Bristol Serviced Apartments Out & About
Serviced City Pads likes to give a few hints and tips that will hopefully make your stay in Bristol that little bit more enjoyable. This is not meant to be an exhaustative list of what to do when you have booked your apartment in Bristol, more of a starting point for planning your stay in Bristol.
LOCATION AND GETTING AROUND
Bristol is a beautiful city located in the South West of England on the banks of the River Avon at the mouth of the Severn Estuary, 122 miles from London and 373 miles from Edinburgh. The city is located at Junction 18 off the M5 (follow A4 Portway if you are diving to Bristol) and is easy to reach by road, train or air.
Bristol is served by two main railway stations: Bristol Temple Meads which is situated within 15 minutes walk of the city centre. Regular trains operate between here and Edinburgh, London and Cardiff.
Bristol Parkways is a smaller train station and is situated to the north of the city.
Bristol bus station is located on Marlborough Street which is near to the Broadmead shopping centre.
If you arrive into Bristol by air, you will arrive at Bristol International airport which is situated 8 miels south of the city centre. The inernational flyer express serves the airport from Bristol city centre.
Once you have arrived in Bristol, a great way to see the city is to hire a bike. Infact, Bristol was crowned as the UK's first cycling city. This gives you an idea as to how cycle friendly Bristol is. You can also walk around the city centre.
INTERESTING FACT:
Did you know that Ribena was invented in Bristol at the National Fruit and Cider institute, originally as a Vitamin C supplement?
EATING OUT IN BRISTOL
When you visit Bristol, you will find a plethora of fantastic restaurants, whatever your culinary requirements may be. Many of the restaurants of Bristol are situated in the city centre and Clifton area. Here are just a few Bristol eateries that might be worth trying out.
*Greens Dining Room: serving modern British / Classic European food with the occasional Asian twist. To find out more or book a table call 0117 924 6437 or visit www.greensdiningroom.com.
*Casamania: serving classic Italian cuisine and located on the High Street in Westbury-on-Trym. To find out more about this restaurant go to www.casamiarestaurant.co.uk or call 0117 959 2884.
*Byzantium is situated in a converted Victorian warehouse in the heart of Bristol city centre offering first class food and entertainment. For more information go to www.byzantium.co.uk
*Riverstation is an amazing conversion of a former police station at The Grove on the riverbank. Food is Italian led. For reservations call 0117 914 4434 or go to www.riverstation.co.uk.
*Thali Cafe Totterdown: For authentic Indian cuisine call 0117 933 2955.
Check out local listings for more places to eat during your stay in Bristol.
BRISTOL SHOPPING
Bristol is unrivalled in the South West of England when it comes to the shopping experience that it offers it's visitor. Please see below for the main places to shop in Bristol:
*Cabot Circus: This is a huge mecca for shoppingm eating and entertainment in Bristol. It is easiest to visit Cabot Circus by car, with over 2,500 parking spaces. This shopping centre is located at the end of the M32. Shops include Harvey Nichols and House of Fraser as well as Hugo Boss, All Saints and Ted Baker. Once you have finished shopping there are also a number of restaurants to choose from including Carluccios, Giraffe, La Tasca and Gourmet Burger Kitchen.
*The Mall at Cribbs Causeway: Offers more than 7,000 parking spaces and 135 top name stores. The Mall is located on the north of Bristol just off Junction 17 of the M5. Retailers include HMV, GAP, John Lewis and Boots.
Other areas to check out for some retail therapy during your Bristol visit:
*Broadmead
*Clifton village
*Park Street
BRISTOL VISITOR ATTRACTIONS:
Once you have booked your serviced apartment in Bristol, and your visit to Bristol is for leisure, then you should plan to check out some of the following attractions in Brstol:
*Cheddar Caves and Gorge: www.cheddarcaves.co.uk
*Clifton Suspension Bridge: spectacular bridge designed by Brunel that sits above the Avon Gorge www.clifton-suspension-bridge.org.uk
*Brunel's SS Great Britain: This famous ship is located at Bristol's Great Western Dockyard. For more information go to www.ssgreatbritain.org.
*Bristol Blue Glass Factory: Go and see how Bristol's most famous export is made. www.brisol-glass.co.uk.
BRISTOL BARS:
Bristol's cool nighlife has thrived since Portishead, Massive Attack and Ticky were spawned from it's underground music scene. Here are just a small selection of bars that you can visit when you are staying in Bristol and fancy an evening away from your serviced apartment. Of course, there is more to life than the hotel bar.
*The Square Club: Uber cool bar perfect for cocktails and dinner. www.thesquareclub.com.
*The Arc bar: Located on Broad Street. Call 0117 922 6456.
*Fuschia: Great for drinking and lunchtime Dim Sum. Situated on Nelson Street.
*Bar Humbug: Cracking coctail bar lounge that has been open since 1996. Humbug also has a sister bar in Nottingham. Situated on Whiteladies Road. www.barhumbug.co.uk.
BRISTOL THEATRE:
Bristol has a number of options for theatre goers visiting the city. Here are some of the main examples in the city with contact details that can be used for latest listings:
*Bristol Old Vic Theatre: www.bristololdvic.org.uk.
*Bristol Tobacco Factory: www.tobaccofactory.com
*Theatre Royal: Call 0117 926 4388.
*Bristol Hippodrome: Call 0117 302 3360.
Rating Explained
Best
Exceptional apartments with a high degree of luxury throughout. Great attention to detail with the pristine finish and luxury fixtures that you would expect from a 5 star equivalent.
Better
Apartments with an excellent standard of presentation. High quality furnishing, fittings and finishes throughout that are similar to a 4 star option.
Good
Apartments with a good level of quality and comfort. Clean and tidy throughout similar to a 3 star option.