Home Europe UK & Ireland Bristol and surroundings: 5 day itinerary

Bristol and surroundings: 5 day itinerary

dubna 25, 2025
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dubna 25, 2025


One of this year's Ryanair news is the regular Prague-Bristol connection, and when I came across cheap tickets, I didn't hesitate too much. I must admit that I had more than one doubt about the weather during the March dates, but you never plan for England anyway, so I automatically pack my kids' gumboots and we just fly to try it... 


Bristol seemed like a great starting point for exploring the Cotswolds region, which I really wanted to visit, and which I have reserved a special article for - Cotswolds: the most beautiful villages in England.

In the end, however, it turned out that there is much more to see in the Bristol area, so during the five days we spent here, we also included Oxford or Stonehenge. In the end, the weather cooperated quite well, so the gumboots were left unused and we returned with a fresh supply of experiences! 

Airfare - as I already mentioned, the price of airfare was the main kicker in this case. For our family of four (2 adults, 1 child, 1 infant on my lap) I got a nice € 164 on the Prague-Bristol route with Ryanair, so there wasn't much to think about here :) You could still get there directly by EasyJet and that's about it, then you just have to take connecting flights or drive to the area from other cities. For example, it's not too far from London. 




Car rental


As always, I make reservations from the warmth of my home well in advance. I basically book a few days after the tickets because in most cases prices go up as the date approaches, and this time was no different. At Bristol airport, most of the well-known car rental companies are concentrated in the "car rental center", which is about 1.5 km from the terminal and a free shuttle bus will take you there.


This time we chose AVIS/Budget, where we paid € 124 for a smaller SUV = Citroen C4 for 5 days. They had a very easy handover without over-imposing all kinds of insurance and a really fast return process + overall the car was in great condition. As far as other fees associated with the car, we took child car seats for both Ninuš and Joník from the Czech Republic. There were no paid sections on the route (see itinerary below), but personally I was surprised by the amount of parking fees. In big cities like Bristol or Oxford, there is no way to avoid paying for parking, so this leaves you with two options: either leave the car at a roadside P+R and take public transport to the city centre, or just prepare enough money. We didn't drive that many kilometres (less than 600 km), but anyway, to give you an idea of the costs involved, here's how:


  • gas - € 57
  • parking - € 32




What do you need to bring?


  • passport - unfortunately, after Brexit, it is no longer enough to have an ID card, but you must have your passport with you
  • ETA - new from April 2025, you will need a short stay registration to enter the UK. You simply fill it in online via the official website, pay £10 and it will be approved within 3 days.
  • adapter - don't forget that in England there are different plugs, the ones with three pins, so if you want to charge your phone in the evening, the adapter is really necessary.
  • credit card - we hadn't changed any pounds with us and it wasn't needed at all. Absolutely everywhere you could pay by card and many places even took ONLY cards and didn't accept cash at all.
  • data - although the UK is no longer part of the EU, mobile operators have kept it in this zone and you pay the same for all calls, texts and data as you do at home in the Czech Republic. If you want to save on data, I recommend downloading offline maps to your phone.



Our itinerary


DAY1

Bristol arrival, car rental

DAY2

Bristol

DAY3

Cotswolds area

DAY4

Oxford
Stonehenge
Salisbury

DAY5

Cotswolds area
Bath

DAY6

car return, departure




1. Bristol 


We start our trip right in this vibrant city located on the River Avon in southwest England. Although Bristol isn't right on the sea, it's famous for its harbour called Floating Harbour, which is connected to Bristol Bay by a 6km-long tidal channel. The city's history thus inherently revolves around seafaring, trade and ocean voyages. And what shouldn't be missed here?


  • Clifton Suspension Bridge - a stunning 214 metre chain bridge spanning the Avon Valley. If you'd like to cross it by car, be prepared to pay £1 (card only), but there is no charge to cross. In relation to the bridge, I recommend a visit to the Clifton Suspension Bridge Museum, where you can learn the technical specifications and various interesting facts about the construction of the bridge. There is no admission charge. On the other hand, on the other side of the river, be sure to check out the Bristol Observatory and its adjacent park, where you'll get a great view of the bridge. Plus, there's a super-sized playground for the kids.


