Car Hire Bristol

A quick guide to Bristol

Bristol is a city that bursts with life. Whether you’re an avid historian wanting to learn more about the city’s past, or a culture vulture in search of art and music, you’ll find it all here. Tap into the local music scene, or sample wonderful food at a wide range of restaurants – wherever you go you’ll get a warm west country welcome.

Brunel: From boats to bridges

Bristol is home to the SS Great Britain – a hugely popular attraction in the city. You’ll find it down on the docks, a ship of epic scale and ambition.

Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and launched in 1843, the size of the ship and the technology used in its construction were groundbreaking and experimental, making for a fascinating tour. The restoration is sensitive, with the vast engine, ship’s quarters and dining room all refurbished with care and attention.

Brunel also designed the Clifton Suspension Bridge. It spans the Avon Gorge and treats you to incredible views of the city. It’s a striking piece of engineering, begun as far back as 1836 before being completed after Brunel’s death - it has become an iconic part of the Bristol landscape.

A pier without peer

Take the M5 from Bristol and, in around 30 minutes, you’ll be at the coast in the splendid seaside town of Weston-super-Mare. The town’s Victorian history can be seen in the architecture across the seafront and throughout the streets.

The pinnacle of Weston-super-Mare is the Grand Pier, which stretches out across the beach and sea and is home to many fantastic places to eat and play. There are few better places to feast on fish and chips than on a pier first built in 1904 and rebuilt following a fire in 2010.

The wonderful west country

It’s hard to resist the temptation to take a scenic drive to the incredible Cornish coast, or perhaps even to dive down further to Devon. Torquay is a beautiful seaside resort and wonderful harbour filled with independent shops and delicious restaurants.

It’s just one of the charming towns to visit in the south-west, home to many star attractions including the Eden Project, which is a community of enormous biomes housing an epic rainforest and rare plants.

Animal magic

Bristol is a fantastic city to visit if you’re arriving with the whole family in tow. Bristol Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in the world, housing a mixture of the cute and the scary, the awe-inspiring and the cuddly. From African penguins to gorillas and a stunning pair of red pandas, there’s much to delight, while you can also book some unique animal experiences such as feeding the lions and being a keeper for the day.

With the freedom of car rental in Bristol, there’s so much of this fine corner of the UK to explore – from coastal drives to city life you can do it all at your own pace.

Driving in and around Bristol

Take to the roads in Bristol and you’ll find so many exciting places that are just waiting to be explored. Driving in the city is generally straightforward although the roads can be busy during peak times. Plan ahead and you can easily avoid the worst of the traffic.

Speed limits on English roads are clearly signposted – motorways have a limit of 112 km/h. single carriage ways are 96 km/h and in built-up areas you’ll be driving at around 48 km/h. Road signs do show speed limits in miles per hour and distances are in miles.

Using your phone while driving is illegal in the UK. You’ll also need to make sure everyone in the vehicle is wearing a seatbelt – if you don’t, you can be fined.

If you decide to venture further afield and explore the rest of the south of England, you’ll enjoy incredible far-reaching vistas of the beautiful blue sea on the nearby coast. Alternatively, take the A38 from Bristol Airport and, in just over two hours you can be on the English Riviera in the resort of Bournemouth with stunning beaches and a plethora of water sports for you to try.

You’ll find the M4 on the edge of the city, which can take you east inland to Swindon and Reading or west over the Bristol Channel to Wales. The M5 runs along the coast, taking in the likes of Weston-Super-Mare to the south, and Gloucester to the north.