Bristol as a UK entry point.

[Jiminkcmo]

I have a cruise booked for next May 08 out of Southampton.

 

Am looking into flying into Bristol a few days early, stay there, sightseeing, maybe a few "cold ones" in a local pub, etc.

 

Then take a train to Southampton, cruise, and return the same route.

 

Would appreciate any suggestions of places to stay, things to do, things to see, etc. etc.

 

Not planning to bring a suitcase full of money either.;)

 

Many thanks in advance.

 

Jim - Kansas City, MO USA

[bigwally]

Close to Bath. Stonehenge and Avebury not too far away. Fairly convenient for south Wales and the West Country (Somerset, etc....). Other than that, I'm afraid I've never been to Bristol itself. I'm sure you'll get some more suggestions.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I've never made it into Bristol either, but very nice area to start from, I think. Somerset's beautiful, the west country is at your doorstep, Bath is very nice, etc.

 

Would you want to drive, or not? I guess that makes a difference. You could probably get to Bath quite easily, without one, for instance, on train or bus. It's a very walkable little city, and quite pleasant.

[MAKEM]

I have a cruise booked for next May 08 out of Southampton.

 

Am looking into flying into Bristol a few days early, stay there, sightseeing, maybe a few "cold ones" in a local pub, etc.

 

Then take a train to Southampton, cruise, and return the same route.

 

Would appreciate any suggestions of places to stay, things to do, things to see, etc. etc.

 

Not planning to bring a suitcase full of money either.;)

 

Many thanks in advance.

 

 

Jim - Kansas City, MO USA

Hi Jim, you can get a train First Great Western,from Bristol 2 hrs 15 mins,to Southampton,and a low cost of £5,check Web. trainline .co.uk,

Take it u are flying continental, it is a small airport on the outskirts,which runs a shuttle service into Bristol for a small cost,or hire a car at the airport.Cheddar Gorge is only 6 mls from here.

BG

[kernow]

We're originally from Bristol, although we no longer live there we go back often to visit family. If you're not driving I would stay in the centre and you will be near public transport(train or bus) to most places. I have stayed at the Marriot but several of the chains have hotels in the area. Although not as famous as Bath, Bristol itself has lots of history, Cabot sailed to the new world from there and it was a major port in the 1800s. The ss Great Britain(built by Brunel) has been restored and you can go around it. The old waterfront has been re vamped with lots of new bars and restaurants and I believe they have just opened an inland beach!

If you have any specific questions I will try to answer them.

 

Julie

[tom_uk]

Bristol is an interesting & lively city, I was a teenager there (mid/late 1960s) then moved away. I had the opportunity to work & live in the city for about 12 months about 9 years ago, and enjoyed it very much. The whole harbour area has been much improved since I first lived there, and is now a vibrant area.

 

Hotels: well, you must make your own choice, but Jurys is well situated (right on the quayside). I remember it being built in about 1967 (as The Unicorn?). At that time the docks were a mud-filled, derelict, smelly area that you didn't go near except mob-handed, and everyone wondered what was the point of building a hotel down there. Fast forward 25 years, and it's pretty much in the best spot in Bristol.

 

There are one or two good pubs in the docks area (and a lot of not-so-good bars as well) but this being England you'll actually find 'lukewarm ones' rather than cold ones. Good, though. (On my last visit I remember Butcombe being regarded as the local beer of choice...)

[Jiminkcmo]

I'm getting lots of good ideas.

 

I don't plan to rent a car and will be solo and probably take some bus/rail trips to various nearby places to "play tourist".

 

Am looking at the Ramada Hotel which is near the train station.

 

It looks to be a central location with walkable sights, restaurants, pubs, etc.

 

Comments?

 

Also, being close to the train station will assist in traveling to/from Southampton for my cruise.

 

And I love train travel to boot.

 

Would like to get to Bath and Stonehenge and the SS Great Britain.

 

Am I on the right track?