  • Harbourside - a neighborhood that's just alive. A frequent destination for locals and tourists alike, it's the perfect place to sit, have a coffee and soak up some culture. You'll find it here, especially in the form of the Maritime Museum M-Shed (free entry, more info) or the famous ship SS Great Britain (official website here). TIP: Nina, when she saw the canal with the boats, immediately wanted to go boating too, so we compromised and got a ferry from SS Britain to the other side so we didn't have to go around :)


  • Brandon Hill - a park with the Cabot Tower observation deck, which is free to climb for views across Bristol. Of course, with kids you'll be interested in the playground or the ice cream truck, plus you can take them squirrel-watching with the local squirrels.


  • Christmas steps - one of the most beautiful historic streets dating back to the 17th century. As the name suggests, there are lots of stairs, but on the other hand, there are also lots of small handicraft shops, antique shops and cafes.

  • Banksy's paintings - it was in Bristol that this world-famous street artist began his career, so where else should you admire his early works on real buildings but here? You can find many of them right on google maps: Banksy's The Girl With Pearl Earring, Banksy's Well Hung Lover, etc.

  • St Nicholas market - and finally, a tip for street food lovers. At this market, you will find dozens of stalls offering food from all over the world. At lunchtime, some of them have long queues, but generally you can eat here for £ 10.


Where to stay in Bristol - we didn't spend the night in Bristol itself, because on the first day, after arriving in the evening and renting a car, we only managed to move to our accommodation about 10 minutes from the airport - Characterful Cottage, which we can only recommend. For € 132 we had a fully equipped apartment with two bedrooms and a garden, so the start of the day could not have been more pleasant. On the other hand, after exploring Bristol, we continue on to Gloucester, specifically Gloucester Robinswood Hotel, which you will not go wrong. A night in a triple room with a cot, access to the pool and a great breakfast cost us € 116. And if you're interested in sleeping in Bristol, check out these accommodations:




2. Oxford


A city intrinsically linked to student life. Learning began here as early as the 11th century and over time individual colleges and faculties were created, of which there are more than thirty today. Now Oxford University is one of the world's top universities, and the general public can see many parts of the campus. I could not have imagined a place where, for example, J.R.R. Tolkien or Hugh Grant studied, and which is currently attended by more than 26,000 students, and I was really curious. 


You can also take part in an organized tour to get to less accessible places + of course learn about the university. The Harry Potter theme is popular here as several scenes were filmed here, so it's no problem to take a Potter tour and shop for wizarding souvenirs in one of the many fan shops. 


Beware of the fact that, for example, only children over the age of 11 are allowed to tour the beautiful Bodleian Library, and in general you'll often come across signs in the grounds urging people to be quiet, which I find perfectly understandable. 


With the kids in mind, we just did a quick outdoor excursion. I myself ran up the church tower to the viewpoint for £6, which was really worth it for the great view. Specifically on google maps you can find it as University Church of St Mary the Virgin and watch out again they don't let children in there, this time no under 8s.


TIP: We didn't want to pay ridiculous amounts for parking in central Oxford, so we used the Redbridge P+R, where you leave your car for £5 and that amount already includes bus travel for the whole family.


Besides the university, you can also visit Oxford Castle (photos below), Ashmolean Museum (art / archeology) or   Pitt Rivers Museum (archeology / antropology). The good news is that admission to these museums, like most in Britain, is completely free.



Where to stay in Oxford - we chose the periphery of Oxford for our sleepover and the chain Hampton by Hilton and I have to say, it was a great choice. For € 109 we had a room with a double bed + sofa bed, parking and a very good breakfast. Other accommodation tips in Oxford for me as follows:





3. Stonehenge


This prehistoric monument, almost a wonder of the world I would say, we definitely could not miss. The huge stone blocks built in a circle directly invite to various legends and hypotheses, but the fact remains that no one really knows WHO and HOW the megaliths were transported there, and what is more important - WHY. Why here? Why are they in such an arrangement? And what are they actually for? Most scientific theories lean towards the idea that Stonehenge was used as a kind of astronomical observatory, which made it possible to track the movement of the sun and moon and thus calculate the solstice. Other views take into account, for example, a pilgrimage / ritual / burial site or a healing centre... so take your pick :) Among other things, Stonehenge, along with the nearby and lesser known Avebury, where you would find other megalithic formations, is on the UNESCO list of sites, but that's probably not that surprising.


