Advice on a weekend away in Bristol (or maybe Bath?)

[Scam]

The girlfriend and I didn't really plan much over Christmas and seem to have given ourselves a spot of cabin fever. Quite fancy heading out on the train to Bristol or Bath next weekend but have absolutely no idea whereabouts to stay in either. Budget probably £100/night. I'm finding good deals in Bristol city centre on Last Minute but it seems if you want to be away from the great unwashed out downing pints of Stella and WKD on the weekends () perhaps Clifton is nicer? We'd be looking for nice restaurants, maybe somewhere for a relaxing nightcap that's all. As well as seeing some sights during the day.

Any pointers? Would you recommend two nights in either city or would a Sat night be enough? Thanks.

 

[tomparker95]

Stay in Stapleton road...

 

[James J]

Go to Lona down Gloucester Road for some seriously great food. I use to live in Bristol for 4 years and I ate there many times. I now return to it on business and its always my first choice.

Not sure about hotels though as I never stay in the city centre as its a nightmare to drive in and out of during rush hour so I nearly always stay in Filton (holiday inn or the express one near the MOD).

 

[secretspy]

Have you tried air bnb?

My mum, sis and I had a little weekend getaway to Bath last year and found somewhere that was only a 10 min walk into town. Can't remember cost but don't think it was too bad. We did longleat whilst we were near (ish) as my mum had always wanted to go. (As well as the Roman baths of course)

 

[Nitefly]

Eating - go to Casa Mia in Bristol centre. You can spend a serious amount of money on a evening meal and wine flight but a lunch (2.5 hours) without alcohol will set you back ~£48 each (plus obligatory tip). Absolutely worth making time for that IMO. Gets a mega thumbs up from me. The full meal and wine flight is also fantastic.

Bath is just meh IMO, every building looks the same with that boring ‘bath stone ’.

I will have a think about places to stay but off the top of my head Hotel Du Vin in the city centre is in a fairly good location and they just took over the Avon Gorge Hotel. Anywhere in Bristol is a cheap uber from any central location, so you could foreseeable just Uber to the suspension bridge and mosy down from Clifton to the centre.

I thought Gold Bar was a really sweet cocktail lounge. Been impressed with my last few visits.

Sorry for the random scatter brained thoughts.

 

[Pawnless Endgame]

I checked your profile Scam and couldn't see how old you are. Younger people will definitely go for Bristol. I lived there for a year and enjoyed some indie and dance nights there. One of the nightclubs is actually a boat! Called the Thekla The place to avoid though is St. Paul's as that's the rough area of Bristol.

Weston Super Mare is just down the road and is good for going out too.

I've been to Bath too and I get the impression that it is a more gentile and upmarket place and for those who like it a bit quieter.

 

[Fluke?]

If you happen to love cats and like beer then visit the Bag Of Nails..
Just a nice walk along the water front along from Millennium Square.

 

[Rroff]

I checked your profile Scam and couldn't see how old you are. Younger people will definitely go for Bristol. I lived there for a year and enjoyed some indie and dance nights there. One of the nightclubs is actually a boat! Called the Thekla The place to avoid though is St. Paul's as that's the rough area of Bristol.

Weston Super Mare is just down the road and is good for going out too.

I've been to Bath too and I get the impression that it is a more gentile and upmarket place and for those who like it a bit quieter.

Personally I'd rather base around Bath - which is a bit more relaxed and head into Bristol for the/a day it is IIRC about 15-20 minutes by train between them.

 

[DarrenM343]

Bristol, eww, should nuke it from orbit. Had a few "events" there a few years ago - too many for it to be a coincidence. IMO the place is a ****hole full of scum . Attempted mugging, threatening behaviour from pedestrian when I tried to wave them across a junction that I was turning into, someone becoming threatening at traffic lights when I smiled because their mate wasn't sure whether to walk across the crossing (I was on a bicycle at the time and stopped at the red light). Some kids hurling abuse when I asked why they were moving traffic cones. Someone having a go when I moved out of the way on a narrow pavement to let them through, obviously hoping for a bite (two against me, nice)! All in a short space of time.

IMO, go to Cardiff. I found that a far nicer town overall, or Bath .

 

[Scam]

Thanks guys. I'm thinking because this is just a flying visit (one night) and we're travelling via train that Bath will be a bit easier as it's a lot more compact than Bristol. We just want to find some nice restaurants, nice pubs, and avoid the American and Japanese tourists, lol...

 

[McGray]

Bath is rubbish for restaurants and full of tourists.

 

[Duke]

Bath > Bristol

 

[Minusorange]

Probably better you just have a bath instead of visiting Bristol

 

[InvaderGIR]

If you happen to love cats and like beer then visit the Bag Of Nails..
Just a nice walk along the water front along from Millennium Square.

Also if you like cats there is the Cat Cafe, but you'll want to book.

Bath > Bristol

This tbh.

But for a one night quick trip, either would be fine. Plenty of restaurants and pubs throughout both cities that don't contain the great unwashed, just avoid the obvious places like spoons etc.

IMO, go to Cardiff. I found that a far nicer town overall, or Bath .

That's a joke right, Cardiff, better? Amazing...

 

[MikeTheNative]

That's a joke right, Cardiff, better? Amazing...

I'm Welsh and would rather go to Bristol for the weekend.

 

[Scam]

Well we've booked a B&B in Bath, seems pretty nice to me. Thanks for the thoughts everyone. Bristol would have been interesting but maybe when we're a bit more energised to spend a couple nights there and truly explore. For this trip we just wanted to get outta dodge for a night and mooch around some new surroundings. I've always thought Bath looked lovely, given I grew up along the M4 corridor it's a bit shocking that I've never been!

Any recommendations of things to do/see in Bath then?

Bath is rubbish for restaurants

I'm off to La Cuisine to be proven otherwise!

 

[samurl]

Last time we stayed in Bath we stayed at the Macdonald and it was absolutely fantastic! The outside swimming pool was something else, hotter than I have my own bath at home! Felt like a massive jacuzzi. Drinks were fine, and we went down in town for dinner.

A stroll/Uber down to town but everything is still super accessible.

 

[arrkaye]

Absolutely loved a weekend away in Bath with the missus. Check out Thermae Spa at sunset. They have a rooftop pool which rocks when it's a little nippy outside.

 

[Scam]

Last time we stayed in Bath we stayed at the Macdonald and it was absolutely fantastic!

Well I for one am totally surprised that a well-regarded 5* hotel was fantastic lol. Yeah, if we wanted to spank £250 for the night we would have stayed there but not this time...

Absolutely loved a weekend away in Bath with the missus. Check out Thermae Spa at sunset. They have a rooftop pool which rocks when it's a little nippy outside.

Thanks. Will check it out. Although the girlfriend doesn't swim so I'm unsure if we'll actually be partaking in any of the spas!

 

[Fusion]

If you have any interest in architecture, cityscapes or history whatsoever, you simply can't go wrong with Bath. Some of the roads are pretty heavy with traffic, but it's still ace to explore on foot. The train station is really handy, too.

Definitely plan another trip to Bristol, plenty there worth doing and exploring.

You're making me miss the South West now