Bristol parking
Fast-growing South West gateway with smart silver-zone meet-and-greet.
Park & Ride
Off-airport secure compounds with regular shuttle to the terminal.
Meet & Greet
Hand keys at the terminal — your car parked in a secure compound.
About Bristol
The largest airport in the South West of England.
Bristol Airport is the South West's main aviation gateway, serving the West Country and South Wales from a single terminal at Lulsgate Bottom. It handles around 9 million passengers a year, with a route map dominated by short-haul European leisure plus growing scheduled services to Dubai, Iceland and Eastern Europe.
Carriers are led by easyJet, Ryanair, TUI, Jet2 and KLM (with daily Amsterdam connections opening up the wider world via Schiphol). Bristol's terminal has been progressively expanded over the past decade, with further capacity upgrades planned through the late 2020s.
Geographically the airport sits in undulating north-Somerset countryside. It's reached by the A38 — a major artery that gets congested during morning peaks, particularly during the summer travel season.
Getting to BRS
All the practical access info — by car, train, coach and otherwise.
A38 from the M5 (junction 18 or 22) — the airport is signposted from both. From Bristol city centre, allow 30 minutes off-peak; from Cardiff, 60 minutes; from Bath, 35 minutes.
There's no train station at the airport. The nearest station is Bristol Temple Meads, with the Airport Flyer (A1) bus running every 10 minutes to the terminal.
The Airport Flyer (A1) connects with central Bristol and Bristol Temple Meads. National Express coaches link to Cardiff, Birmingham, London and the South West.
Cycle storage is available at the terminal — the Festival Way cycle route reaches central Bristol.
How parking works at Bristol
Official car parks are arranged as Drop & Go (forecourt), Express (multi-storey), Silver Zone (longer walk) and Long Stay (5-minute shuttle). All four are operated by the airport itself.
Off-airport operators cluster south of the airport along the A38 and A368 in Wrington and Lulsgate Bottom. Independent rates are typically cheaper than the airport's own Silver Zone, particularly during summer peaks.
Tips travellers wish they'd known
- Silver Zone is the airport's own value option but books up early during school holidays — book independents 14+ days out for cheaper alternatives.
- The A38 north of the airport gets congested from 7–9am — leave 20 minutes earlier than usual on weekday mornings.
- Drop & Go costs £6 for 10 minutes; the free option is the Long Stay car park (with shuttle).
- Off-airport park-and-ride operators along the A368 typically beat on-airport prices by 30–50% for stays of 3+ nights.
- If you're returning late on a Sunday, build in a 15-minute shuttle margin — independent operators see Sunday-evening queues.
BRS questions, answered
The questions our 24/7 team gets asked most about flying from Bristol.
Is there a train station at Bristol Airport?+
No — the nearest station is Bristol Temple Meads, connected by the Airport Flyer (A1) bus.
How long does the Airport Flyer take?+
Around 30 minutes from Bristol Temple Meads, running every 10 minutes during the day.
Is parking expensive at Bristol?+
Mid-tier — cheaper than London airports but more expensive than the East Midlands or Cardiff. Off-airport independents offer the best value for stays of 3+ days.
Can I cycle to the airport?+
Yes — covered cycle storage is available, and the Festival Way cycle route reaches central Bristol.
How early should I arrive?+
Two hours for short-haul flights. During summer (Jul–Aug) the terminal can be congested — add 30 minutes.
Are there long-haul flights from Bristol?+
Yes — TUI runs seasonal long-haul to the US and Caribbean, and there are scheduled flights to Iceland and onward connections via Amsterdam, Dublin and Dubai.