What I don't understand is, why does it take the same amount of time for the bus to drive to the…read morestation as it does for me to walk? Also, why do empty buses rattle past my window all day (when in service) but they never drive past the bus stop when I'm waiting for one? No joke, I just looked out my window again and there was yet another, with not a sole on board!! A city like this needs a good public transport system, what with the hilliness making it harder to walk and cycle and the traffic diabolical due to tiny windy roads. We need a solution and fast!

Today, 9th of september, i've waited for the bus for over a whole hour. Never thought it was…read morepossible to skip exacly 10 busses in a row (6x for number 76 and 4x for number 2). I've been at the bus stop from 13:48 and finaly caught a number 2 bus at 15:04. When I told the driver I've been waiting for the bus for a whole hour he just shrugged and said "it is very busy in town". I get that its not his fault, and I'm used to 2 or even 3 busses not arriving, its beyond me as to what has to happen to skip 10 busses in a row. I was also suppossed to start my shift at 3pm. In seriously reconsidering my decision to get around by bus. (Might as well had walked to city center today). Sincerely, Vito.

Good for accessing different parts of Bristol with ease…read more The station itself doesn't have a ticket machine, but you can buy your ticket once on the train. The service is reliable, but I would recomend getting a timetable as you don't want to be waiting around only to find out the last train has come and gone. Bristol City has a good network of trains, and inorder to reach some of the more extreme parts from where you are located it's probabley more advisable (and quicker) to get a train, for example Lawrence Hill to Parson's street, you may have to change but it'll probably be quicker than any bus you can get.

This train station is particularly useful if you find yourself traveling between Temple Meads and…read morethe Church Road area via public transport, as there is no direct bus service linking the two. The trains aren't all that regular though, so make sure you look up the times before you start your journey. The station is basically just a couple of platforms - there's no ticket machine - which means that you can occasionally get away with a free journey (not that I condone such practices, of course). There's also a good connection with Montpelier rail station, with a journey taking between 5 and 10 minutes and only costing £1.50. Win.

I remember when taking the Megabus was just a big no-no - they had such a bad reputation for being…read morecompletely 100% late, usually by an hour up to an hour and a half. For this reason, I only ever took it once and never again for a few years. However I had to get to London a week ago for an impromptu trip, and trains were just mighty expensive, so I decided to pay £7.50 for a megabus ride. Not looking forward to it at all, I went to the bus stop and waited.. and was pleasantly surprised that the bus was actually 10 minutes early! Also surprising was the chirpy, friendly driver and the bus itself, which seemed much cleaner than what I had remembered. Prices are usually cheaper than the £7.50 I paid if you book earlier than I did. If you do it at the right time, you can get them for a pound, which you won't get anywhere else! The ride to London was 2.5 hours, an hour more than the train. Another surprise, was that we got there on time! My bus trip was either a fluke, or Megabus has really upped their game and are providing a more reliable service these days. Pretty good value, if you ask me!

I know this is a bit of a standing joke, but if you tell your inner snob to shut up for a moment,…read moreit can't be denied that the Megabus is an absolute bargain. Now that the Megatrain is sadly no longer with us, from Bristol this just services south Wales (which I haven't tried) and London. I'm not sure if the bargain prices are still as easy obtain as they once were, but if you book early enough this is a great way to get to the capital (my wife and I once got there for a total price of £4.50 - £1 single each way plus a 50p booking charge!). I've used it about twice and both times it was on time both ways and in fact turned up well within the three hour it claims it will take (it actually takes around 2hrs 20 which isn't far off the train time). The buses go from outside the Colston Hall, though I'm sure I heard recently that they no longer pick up in Easton so you may need to check this. One other thing, National Express have started doing 'fun fares' in response, which can be just as cheap, so be sure to double-check their prices too before you book.

I would give it a severn out of five if I could…read more This great line that connects Bristol with Severn Beach and does a great job of it, too. I basically agree with everything the awesome previous reviewer said, and Barbie loves her profile pic also. I've used it twice and there will definitely be a third time hopefully. It's also gorgeous, literally, because of the views of the gorge.

A super efficient railway line that connects Temple Meads Station with Severn Beach in under forty…read moreminutes. The line runs through Lawrence Hill, Easton, Montpelier, Redland, Clifton Down, Sea Mills, Shirehampton, Avonmouth and finally arrives in the far northwest of the city at Severn Beach. The line had become little used in recent times but thanks to the dedicated work of Friends of Suburban Railways this line now has services roughly every 30 minutes and runs 7 days a week. The line is amazingly affordable and a return journey from one end to the other costs £3.00. Compare this to the cost and time it would take on the bus. It has also gone a long way towards re-connecting the communities that were separated by the M32. This line has been rated one of the top ten scenic routes in the UK and the views you get as you go through the cities and then out along the Avon gorge are stunning.

I don't like to come here by proxy, I always come here in Parson…read more Parson Street is one of the many alternative Railway stations for Bristol and it's a nice little station that gets a decent amount of traffic. Bristol has quite a few stations serving the area and they all do a good job, but Temple Meads is still my favourite even though Parson street is cute. It has two tracks, two platforms and serves a nice little neighbourhood on the western super mare line. It's only two miles from Temple Meads so it's close to the heart of Bristol. It's very close to Bedminster as well.

Being in a pretty rough area of Bristol, this little train station has suffered a bit over the…read moreyears. It's in a desperate need for a revamp, but I guess it would only get vandalised so is there much point?? It serves it's purpose as a good link to the outskirts of Bristol, and price wise it is cheaper than the bus. Trains are pretty much always on time (apart from once in the snow when I had to wait over an hour, but that was my fault for attempting to use public transport in 6 inches of snow!). I hate buses so I actually would recommend using this train station. Just make sure you have your pepper spray on hand and a large baseball bat in your handbag.

