What are my London to Bristol train options?

Looking to make your way from London to Bristol? Not a problem. Here's our guide to what your options are, what to expect on a London to Bristol train journey and how you can save money when you book with Railsmartr.

In most cases, there's only one logical option for this trip, which is to take Great Western Railway from London Paddington. You'll find two trains per hour and they stop at these stations on the way:

• Reading, Didcot Parkway (one per hour), Swindon, Chippenham, Bath Spa.

The typical journey time is between 1h25m and 1h35m. Let's take a look at the fares that you can expect to pay on the day:

• Anytime Return - £265.20
• Off-Peak Return - £100.10
• Super Off-Peak Return - £74.60.

The Off-Peak Return is valid to leave London Paddington after 09:11, before 16:41 and after 18:33 on weekdays. When you return, you can leave Bristol after 08:25. There aren't any restrictions on weekends or Bank Holidays.

Meanwhile, you can use the Super Off-Peak Return to leave London Paddington between 10:10 and 15:04, and after 19:00 on weekdays. When you return, it's valid to leave Bristol after 09:44. There aren't any restrictions on weekends or Bank Holidays.

Are there any other routes I can take?

If you’re looking to travel on a London to Bristol train on a budget, then it’s also possible to go via Warminster and Salisbury. For this journey, you’d need to go from London Waterloo. This is a slower option but can be worth it if the trains from Paddington are either too expensive or fully reserved. Here are the on-the-day fares:

• • Anytime Open Return - £105.60
  • Off-Peak Return - £81.50
  • Super Off-Peak Return - £54.00.

You'll also find a selection of day return fares if you take this route. However, as we said, this is a slower option. You'd need to change at Salisbury and the journey will typically take at least three hours.

How can I get the best London to Bristol train fare?

You can get the best London to Bristol train fare with Railsmartr, of course! We'll look at all of the best options for you and even suggest split tickets if they're the cheapest choice. Let's have a glance at a couple of different times of day. For example, here's what you'll find in the morning rush hour on a Monday, two weeks in advance:

So, as you can see, split tickets give you the cheapest fare. Here's our top tip - the trains that stop at Didcot Parkway allow you to get the cheapest fare at this time of day (they leave roughly on the hour). This is because it's cheaper to buy a ticket to Didcot Parkway then another onwards to Bristol.

This will save you over £47 compared to buying just one through ticket!* So, what about if we move forward to the middle of the day? Let's see what London to Bristol train fares are like then: 

As you can see, it's much more straightforward. In a nutshell, split tickets can help you save a packet during the expensive morning and evening peak, but they won't have as big an impact during quieter times of the day.

What are the trains like?

You’ll find the same type of train on all of the London to Bristol train services. These are InterCity Express trains, and they have five, nine, or 10 carriages. Every seat has access to a three-pin power socket and there’s free WiFi available.

Feeling peckish? A trolley service is available on most trains between London and Bristol. Just sit back, relax and they'll come to you. Alternatively, you'll find a range of outlets at Paddington to stock up on supplies.

So, where will you be sitting pretty? All seats in Standard Class are in a 2+2 layout:

All of these trains also have First Class. The seats are in a 2+1 layout and have all of the same features you’ll find in Standard, as well as USB charging points. Looking to see whether it's worth the upgrade? We've gone out and taken a trip in GWR First Class ourselves.

Is there anything else I should know?

The final thing we’d recommend is using the Railsmartr website to book your London to Bristol train tickets. We’re completely independent, so we’re happy to ‘tell you like it is’ when it comes to rail fares! As you saw on this page, we can save you a packet with split tickets, too.

Don’t forget that we don’t charge any fees, either. That includes if you change your mind and want to travel on a different day. If your ticket is refundable, we’ll refund it fee-free.

_{^{*Compared to the Anytime Day Single fare, routed 'Any Permitted'. All fares stated on this page are for ONE adult with no Railcard discount and were correct at 10:00 20/02/2024. Flexible fares correct at September 2024. All information is issued in good faith. They’re subject to change at any time and Railsmartr are not responsible for any loss or disappointment incurred as a result of the information provided.}}