We're staying in Bath later in the month. We have some extra day or two in our schedule and Bristol looks convenient. Besides the Great Britain, are there any 'Must see' or 'Don't bother' recommendations? Places for lunch? Train hints or tips (stations, times, etc)?
Thanks.
It’s a wonderful city. Much bigger and sprawling than Bath, quite hipster in places - a big, buzzy, arty city with all the pros and cons that brings.
Trains from Bath will come into Bristol Temple Meads, which is a bit of a walk from most of the city attractions. You might want to grab a cab or bus from there.
SS Great Britain is outstanding - not cheap, but definitely a highlight. You might also want to go up to Clifton Suspension Bridge for a look.
If you’re interested in street art, Bristol is the home of Banksy so you could do a walking tour. The cathedral is also worth a visit, and there are a bunch of interesting museums: M Shed (not far from SS Great Britain) is a kind of museum of Bristol, lots of activities and stuff. Plus there’s a much more traditional museum/art gallery at the top of a hill near the university/Wills Tower.
Loads of great food - as you’d expect from a big student city - but because the city is quite spread out it really depends where you’re going to be.
St Nicholas Market is good for lunchtime street food. https://www.bristol.gov.uk/st-nicholas-markets
It’s a very different place to Bath, which is much more preserved in aspic, but makes a great contrast.
We spent two nights in Bristol a couple weeks ago, as a first stop after our flight in. Golden Girl mentioned most of the common sights. From Temple Meads, the harbor area is easy walking and has most of the things mentioned. I would second St. Nicholas market for interesting stalls for shopping and some street food type stalls, loads of good coffee places, The Stable for good pizza, we also enjoyed Gambas Tapas bar and Root in the shipping container complex behind M Shed. There are also a couple decent micro-breweries.
I assume you’re just thinking about visiting for the day. Bristol is very different to Bath and generally people in Bristol find Bath to be less friendly and a bit stuck up and staid, as well as way too busy with tourists.
I’d recommend getting a taxi or the number 8 bus from Temple Meads station up to Clifton Village, which is an area of grand Georgian housing and lots of lovely shops and cafes that spill onto the pavements.. You will also find the Suspension Bridge here which is worth a walk across, or you can visit the Observatory or the terrace of the White Lion pub for the best views.
Now you’re at the top of the hill you can walk down! It’s not a long walk to the harbourside where the SS Great Britain is, and the shipping container restaurants mentioned above. I second the recommendation of Root and Gambas. You’ll also find 2 contemporary art galleries - the Arnolfino and Spike Island. It’s a very interesting walk around the harbour with many houseboats, pubs and water based activities. Sadly, Underfall Yard, which was a historic boat yard that visitors could walk through, burnt down last week.
Let me know if you need any more info!
Hello from Wisconsin,
Once Bristol is under your belt you find how important a city it once was ...and still is. Don't forget Treasure Island starts in Bristol.
This is a big populace city.
wayne iNWI
We visited the M Shed in Bristol this morning and were encouraged to do the ‘behind the scenes’ tour. It was excellent. We toured the store room with a very knowledgeable and engaging volunteer guide who showed us around, picking out a variety of items to talk about, incorporating stories of the history of Bristol and the harbour-side. I can highly recommend this tour if you get the opportunity, honestly the time just flew by it was so interesting. And it’s free (donation encouraged, but no pressure at all).
