Car Hire at Bristol Airport (BRS)

Part of our guide to car hire in Bristol.

How to Find Your Car Hire Desk at Bristol Airport (BRS)

• Book through eCarBookers first: Your booking confirmation from eCarBookers locks in your price and your vehicle class before you arrive. You pay the balance at the desk on collection, and the terms confirmed at booking are the terms you receive. Always confirm your hire in advance to guarantee your price from the moment you collect the keys.
• Where the airport is: Bristol Airport sits at Lulsgate Bottom in North Somerset, on the A38 and about 8 miles south-west of Bristol city centre. The M5 signposts the airport from junction 22 when approaching from the south and from junction 18 when approaching from the north.
• Where the desk is: Both suppliers list their branch at The Old Forge, Bridgewater Road, Lulsgate, Bristol, BS40 9UR, and one listing describes the hire as off-airport. The exact meeting point and any transfer arrangement for your hire are shown on your booking voucher, which is the definitive source, so check it before you travel and follow it on arrival. Do not assume a desk in the terminal unless your voucher says so.
• Opening hours: The suppliers' listings show the branch open 07:00 to 20:00 every day. Choose a flight that lands comfortably inside those hours, and confirm the hours for your date in your booking confirmation.
• Arriving by bus: The Airport Flyer A1 links the airport with Bristol, with up to six services an hour and a journey time from 45 minutes. The airport has no rail station, so a hire that starts with a train usually joins the A1 at Bristol Temple Meads. Hires that begin at the station are covered on our Bristol Temple Meads page.
• What to bring: The main driver should carry a valid driving licence, photo identification and a credit card in their own name with a limit high enough to cover the excess hold. Visitors from outside the UK should also carry their passport and, where required, an international driving permit.

Pick-Up, Drop-Off, and Refuelling at Bristol Airport (BRS)

• Returning the car: Return the car within the branch's listed hours, and follow the return instructions on your booking voucher. A key drop box for out-of-hours returns has not been confirmed for this branch, so ask at collection what arrangement applies if your flight falls outside those hours.
• Nearest petrol stations: BP Ascona Bridgwater Road Service Station (Bridgewater Road, BS41 8JP) is open 24 hours a day. Winford Road Garage (Chew Road, Winford, BS40 8HJ) is listed as open 06:30 to 22:00 every day. Refuel before you return the car, and allow time to do so before the branch closes.
• Fuel policy: Confirm the fuel type shown on your booking confirmation before you refuel, and ask at collection which fuel policy applies to your hire, so that you return the car as the supplier expects.
• Before you drive away: Photograph the vehicle thoroughly at collection and again at return, including all four sides, the wheels, the windscreen and the interior. Dated photographs give you a clear record of the condition you received.
• Clean Air Zone: Bristol operates a Clean Air Zone in the central area, 24 hours a day. Private cars that do not meet the emission standard pay £9 a day, and petrol cars meeting Euro 4 or later and diesel cars meeting Euro 6 are not charged. Check the registration on your booking confirmation at gov.uk/clean-air-zones before you drive into the city, and ask the supplier at collection how any charge is handled.

Top Car Hire Agencies at Bristol Airport (BRS)

Car hire at Bristol Airport (BRS) is available through Green Motion and U-Save Car Rental.

Every booking through eCarBookers shows the excess amount and full price before you confirm, and the balance is paid on arrival at the desk. Optional extras — such as additional drivers, supplemental tyre and glass cover, child seats, or out-of-hours fees — may be available at the desk if required.

Getting from Bristol Airport (BRS) to Key Destinations

• Bristol city centre — about 8 miles north-east along the A38, in roughly 25 to 35 minutes depending on traffic. The centre is compact, with a harbour, one-way systems and many bus lanes, so set the satnav before you move off. Many visitors take the Airport Flyer into the city and keep the car for the countryside.
• Cheddar Gorge — about 12 miles south, in roughly 21 minutes. The gorge cuts through the Mendip Hills, and the road through it is narrow and steep with limited passing places, so take it slowly and allow time for slower traffic in summer.
• Wells — about 18 miles south-east, in roughly 27 minutes. England's smallest city centres on its cathedral, and it pairs naturally with Cheddar Gorge in a single day.
• Bath — about 19 miles east, in roughly 36 to 45 minutes. The Georgian spa city has a compact centre with limited parking, so many visitors leave the car on the edge of the city and walk in.
• Weston-super-Mare — about 11 to 15 miles west, in roughly 26 to 33 minutes. The seaside town on the Bristol Channel is the nearest resort to the airport, and parking is busiest on summer weekends.

How Payment Works for Car Hire at Bristol Airport (BRS)

Payment is made in two steps. A rental prepayment confirms your booking online, with Instant Confirmation from the supplier. You then pay the balance directly to the supplier on arrival, when you collect the car.

The price and vehicle class shown at booking are the terms you receive at the desk. Because the full rental amount is not charged at the time of booking, you keep flexibility if your plans change, and cancellation is free.

The supplier may place an excess hold on the main driver's credit card at collection, so check that the card in the driver's name has enough available limit. The amount is shown in your booking confirmation.