3 key things to remember when planning a vacation in Bristol

Bristol is a wonderful city that can be enjoyed by all, but to make sure you have a successful vacation in the cultural capital of the South West there are a few things that you should consider when you are planning to visit.

Be aware of the time of year you are planning to visit

Bristol is a city that has something to offer all year round, but the time that you visit will affect what your stay is like. There are certain times of year when the city can be very busy; such as when the weather is generally more comfortable at the end of Spring and the Summer months, and a general swell in visitors around the school holidays. If you are looking to avoid busy periods and want a quiet, relaxed break in Bristol; checking the school holiday times and avoiding it would be a good idea.

Aside from the general busy periods of the warmer months, you should check for cultural events or festivals taking place that might affect how busy the city is ahead of choosing when to visit.  As an example; between the 11th of August and the 14th, the Bristol Balloon Fiesta will be taking place. The fiesta is one of the biggest events in Europe and the city really comes alive during that period; but it can make accommodation very expensive, booking tables for restaurants harder, or just more stressful if you have small children for example and don’t want to be worrying about keeping track of them in crowded areas of the city.

Booking tickets to museums and places you want to visit

Bristol is a city with a great number of interesting museums and other cultural attractions that you may be interested in visiting during your stay. From the M Shed, which explores Bristol’s past and present through thousands of artefacts from the city; to the Bristol Aerospace Museum, which tells the history of aviation and holds the final Concorde that was built in Britain; there is a museum that will fulfil your interests.

One thing to remember is that whereas many of these museums used to be free, or where you could just buy a ticket on the door; due to Covid you now need to book a visit in a certain time slot ahead of time because they now have a maximum capacity to maintain safety.

You can book a visit to many of the free museums on the Bristol Museums website, and if there are any others you plan on visiting they are easy to find online.

Make sure you book your accommodation well in advance

Bristol is a very popular holiday location, and therefore securing accommodation at short notice can be either rather difficult or expensive. But it needn’t be. If you have worked out when you want to stay ahead of time, you can book in advance to save yourself from the rush and stress of finding somewhere; and if you look for serviced apartments in Bristol rather than trying to book a room at the typical hotel chains you can make quite a saving, whilst enjoying a much more extensive experience.

Zoe Kickhefer
zoe@everydaylifes.com