it may be worth getting a bus pass, again, depending on where you live. This may seem like an expensive option at first but you will be able to use this within the inner zone of Bristol to travel to and from your university, and back from nights out, etc. When you click here, on the ‘zone or area’ drop down menu, select ‘University - students’ in order to purchase the yearly bus pass.

If you are studying at the University of Bristol, you can visit their website to see more information on bus services to and from the University campuses.

Or if you are studying at the University of the West of England (UWE), you can visit their website for more information on the bus services to and from the university campuses.

Whether you are traveling back from a late-night session at the University Library or you are trying to get home after a night out, Bristol has several bus services that run after midnight and even a few services that are available 24/7. Take a look here to see which night bus services are available to you in Bristol.

Train

In terms of train stations in Bristol, there are actually quite a few. Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway are your main stations, however, if you click here, you can see a full list of other train stations that exist throughout Bristol. Once you know where you live and you find your feet, you might find that catching a train to Montpellier from Temple Meads, for example, is quicker for you to get home than taking a bus into town and then another up Gloucester Road.

If you are aged between 16-25 you can purchase a Young Person’s Railcard, which gives you a third off rail travel throughout the UK and is definitely worth the money due to the costs of trains in Britain. The Young Person’s Railcard costs just £30.00 for the whole year. You can purchase this online or at most train stations throughout the UK. To do so you will need a valid Passport, a digital or printed passport-style photo (depending on if you purchase online or at a train station, respectively), and a debit or credit card.

Coach

You will have read about Megabus and National Express coach services in the previous section of this guide, however, there are some extra bonuses you can receive from these coach companies. With National Express, you can purchase a Young Person's Coachcard for just £10.00 for the whole year, which will save you a third on coach travel. If you purchase a NUS card, you can receive discounts when you travel with Megabus UK (this card will also give you discounts from hundreds of other websites and companies).

Taxi

If you are going on a night out with four or more friends, getting a taxi may be cheaper than you all hopping on a bus (unless you have already paid for a bus pass, of course). Internationally recognized UBER runs throughout Bristol, so be sure to download the app if you think you will use the service. You can also find contact numbers for taxi companies throughout Bristol by simply typing ‘Taxis Bristol’ into Google.

Cycling

If you like to think green, clean, and save money, then cycling could be the option for you. Bristol is a pleasant city to cycle through and there have been large investments in cycle routes across the city. If you are in Bristol for the whole academic year then you could purchase a second-hand bike at a reasonable price and you will receive benefits from your university, such as free maintenance workshops on campus and discounted prices on bike locks and/or lights. You can also rent a bike for the year if you prefer. Both Universities offer a service where you can rent a bike for just £50.00 for the whole year, a security deposit of £100.00 will be needed but it will be returned when you return your bike at the end of the year. For more information on UWE bike rental click here, and for more information on the University of Bristol bike rental click here. The universities in Bristol like to encourage the use of bikes to get to and from the university. See more information on cycling here for the University of Bristol, or here for UWE.

• Continue to The cost of living in Bristol
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