Transport & Travel
Bike Hire
Ferry Station
Narrow Quay, Bristol. Tel: 0117 376 3942. Web: www.ferrystation.co.uk • Bike hire from £2/hr, with massive discounts for longer periods. Excellent cafe on board
Boats
Bristol Ferry Boat Co
Tel: 0117 927 3416. Web: www.bristolferry.com • Daily waterbus service around Bristol Docks. Single fares from any stop (including Hotwells, Temple Meads, Castle Park, Broadmead, Welsh Back, city centre, ss Great Britain, Millennium Square, Baltic Wharf) start from £1.60 adult/£1.30 senior/child/NUS. Extra discounts for regular commuters
Buses & Coaches
Bath Bus Company
6 North Parade, Bath. Tel: 01225 330444. Web: www.bathbuscompany.com • Operate the popular Bath City Sightseeing tour, and the Skyline Tour in conjunction with the National Trust, which connects with gorgeous Prior Park Gardens. Ticket holders get 10% off entrance to many tourist sites
Bath Bus Station
Manvers St, Bath. Tel: 0845 606 4446/01225 464446 • Phoneline gives general info and bus times. Bus routes sold in the station. Purchase day/week/month cards for cheaper travel. Currently undergoing a major revamp as part of the city’s new Southgate development
Bristol Bus & Coach Station
Marlborough St, Bristol. Tel: 0870 608 2608 • Information helpline (timetables, no fares given) open 7am-9pm, onsite shop Mon-Fri 7.30am-6pm, Sat 10am-5.30pm, but you’re better off checking timetables online (www.firstgroup.com). Extensive bus networks cover most places, including Bristol International Airport every 20 mins. Travel cards save a few pennies if you’re a regular bus user – worth investing in, since fares don’t come cheap.
First
Web: www.firstgroup.com • Run the majority of bus and rail services in and around Bristol and Bath, and offer a confusing array of discount tickets, available online, for anything up to one year’s travel. Check www.firstforstudents.co.uk for major discounts, including bus travel for around £1.50 per journey (FirstTen ticket).
National Express Coaches
Tel: 0990 808080. Web: www.nationalexpress.com, ticket offices at Bristol and Bath Bus Stations • All tickets booked in advance include reservation. Not advisable to turn up on spec, though it’s allowed. London coaches leave hourly. Most other major cities served every two hours or so. Young Person’s Coachcard (£10, ages 16-26) saves up to 30% on most journeys
Night-Flyers
Tel: 0117 922 4454. Email: public_transport@bristol-city.gov.uk • Eight useful, late-night bus services from Bristol city centre to far-flung suburbs every Fri & Sat (& New Year’s Eve), for a flat rate of £2.50.
Traveline
Tel: 0871 200 2233, 7am-10pm (calls cost 10p per min from landlines). Web: www.traveline.info • Timetables and journey planners for bus, coach and rail services.
Planes
Bristol International Airport
Tel: 0870 121 2747. Web: www.bristolairport.co.uk • With flights to well over 100 destinations, you can get cheap flights (courtesy of RyanAir and EasyJet) around the UK and Europe or, if you’re feeling flush, to more exotic locations including New York, Florida and Las Vegas. Buses run day and night from Clifton, Temple Meads and Bristol Bus Station. Taxi from Bristol costs about £35. Find and compare cheap flight deals at www.cheapflights.co.uk
Taxis
Hackney carriages & private hire
You can flag down Hackneys, and they’re metered. You have to book private hire - if you flag them down and there’s an accident, you’ll be uninsured, so don’t! Hackneys charge around £3 before getting in, with around £2 charged per mile on vehicles with a meter. Private-hire fares from around a fiver for a short trip, often negotiable. Most cabs carry four passengers; book six-seaters in advance. Check for the cabbie’s badge or private-hire licence below rear bumper. The boisterous, late-night city-centre taxi queues are marshalled at weekends
The Limo People
Tel: 0117 970 6485. Web: www.thelimopeople.co.uk • Super-stretch limos, hummers, and even a fire engine for when you need transport in style.
Swiftline Taxis & V Cars
Swiftline (Bristol). Tel: 0117 925 2626. Web: www.swiftlinetaxis.co.uk (online booking) & V Cars (Bath). Tel: 01225 464646. Web: www.v-cars.com • Long-established, friendly, reliable and competitive private hire taxi services covering Bristol, Bath and surrounding area. Also do minibuses, airport runs and long distance. Booking line open 24 hours daily.