[kernow]

Ramada hotel is in a great position very close to Temple Meads(railway station). I'm sure you would be able to get a train from there to Bath for a day out. Its also an easy walk to the waterfront area and also to Broadmead the main shopping area. Lots of good bars and restaurants fairly close too.

 

Julie

[Jiminkcmo]

I've booked a room at the Holiday Inn Express across from Temple Meads.

 

It looks from their web site as a nice place and within walking distance of places to see, eat, drink and whatever else I find.

 

Anybody have any comments on the hotel/location choice?

 

Appreciate any and all responses, good and bad.

 

Thanks.

 

Jim

[kernow]

Jim, can't comment on the actual hotel as I've never stayed there, but the location is great. Lots of places to walk to and really good transport links. I see they also run a shuttle to the airport too.

 

Julie

[CoupleUK]

Hi Jim

 

I don't know why more people dont come into the UK via Bristol (number of flights I guess?).

 

Take a look at http://visitbristol.co.uk/, which should give you some ideas.

 

Your choice of hotel does depend on how long you are staying in Bristol. It makes sense to stay by Temple Meads if you are only here for a few days and plan on using the train for some day trips etc.

 

But Temple Meads is a good 20 minute walk from the main stuff in Bristol - but you can get a taxi if raining.

 

The HUGE benefit of Temple Meads is rail access to just about anywhere in the UK - but remember to think about any day trips and BOOK way in advance for the best fares. Try www.thetrainline.com, but remember, with our crazy pricing structures it can be cheaper to book a single fare in each direction than a return fare (try it).

 

You could even do a very cheap day trip using www.easyjet.co.uk - fly to Edinburgh in just over 1hr for less than $40 return (try booking in December for next May).

 

Bath is a definate for a few hours - and very easy by train (again plan it and book as far ahead as you can, the same for your journey to Southampton).

 

Finally, you MUST visit an Indian restuarant whilst your here and try our National dishes :D (honest!!).

 

Good Luck and have a great trip.

 

Paul

[Sekhmet]

 

And I love train travel to boot.

 

Am I on the right track?

 

If you really love train travel, and want a day out from Bristol, try the West Somerset Railway http://www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk . It is one of our best Heritage Steam Railways, running 20 miles from Bishop's Lydeard near Taunton to Minehead. It is accessible by train from Bristol.

 

I am a volunteer worker on another railway, the Severn Valley, normally a 16 mile run, but currently reduced to just over 3 as a result of 45 landslips caused in the recent floods in our part of the UK.

[globalnomads]

We just returned from Bristol, on our way to a Mediterranean cruise out of Barcelona. Continental was running a special so our family of 4 was able to use Frequent Flier miles... 50K each round trip from Houston, TX to Bristol. The only drawback we found was Newark's Liberty airport -- it has awful delays if only 1 small cloud appears over New Jersey. Compared to the mess at Heathrow and Gatwick, Bristol was by far the best way to enter the UK these days. I guess between the two, its a fair trade.

 

Since we had a couple hours to put in after landing and before our EasyJet connection to Barcelona, we took the airport bus into town and had lunch at a pub. Post-cruise we stayed at the Fox and Goose, only about 10 minutes from the airport. Its a local inn, with comfortable rooms and a very nice restaurant. We seemed to be a bit of a novelty, being Americans, and were treated very well.

 

I would have loved more time to explore the area. Have a great time!

[CoupleUK]

before our EasyJet connection

 

LOL - you must pack light for a cruise - easyjet are well known for their small baggage allowance.

 

Or, did you have to pay extra for your luggage ?

 

Paul

[globalnomads]

before our EasyJet connection

 

LOL - you must pack light for a cruise - easyjet are well known for their small baggage allowance.

 

Or, did you have to pay extra for your luggage ?

 

Paul

 

 

We barely made the 20kg limit!! But it was a great incentive to pare down to the minimum. This is the first trip I've actually worn everything at least once! In fact, as our trip progressed a couple of our bags were often 1 or 2 kg over but they seemed to overlook it. My suitcase usually had a "heavy" tag attached :o