Bristol: Harbourside, Clifton and the SS Great Britain
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Bristol

Harbourside, Clifton and the SS Great Britain

about 1 hr 40 min by train London Paddington

Getting there

  1. 1

    London Paddington

    Start

  2. 2

    GWR train to Bristol Temple Meads

    about 1 hr 40 min

  3. 3

    Walk to the harbourside

    On foot

Great Western Railway says London to Bristol Temple Meads takes around 1 hour 40 minutes, its fastest service 1 hour 19 minutes, with a train roughly every 30 minutes; weekend and public holiday journeys can take longer. Prices and times change: check before you go, on National Rail.

Highlights

Clifton Suspension Bridge
Clifton Suspension Bridge
SS Great Britain
SS Great Britain
M Shed
M Shed
Bristol Cathedral
Bristol Cathedral
St Nicholas Market
St Nicholas Market
Cabot Tower
Cabot Tower

Perfect for

  • Brunel and ships
  • Harbour walks
  • Markets
  • Views from Clifton

Plan your day

  1. MorningTrain, then the harbourside
  2. AfternoonSS Great Britain, then up to Clifton
  3. EveningDinner, train from Temple Meads
Plan the journey Find a guided tour Visit Bristol

Before you go

Bristol is about 171 km (106 miles) from central London in a straight line, measured from Charing Cross; the rail route is longer. Trains leave from London Paddington. Our rail tickets guide explains Advance, Off-Peak and Anytime tickets, railcards and split tickets, so you can work out which fare suits a day out. On the day, check National Rail for delays and engineering works before you set off.

Opening times, tickets and closures for Visit Bristol are on its official website. For sights that can need a timed ticket, see what to book ahead.

Areas to explore in Bristol

Our Bristol guide is split into 8 areas, each with things to do, places to eat, where to stay and how to get there.

Weather through the year

Met Office 1991-2020 averages for the Filton station (opens in new tab), the one we use for Bristol. Daylight is calculated for Bristol on the 15th of the month. These are averages, not a forecast.

MonthAvg highAvg lowDays with 1 mm+ rainDaylight
January8.1°C2.4°C13.18 h 19
April13.8°C5.5°C9.813 h 51
July21.7°C13.4°C9.816 h 06
October14.8°C8.3°C12.810 h 29

Every month, with sunshine and packing notes: when to go to Bristol.

Closest other day trips

Measured in a straight line from Bristol, so the journey between them will be longer. Use the journey planner to see whether a direct train runs.

For where to eat, stay and walk, see Our Bristol guide.

Sources

Journey details above are as these pages stated them when we read them on Nov 1, 2026. Timetables change: check before you travel.

  1. GWR: London to Bristol (opens in new tab)

More day trips

Windsor~40 min Oxford~1 hr Bath~1.5 hr Cambridge~1 hr Stonehenge~1.5 hr + bus Brighton~1 hr York1 hr 46 min Cardiffaround 1 hr 50 min Liverpooljust over 2 hr The CotswoldsTrain and bus Blenheim PalaceTrain and bus

Photos from Wikimedia Commons: Clifton Suspension Bridge, Anthony O'Neil (CC BY-SA 2.0); SS Great Britain, Hugh Llewelyn (CC BY-SA 2.0); M Shed, Tiia Monto (CC BY-SA 3.0); Bristol Cathedral, Adrian Pingstone. (Public domain); St Nicholas Market, Anthony O'Neil (CC BY-SA 2.0); Cabot Tower, Enrique Íñiguez Rodríguez (Qoan) (CC BY-SA 4.0); header, Bristol , Avon Gorge - geograph.org.uk - 4403759.jpg, Lewis Clarke (CC BY-SA 2.0).

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