Bristol is a city in the West Country of England. Famous for its maritime history it also offers a great and diverse range of attractions, hotels, bars and events. Bristol is one of England’s top visitor destinations, and the best time to visit is in the summer when major festivals are held in the city.

• Bristol borders the counties of Somerset and Gloucestershire and is also near the historic cities of Bath to the southeast, Gloucester to the north and Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, to the northwest.
• The city is built around the River Avon, and has a short coastline on the estuary of the River Severn where it flows into the Bristol Channel.
• Street artist Banksy is from Bristol and some of his works can be seen around the city for free.
• Be careful on matchdays especially when the Bristol derby(Bristol City and Bristol Rovers) are playing. Unfortunately fights are very common between the two teams. If you are extremely concerned about your safety, stay away from the stadium they are playing, don’t go to pubs or at best, stay out of the city. Don’t wear a City shirt in North Bristol and don’t wear a Rovers shirt in the southern suburbs and the city. At least, you will get dirty looks.
• A network of free Wi-Fi hotspots called StreetNet is being deploying in central Bristol. It is available around the Watershed and along Queen’s Road.

• Bristol’s most famous pirate, Blackbeard, was allegedly born in the city, near the old harbour. Also known as Edward Teach, the infamous sailor led a reign of terror over the Caribbean Sea and the islands that inhabit it.

Previously I’ve stayed with friends or came for the day and returned home. In 2023 I stayed at Travelodge Mitchel Lane, there are 2 stupidly both named central, so check which your going to as I initially drove to the wrong one. I had no complaints with my stay, it was comfortable, quiet, friendly staff and an underground parking, £9 for 24 hours.

• Airbnb, from £20 a night for a private room, while entire apartments/homes can start from around £40 a night, this would be my recommended option.
• Camping, Ennywevers Campsite or Baltic Wharf Caravan and Motorhome Club Site.
• Hostel, from £14 – £40 per night.
  • The Washington Guesthouse Bristol A good value budget hotel in heart of Clifton with full English breakfast included in the price.£20/single or £20/double when booked more than 6 weeks in advance.
  • Youth Hostel, A modern, clean and very central YHA youth hostel located in the Harbourside area; now with a newly revamped cafe on the quayside. Open every day all hours.£15/dorm bed, £39/private room.
  • Bristol Backpackers, Dorm rate £14 per person per night.
  • Full Moon Eco Hostel, This hostel is next to two of Bristol’s biggest nightclubs with music going on until 5AM. Reception is closed from 11AM-3PM. £17.50/dorm bed.
• B&B & Guest Houses from £40 – £90 per night.
  • Arnos Manor Hotel, Built in 1760 as the luxurious home of wealthy Bristol merchant William Reeve, this historic building boasts many original Georgian Gothic features.From £45.
  • Holiday Inn, A 211-room hotel 15 minutes from the centre on 11 acres of land. It has its own fishing lake and free parking! From £60.
  • Premier Inn, Standard rooms, nothing fancy, has everything you need as a reasonable price. Not ideal for long stays as could get a bit depressing. £50-90
  • The Berkeley Square, If your visit takes you nearer to Clifton, this could be useful, just off Park Street (where all the best independent shops in the city are). The hotel is a lovely old 3* Georgian house; staying here also gains you access to the exclusive members-only bar in the basement. Rooms from £60.
  • SACO Serviced Apartments, 150 well-equipped apartments throughout the city in seven locations with friendly staff. From £65.
  • The Rodney Hotel.
• Hotels, from £75 – £250 per night.
  • Berkeley Suites, These 5-star apartments offer the services of a top end hotel. Guests can enjoy complimentary use of Nuffield Health & Fitness Centre during their stay.
  • Cadbury House Hotel,This 4-star hotel is suitable for both relaxation and corporate visits.
  • Marriott Royal, 4-star hotel, the most famous in the city. From £75.
    The Brigstow, A modern, contemporary hotel in the centre of all the action, near Broadmead/Corn Street. Overlooks a very attractive stretch of the floating harbour. £89-250.
  • Hotel du Vin, Walkable from the centre. Has spacious rooms and a restaurant and winery.
  • Avon Gorge Hotel Spectacular panoramic views of the Avon gorge and the Clifton suspension bridge. They have their own bar and restaurant on site. From £115.
  • Mercure Brigstow, On Welsh Back with riverside frontage. Comfortable, modern bedrooms and there’s a plasma-screen TV in the bathroom.
  • The Grand Hotel (Formerly the Thistle) In the centre of Bristol, about a 2-minute walk from Corn Street and St. Nicholas’s Market. It has its own health and leisure club.
  • Mercure Bristol Holland House Hotel & Spa, Very posh hotel next to the St. Mary of Redcliffe church, with 4 star amenities and view over the floating harbour and city centre. Luxurious rooms, with indoor swimming pool and gym. Not at all cozy though, so considering the price only suitable for business travellers. From £150.
  • Travelodge, I stayed here in 2023 at Mitchel Lane, as there are 2 stupidly both named central, so check which your going to. I had no complaints, it was comfortable, quite, friendly staff and underground parking, £9 for 24 hours.

