Bristol’s fantastic transport links make it one of the most easily accessible cities in the UK. Whether you’re visiting the festival from nearby or further afield, here’s a breakdown of the various transport options available.
Travel by train
Bristol Temple Meads is the largest railway hub in the west of England with direct services to and from London, Scotland, Wales, Manchester, and Birmingham. Trains from Severn Beach now run twice an hour, stopping at Lawrence Weston, Clifton and Stapleton Road. The majority of installations are within a 20 minute walk of Bristol Temple Meads.
Travel with Great Western Railway:
- Book ahead – Book early and save 50%
- GroupSave – discounts of 1/3 off fares when 3-9 people travel together. Simply search for tickets with the number of people travelling and the discount will be applied automatically
- Long Weekender – travelling from London Paddington? Leave on a Friday or Saturday, return on a Monday and save over 60% compared to an Anytime Return
You can plan your journey, check timetables, book tickets and find out more at GWR.com.
Travel by bus
Bristol is well served by a number of fast and convenient bus and coach services.
Bristol Bus & Coach Station is a walkable distance to all festival installations, and permanently features Bristol Light Festival’s 2020 installation, Cheers Drive.
Travel to the festival with First Bus:
- Single tickets from anywhere in West of England: Adult £2.40, child £1
- Travel as a group of up to 5 from anywhere in Bristol for £13
- Travel as a group of up to 5 from anywhere in West of England for £14
Travel around the festival:
- Enjoy unlimited travel for the day in the Bristol zone and explore all installations with a hop on / hop off ticket: Adult £6.50, child £3.30
Park & Ride service
Park & Ride services offer an easy and comfortable way of travelling into the city. Please be aware that each Park & Ride service operates different start and finish times, with some services finishing early evening. Park & Ride options include:
Brislington – South East of Bristol
Long Ashton – South West of Bristol
Lyde Green – North East of Bristol
Parkway North – North of Bristol
Portway – North West of Bristol
Yate – North East of Bristol
Travel by car
With over 11,000 parking spaces in the city centre, there are plenty of car parks nearby the festival installations. Cabot Circus’ evening rate means you can park from 5pm – 7am, Monday – Sunday for just £3. Alternatively, you can view all car parking options below.
As of November 2022, Bristol’s Clean Air Zone is in effect where some cars will be liable to pay a charge for entering Bristol city centre. You can find out more about the CAZ here.
Rent an e-scooter or e-bike
Go green and use a Dott E-scooter or E-bike to travel to and from the festival.
Users will need to download the Dott app (available on IOS and Android) and create an account. To ride an e-scooter users must prove they are over the age of 18 with a valid full or provisional driving licence to ride. E-bikes are available to anyone over the age of 16.
Rent a bicycle
Stay active and hop on a bike for a 2-wheeled exploration around the city. With so many independent bike shops in Bristol, travel around the festival in style with a bike or e-bike.
Hire options include:
Brompton Bikes – Hire a bike for just £5 a day!
Blackboy Hill Cycles – A fun, affordable way to get around the city
EcoMove – Reasonably priced electric bike hire
Mollie’s – Ride in style with a vintage bike from Mollie’s
Pedal Progression – Push bikes and e-bikes available
Bristol Ferry Boats
Explore the festival with Bristol Ferry Boats, offering a unique perspective of the festival by water. With 45-minute tours running to and from the City Centre Ferry Landing, hop on board and enjoy a unique journey. Experience two exciting installations visible on board before discovering the remaining installations on land. Pre-book your tickets in advance or pay by card on board.
Tickets for the full 45-minute tour are £8 for adults and £7 for children. For customers hopping on and off from different stops, fares will be between £3-5.