Landmarks
Bourton-on-the-Water
Picturesque Cotswolds village known as the 'Venice of the Cotswolds' for its elegant low bridges spanning the River Windrush.
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Road trip route · United Kingdom
Birmingham to Bristol drive time, distance, costs & the best stops
- Drive time
- 1 hr 47 min
- Distance
- 88 mi
- Fuel (est.)
- £15
- Tolls (est.)
- None
The Birmingham to Bristol drive
The drive from Birmingham to Bristol covers 88 miles (142 km) and takes about 1 hr 47 min without stops. That makes it a comfortable one-day drive. Leave in the morning and you'll arrive with the day ahead of you.
Expect fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) to cost around £15 one-way with no significant motorway tolls on the way. Prices shift monthly, so treat these as ballpark figures.
At 88 miles this is longer than 13% of the 144 routes covered here, short enough to fold into a bigger itinerary without losing a day.
Best stops between Birmingham and Bristol
Within ~30 km of the driving route, worth the detour.
Landmarks
Bibury
Charming Cotswolds village famously described by William Morris as the most beautiful village in England, home to the iconic Arlington Row.
Landmarks
Morgan Motor Company
The last family-owned British car maker in Malvern, offering factory tours where hand-crafted sports cars are built.
Racetracks
Castle Combe Circuit
A charming Wiltshire circuit in a picturesque Cotswolds village, one of England's oldest operational racing venues.
Museums
Coventry Transport Museum
Houses the world's largest publicly owned collection of British road transport, including land speed record holders.
Cathedrals & Temples
Wells Cathedral
Exquisite Early English Gothic cathedral with a magnificent sculpted west front displaying nearly 300 medieval figures.
Scenic Viewpoints
Symonds Yat Rock
A famous viewpoint 504 feet above the River Wye, where peregrine falcons nest and the river performs a dramatic horseshoe bend.
Scenic Viewpoints
Devil's Pulpit
A narrow limestone pinnacle perched above the Wye Valley near Tintern Abbey, offering a dizzying view down through the forest canopy.
Landmarks
Castle Combe
A film-set medieval village of honey cottages with no visible modern intrusions, often called England's prettiest village.
What you need for this drive
Rules for each country on the route, in the order you meet them.
United Kingdom
- Motorway
- 112 km/h · 48 in town
- Tolls
- Individual tolled crossings (Dart Charge, M6 Toll)
- Drives on
- the left
Low-emission zones: London ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone).
Checked against national road authorities and the ECB reference rates. Rules change — confirm before you travel.
Famous drives in United Kingdom
Legendary routes you could bolt onto this trip, with real distances and stop counts.
Snake Pass + Peak District
Cobblestone villages, Bronte-novel moors, and the moodiest 14 miles of road in England
104 km · 2h driving · 7 stops · 3 days
Atlantic Highway A39: North Cornwall
Cornish surf beaches, smuggler's coves, and the Westcountry pasty trail
139 km · 2.5h driving · 7 stops · 4 days
Causeway Coastal Route
Belfast to Derry along Northern Ireland's cliff-edge coast, via Game of Thrones country
200 km · 3.3h driving · 7 stops · 3 days
NC500: North Coast 500
Scotland's answer to Route 66: 516 miles of mountains, single-track roads, and empty beaches
755 km · 11.4h driving · 9 stops · 7 days
Birmingham to Bristol FAQs
How long is the drive from Birmingham to Bristol?
Driving from Birmingham to Bristol takes about 1 hr 47 min nonstop, covering 88 miles (142 km). Add time for breaks: most drivers stop every 2 hours.
How much does it cost to drive from Birmingham to Bristol?
Fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) costs roughly £15 one-way. There are no significant motorway tolls on this route. Estimates are indicative: prices change monthly.
Can I drive from Birmingham to Bristol in one day?
Yes, at about 1 hr 47 min of driving, Birmingham to Bristol is a comfortable one-day drive with a couple of breaks.
What other drives can I plan on Plan Your Road Trips?
We publish drive times, distances and fuel estimates for 144 routes across Europe and beyond, including 57 other drives in the same country. Browse them all on the routes index.
What are the best stops between Birmingham and Bristol?
Top-rated stops in the drive corridor include Bourton-on-the-Water, Bibury, Morgan Motor Company: see the full list of 9 stops on this page.
More drives from Birmingham & Bristol
Birmingham → CardiffBirmingham → EdinburghBirmingham → GlasgowBirmingham → YorkBristol → CardiffBristol → PlymouthBristol → St IvesLondon → BirminghamLondon → BristolManchester → Birmingham
Planning a bigger trip? Try the free United Kingdom road trip planner, browse every destination we cover, take it with you on the road, or read the driving in United Kingdom guide.