Centreline, Bristol. Through customs in the terminal, and on the road to Bath within minutes.
Bristol's private terminal sits on the south side of the airfield with its own lounges, screening and customs facilities. For Bath, the Mendips, the southern Cotswolds and Wales it is the shortest sensible arrival in the west.
The terminal
Centreline at Bristol, at a glance
- AirportBristol (BRS / EGGD)At Lulsgate on high ground about eight miles south west of Bristol city centre, on the A38.
- The terminalSouth side of the airfieldA dedicated private terminal with its own road access, well away from the passenger building and its forecourt.
- Hours24 hoursCentreline publishes round the clock handling at Bristol.
- On siteCustoms, immigration and screeningPassenger and baggage screening and a customs arrival area are in the building, so a movement does not have to visit the main terminal.
Ground transport in the west of England is arranged through operators we know and brief. Odyssey Connections owns its own cars and employs its chauffeurs in London and Manchester, with a trusted global network everywhere else. We claim no commercial relationship with Centreline.
Arriving here
A real private terminal, not a corner of the main one
Some regional airports hand business aviation a room off the passenger terminal. Bristol does not. Centreline runs a full facility on the south side with two passenger lounges, crew lounges, its own check in and baggage screening, and a customs arrival area, and aircraft park within a short distance of the terminal entrance. The practical effect for a passenger is that an international arrival can be in a car within a few minutes of the door opening, without ever seeing the commercial terminal.
Bristol's own quirk is the weather. The airfield sits on high ground at Lulsgate and gets low cloud and fog when the city below is clear, which occasionally moves an arrival to Cardiff or further east at short notice. It is not common, but it is common enough that a good plan names the alternate and says what the car does if the aircraft goes there. We do that as a matter of course rather than treating it as an exception.
The other thing worth knowing is that there is no railway station at the airport. Every onward leg from Bristol is a road leg, whether that is twenty five minutes into Clifton or an hour and a quarter down to Exeter, so the car is not a convenience here, it is the only way the journey completes.
How we work with the terminal
Coordinated, not improvised
- 01
Details
Tail number, operator, passengers, luggage and the address at the other end.
- 02
Coordination
We confirm the movement with the terminal on the south side and agree where the vehicle stands.
- 03
Tracking
The aircraft is followed by tail number, and we watch the weather at Lulsgate as well as the slot.
- 04
Arrival
Luggage taken with the terminal staff, and out onto the A38 within minutes.
Onward
Typical journey times from the south side
| 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 Severn crossing and the M5 south on a Friday in August are the two that move most.
Worth knowing
Detail that earns its place
The things that decide whether a West Country arrival goes smoothly.
- Name an alternate airfield in the plan. Lulsgate fog is occasional, and the car should already know what to do if the aircraft diverts
- There is no station at the airport, so every onward leg is by road. Build the drive into the schedule rather than treating it as the last mile
- Many Bath addresses cannot be reached at the door. Tell us the exact address and we will tell you where the car can actually stop
- For a Cheltenham or Glastonbury week, the road plan matters far more than the terminal. See Cheltenham Festival and Glastonbury
- Four people with luggage for a week in the country is usually a V-Class, not a saloon
- If the aircraft is being arranged as well as the car, one enquiry covers both. See private jet charter
Request a quote
Tell us the movement
Date, tail number or operator, passengers, luggage and where you are going. Nothing is booked or charged online.
Prefer to talk? +44 2030 048300 or WhatsApp, at any hour.
Questions people ask
About the Bristol private terminal
Do we go through the main terminal at all?
No. The south side facility has its own screening and a customs arrival area, so a movement is handled entirely away from the passenger building.
Can the car meet the aircraft?
Airside transfer direct to the aircraft is part of what the terminal offers, subject to the arrangements for each movement. We agree it in advance and confirm before you land.
Is Bristol the right airport for Bath?
Usually yes, at around 35 to 50 minutes in normal conditions. For the north Cotswolds, London Oxford is often the better answer and we will say so.
What happens if the airport fogs in?
Your operator decides where the aircraft goes. Our part is to have already agreed what the car does in that case, so the plan does not have to be invented at the diversion airfield.
Are these your own cars?
Odyssey Connections owns its cars and employs its chauffeurs in London and Manchester, with a trusted global network everywhere else. In the west the car comes from an operator we know and brief, and we stay responsible for the arrangement.
We deal with problems before you know they exist