Trains
National Rail
Train enquiry number charged at local rate: 0845 748 4950. Web: www.nationalrail.co.uk • You can reach most corners of the country from Temple Meads: Paddington in under two hours, Birmingham in 90 mins. A Young Person’s Railcard (16-25; mature students over 26 studying at least 15 hrs a week) could save you a third off most fares for £24 a year.
Lots of offers and services online; TextMe sends your itinerary for 25p per text
Severn Beach Railway
Web: www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk • Regular services between Bristol Temple Meads and Severn Beach, stopping at Lawrence Hill, Stapleton Rd, Montpelier, Redland, Clifton Down, Sea Mills, Shirehampton (except Sun).
Travel
Bath Backpackers
13 Pierrepont St, Bath. Tel: 01225 446787. Web: www.hostels.co.uk • Cheap and cheerful hostel, from £13 a night, two mins from train/bus stations. Mixed and single-sex dorms.
Has its own party dungeon!
Bristol Backpackers
17 Saint Stephen’s St, Bristol. Tel: 0117 925 7900. Web: www.bristolbackpackers.co.uk • City-centre hostel with no curfew; multilingual staff. Same-sex and mixed dorms from £15pppn.
Camp America
37a Queens Gate, London. Tel: 020 7581 7373. Web: www.campamerica.co.uk • Forty years’ experience of giving you the chance to visit America and make a whole bunch of penpals. Applications for 2010 open in Sept.
Flight Centre
Tel: 0870 499 0040. Web: www.flightcentre.co.uk • Competitive air fares from this youth and adventure travel specialist. Four Bristol branches: Clifton Arcade, Galleries, High St, Queens Rd. Dedicated student flight centre online: www.studentflights.uk.com
Full Moon Backpackers Hotel & Attic Bar
Stokes Croft, Bristol. Tel: 0117 924 5007. Web: www.fmbristol.co.uk • Complete with its own restaurant serving free-range, locally sourced, organic food all day, pool room, internet cafe, laundry and two bars. Dorm beds from £16.50pppn, (20% discount for week-plus bookings).
Glastonbury Backpackers
4 Market Place, Glastonbury. Tel: 01458 833353. Web: www.glastonburybackpackers.com • Budget accommodation in 16th century coaching inn. Public bar and cafe, regular live music, DJ sets, huge TV for sports fixtures. Dorm beds, including twins and doubles from £15pppn.
Itchy Feet
4 Bartlett St, Bath. Tel: 01225 442618. Web: www.itchyfeet.com • Run by travellers for travellers. Can help you with packing lists, travel tips or just friendly, helpful advice.
Marco Polo Travel Advisory Service
24a Park St, Bristol. Tel: 0117 929 4123. Web: www.marcopolotravel.co.uk • Independent travel agency, boasting 20 years of knowledge, expertise and creativity. Low airfares, travel advice for women, tailor-made adventure holidays. All staff are keen travellers.
St Christopher’s Inn
9 Green St, Bath. Tel: 01225 481444. Web: www.st-christophers.co.uk • Backpacker hostel with its own cafe-bar, Belushi’s (www.belushis.com), attached. Mixed dorms from around £10pppn, inc breakfast. Student discount, minimum stay two nights.
STA Travel
Claverton Down, Bath. Tel: 0871 468 0602 & 43 Queens Rd, Bristol. Tel: 0871 468 0608. Web: www.statravel.co.uk • Specialise in travel for students and young people. Exceptional value for money, excellent service. Young, friendly team, all extensive travellers themselves.
Trips Worldwide
14 Frederick Place, Clifton, Bristol. Tel: 0117 311 4400. Web: www.tripsworldwide.co.uk • Latin American, alternative Caribbean, Asia and responsible tourism flight specialists who’ll design your holiday from scratch. Informative, award-winning website.
White Hart
Widcombe Hill, Widcombe, Bath. Tel: 01225 313985. Web: www.whitehartbath.co.uk • Fab neighbourhood restaurant and good-value backpacker stop-over. Dorm beds from £15pppn. Spacious self-catering kitchen.
Wildwings
577-579 Fishponds Rd, Bristol. Tel: 0117 965 8333. Web: www.wildwings.co.uk • Specialists in wildlife-related tours to weird and wonderful destinations. New for this year, some exciting bird and wine tours to Spain and Jamaica. Discount airfares, hotel accommodation, visa advice and more. Carbon-offsetting scheme for eco-aware travellers
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