Bristol Airport. On the Mendip edge, with one road in.
Eight miles from Bristol, three quarters of an hour from Bath and with no railway anywhere near it. Everything here arrives and leaves on the A38, which is worth knowing before you plan the morning.
The airport
Bristol at a glance
- CodesBRS / EGGDAt Lulsgate on high ground about 8 miles south west of Bristol city centre, on the A38.
- TerminalOneA single terminal for all arrivals and departures, with one arrivals hall and a compact forecourt.
- Private aviationThe private terminal on the south sideCentreline runs a full private terminal here with its own lounges, screening and customs and immigration facilities, away from the passenger building. See Centreline Bristol.
- RailNone at the airportThe nearest main line station is in the city at Temple Meads, so the last leg is always by road.
The A38 is effectively the only approach. When it is disrupted the whole airport feels it, and a twenty five minute run becomes an hour.
Journey times
From Bristol Airport by road
| To | Quiet roads | Busy periods |
|---|---|---|
| Bristol city centre and Clifton | 25 to 35 minutes | 35 to 55 minutes |
| Bristol Temple Meads | 25 to 40 minutes | 40 to 60 minutes |
| Wells and the Mendips | 30 to 45 minutes | 40 to 55 minutes |
| Bath | 35 to 50 minutes | 50 to 75 minutes |
| Pilton and Glastonbury | 45 to 60 minutes | Considerably longer in festival week |
| Cardiff | 60 to 75 minutes | 75 to 100 minutes |
| Cheltenham | 60 to 80 minutes | Longer during the Festival |
| Exeter | 75 to 95 minutes | Longer on summer weekends |
Realistic ranges, not promises. The A38 and the approaches to the Severn crossings are the variables, and the M5 south on a July Friday is in a category of its own.
Being straight about it
Worked from London
Odyssey owns its cars and employs its chauffeurs in London and Manchester. Bristol is neither, and we would rather write that here than let you discover it at the kerb. For most work in the West Country we either send a car and chauffeur down from London, which is a straightforward two hour drive, or arrange the car through an operator we know in the region, briefed by us and kept on our operations desk.
Which of the two makes sense depends on the day rather than on our preference. A single airport run to Bath is usually the arranged car. A two day visit across Bristol, Bath and Cheltenham, a wedding weekend, a festival job, or anything where the same chauffeur should be there on the Sunday as on the Friday is usually worth bringing our own people down for. We will tell you which we are proposing and why, and the booking, the brief and the invoice come from us either way.
The other thing this airport is known for is its private side. Centreline's terminal on the south of the field handles its own screening and border formalities, so a private arrival never sets foot in the passenger building. Send us the tail number and the handling agent and we will agree where the car waits, including, where the terminal permits it for your movement, closer to the aircraft.
Practicalities
Worth knowing
- The drop off beside the terminal rose to about eight pounds fifty for up to ten minutes in January 2026, with a free waiting zone by the car rental centre and a shuttle to the door every quarter of an hour. Whichever we use appears in your quote rather than afterwards
- Bath is the most common destination from this airport and the city's own traffic is the slow part, not the road out. There are restricted streets and a clean air zone, and hotel access varies street by street, so we check the drop off point before the day
- Glastonbury week turns every road across the Mendips into a car park. If you are going, we plan the approach and the departure window carefully: see Glastonbury
- The airport sits high and catches fog when the city below is clear. Diversions usually go to Cardiff or further afield, and we would rather move the car than leave it sitting at Lulsgate
- Four or more passengers with luggage: ask for a V-Class. For a touring party or a crew, see group travel
Onward
Where Bristol passengers go next
Places
Events within reach
Request a quote
Tell us the journey
The date, the flight or tail number, how many passengers and bags, and where you are going afterwards. If it is a weekend in Bath or the Cotswolds, send the whole itinerary and we will build it as one engagement. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About Bristol transfers
Are these your own cars?
Not based at Bristol. Our own fleet and employed chauffeurs are in London and Manchester. For the West Country we either send a car from London or arrange it through an operator we know locally, and we will tell you which we are proposing.
Can the car come to the aircraft?
Where the private terminal permits it for your movement. Otherwise the car is at the terminal door, and because the private terminal handles its own screening and border formalities the walk is short either way.
Where will my chauffeur meet me?
In the arrivals hall of the single terminal, or inside the private terminal for a private arrival. We send the meeting point and the chauffeur's mobile number before you fly.
Is Bristol a sensible airport for Bath?
Yes. It is the closest airport to the city by a clear margin, and about three quarters of an hour door to door outside the peaks.
Can you do Bristol, Bath and Cheltenham in one day?
Yes, and it usually works better as a single as directed day with one chauffeur than as three transfers: see hourly and as directed.