Landmarks
Bibury
Charming Cotswolds village famously described by William Morris as the most beautiful village in England, home to the iconic Arlington Row.
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Road trip route · United Kingdom
Manchester to Bristol drive time, distance, costs & the best stops
- Drive time
- 3 hr 15 min
- Distance
- 168 mi
- Fuel (est.)
- £28
- Tolls (est.)
- None
The Manchester to Bristol drive
The drive from Manchester to Bristol covers 168 miles (270 km) and takes about 3 hr 15 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 £28 one-way with no significant motorway tolls on the way. Prices shift monthly, so treat these as ballpark figures.
At 168 miles this is longer than 38% of the 144 routes covered here.
Best stops between Manchester and Bristol
Within ~30 km of the driving route, worth the detour.
Landmarks
Morgan Motor Company
The last family-owned British car maker in Malvern, offering factory tours where hand-crafted sports cars are built.
Landmarks
National Motorcycle Museum
The world's largest collection of British motorcycles with over 1,000 machines spanning a century of manufacturing near Solihull.
Racetracks
Oulton Park
A picturesque Cheshire circuit winding through parkland with dramatic elevation changes, a favourite of British club and national racing.
Racetracks
Castle Combe Circuit
A charming Wiltshire circuit in a picturesque Cotswolds village, one of England's oldest operational racing venues.
Famous Roads
Snake Pass
A twisting road through the Peak District connecting Sheffield and Manchester, beloved by motorcyclists and driving enthusiasts.
Famous Roads
Cat and Fiddle Road
A thrilling moorland road between Macclesfield and Buxton in the Peak District, one of the UK's most famous driving roads.
Cathedrals & Temples
Wells Cathedral
Exquisite Early English Gothic cathedral with a magnificent sculpted west front displaying nearly 300 medieval figures.
Scenic Viewpoints
Snake Pass Summit
The highest point on the A57 crossing the Pennines, with moorland views stretching across the Dark Peak landscape.
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
Manchester to Bristol FAQs
How long is the drive from Manchester to Bristol?
Driving from Manchester to Bristol takes about 3 hr 15 min nonstop, covering 168 miles (270 km). Add time for breaks: most drivers stop every 2 hours.
How much does it cost to drive from Manchester to Bristol?
Fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) costs roughly £28 one-way. There are no significant motorway tolls on this route. Estimates are indicative: prices change monthly.
Can I drive from Manchester to Bristol in one day?
Yes, at about 3 hr 15 min of driving, Manchester 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 Manchester and Bristol?
Top-rated stops in the drive corridor include Bibury, Morgan Motor Company, National Motorcycle Museum: see the full list of 9 stops on this page.
More drives from Manchester & Bristol
Birmingham → BristolBristol → CardiffBristol → PlymouthBristol → St IvesLondon → BristolLondon → ManchesterManchester → BirminghamManchester → CardiffManchester → EdinburghManchester → Glasgow
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.