I have to be in central Bristol by 9:30am Friday next week for a meeting which may last until mid afternoon. I live in west London, I have several options for getting to this meeting…
Drive – my memory is that Bristol and driving is a nightmare combination, especially as I’ll be arriving about 8-8:30am (I always have a coffee and a bun on such occasions before the meeting)
Train – I’d have to get a 7am train from Paddington which is nearly an hour away, but that’s ok…
Drive/ train – driving to somewhere like Bristol Parkway, or Chippenham and then getting the train into Bristol.
Any thoughts please as to the least miserable journey combo?

Where in central Bristol? It can make quite a difference.

driving all the way = stop start along along the m4 and falling asleep at swindon

driving halfway = queuing to get into the center of wherever in order to get to the station + finding parking + the m4 hardly goes through the centre of places anyway

driving to parkway = what’s the point? you are there now

so train

unless you really like driving

if you can be there before 8am you might be able to skip the queues on the M32, park in the multistorey on the left at the bottom of said M32, and if you can be out of your meeting by about 3 you should be able to skip the worst of the traffic in Bristol, although then you’ll hit the M25 at 5pm.

i’d probably get the train and enjoy an ale and a book on the way home 🙂

Train would be my first choice at that time of day. Where are you starting from? Its quite quick from Reading. Driving is a bit pot luck. I’ve spent about 40 mins doing the last mile of the M32, I’ve also sailed straight through. As above there is a decent car park at the bottom of the M32 and a short walk into town.

I’d be finding any excuse the take the train, but as nemesis said, where your meeting is matters. Most of Bristol is within easy reach of TM but allow plenty of time either for a walk or a taxi.

Bristol is ace, get the train down the night before and go out for a few beers and a good bite to eat. Get work to pay for a hotel 😀

That’s a good idea too 🙂

As has been suggested – get the train the night before and a cheap hotel.

Will probably be cheaper than a peak return fare – and driving/parking is utterly shit.

Yes, train it.
The peak traffic into town can take you 40 minutes, then you’ll need to park & walk.
What street / building are you in?

The problem with Bristol is that one day it will take 5 minutes to get down the M32 and in and around the centre and the next it will take you an hour. If there is any type of accident of roadworks Bristol grinds to a halt.

Train is always good or drive and ride in.

get the train down the night before and go out for a few beers and a good bite to eat. Get work to pay for a hotel

Haha. I’d though of that, but its my money, and travel expenses are paid, but not accommodation….
I’ll probably look at go by train, just means an earlier start, not much difference in price between driving and train TBH.
thanks.

Train, all the way for sure! I wouldn’t want to be going anywhere near any motorway on a Friday afternoon.

If the train doesn’t work out, M4, J18, A4 towards Bristol,
Park & Ride just after you go under the motorway bridge.
Easy bus (bus lane for most of it) ride into the centre.

driving halfway = queuing to get into the center of wherever in order to get to the station + finding parking + the m4 hardly goes through the centre of places anyway

Thanks to improvements to the bottleneck at the end of the dual carriageway from the M4 into Chippenham, it’s not such a chore getting into town in the mornings, and there’s loads of parking right next to the station, so that’s not a problem either. The decision really comes down to the cost of a ticket from Paddington to Temple Meads, compared to the combined cost of fuel to and from London and Chippenham plus a return ticket from Chippenham to Temple Meads.
On a good day I’ve done Chippenham to King’s Mall, Hammersmith in exactly one hour thirty minutes.