Bristol Bus Station

Bristol, United Kingdom

3.6

Open now

18 reviews

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Telephone:
+44 845 606 4446
Website:
www.firstgroup.com
Address:
Marlborough Street, Bristol, United Kingdom, BS1 3NU
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
160 ftMarlborough St
300 ftBus Station
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Today

Today 6:00 am – 1:00 am
Open now
Local time (Bristol) 14:33 Wednesday, 28 May 2025

Business hours

Monday 6:00 am – 1:00 am
Tuesday 6:00 am – 1:00 am
Wednesday 6:00 am – 1:00 am
Thursday 6:00 am – 1:00 am
Friday 6:00 am – 1:00 am
Saturday 6:00 am – 1:00 am
Sunday 6:00 am – 1:00 am

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18 reviews of Bristol Bus Station

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Place rating: 2
Bristol, United Kingdom
Pretty appalling service from the bus station end to the National Express end.
I’ve used the Bristol Bus services A LOT. At 31 years old I’ve never had a driving license (the shame, I know!) and until recently I lived in North Bristol; a good 30 minute bus journey away. And it has always been hideous!
What annoys me the most about the bus station is that if the bus is going to be late leaving, nobody says anything! The bus will be sat there, driverless, with lots of drivers and staff walking around — but no explanation. Why can’t someone come over and say to the long queue of people that it’ll be 5 – 10 minutes, or just say why it has been late. It’s such bad customer service!
I could write so much more about the bus service, but this is about the Bus Station, so I’ll leave it.
I don’t like writing ranty reviews, and I wasn’t intending to, but as soon as I started I couldn’t stop; this is some pent up bus anger right here!
To quote Jay from the Inbetweeners: Bus *+*@-^”
Place rating: 4
Dublin, Republic of Ireland
To be honest, we went in and sat at gate 8 waiting for the airport bus. All of ten minutes.
That said, there are displays a plenty telling you what bus leaves from which gate and when. The ticket office was closed when we were there at 18:15 on a Sunday. Not sure if it opens at all on a Sunday. But you can buy your ticket from the driver.
A-​OK and then some.
Place rating: 5
Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Clean and Modern. Does exactly what it says on the tin.
Place rating: 3
Bristol, United Kingdom
It’s a shame that whichever city you go to, the bus station invariably seems to be an architectural eyesore while money is ploughed into the train station, housed in something beautiful and filled with a variety of cafes and shops.
In this respect, Bristol is no different. While Temple Meads is an attraction in its own right, the bus station is a purely functional stopping point. It serves its purpose — you go, you get on your bus (maybe you buy a sandwich on your way if you’re desperate although really there are better places nearby to pick one up), you leave.
That said it’s clean, relatively well run and I’ve never encountered any major difficulties here. The National Express coach service to London runs from here and although things can get a little tense in the queue, it’s often a better value alternative to the (at times extortionately priced) train.
Place rating: 3
Bristol, United Kingdom
Safe, modern and even reasonably clean, the new Bristol bus and coach station is such a contrast to most I’ve had the misfortune of waiting around in. Largely free of undesirables, and without any trace of the smell of urine, it just doesn’t have that seedy feel so many other bus stations have.
It’s busy and thriving, full of both passengers and buses arriving and departing throughout the day and the evening, with good signage so you know where you’re going. It has a decent range of longer-​distance services to UK destinations including London, at far cheaper rates than you’d pay on the train. What’s more, it’s incredibly convenient: smack bang in the city centre, with heaps of shops nearby.
Place rating: 3
Bristol, United Kingdom
How things have changed: the first time I had to use Bristol Bus Station I ordered my tickets from a National Express portacabin and waited in the freezing cold for the arrival of my bus. I thought this semi building site would last for ever but, low and behold, a couple of years later the station was finally finished.
Gone are the scary tramps and chain smokers now there is a small newsagent, decent public toilets (that cost 20p) and plenty of seating. The National Express portacabin has been replaced with a full working ticket office and for some reason the modern décor includes giant wonky clocks…
I use this bus station on a regular basis and have always felt safe here, whether its 5am or late at night. There are always friendly bus drivers loitering around and the taxi rank straight outside the entrance ensures you don’t have to wait long to get to your final destination.
Place rating: 4
Bristol, United Kingdom
The only problem with the station is how far away it is from the train station, a problem that they have managed to avoid in most of the other places i have been.
Other than that i have no arguments to take up with this, our most rejuvenated transport hub. The inside of the station provides a warm dry spot that you can wait for your bus in.
It never ceases to amaze me how many buses they manage to fit into such a small space, hats off to the drivers who manage to manœuvre their way in and out of the station with great style.
Always cheaper than the train, take advantage of it.
Place rating: 4
Bristol, United Kingdom
When I had to go to the Bristol Bus Station I really wasn’t looking forward to it. I had images of bracing the elements waiting like a lemon, homeless camp-​outs, and endless flurries of hurried people all cooped up in a derelict building. Apprantly this was what the bus station used to be like. It is all new and modern now. Enclosed seating area and everything! There was ample seating and I didn’t have to wait long. All bus routes were on time and well co-​ordinated. Everything was so calm as well– no stamping on feet, elbowing passers by or scrambling onto a full bus.
Place rating: 4
Bristol, United Kingdom