Accessibility: it's advisable to buy tickets for Stonehenge online in advance on the official website, as like most places in the UK, it's cheaper in advance. The other thing is that time slots can be pretty sold out in high season too. Admission for an adult comes to £22.70 as of 2025 (£27.20 on site), children under 5 don't pay. If you arrive in your own car, also be prepared to pay parking fees = £3, which can only be paid via the Pay By Phone app (you can download in advance). Be warned even with an online ticket you have to run up to the ticket window to be given a wristband - this will also act as your bus ticket. 



The price of admission includes access to the exhibition with projections and commentary + a small museum with artifacts found in the area. Behind the building you can see the original dwelling and see if you could move such a megalith :) Of course, there's also a bistro and gift shop on site - both of which take up more than half of the visitor center in the final analysis.


And now the accessibility to the stone circle itself. Option number one: show the driver your ticket and get a lift to Stonehenge (about 5 minutes away). Alternatively, if you would like to walk, you can take the 2.3 kilometre walk (one way). I was actually surprised how many people actually chose the walking route... and then it dawned on me! The people who walked were the ones who didn't pay the entrance fee. You don't actually show your ticket anywhere except the exhibit and the bus, so you can actually walk through the visitor center and get to Stonehenge. But beware, you won't be able to go straight to the ring, it's really separated by a fence here. Anyway, who needs a photo from afar, I guess that would be an option.


You can spend as much time as you want right on the site (within opening hours), no one is rushing you anywhere, and buses run back and forth every now and then. Interestingly, if you look around the area, you will see (apart from the sheep) lots of little green elevations or hills. These are cairns strategically placed to point specifically towards Stonehenge.




4. Salisbury


After visiting Stonehenge, we still had some time left, because you really don't want to spend more time than necessary in a hotel room with two kids :), so we made a completely unplanned trip to nearby Salisbury. The town itself isn't particularly big, but it has a nice historic centre and the biggest local attraction here is the huge 13th century gothic cathedral. 


Its Bell Tower stands at an impressive 123 metres, making it the tallest church tower in the whole of Britain. The cathedral's bowels hold many treasures too - you can see the world's oldest working medieval clock and the chapter house displays the best preserved of the four copies of the Magna Carta. All info including opening times and admission prices can be found on the official website here.


TIP: With or without the kids, run to Elisabeth Gardens = a beautiful landscaped park with the River Avon running through it. The little ones will love the large playground and the flocks of sheep grazing in the adjacent meadows.




5. Bath


The famous UNESCO-listed spa town on the River Avon, where celebrities such as David Beckham, Liam Neeson and Nicholas Cage come to relax. The town's spa boasts some of the hottest springs on the islands, with temperatures nowhere else exceeding 40°C. You can even visit the original Roman Baths, founded by the ancient Romans more than 2,000 years ago, for a tour today. Only it's not exactly cheap. On weekdays, a ticket costs £25.50, and on weekends and bank holidays, be prepared for £28 (children under 5 are free). More info can be found on the official website here. And if you really want to take a dip in Bath, you can take advantage of the Thermae Bath Spa, which of course isn't exactly a steal either - prices start at £42 for a two hour stay + children under 16 aren't allowed here.


Apart from the baths, The Bath Abbey Cathedral is definitely worth checking out, and for me definitely Pulteney Bridge. It's special because the whole length of it is lined with shops, so you don't feel like you're crossing a bridge at all. It reminded me a lot of the Goldsmiths Bridge in Florence.



Other local attractions include The Circus, a circle of historic houses with a small park in the middle, and Royal Crescent, the grandest street far and wide. This is a residence of interlocking houses that together form a huge crescent. And those who have watched the Bridgerton series may even find some of the buildings familiar as you walk through the city. Yep, there were indeed many scenes filmed in Bath, which of course attracts more and more visitors today.



You can go straight on to the next article where I will include information, and more importantly photos, from the COTSWOLDS area: the most beautiful villages in England. May you like it!


If this information has helped you to save a little time or money or both, you can perhaps "invite me for a coffee" and contribute to the running of Travel with Donuts :) account number / QR code: 1257951017/3030



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