Car rental in Bristol

Bristol by car

Bristol straddles the Avon gorge, and the ground tilts hard between the terraces of Clifton and the water below. Older vehicles now pay to enter the core, which pushes a lot of arrivals onto the park-and-ride sites at the edge.

Driving in Bristol

Bristol is reached by M4, M5, M32 and the Portway. Bristol has a low-emission zone, Clean Air Zone. It is enforced by number-plate cameras rather than windscreen stickers: check that the car meets its emission standard before driving in. Parking in the centre is paid and marked by zone. Driving through the centre is restricted, so most drivers park on the edge.

Where to park

Park and Ride sites include Brislington, on the A4 across from St Brendan’s school, Shirehampton, and Long Ashton, where the A370 bypass ends. The centre has plenty of NCP car parks, while street spaces are scarce apart from Queen Square, which usually has a few off-peak.

Arriving by road

The M49 cuts across between the southern M5 and the western M4 Severn Crossing. Streets in the centre follow a one-way system that confuses newcomers, and a couple of routes into the city keep a car pool lane for vehicles with more than one occupant at peak times.

From the airport without a car

Bristol Airport has no train link, so the Flyer bus A1 is the main way in, calling at Temple Meads station before ending at the bus station on Marlborough Street. The Falcon service ends at Bond Street, and the on-demand WESTlink buses cover the airport terminal and part of south Bristol.