Is Bristol nice for a weekend?

[Santacruz123]

Thinking of a random trip to Bristol with a friend
What are the best things to do there? Thanks

I absolutely love Bristol and we often go and stay in an Airbnb for a weekend.

Lots of lovely pubs, restaurants, interesting food places on the waterfront, all of the quirky vintage shops, museums.

We spent about 6 hours on New Year's Day just walking along the waterfront, stopping for a pint of a coffee.

Ooh! Do you like cats? There's a quirky weird pub called Bag of Nails, the owners have about 15 cats and they all wander around and come hang out with you while you're having your pint.

Loads to do. I live in London and regularly stay in Bristol for a couple of nights a year. Great city.

I visited last year for a university open day with DS and we stayed a couple of nights. Really impressed.

Lots of great places to eat, the waterfront is great for a wander about and we walked around the city looking for Banksy’s which was also a great way to see more of the city than we would have. Link here

My home town (as a child)

I still love it and sometimes have a weekend there. It's a very walkable city, fabulous food, good museums. Ashton Court is a lovely park and you can get out to the sea at Clevedon or Portishead quickly.

Yes, lovely city! (I grew up in Bath, misspent much of my adolescence in Bristol and still enjoy going back and hanging out there.)

Loads of stuff to do - the docks are lovely to wander around and have lots of bars and restaurants; pay a visit to the museum at the top of Park Street; wander Clifton Village and walk over the suspension bridge and the Downs; shopping is great in Cabot Circus. I live in London now and am well and truly embedded here but Bristol remains one of the very few places I could see myself moving to.

We are the curious - science based museum

Cabot circus - lots of shops

Clifton - posh boutiques and coffee shops

Bristol cathedral

The Matthew - wooden replica boat that sailed to America

M shed - free museum but focus is on Bristol history

Arnolfini - art gallery

Ashton court - good for walks

Suspension bridge - can walk over for good views.

Personally, I HATE Bristol! Too much traffic, an arse to park and a bit rough!
Not a fan!

Not a fan here either. I'd rather breathe air than traffic fumes.

I love going out in Bristol. If you need hotel recommendations The Bristol Hotel and the Radisson Blu are excellent and right by the waterfront. The Radisson Blu does a great breakfast.

Watching as this is exactly what we’re doing tomorrow

I love Bristol, I've got a new job outside there and am seriously considering a move from Gloucestershire.

Lots to do, great shopping, I've been to loads of great gigs in Bristol, good dining.

One place that I particularly like is the Observatory and camera obscura in Clifton (near the wonderful suspension bridge).

I really didn't find Bristol too trafficky or polluted.

I live in Cambridge which feels much more loud and congested!

Thanks so far....looks like we may book then!

I took my husband there for a long weekend for his birthday.

Took him to a magic show in Smoke and Mirrors on Saturday night and then did unlimited burgers (and alcohol!) at Burger Theory on Sunday afternoon. Really recommend both of these! Smoke and Mirrors also did a fab cocktail hour.

Did also do Bristol Zoo on the Friday but it was a bit smaller compared to others.

Pubs I love:

Bag of nails
Grain barge (boat pub)
The strawberry thief (Belgian pub)
The volunteer tavern
The Christmas steps
The barley mow

Banco lounge is great for brunch and a Bloody Mary!

I've been to Bristol twice. I found it a weird place, with a huge road through the middle of it and no way to get across to the other side. I don't need to go back.

NameChanger, you sure you’re thinking of Bristol?

There’s a large roundabout in the centre but loads of crossing places! Can’t think of where you are talking about.

Loads to do in Bristol - enjoy!

nanechsnger that would be the motorway.

I would recommend getting a ferry trip around the docks. It goes all the way from Temple Meads station to the Cumberland Swing bridge. You can get a hop on hop off ticket so that you can stop at the SS Great Britain and water side pubs.

I wouldn’t describe bristol as rough! At had less desirable areas, as all cities do but most of it is great. There is definitely a traffic problem but this effects locals commuting rather than thought visiting I’d say.

Love Gloucester Road, the water front and Clifton. Plenty of scenic and interesting places to wander about.

The centre of the city as three main areas I’d say - Cabot circus (new shopping area), broadmead (old shopping area and not so nice) and ‘the centre’ near to the water front. I am assuming this is the area with ‘the big road’. There are multiple crossings here as it is becoming more pedestrianised.

I love Bristol ☺ If we didn't live so far away, I'd love to go down for a weekend away.

Sorry for typos!

Didn’t enjoy Bristol much. A bit of a trawl trying to find decent places to eat. M shed was awful, science museum was good.

Far too much graffiti, place looked very run down. I understand the whole graffiti art thing and the history of it there, but much of it came nowhere near the level of art, just random tags.

We’ve done weekends in most of the U.K. cities and Bristol isn’t one we’d rush back to.

There's also lots of green open spaces in Bristol. Durham Downs overlook the Suspension bridge and there's the Camera Obscura.
Further out is Blaise Castle which has a small museum and a folly (the castle).

Love Bristol! Loads to do. We go often.