Bristol coach station has undergone a massive revamp in recent years and as a result it is light and inviting. Where some coach stations are dingy hell holes for the dregs of society, those folk who cannot afford the train or simply have nowhere else to go, this coach station is a good example of a thriving transport hub. There’s not much in the way of amenities when you compare it to London Victoria or Birmingham’s new station but there’s a shop and some phones and its right next in the city centre so in some ways that really doesn’t matter. The main transport company using this station is National Express, which offers Funfares to London starting at just £1. It is also a port of call for a lot of local buses taking people to neighbouring counties, including North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. Finally, it is a stop off point for the Bristol Flyer which takes people to the Airport (approx 40 minute journey).
Place rating: 3
Bristol, United Kingdom
This isn’t exactly the most inspiring place in the world, but then again what bus station is? Indeed, it’s a lot better than it used to be since the recent-​ish renovation. It’s got a much cleaner and smarter appearance now; before it was like a massive bus shelter which still left you semi-​exposed to the elements while waiting.
I don’t use this place too often, though it is worth looking out for the Fun Fares that National Express offer. I think they must have started these in response to the Megabus, and in the past I have managed to get to both Birmingham and London and back for £2 return (making it worth sacrificing the comfort of the train).
One minor quibble: in what other large city are the bus and train stations so far apart? If you live in Bristol, though, I suppose this geographical anomaly is less likely to inconvenience you.
Place rating: 3
Bristol, United Kingdom
Bristol Bus Station, not the most inspiring of words. There’s a facebook group ‘Bristol bus is whack like crack’ and I often think they’re not far wrong. Bristol buses are slow, overpriced things that never ever seem to come when I want them. The bus station, has been recently done up, and you’re guaranteed to find a bus here, at least.
The best thing I can say about this place is that they’ve got buses going to London really frequently, at least every hour during office hours on week days. There isn’t that sense of chaos you get at some bus stations — things happen too slowly here to be disorganised. The new building is refreshing too, they’ve managed to get a bit more light into the place and everything’s a bit cleaner. So apart from the bus local bus services you can get from it Bristol Bus Station is pretty good.
Place rating: 3
Bristol, United Kingdom
Rebuilt a couple a years ago to replace the wee-​smelling, wouldn’t-go-there-after-dark hell hole that once was there.
The new bus station, by contrast, is shiny and clean and not really that scary at all. There are loads of seats, regularly cleaned toilets and a coffee bar selling snacks and vaguely caffeine-​tinged beverages for about half the price of Starbucks.
I have to say — buses and coaches (to all over the UK from here) do seem to keep good time on the whole, and there are hundreds of different services all well co-​ordinated, signposted and timetabled for your travel comfort
Place rating: 3
Bristol, United Kingdom
The regularity of buses here is good, however the complex lacks any where to drop-​off/​pick-​up from.
There’s a tiny backstreet you can slip a car into to let people out or pick people up, but you always feel like you shouldn’t be there.
It would be improved with a simple drop-​off zone properly marked somewhere.
Place rating: 4
Bristol, United Kingdom
In the past, I used to avoid the station as much as possible. It was dirty, dreary and at times, felt very unsafe. The new station is the total opposite. I’ve never felt unsafe, even when arriving at 2am. Everything is clean, there is seating and decent toilets.
I agree with Eve01 about arriving ahead of time, especially for airport or London coaches. And it helps to have your tickets handy.
Visiting friends, who arrived via the airport coach, were surprised at the general cleanliness and niceness of the Bristol bus station. It’s good to have a nice first impression to give visitors arriving in Bristol this way!
Place rating: 4
Doncaster, United Kingdom
Bristol bus station is a modern glass and ceramic-​tiled building that’s constantly being improved upon. To the bottom end there’s a National Express coach information point, and the National Express coaches conveniently arrive in the bottom few bays. Further up, there’s also an enclosed area for the purchase of coach tickets. There’s another entrance/​exit midway up the bus station, through which is a passage towards the main shopping area in Bristol.
At the other side there’s a small newsagents, a Pumpkin coffee bar, a further entrance/​exit and the public toilets, which cost 20p, but are clean and tidy.
TV screens appear throughout the bus station advising passengers of which buses are due in, and to what stand.
Place rating: 4
Truro, United Kingdom
As the others have said, this bus station was once a misery, old and pretty typical of what you’d expect from well. a bus station. Over the last few years things have been dramatically improved all around, offering live information, knowledgeable staff, refreshed exteriors etc etc. Like I said, I like the feature of live bus information, it has certainly made in easier to interchange buses and the likes within Bristol. Also of note is the location, its certainly a lot more assessable.
Place rating: 5
Bristol, United Kingdom
Bristol Bus Station is a million miles from the bus station it once was. It’s now extremely modern with plenty of screens and arrival times with plenty of staff around to ensure you don’t accidentally end up on the direct no-​matter-​what to Edinburgh.
As with every bus station, you do get the occaisonal tramp claiming he’d like eight quid for a cup of coffee, but security at the bus station is quite tight and any discrepencies like that last about as long as it took for the doors to slide open.
The bus station is a goodun. Hooray!
Place rating: 4
Bristol, United Kingdom
Much better than the dreary bus station it used to be. They have refurbished all of the bays, café and toilet areas so it does look more inviting and a lot less scary if you are doing an early more or late night trip.
The café is still over priced so pop into Broadmead for a hot drink or snack before travelling.
Get there early if you expect to get the coach as the drivers have to leave on time. I hate seeing screaming late passenfers hurling abuse at the drivers. They’d be the first passengers to complain if they arrived at their destination late.
Taxi stand is right outside and there are usually plenty. Turn right as you get off the coach.