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England Planning a Trip travel guide

Getting from Bristol to Birmingham

Bristol is located in South West England . It is the sixth largest city in England and also one of the warmest and sunniest cities in the country, which makes it a pleasure to explore the city any time of the year.

Bristol and Birmingham are just 88 miles away, so there is no reason to fly between the two cities. So, you are left with traveling overland: by train, bus or car.

Quick summary

The cheapest way to travel between Bristol and Birmingham – or the other way around – is by bus. Even the fastest bus fare (which is more expensive than the slowest) is half as expensive as the train fare (and trains are only ½ h faster).

Trains from Bristol to Birmingham

National Rail operates trains between Bristol Temple Meads station and Birmingham New Street station, daily, every 30 min. The travel time is 1 ½ h and the single fare is £35.50.

>>read more about Train Travel in England

Buses from Bristol to Birmingham

National Express offers daily connection, about every hour, between Bristol and Birmingham. The fastest bus takes 1h 50 min and the single fare starts at £8.50 (on the slower bus – 3h) . Still, even on the fastest bus the fare is cheaper than the train fare (£10.50 or £20.50 depending on the time of departure).

>>read more about Bus Travel in England

Driving from Bristol to Birmingham

You can rent a car in Bristol and drive the 88 miles to Birmingham in about 1 ½ h on M5. Of course, the drive time also depends on the traffic.

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England Planning a Trip travel guide

Getting from Bristol to Bath

Bristol, located just 15 miles / 25 km from Bristol , is a historic Roman and Georgian spa city, well known for its hot springs. It is a UNESCO Heritage Site which offers a lot of things to do and see.

Bath is the oldest important tourist destination in England. The hot springs were sacred to the Celtic goddess Sulis, which later became Minerva for the Romans. During Roman times, a vast spa complex was built here. But it wasn’t until the 18th century that the spas were rediscovered. However, the city still has plenty of buildings dating from the Medieval times, when it was prosperous. Unfortunately, the city was badly damaged during World War II but was later reconstructed.

The closest airport to Bath is Bristol International Airport (BRS), which is served by two major low-cost carriers: EasyJet and Ryanair. The airport handles domestic traffic as well as traffic to/from European cities and Mexico. The best alternative is to fly into one of London’s major airports and travel by train, bus or car to Bath.

Quick summary

The cheapest option to get between Bristol and Bath is the bus, but the fastest (and not much more expensive) is the train. However, there are only 2 buses per day, while the trains leave either city every 20 minutes.

Trains from Bristol to Bath

Bath Spa is a new rail station, recently opened to serve the city of Bath. It is located right in the city center.

National Rail lists all trains between Bristol Temple Meads and Bath Spa. There are departures about every 20 minutes on a daily basis. The travel time is about 12 min and the single fare is £6.60.

>>read more about Train Travel in England

Buses from Bristol to Bath

Bath got a modern bus station in 2009 , which is located right near the train station. National Express operates a handful of buses (2 per day) between Bristol Coach Station and Bath Spa. The fastest one takes 45 min and the single fare is £4.40, regardless of the time of departure. Note that buses leave Bristol at 4:15 p.m. and 6:35 p.m. On the way back, catch the morning buses to Bristol.

>>read more about Bus Travel in England

Driving from Bristol to Bath

You can rent a car in Bristol and drive the 13 miles on A4 to get to Bath. Technically it takes about ½ h, but the driving time definitely depends on the traffic.

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Photo credits : Roman Bath ; Railway Station

Categories
England Planning a Trip travel guide

Getting from Bristol to Dublin

Bristol is located in South West England and is the 6th largest city in England. It is one of the warmest and sunniest cities in the UK , which makes it a pleasure to explore the city any time of the year.

Dublin is the capital of Ireland and also the most important entry-point for the foreign visitors. It is known for nightlife and sights. Being easy to get to and well connected to the rest of Europe , Dublin is a pleasure to visit.

Quick summary

The cheapest option for traveling between Bristol and Dublin is the bus. The fare includes the ferry crossing but you need to change buses one time along the way. The fast option is the flight but you have to be careful when you make the reservation and consider the additional fees.

Flights from Bristol (airport code: BRS) to Dublin

Bristol Airport (BRS) is the ninth busiest airport in the UK and is not hub for any airline. It handles domestic flights, as well as flights to other European cities and Africa.

Dublin Airport (DUB) is the busiest airport in Ireland . It is located about 10 km from the city center, to which is connected by buses. The airport is hub for Aer Lingus, Air Contractors, CityJet, Orbest Orizonia Airlines , Ryanair and Thomson Airways. It handles domestic flights, flights to other European cities, Middle East and North America.

Flights between Bristol and Dublin are operated by Aer Lingus and Ryanair. The flight time is an hour. In mid-May 2012, expect to pay from £20 one way on Ryanair. Slightly higher fares – from £36 one way – are available in mid-July 2012.

Do remember that when you book a ticket via low-cost carries, you’ll also pay booking fees. And pay attention to the carry on size because if it doesn’t fit the measurement cage at the airport, you’ll be forced to pay the checked baggage fee. Also, good fares can be found if you book 4 to 8 weeks in advance.

>>read more about Flights to Dublin Airport

Trains and ferry from Bristol to Dublin

It is possible to travel overland between Bristol and Dublin. National Rail offers an easy option for this route:

  • Bristol Parkway to Parkway by train
  • Parkway to Holyhead by train
  • Holyhead to Dublin Port – Stena by ferry
  • Dublin Port – Stena to Dublin Connolly by train

The total travel time is 11 h 18 and the train leaves Bristol daily at 7:07 p.m. The single fare – for the route, excluding ferry and train in Ireland – is £35.00. The ferry route is operated by Stena Line and a single fare is £28.00.

Buses and ferry from Bristol to Dublin

Another overland option is to travel by bus between Bristol and Dublin. This also includes the ferry crossing, but you won’t need to get off the bus and the fare includes the ferry ticket, too.

National Express offers two departures per day from Bristol: 5:10 p.m. and 10:15 p.m. The first one requires a change in Birmingham , while the second require a change in Rosslare, Ireland. The single fare is £48 for either departure. The travel time is 11 h.

Driving from Bristol to Dublin

You can rent a car in Bristol and drive to Dublin. But do remember that you’ll be crossing a border and need to use a ferry, too.

The ferry crossing is via the Holyhead – Dublin route. Ideally, you should spend about 7 hours traveling (including the ferry crossing) but you need to time your arrival at the port with the next ferry departure. The shortest route is via A5.

The ferries are operated by Stena Line and the fares for an adult and a compact car start at £129.00, one way.

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England travel guide

England’s Glastonbury Festival Sells Out

festEngland’s annual Glastonbury Festival is the largest outdoor music festival in the world, attracting over 175,000 people to a working dairy farm in southwestern England each June.

This year’s Glastonbury Festival runs from June 23-27, 2010 and though the full lineup hasn’t been announced, you can expect big names, current stars, musical legends, and some fresh up and comers all performing on the many stages at the three day festival.

Tickets are now sold out, so if you’re among the lucky who snagged yours, check out out our Glastonbury Festival travel deals for advice on getting there and enjoying the festival cheaply.

We’ve got information on cheap airfare to Bristol, the closest airport to the festival, and budget airline deals that will help you get there from other European cities without spending a fortune.

And if you plan on driving or taking a bus, train or even cycling to the festival, we’ve got your covered there to with travel advice on how to get to the Glastonbury Festival easily and cheaply.

Photo by reds on tour