Last weekend, myself and Jack were very kindly invited to a few nights away with Travelodge*. Having picked our location from a list of UK locations, we decided to head to the fair city of Bristol. Determined to be full-blown tourists, I decided to put together a little guide to get the most out of the city...
Relax.
I've visited Bristol plenty of times before as my best friend, Vanessa, moved there a few years back. However, I was yet to take Jack as a tourist and so the plan for the weekend was pretty much to cram in as much as possible. We pitched up at the Bristol Central Travelodge* late Friday night - just a short walk from Bristol coach station. Having battled the three hour journey from London, we were looking forward to waking up relaxed, refreshed and ready to set off on adventures the following morning to really get the most out of our stay.
Sight-seeing.
Top of my list when visiting Bristol was Clifton Suspension Bridge. Now I know a bridge might not sound all that exciting to some of you, but once you're there, it's pretty difficult not to be taken in the view. The bridge itself, I later found out, is a pretty big deal to the city and is used as a symbol of Bristol on postcards, promotional materials, and anything else you can think of. It was also used as a backdrop to several films - who knew? Once at the bridge (and I'd recommend going on foot), you can also visit the observatory which gives you a stunning view across the city and Somerset or delve in to The Giants Cave (for £2.50 per person); taking you underground and out on the side of the cliff.
Eat all the food.
Of course, our trip was not all about seeing the sights. We were there to eat all the food. Before we arrived, I actually found a few places on Instagram that I was keen to try out. Top of my list was Ceres Coffee - a small restaurant and coffee bar just a stones throw from the town centre. From the outside, you'd easily mistake it for a a tiny cafe but in actual fact, their food is 5 star.
Having ordered myself the above, I can honestly say, hand on heart that this was best breakfast I've ever had. Beautifully fluffy pancakes served with sliced apple, apple and caramel puree and ever so chewy caramelised oatmeal; finished off with a spiced cream and edible flowers. It was incredible. They offer a number of vegan and gluten free options and I cannot recommend enough. Other Bristol eateries I could recommend include Urban Standard, Atomic Burger on Gloucester Road and Cosy Club. Be sure to check out my full reviews of those.
Street Art Tours.
As the home of Banksy and UpFest - Europe's largest street art and graffiti festival, it's hardly surprising that Bristol is literally covered with art on every corner. Myself and Jack decided to spend part of trip hunting for some of the most iconic pieces which can be found in the most obvious of places around the city. Personally, if you're on a serious hunt then Gloucester Road plays host to the majority of large pieces although some of the most beautiful work can literally be found on the side of an ordinary supermarket or house. If you really want to get stuck in though, there are a number of guided street art tours that take place throughout the year to ensure you see absolutely everything.
And Explore.
Getting around Bristol was really easy. We decided to walk most places, racking up 30k steps over the course of the Saturday but it didn't feel like hard work. Alternatively, you can make use of the many bus routes - getting yourself a day rider for just £4 or a weekly pass for £7. Depending on the length of your stay there are literally hundreds of things to do and see in Bristol. Also on our list was the Science Museum and Planetarium (or the big disco ball you see above) and naturally we hit the shops at Cabot Circus in the town centre. We also stopped by the docks to check out the boats and the pretty colourful houses on the hill.
All in all, we had a fantastic weekend being big ole' tourists and it was so nice to have a change of scenery. Whilst Bristol is a large city, it felt great to get out of London. But tell me, where are some of your favourite cities to visit? Have you ever been to Bristol? As always, I love reading your comments so please do leave me lots of lovely ones down below. A huge thanks goes to Travelodge for being our fabulous hosts for the weekend.
Until next time,
*Disclaimer: Our 2 nights stay was kindly provided by Travelodge but, as always, all opinions are my own
