Getting to Bristol

So, Plone Conf 2010 is coming up next month! Time is flying so quickly :) So I thought I'd write a quick post about travel to get to Bristol for the conference, as if you haven't yet booked your tickets, you probably should do soon!

I'm aiming this at international travellers, as I'm hoping that all the UK people know how to get here already (hint: train to Bristol Temple Meads station, or drive and park at hotel).

By Air (then train/coach)

Bristol is located in the South West of the UK, about 200km to the west of London. Bristol has its own International Airport situated about 12 km south of the city centre, and has flights from budget airlines such as EasyJet, Ryanair, FlyBe. It also has flights from major carriers such as Air France, KLM and Continental Airlines. Air France and KLM operate routes via Paris Charles de Gaulle, and Amsterdam Schipol to most places and Continental fly direct to Newark, New Jersey.

However.... that is not the only means, and for some places, such as Norway, there might be cheaper alternatives to fly to one of the other UK airports. I've listed a number of other airports below with details of how long it might take you and rough costs to get to Bristol from them. Generally I would say the train is a much more pleasant journey than by coach,  but the coach is normally cheaper.

If you can fly direct to Bristol, it will make your life a whole lot easier and more pleasant. Bristol International is a small airport and quick to get through and not too onerous on security. On the other hand, Heathrow being so big can take a long time and be painful. Stansted really drived me nuts, but hey ;) it may be convenient for you.

[1] Change in London at Paddington Station

[2] Some routes involve 1 change at Reading, others more complex

[3] You have to go into London, cross London on the tube, then back out

[4] Change at Cardiff Central

All of these times and prices were taken from The Trainline or National Express. Tickets in the UK are generally cheaper to buy in advance than on the day. These prices are based on off-peak return tickets. If you wish to travel at peak times (normally around 7am-11am, 4pm-6pm) then they may be (substantially, in the case of London) more expensive.

If you come by train, book your tickets in advance online via a credit/debit card then pik the tickets up at the ticket machine at the station. You need the card you used and the booking code.

By Train all the way

If you want to travel by train from Europe to Bristol you can, via the Channel Tunnel. You can get a Eurostar ticket to the UK from Paris, or Brussels to London and then get a train to Bristol. This actually is probably more expensive and takes longer then flying, but probably burns less trees and if you like to take your time on a journey may be more fun and less stress than airport security.

By Car

You can get to Bristol by car, which may work out best if there are a few of you travelling together. You can rent a car at any of the airports and then drive to Bristol. If you live in Europe you could drive the whole way via the Eurotunnel of via a ferry as well, although driving from Dover to Bristol will take you about 3.5 hours.

Hope this was helpful, and if you have any questions about travel or routes then email info@ploneconf2010.org.