Bristol Airport
Sophie McGovern
November 11, 2011
Tags: Bristol Airport, where to go on holiday
Bristol Airport is the ninth busiest airport in the UK with over 5 million passengers travelling through every year. Ryanair and easyJet both fly from Bristol making it a popular choice for those wishing to pay less for their flights. First Choice, Thomas Cook and Thomson fly to a host of popular European family destinations, and specialist airlines cover ski and winter favourites. Over 90 destinations can be reached from Bristol altogether, primarily within Europe. Flights to Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Florida and Mexico are also frequent.
Getting to Bristol Airport
By car
Bristol Airport is 8 miles south of Bristol city centre. Programme BS48 3DY into your sat nav.
Travelling from the north, take the M5 down to junction 18 and follow the A4 towards Bristol. You will then see airport signs leading to the A38 (Taunton). The airport turn off is on this road.
Travelling from the south, follow the M5 to junction 22 then take the third exit off the roundabout signposted A38. At the next roundabout follow A38 and Airport (2nd exit). After 11 miles you will find the airport turnoff on the left.
Travelling from the east, leave the M4 at junction 20 to follow M5 southbound. Follow the M5 down to junction 18, then take the A4 towards Bristol following airport signs to the A38 (Taunton). The airport turn off is on this road.
Travelling from Bath, follow the A4 towards Bristol. Turn left onto the A4174 Ring Road, then follow signs for A38 (Taunton) and Airport.
Travelling from Wales, follow the M4 over the second Severn Crossing. Turn off at junction 22 and join the M49, then take the A4 towards Bristol and Airport. Connect with the A38 (Taunton). The airport is 8 miles along the A38.
In terms of Bristol Airport parking, there are several options. It is advisable to pre-book online to save money and time upon arrival.
The Short Stay car-park can be used as a drop off and pick up point, and is part of the airport building. If you wish to leave a car here for one or two days then book online to save money. From the car park, the terminal is reached via a short covered walkway. At the standard rate one hour costs £5.
Silver Zone parking is the cheapest option if you are leaving your car at the airport for over four days, and costs £3.30 per day (based on advance booking). This parking must be booked online, and you can save money by booking for specific dates. From the car-park there are regular 24 hour bus transfers to the terminal which take 5-6 minutes. Car keys will need to be checked in at the car park reception.
The Long Stay car-park is slightly closer to the terminal and costs £4.00 per day (if you pre-book). The self-park system enables you to keep hold of your keys. From the car park you can walk to the terminal or use the 24 hour bus service to transfer which drops you right outside the terminal door. This takes 3-4 minutes.
The Premier car park costs £11.25 per day (based on advance booking) and is the closest car park to the terminal, with check-in only a 150 meter walk away. This is a popular option for those travelling on business, or with a lot of luggage. Cars can be left here for up to 15 days.
Bristol also offers a Meet and Greet service, which must be booked in advance. Drop your car in the Express Drop Off and Pick Up car park next to the terminal building. A Meet and Greet staff member will then park your car in one of Bristol Airport’s secure car parks. Upon return, your car will be ready and waiting with a staff member in the same location. The walk between the car park and the check-in is two minutes.
Another option is to stay at an airport hotel. Some offer parking deals, enabling you to leave your car for an additional fee. You can compare the prices of Bristol Airport hotels online, and view the parking deals they offer.
By Taxi
Taxis drop passengers off outside the terminal building. Checker Cars service the airport and have their own booking office under the covered walkway which leads to the Express Drop Off car park. There you can enquire about fixed fares and book cars for return travel 24 hours a day.
By Train
Bristol Airport does not have its own train station. Passengers travelling by train will need to arrive at Bristol Temple Meads and then take the Airport Flyer Express Link bus from outside the station, which departs every ten minutes during peak times. The journey to the airport takes approximately 30 minutes and services operate between 02.30 and 00.45. When travelling back from the airport to the train station you can take either the A1 or A2 bus from outside the terminal.
Regular direct trains run between Bristol Temple Meads and the following locations: Bristol Parkway, Bath, London Paddington, Cheltenham, Cardiff, Swindon, Swansea and Cornwall. From other destination, take connecting trains to these stations.
By Coach
Nation Express coaches run from a variety of locations to Bristol bus station in the centre of Bristol.
If travelling from Devon or Cornwall, however, you may take the 404 overnight National Express service between Penzance and London routes which travels directly to Bristol Airport, stopping outside the terminal at 02.45 daily.
The 404 overnight National Express service also stops at Chippenham and Bath, running directly to the airport terminal arriving at 02.20 daily.
All destinations around the south west and Wales are well serviced by National Express. Passengers will be dropped off at Bristol bus station. You will then need to take the Airport Flyer Express Link to the airport terminal building. This service runs every 10 minutes during peak hours. It takes approximately 30 minutes to reach the airport and runs between 02.30 and 00.45.
National Express tickets need to be booked online. Make your reservations early for the cheapest deals.
By Bus
If travelling from Weston-Super-Mare or the surrounding area you can take the bus directly to Bristol airport. Wessex Connect service 121 runs every two hours from 06.30 to 16.30 Monday to Friday.
Staying at Bristol Airport
It may be convenient to stay in a Bristol Airport hotel, particularly if your flight is in the early hours or you are travelling from further afield. Bristol Airport hotels can be booked online and often include parking deals. Option range from the more affordable two star to the luxurious five star.
