A day trip to Bristol from Bath
A Bristol day trip from Bath: train timings, a sensible half-day plan via ss Great Britain, Clifton Suspension Bridge and St Nicholas Market, back for dinner.
Bristol and Bath are twelve minutes apart on the fastest trains and about fifty minutes apart if you miss one and have to wait for the stopper. It is one of the easier two-city combinations in England. Here is a sensible afternoon in Bristol if you are based in Bath.
Getting there
Direct trains from Bath Spa to Bristol Temple Meads every 10-15 minutes during the day. GWR runs the fastest (12 minutes); SWR stops more (30 minutes). Off-peak return around £12. No booking needed.
A half-day in Bristol
12:00 arrival at Temple Meads. Take the Insight Bus from the station rank, or walk 15 minutes north-west along Victoria Street to Bristol Bridge.
12:30 lunch. St Nicholas Market in the Old City - the best lunch option for a short visit. Budget £10-12 per person.
13:30 to 16:30 - the big one. Bus or walk (20 minutes) to the ss Great Britain. Three full hours for the ship and the dockyard museum. This is the single most-recommended stop for a visitor with only one afternoon.
16:30 to 18:00 - the view. Walk or bus up to Clifton Village. Cross out to the Suspension Bridge for the view at dusk. Coffee on Boyce’s Avenue.
18:00 - train back. A taxi from Clifton to Temple Meads is about £10. Alternatively, the number 8 bus from the top of Whiteladies Road takes 20 minutes and is more scenic.
Alternatives for the afternoon
- If you prefer buildings to ships, swap the ss Great Britain for St Mary Redcliffe (30 minutes) and the City Museum (90 minutes). Both are free.
- If it is raining, swap Clifton for We The Curious or M Shed. Both fully indoor.
Tickets that might help
Off-peak GWR tickets, plus a Bristol Insight day pass if you plan to use the circuit more than twice, plus an annual pass to the ss Great Britain (the same price as a day ticket, but future-proof for a return visit) is the three-ticket combination we recommend most often.
Henry Ashworth
Contributing writer
Henry Ashworth is a contributing writer at Bristol Insight. He spent a decade as features editor at a Bristol weekly before going freelance, and still knows more about the city's bus timetables than anyone strictly should.
He writes the practical half of the guide: routes, timetables, trains, ships and the occasional piece on a beloved pub. Based in Bedminster.