First Great Western trains run throughout the West of England to primarily London. Historically,…read moreFirst Great Western hasn't been very good on the customer satisfaction list, but in the recent years they have dramatically improved their services to near perfection. In my experience, they have never been late or cancelled and have almost always arrived a few minutes ahead of schedule (which is always handy so you can grab an unexpected cup of coffee!). The trains themselves are of a very high standard. Each seat is full length (unlike First Capital Connect) and the floor has carpet on it which is a pleasant luxury. There is no chewing gum stuck to the seats, or graffiti etched onto the tables. Everything is almost spotlessly clean. In fact sometimes I wonder if I am in First Class, it is that nice! There is quite a large buffet on most of the trains (most definitely the ones headed to London Paddington) which although isn't cheap, certainly is no more expensive than the stands at the train stations. Most, if not all of the staff are friendly and very helpful. One down side I would say is that I find it hard to open the doors as you have to reach outside the window and open them from the exterior of the train which (if you are on the short side like me) is pretty difficult. There is also a large gap from the train to most platforms which again is difficult especially if you have a lot of luggage. However, I have found on many occasions that the train staff rush to help you if you are struggling which I think is great. There are toilets on board and are almost always clean, however no toilet on a train is perfect really! On board travel magazines are provided free of charge and also an emergency exit information booklet is on every seat (it almost feels like an aeroplane!). A word of warning though - if your ticket is booked in advance you MUST get on that exact train which is stated on your ticket. If you miss it, or hop on an earlier train you are fined a lot of money. Also, I have heard that if you sit in a seat already reserved then a £20 fine is given to you. Price wise, First Great Western trains are very reasonable if booked in advance online through their website. A single from Bristol Temple Meads to Gatwick Airport off peak with a Young Persons Railcard is £7.60 which is very cheap for the distance travelled. In conclusion, I would definitely recommend First Great Western, primarily for the fast, cheap and reliable service.

First Great Western is a close second to Virgin in my ranking of trains that trawl up and down our…read morecountries Railways lines. And number three is a long long way behind. It is one of the few services that you can guarantee will be fast and professional every time you take it. That does not mean to say that i like the trains in this country in general, just that i think relatively First Great Western is one of the best!

The cafe I mention in my previous review - Urban Espresso - has changed ownership / management and…read moreits name is now Cafe Creme, but other than that it basically offers the same as it used to (including all-important take away coffees for commuters). Keynsham station itself now has an information post on each platform where you can press a button to get train information - which makes you feel just a little bit less cut-off than before (when there was basically no way of finding out if there was a problem with the trains, or when you might expect the next one to arrive). I'm therefore going to nudge up my star rating for the station to three instead of two!

The U-Link buses are run by the University of the West of England, and are primarily used by the…read morestudents to get to and from university and the centre of Bristol. However, the buses have now been made public. In 2009 they introduced a new swipe card system in which you can top up your card and benefit from cheaper fares, with an unlimited day use called a 'day rider' costing £3 in cash or £2.50 using the swipe card. This is much cheaper than the First Buses which cost £3.30 for a student day pass. The U-Link has 5 bus routes. The U1 and U2 run from Victoria Street in the centre of Bristol, through Gloucester Road and Filton to Frenchay Campus. The U3 runs from Victoria Street through Fishponds to St Matthias Campus and Glenside Campus and terminating at Frenchay. The U4 is a direct service from the centre of Bristol to Frenchay going on the M32 giving a very short journey. Finally a U5 service was introduced recently which runs from Frenchay to Filton, then to Clifton and Whiteladies Road. The buses are all very new and clean and provide a pleasant service as far as bus journeys go, and they are all very regular. One criticism is that as the day goes on, the service seems to get very unreliable. The timetable has not taken into account traffic congestion at lunch times and at rush hour, and at around about 4pm you will start to wait upwards of 10 minutes.

Upon arriving in London, we decided to hop on the train to Bristol instead of renting a car -- and…read morewe're so glad we did! The train stations were a breeze to navigate, tickets were very affordable, and the ride itself was smooth and scenic. Staff and locals couldn't have been kinder, always ready to point us in the right direction with a smile. If you're traveling in the UK, skip the stress of driving and take the train -- it's an absolute win!

Used in the TV show Boy Meads World, for all of those train travelers who treat their bodies like a…read moreTemple. This is a large station that services Bristol (but not literally), and is the hub of the entire Southwest UK when it comes trains. It's a haunting old station and one which we've been to on many occasions. Functionally, it's been modernized a lot in recent years during the resurgence of Bristol, but it's as grand as ever. It's actually the oldest station in the country and also the largest. Literally, in the UK. It started serving trains on the last day of August in 1840 and it connects to London Paddington. It was designed by Brunel. Who then did a lot of other railway things. But this was his first mission and he did it well.

All aboard for the BEST way to see the UK! The British railway system is a dream -- quick, comfy,…read moreand surprisingly affordable. Unlike in the U.S., trains connect almost every city and town, making travel effortless. We used it for our whole UK adventure and loved every mile. Whether you're off to work, sightseeing, or chasing castles, this is the way to go!

Lovely architecture, but amenities could use some work. There is a free water refill station and…read morethe toilets are clean, functional, and spacious. That said, there isn't a lot of food shops. A listing: Good&Proper Starbucks The Pasty Shop AMT Coffee Proper Crust Hart's Bakery Pumpkin Cafe Bonaparte (pub?) This sounds like a lot but there are 15 platforms, and there's hardly any seating. Overall, the place is fairly clean and seems to be well-run. Bathrooms: clean, spacious, and functional.