The Bristol Town and Country Lodge
Only 10 minutes travel from the airport, the Bristol Town and Country Lodge is one of the most economic and convenient options. This two star hotel includes a restaurant, bar, conference facilities and internet access. Rooms have private bathrooms, telephones and televisions. A taxi from the hotel will cost around £10.50 and can be booked at reception.
The Doubletree by Hilton Bristol Airport
A beautiful five star hotel within woodland, the Doubletree is still only a few minutes away from the airport. The hotel works with a reliable taxi service for transfers, and the journey takes approximately 10 minutes. You can also book a parking deal with the hotel, paying £25 per week to leave your car.
The Servisair Executive lounge is located in the departures area close to shops and restaurants. Guests benefit from complimentary drinks and snacks, newspapers, telephone, T.V and wifi internet access. Lounge access will cost £17.50 if pre-booked.
Destinations from Bristol Airport
| Guernsey (Aurigny + Blue Islands) | Jersey (Flybe + Blue Islands) | Isle of Mann (Aer Lingus + Aer Arann + Flybe) |
| Cancun (First Choice + Thomson) | Orlando (First Choice + Thomson) | Belfast (EasyJet + Flybe) |
| Cork (Aer Lingus) | Dublin (Ryanair + Aer Lingus) | Shannon (Aer Lingus) |
| Inverness (Easy Jet) | Innsbruck (EasyJet) | Salzburg (Thomson + First Choice + EasyJet) |
| Brussels (bmi + Brussels Airlines) | Bourgas (Balkan Holidays) | Sofia (Air France + KLM + Bulgaria Air) |
| Fuerteventura (First Choice + Thomson + Thomas Cook + easyJet) | Gran Canaria (First Choice + Thomas Cook + Thomson + Ryanair) | Lanzarote (First Choice + Thomas Cook + Thomson + Ryanair) |
| Tenerife (ryanair + Thomas Cook + easyJet +Thomson + First Choice) | Pula (Thomas Cook + Thomson + First Choice) | Split (easyJet + Thomas Cook) |
| Larnarca (Thomson + Thomas Cook _ Flybe + Air France + Cyprus Airways) | Paphos (Thomson + Thomas Cook + EasyJet + First Choice) | Prague (EasyJet + KLM) |
| Enontekiö (Transun) | Kittila (First Choice + Thomson) | Rovaniemi (First Choice + Thomson) |
| Bergerac (EasyJet) | Béziers (Ryanair) | Bordeaux (EasyJet + Air France) |
| Chambéry (First Choice, Thomson Ski, Crystal, Ski World, Snowjet and Esprit Ski) | Grenoble (First Choice + Thomson + Crystal + EasyJet) | La Rochelle (easyJet) |
| Limoges (easyJet) | Lyon (easyJet) | Marseilles (easyJet) |
| Nice (easyJet) | Paris (Air France + EasyJet + Flybe) | Toulouse (Ingham + Thomson + First Choice + Crystal + EasyJet) |
| Berlin (EasyJet) | Corfu (First Choice + Thomson + Thomas Cook + EasyJet) | Crete (First Choice + Thomas Cook + Thomson + easyJet) |
| Kefalonia (First Choice + Thomas Cook + Thomson) | Kos (First Choice + Thomas Cook + Thomson) | Rhodes (First Choice + Thomas Cook + Thomson) |
| Zante (First Choice + Thomas Cook + Thomson) | Milan (Ryanair) | Naples (Thomas Cook + Thomson + First Choice) |
| Pisa (easyJet) | Rome (easyJet) | Turin (First Choice + Thomson + Neilson Ski) |
| Venice (Ryanair) | Verona (First Choice + Thomas Cook + Thomson) | Riga (Ryanair) |
| Kaunas (Ryanair) | Luqa (Air Malta + Thomas Cook + First Choice + Ryanair + Thomson) | Amsterdam (Air France + KLM + EasyJet) |
| Gdansk (Ryanair) | Krakow (EasyJet) | Poznan (Ryanair) |
| Rzeszow (Ryanair) | Wroclaw (Ryanair) | Faro (Thomas Cook + Thomson + Ryanair + Easyjet) |
| Lisbon (easyJet) | Madeira (easyJet) | Olbia (easyJet) |
| Bratislava (Ryanair) | Alicante (Thomas Cook + Thomson + EasyJet + Ryanair) | Barcelona (EasyJet) |
| Gerona (Ryanair) | Ibiza (Thomas Cook +Thomson + EasyJet + ryanair + First Choice) | Madrid (EasyJet) |
| Majorca (Thomas Cook + Thomson + First Choice + EasyJet + ryanair) | Malaga (Thomas Cook + Thomson + First Choice + EasyJet + ryanair) | Menorca (Thomas Cook + Thomson + First Choice + EasyJet) |
| Murcia (EasyJet) | Reus (Thomas Cook + Thomson + First Choice + Ryanair) | Seville (ryanair) |
| Valencia (Ryanair) | Geneva (First Choice + Thomson + EasyJet) | Antayla (First Choice + Thomson + Thomas Cook + EasyJet) |
| Bodrum (First Choice + Thomson + Thomas Cook + EasyJet) | Dalaman (First Choice + Thomson + Thomas Cook) | Luxor (First Choice + Thomson) |
| Sharm el-Sheikh (First Choice + Thomas Cook + Red Sea Holidays) | Marrakech (Ryanair) | Enfidha (First Choice + Thomas Cook + Thomson) |