The official tourism website for Bristol has free maps of the city. Like many other big cities in the UK, Bristol has its rough areas. Use common sense while getting around.

• Car, The centre of Bristol follows a one way city system, which can be frustrating and confusing for those not used to it. However, with patience and practice and a lot of circling around the same areas numerous times, it does become easier. If crossing the Clifton bridge there is a £1 toll, contactless is accepted.
• Train, Bristol Temple Meads station is about 15 minutes walk from the city centre.
• Boat, Because of the way the city centre is intimately interwoven with the old ‘floating harbour’, a boat is a good way of getting around and of seeing a lot of interesting sites.
• Bus, City Sightseeing offer open top bus tours with commentary during the summer months. 24-hr and 3-day passes are available. Most bus services in Bristol are operated by First Bristol. By and large the buses are unreliable, so if possible check the bus times on the First website as the times on bus stops may be dated and incorrect.
• Bike, Bristol has plenty of bike paths and routes and is at the centre of the National Cycle Network. There is an app-based cycle hire scheme YoBike available in the city, which costs £1 for one hour, or £5 for a day’s hire. A smartphone with internet connection is required to use it.
• Scooter, Voi e-scooters are scattered throughout the city, just download the app to unlock and scoot around.
• Taxi, Due to the heavy traffic, taxis in Bristol can be quite expensive – and don’t forget to allow extra time on your journey when taking a cab.
  • Uber ,I found this to be the best and cheapest way to get around at night. You can Get £3 credit for your first Uber ride here.
• Walking, Most locations in central Bristol (the Harbourside and Old City areas) are reasonable easily walkable.

• Plane, Bristol Airport  offers scheduled flights from major European cities. There is no train link between Bristol airport and the city, but there is a bus service (bus A1) that takes about 35 min and has a frequency of up to every 10 min. It costs £11 for an adult return ticket (the second part of which can be used up to a month after the first), £7 for a one-way to the city centre.
• Car,  The M5 and M4 motorways intersect near Bristol and the M32, a motorway ‘spur’, brings traffic directly into the city centre. The city also has 3 Park and Ride facilities, A4 Portway, Long Ashton and A4 Bath Road sites.
• Train, Bristol Temple Meads station is about 15 minutes walk from the city centre.
• Bus,
  • National Express operate services to Marlborough St Coach station in the city centre, from cities throughout the UK including London. The journey from London to Bristol takes about 2hr 30min. Tickets are much cheaper if booked in advance online.
  • MegaBus Tickets must be booked online and fares are demand responsive but can be very cheap (£1.50 if you book far enough in advance). The journey to London takes about 30 min longer than by National Express.

• Learn about Bristol’s fascinating history by going to the museums, which are all free.
• Take a free walking tour – If you’re there on a weekend, be sure to take a free walking tour. It lasts a couple hours and is a nice way to get a sense of the city. Bristol Free Walking Tour offers tours every weekend, twice per day. You can just show up at the meeting location — no advanced booking is required.
• If crossing the Clifton Bridge there is a £1 toll, contactless is accepted.
• Like many other big cities in the UK, Bristol has its rough areas. Use common sense while getting around.
• Isolated drunken brawls can occur in the centre of town on Friday and Saturday nights as pubs and clubs close, especially near the waterfront area, the Centre, taxi queues and fast food joints. This has been reduced somewhat by a heavy police presence and security guards monitoring the taxi queues.
• Be careful on matchdays especially when the Bristol derby (Bristol City and Bristol Rovers) are playing. Unfortunately fights are very common between the two teams. If you are extremely concerned about your safety, stay away from the stadium they are playing, don’t go to pubs or at best, stay out of the city. Don’t wear a City shirt in North Bristol and don’t wear a Rovers shirt in the southern suburbs and the city. At the least, you will get dirty looks.
• A network of free Wi-Fi hotspots called StreetNet is being deploying in central Bristol. It is available around the Watershed and along Queen’s Road.
• 5G was available around most of the city.
• For more info check out visitbristol.co.uk