Bristol Airport

Bristol Airport destinations

Bristol airport is your first stop for adventures across the globe as well as closer to home within the UK. You’ll find flights to and from UK and Ireland, mainland Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, South America, Australasia and the Middle East. There are flights to the delights of Turkey’s Anatolia region five times a week, with flight times of four and a half hours. You can fly to Paphos or Crete for sun, sea and sand, or sample Zante in Greece, just three and a half hours away. Faro is a very popular destination, with three flights a day, as is Majorca, less than two hours away by air with frequent flights throughout the year.

Bristol Airport basics

Bristol airport is home to a good selection of bars and eateries including Bar Zero9, The Wine & Deli Bar, Soho Coffee Co., Burger King, Caffe Ritazza, Stabucks, Subway and Dexter’s restaurant. You can pick up last minute supplies and treats at World Duty Free, Claire’s Accessories, Dixons Travel Store, Flying Visit, Superdrug and WH Smiths. There’s a bureau de change and ATMs, a customer information desk and help on hand if you’re travelling with small children, with Superdrug primed to provide emergency supplies for your journey. There’s even an airport app delivering flight alerts, weather, traffic updates and more direct to your mobile.

Airport directions

By bus: National Express runs services from the South West and South Wales to Bristol Bus Station, where you can catch the Airport Flyer Express which drops you off outside the terminal. Wessex Connect bus services run a stopping service from Weston-super-Mare to the airport. The number 212 runs every two hours or so from 6.24am to 16.30pm Mondays to Fridays and drops off next to Departures. You’ll find details here.

By train: The nearest train station is Bristol Temple Meads, about seven miles away. The Airport Flyer Express Link bus connects Temple Meads with the airport and runs every ten minutes at peak times. From Temple Meads, you can access the rest of the UK easily by train.

By car: If you’re using SatNav, the airport’s postal code is BS48 3DY. The airport is clearly signposted on all the major routes into the area including the M5 in all directions and the M4 from the east. The airport itself sits on the A38.

Airlines

Who flies out of Bristol airport? A wide choice of well-known and loved household name airlines and holiday companies, including Ireland’s favourite Aer Lingus, Air France and Aurigny.com, who fly to and from the beautiful Channel Islands. Blue Islands and eastern Airways have a strong presence at Bristol, as do EasyJet and Helvetic Airways, KLM, Skybus and the ever-popular Thomas Cook. You can fly with Air Malta and take in the island’s spectacular weather, take flight with Brussels Airlines or take to the skies with flybe.com. Ryanair run regular flights from Bristol too, as do Thomson.

Airport car parking

You’ll find Express Drop Off and Pick Up next to the terminal, with a covered walkway. Short Stay parking is perfect for stays of more than half an hour, a short walk from the terminal. Long Stay parking is close to the terminal too, for your convenience. And Silver Zone parking, the most popular option, is the lowest cost place to leave your vehicle for 5 days or more. Premier parking is perfect for business travellers and there’s also a ‘Meet and Greet’ Valet parking service.

Airport hotels

The airport website includes recommended hotels close by, with a great choice of prices and accommodation types, from smart local guest houses and farm accommodation very close to the terminal to big brand hotel chains less than five miles away. Many of them provide free airport transfers.

Airport history

In 1927 a group of local entrepreneurs raised £6,000 to start a flying club out at Filton, which eventually became the birthplace of Concorde. In 1929 they decided to buy some farmland at Whitchurch and build a local airport. Bristol airport officially opened in May 1930, Britain’s third civil airport. In February 2011 planning permission was granted for redevelopment. By 2020 the airport will be able to handle 10 million passengers a year and work on the first phase began in November 2011. Today there’s a new £8 million walkway, eight boarding gates, a new duty free store plus a fleet of Flyer buses to improve the airport’s public transport links.

Bristol Airport code

BRS

Address and phone number

Bristol International Airport, Bristol, BS48 3DY Telephone 0870 1212 747.