So I have an early morning exam in Bristol on Tuesday next week so am staying over the night before. I know there's a few Bristol folk on here so what would you recommend for a family (with a 3 & 7 yr old) to do or see?

Bristol Zoo gets my vote though obviously weather dependent

Go out nicking bikes. Quite popular I believe.

Zoo.
Suspension bridge.
Eat at Watershed…local food, decent prices.
Take a Ferry ride to seethe town from the water.
Oh yes, by the bridge, there's a cool rock slide for the kids.
@ Bristol's good but pricey.

deadlydarcy +1

SS Great Britian
Walk along the floating harbour, ice cream etc

£38 for the zoo, to see some monkey's and stuff jeez… my idea of bringing the family along for a cheap day out may be about to backfire on me.

Although Rockslide you say… hmmm…..

Ah, yes, forgot that it's quite so expensive – We got out annual membership…

Walk around the main dock is good – plenty to see and you can stop off at the Grain Barge (or various other pubs/etc) for a drink – Mud Dock's good for food/drink/bikes.

SS Great Britain. City Museum (free)

City Museum (free)
Is not very inspiring

Love the musuem and art gallery (although maybe not so good for kids), the Transport Museum (I think it's called that) down on the dockside is good and was free last time we went there (model railway and bits of Concorde as well as a load of other stuff, as I recall), the rockslide near the suspension bridge is ace (and I'm 44!), SS Great Britain but it's not free, the Camera Obscura and the walk down to the ledge overlooking the gorge (not free but quite affordable)…

Bristol's a great place to go!

The transport museum is closed as it's being updated.

Steal bikes

@ Bristol's good but pricey

At-Bristol isn't really pricey compared to other city attractions, infact it's cheaper – it's around £4 cheaper than Bristol Zoo for a family ticket for a start, and can easily fill up a day given that you get a Planetarium show included in the ticket.

*Edit* At-Bristol is £30.90 for a family ticket if you leave out the gift aid, plus you can pop in and out all day on the ticket so if you did want to spend even more cash you could head to the Watershed for lunch and head back later 😉

If you have kids I'd head there, guaranteed that they'll find something there to amuse them for hours, plus it's central too.

If you're going down the docks a visit to brunels buttery for a bacon + buttie is de rigueur…..

Is Brunel's buttery open again? It got torched early in the summer hols…

Live in Bristol. Have 2 and 4 year olds so slightly guessing what a 7 year old would enjoy.

Anyway, City Museum on Queens Square is good and free, sure everybody can find something of interest inside (mummies, planes, dinosaurs, stuffed animals etc.). Just opposite is a Wetherspoons (The Berkley) with a family area at the back which would be a good cheap place for lunch.

From museum a not too long walk (or number 8 bus) through the architectural splendor of Clifton to the gorge and suspension bridge. Nice place for a picnic if weather good and playground nearby.

Yes, a ferry to the far end of the harbour (the Novia Scotia, an olde worlde pub) and walk back would be good and not too expensive way to get a good overview of the water front. Down on the docks the Arnolfini has a couple of galleries of modern art – something to amuse everyone, for example click here

About 10 minutes walk from the Arnolfini on Corn Street is St Nicholas Market, a recently restored covered bazaar. There are some nice food stalls there and another Wetherspoons just down the road.

If it's a scorcher, just outside @Bristol in Millenium Square there are some lovely fountains which kids seem to love to play in. Just remember to take towels and swimming stuff.

If you've got a car you could visit St Werburghs city farm. There's a really funky cafe with a little playground.

Hope you can find all these places, if you need more help drop me a line.

Royston

Erm.. the museum isn't on Queens Square, it's on Queens Road, at the top of Park Street.

If you're round the docks area The Ostrich pub does reasonably priced food and has stacks of outside seating if the weather's good.

Just remember to take towels and swimming stuff.

Please do. People lose the run of themselves around that water feature in the summer! It's a kiddy fidler's dream on a hot day.

All good suggestions above. Hope the weather's nice. If it is, then it's lovely to just chill out, stroll round the waterfront, ice creams for the kids. As mentioned above, MudDock could be good for lunch. Anyone will know where it is.

I was in yoyo burger at about 11:00pm and my mate and I were talking to a lass who suddenly proclaimed "oh my god I've pissed myself again". I can recommend that for laughing till it hurts! she had, quite profusely but it was the addition of the word "again" which really brought the roof down!

Oh and Zero Degrees was pretty good when I went there… Good food, good beer.

Years ago used to eat at the Friary on Cotham Hill yum yum one of the best Cafes I have ever been in. Zoo is always good, lots of Bristol is steep so walking with the kids might be a pain.

Thanks for all of the suggestions, seems there's plenty to keep us busy!!!

oh the food in the lido aint bad