Visit Bristol by Train
Find out about trains to Bristol, how to get great discounts on your travel, and top offers on things to do when you get there
Welcome to Bristol
Bristol is the city that has everything. As well as being Banksy’s home city, it has a picturesque floating harbour packed full of museums, galleries, restaurants and bars and Cabot Circus, a light and airy shopping mall. Its most remarkable feat is, however, the Clifton Suspension Bridge, designed by the engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, which took 33 years to finish and is now one of the city’s key tourist attractions.
Find out more about travelling to Bristol by train below, along with everything you need to know about the town. Discover all the best things to do and places to visit in Bristol – and don’t forget you can save money on your train travel with a Railcard.
By taking the train you are also helping to lower carbon emissions. And, if you require additional support when travelling, the Passenger Assist service can help you.
If you fancy travelling a bit further afield, you can also visit our Day Trips from Bristol by Train page.
How to get to Bristol by train
Bristol has 1 station:
Bristol Temple Meads: This is Bristol’s main station. There are regular direct trains to and from many destinations, including Bristol International Airport, Bath, Exeter, Plymouth, Cardiff, Penzance, Birmingham, Newcastle and Edinburgh. If you’re coming or going from London Paddington there are direct services each day
You can plan your Bristol train journey, find the cheapest fares and book tickets online with our Journey Planner.
Fastest journey times to Bristol by train
From | To | Journey time from* |
|---|---|---|
London | Bristol | 1 hr 28 min |
Manchester | Bristol | 3 hr 5 min |
Exeter | Bristol | 57 min |
Birmingham | Bristol | 1 hr 19 min |
Sheffield | Bristol | 2 hr 35 min |
Reading | Bristol | 1 hr 2 min |
Plymouth | Bristol | 1 hr 57 min |
Bath | Bristol | 12 min |
* Please note, some journeys will take longer and you may have to change trains
Get great offers on top Bristol attractions
Visit National Rail’s Days Out Guide for more great offers when you travel by train.
2FOR1: Brunel’s SS Great Britain
Immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and smells of a Victorian voyage on a day out at Bristol’s number 1 attraction
25% OFF: We The Curious
Fly through space, turn yourself invisible, climb inside a giant bubble, and more, at Bristol’s playful and surprising science experience
2FOR1: Haunted and Hidden Bristol Walking Tour
Visit haunted buildings around the city, including a 17th Century pub with a poltergeist and the UK’s most haunted cinema!
2FOR1: Bristol Old Vic – The Theatre Tour
Combining myth, fact and Bristolian folklore, the tour is inspired by the people who have walked the boards at the theatre for the last 250 years
20% OFF: Sip and Paint Experience PopUp Painting Bristol
Unleashing creativity – wine glass in one hand, paintbrush in the other! At your PopUp Painting experience you’ll be guided step by step through a masterpiece by a practicing artist
2FOR1: Bristol Rock and Roll Walking Tour
Enjoy a fun and nostalgic guided outdoor walk around Bristol’s legendary music venues and hear the stories behind the stars that played them...including Sinatra, the Beatles and Massive Attack
More attractions in Bristol
Take time to investigate the stunning collection of art, nature and history in the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery(external link, opens in a new tab)
Visit Spike Island(external link, opens in a new tab), housed in a former Brooke Bond tea-packing warehouse and boasting a gallery space that hosts exhibitions by world-famous contemporary artists
Explore over 2000 years of local history at the M Shed(external link, opens in a new tab) museum, located in a vast 1950s transit shed overlooking the harbour and full of quirky treasures from the city’s industrial and maritime past
Free things to do in Bristol
See some of the earliest works of world-famous Bristol street artist Banksy on the self-guided Banksy Walking Tour (external link, opens in a new tab)
Take time out in nature in Castle Park(external link, opens in a new tab), ideally positioned between Bristol Shopping Quarter and the harbourside
Visit Cabot Tower(external link, opens in a new tab), which rises 105 feet high over surrounding Brandon Hill. During opening hours you can climb to the top for free
Accessible Bristol
If you require assistance for any part of your rail journey, please visit our Passenger Assist page to find out more
To search or browse accessible attractions, restaurants, hotels and more, visit the AccessAble website(external link, opens in a new tab)
Theatre and shows in Bristol
Visit the Bristol Hippodrome(external link, opens in a new tab) for a popular selection of musicals, ballet, opera, concerts and comedy
Catch an original play at the highly regarded Bristol Old Vic(external link, opens in a new tab), which is committed to new writing despite being Britain’s oldest theatre
The Wardrobe Theatre(external link, opens in a new tab) is an intimate fringe studio venue offering an eclectic mix of theatre, comedy, spoken word, puppetry and family shows
Music in Bristol
Find out all about the history of Bristol’s Musical Routes with Jo Whiley’s audio guide
Thekla(external link, opens in a new tab), a converted cargo ship permanently moored in the Mud Dock area of the floating harbour, hosts indie club nights and has welcomed aboard bands from Massive Attack to Portishead
Watch a band at The Fleece(external link, opens in a new tab), which was originally a sheep trading market in the 1800s and since the early 1980s has welcomed the likes of Amy Winehouse, Radiohead and Self Esteem
Enjoy a carefully curated selection of classical music at Bristol Beacon(external link, opens in a new tab), a gorgeous Grade II listed building with a main hall and 2 additional auditoria in the cellars
LGBTQIA+ Bristol
Every year, Bristol hosts its annual Pride Festival(external link, opens in a new tab)
Queenshilling(external link, opens in a new tab) is Bristol’s longest established LGBTQIA+ venue
OMG Bristol Club(external link, opens in a new tab), part of the OMG chain of gay venues, offers affordable nights out
Bristol in film and TV
Bristol is a popular shooting location for many film and TV shows, including:
Some of the scenes in Stan & Ollie, starring Steve Coogan and John C Reilly, were filmed on Bristol harbourside and around the M Shed
The BBC series The Outlaws is filmed in actor, writer and director Stephen Merchant’s home city
McDonald & Dodds, starring Jason Watkins and Bristol Old Vic Theatre School graduate Tala Gouveia, was filmed in and around the city
Find out more about Bristol
Go to the Visit Bristol website(external link, opens in a new tab).
Get 1/3 off train fares with a Railcard
Save up to 1/3 off your trips when you travel by train with a Railcard
From children to seniors, over 20 million people in Great Britain can save with a Railcard. See which one is right for you
Buy yours today for just £35 and you’ll make the cost back in 1 or 2 trips!
Offers are correct at time of publication but subject to change.
Main image credit: © Gary Newman
Bristol Museum & Art Gallery image credit: © John Seaman
Thekla image credit: © Theo Cottle(external link, opens in a new tab)
LGBTQIA+ Bristol image credit: © Ollie Edwards
M Shed image credit: © Marcus Reville