Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

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United Kingdom : Bristol - April 2009

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Getting around

Bristol International Airport

Bus: The Bristol International Flyer connects the airport to Temple Meads Rail Station and Bristol Bus Station, with drop-off points around the city centre including Clifton. Services run every 15-20 minutes between 5am and 12.10am from Temple Meads. A return ticket costs €10/£7.
Taxi: A single journey from the airport to the city centre costs around €23/£16 and takes about 30 minutes.
Tourist information: The central tourist information is at Wildwalk-At-Bristol, Harbourside (tel. , visitbristol.co.uk).

CLIFTON

A leafy, affluent suburbia just west of the busy centre and teeming with boho hipsters and students.

Sleep soundly – The Berkeley Square Hotel (15 Berkeley Square, tel. , cliftonhotels.com, rooms from €65/£59) is a Georgian house turned chic hotel near Park Street.

Culture vultures – Head to Lido (Oakfield Place), a Grade II* listed Victorian pool that reopened last year.

Must eat – Chandos (6 Princess Victoria Street, tel. ) does Italian antipasti, while Sands (95 Queens Road, tel. ) offers spot-on Lebanese on a budget.

Must drink – Red-curtained The Square Club at The Berkeley Square Hotel (15 Berkeley Square) mixes some heady whisky cocktails.

Shop til you drop – Clifton Arcade is full of antique boutiques. Head to Bees & Graves (1 Clifton Arcade) to stock up on costume jewellery and flapper wear.

REDCLIFFE

This historically rich, red sandstone suburb encased within Bristol’s floating harbour is home to the city’s world-famous blue glass production.

Sleep soundly – Short-let apartments offer a cheap, private base from which to explore the city. Try Redcliffe’s excellent Premier Apartments (30-38 St Thomas Street, tel. , premierapartmentsbristol. com, rooms from €68/£62).

Must eat – Combine a bistro-style lunch with a history lesson and head to the converted Arts Restaurant @ The Kiln in Ramada Bristol City (Redcliffe Way, tel. ), the former home of the last blue glass kiln in Redcliffe.

Must drink – Ostrich Inn (Lower Guinea Street) is a classic example of Redcliffe’s whitewashed boozers. One of Bristol’s oldest character pubs, The Seven Stars (1 Thomas Lane), has a good selection of stout and is largely unchanged from the 17th century.

CITY CENTRE

Bristol’s centre bustles with a thriving student community alongside eclectic boutiques, redbrick history and three miles of shops.

Culture vultures – Bristol Old Vic (King Street) has a new artistic director and hosts the launch party of Mayfest on 1 May. It’s also free. Less highbrow but still good fun is the retro-designed Karaoke-Me! (12 St Stephen’s Street).

Dance the night away – Bristol revolutionised the UK dance scene and The Fleece (12 St Thomas Street) has proved pivotal in the movement. It’s no secret, so book tickets in advance.

Shop til you drop – Park Street is a vintage runway leading to the university. Uncle Sam’s American Vintage Clothing (54a Park Street) is good for a rummage. It’s also open on Sundays.

THORNBURY

Just 16km north of Bristol is the picture-perfect village of Thornbury. This is the England you see often in Hollywood films and so rarely in real life: pretty winding streets and cottages sunk in lush countryside.

Sleep soundly – This year is the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII’s accession to the throne, as good a reason as any to stay at Thornbury Castle (Thornbury, tel. , thornburycastle.co. uk, rooms from €214/£194), a grand, Tudor stronghold steeped in history. Rooms are baronial, with four-poster beds, thick stone walls and real fires. Go for the Portlethen Suite, tucked away at the top of a spiral staircase. The restaurant here does good British dishes made with local ingredients, such as braised pork tenderloin and cheek with apples and onion.

Culture vultures – In the hotel grounds, take a walk around the Privy Garden and the Goodly Garden, the oldest Tudor gardens in England.

Compiled by Morwenna Ferrier