Car Hire at Bristol Temple Meads Railway Station

Part of our guide to car hire in Bristol.

How to Find Your Car Hire Desk at Bristol Temple Meads Railway Station

• 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 station is: Temple Meads is Bristol's main railway station, at Station Approach, off Bath Road, Bristol, BS1 6QF, on the edge of the city centre. It has 16 platforms, all level with the main entrance, and it suits a hire that begins with a rail journey from London Paddington, Cardiff or the south-west.
• Where the desk is: The supplier lists its branch at Bristol Temple Meads Train Station, Redcliffe. The exact meeting point for your hire is shown on your booking voucher, which is the definitive source, so check it before you travel and follow it on arrival.
• Opening hours: Opening hours for this branch are not published on the listings checked, so confirm them in your booking confirmation before you choose a train. The station ticket office is open 06:15 to 21:30 Monday to Saturday and 07:00 to 21:30 on Sunday, and station staff are available to help from early morning until 01:30.
• Getting around the station: Four lifts serve all platforms and facilities, and the ticket office is step-free. The taxi rank is on Station Approach, and there is an ATM in the Midland Shed, next to the side entrance to the main booking hall. Toilets are in the passenger subway, with accessible toilets on Platform 3 and on Platforms 13 and 15, which need a RADAR key.
• Parking at the station: The APCOA station car park has 374 spaces, is open 24 hours and costs £14.30 a day. This is a public car park, so ask the supplier at collection where the hire car should be brought back rather than assuming a space there.
• 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 Temple Meads Railway Station

• Returning the car: Return the car within the branch's opening hours shown in your booking confirmation. 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 train falls outside those hours.
• Nearest petrol stations: Sainsbury's on St Philips Causeway (BS4 3BD) is listed as open 06:00 to 22:00 Monday to Saturday and 08:00 to 21:00 on Sunday. The Motor Fuel Group site in Brislington (The Square, BS4 5AD) is on the A4 Bath Road and is listed as open 06:00 to midnight 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: Temple Meads lies close to Bristol's Clean Air Zone, which operates 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 and ask the supplier at collection how any charge is handled.

Top Car Hire Agencies at Bristol Temple Meads Railway Station

Car hire at Bristol Temple Meads Railway Station is available through Green Motion.

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 Temple Meads Railway Station to Key Destinations

• Bath — about 12 miles east along the A4, in roughly 25 minutes. The A4 passes through Keynsham on the way. Bath has a compact centre with limited parking, so many visitors leave the car on the edge of the city and walk in.
• Cheddar Gorge — about 19 miles south, in roughly 30 minutes. The road through the gorge is narrow and steep with limited passing places, so take it slowly and allow time for slower traffic in summer.
• Wells — about 17 to 22 miles south via the A39 or the A37, in roughly 30 to 40 minutes depending on the route. England's smallest city centres on its cathedral, and it pairs naturally with Cheddar Gorge in a single day.
• Cardiff — about 40 miles west via the M4, in roughly 55 minutes to 1 hour. The Severn crossings have been toll-free since 17 December 2018, and traffic builds on weekday mornings and Friday evenings. Confirm with the supplier that your hire allows travel into Wales before you set off.

How Payment Works for Car Hire at Bristol Temple Meads Railway Station

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.