Transport options to get to the DO: I appreciate that most (if not all) attending the DO will be living in the UK and know how to get here or already have been, however, should anyone be attending from farther afield and not be familiar I hope this transport post will help. Obviously, if anyone has any questions about transport please do post or PM and I’ll get back to you.
The suggestions from the aerospace Bristol museum page is a good place to start:
How to find us ? Aerospace Bristol
(which lists directions for car and coach as well as links to train and bus public transport methods)
By Air: https://www.bristolairport.co.uk
As this is an FT DO…obviously, people may fly down to BRS (Bristol airport). There are rental cars available there, as well as public transport routes into the city. (taxi and buses).
Generally for people travelling on a domestic flight to get here, there are plenty of BMI Regional, EasyJet and RyanAir (did I just type that?
) Seriously, there are plenty of flights to Bristol. (or nearby Cardiff, Exeter or Birmingham if you so wish…BA are looking to fly from Bristol soon but you won't be able to fly into Bristol with BA for this DO...even with a creative TP routing! (yet AFAIK)
The below maps give a view on the locations of the various transport methods into the city and to the museum as well as the motorways to Bristol. (both maps copyright of Google Maps, with some additional markings by me!)
All Roads Lead to Bristol....Motorway Map
Distances and General Locations of City Centre, Museum, Airport, Coach and Rail stations.
By Car:
As for travelling by road, Bristol is at the junction of the two key motorways in this part of the UK, the M4 and the M5. Depending on where you are staying, the M32 (off the M4) is a good route to get to the city centre.
By Rail:
GWR (Great Western Railway) is the West Country line and there are a few stations in Bristol. The main station for the city centre is Bristol Temple Meads, built by Brunel and worth seeing in its own right. You can walk to most city centre hotels from this station.
Bristol Parkway is a station closer to Filton and the museum and you could get a taxi from there to the museum and then hopefully catch a ride downtown afterwards with one of us that is driving.
Bristol Keynsham is between Bath and Bristol but not convenient for any hotels, city centre or the museum! Patchway is also not a station I would suggest using.
The GWR website is here:
https://www.gwr.com
By Coach:
National Express Coach can get you to Bristol city centre:
http://www.nationalexpress.com/home.aspx
First National Bus: (Buses throughout Bristol area):
https://www.firstgroup.com/bristol-bath-and-west
However you get here, safe travels! See you at the DO!