Park & Ride Frequently Asked Questions
Use this page to find answers to your questions. If you’re unable to find an answer please follow the link for feedback, report an issue or lost property to find contact details.
Jump to:
Travel planning
-
Bath
- Service 21 (Newbridge to City Centre) can only be used by passengers who start or end their journey at the Park & Ride site. On the way into the city centre passengers can get OFF at Chelsea Road, Park Lane or James St West but cannot get ON at those stops (they can also stay on until the final stop at Westgate Buildings). On the way back to the site as well as Westgate Buildings passengers can get ON at Monmouth Place, Park Lane or The Weston, however passengers cannot get OFF at those stops, or any other stops before the Park & Ride site.
- Service 31 (Lansdown to City Centre) operates as a regular bus service and getting on or off the bus is allowed at any stop on Lansdown Road (in the city centre the stop to use is Milsom Street (Sg)). Different fares are charged for trips that do not start/end at the Park & Ride site.
- Service 41 (Odd Down to City Centre) can only be used by passengers who start or end their journey at the Park & Ride site. On the way into the city centre passengers can get OFF at Bear Flat, Oldfield Road or St Mary’s Buildings, but cannot get ON at those stops (they can also stay on until the final stop at SouthGate). On the way back to the site as well as SouthGate passengers can get ON at St Mary’s Buildings, Oldfield Road or Bear Flat, however passengers cannot get OFF at those stops, or any other stops before the Park & Ride site.
- Service 4 (Odd Down to Royal United Hospital) operates as a regular bus service and getting on or off the bus is allowed at any stop along the route.
Bristol
- Portway Park & Ride and Brislington Park & Ride Service 9 can only be used by passengers who start or end their journey at a Park & Ride site. On trips towards the city centre you can only get on the bus at the Park & Ride site, on trips towards the Park & Ride site you cannot get off the bus at intermediate stops (with the exception of the Portway Park & Ride service which is allowed to pick up and drop off along the Portway due to the lack of alternative bus services).
- All other bus services at Park & Ride sites operate as a regular bus service and getting on or off the bus is allowed at any stop along their route.
For more information visit individual Park & Ride pages.
-
Unfortunately bikes are not allowed on any of the Park & Ride services.
-
Planned service changes will appear on the our travel updates pages.
-
There are links to these on each Park & Ride page.
-
There are links to timetables on each Park & Ride page.
-
Dogs will be carried free at the owner’s risk and must be kept on the floor of the vehicle unless held on the owner’s lap. The driver will have the discretion to refuse access to the service for any animal.
-
Yes, but please be aware that cycle parking is limited.
We cannot be made responsible for damage or theft, cyclists are responsible for locking their bikes safely in the assigned areas.
-
For information on how to report any issues, please visit our help centre.
-
Please contact the bus operator.
Fares
-
There are different fares for different locations. Please visit the pages below for more info.
Bath Park & Ride services
Bristol & South Glos Park & Ride services
-
Bath Park & Ride locations
Accompanied children under 16 travel free (maximum of 5 per adult).
Bristol & South Glos Park & Ride locations
Please see individual Park & Ride pages for fares information.
-
Yes, all Park & Ride locations accept concessionary travelcards passes after 9am from Monday to Friday and all day Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays (where operating).
This includes Bristol’s Portway and Brislington Park & Ride bus services and bus services operating at Long Ashton Park & Ride; as well as on all Bath Park & Ride services.
-
- Park & Ride services in Bath also accept the following tickets: Bath Rider, Avon Rider and Freedom Travelpass
- Park & Ride services in Bristol & South Glos also accept the following tickets: Bristol Rider and Avon Rider
To see information about all tickets available and accepted, please our Fares & Travelcards page.
-
Unfortunately none of the Park & Ride services offer student discounts at this time. However, other services operating on site may offer them. Please check with the operator.
-
- First you must surrender your season ticket card by returning it to the following address: ABS Place (City Hall), Bristol City Council, P O Box 3176, Bristol, BS3 9FS
- The amount of the refund is then calculated from the date when the ticket gets to us until the day when the card expires.
- The amount of the refund is then subject to a £20.00 administration fee.
General Factors
- These repayment conditions apply for all requests for a refund.
- If the payment for a P&R season ticket was made by a company cheque or by a combination of a purchase order/sales invoice the same conditions apply but the method of repayment may differ.
- If you have paid for a season ticket as an individual and you have made a request for a refund you will be paid the amount that you are owed in the form of a cheque. This will be sent to your home address.
- It will take at least 7 days for the refund request to be processed and possibly longer depending on the circumstances.
Parking
-
Bath Park & Ride sites are open 24/7. Overnight parking is therefore permitted at the vehicle owner’s own risk. Please note that charges apply – see Parking costs above.
-
This is currently possible at some sites only, allowing your onward journey to be by other modes. This information will be available on individual Park & Ride sites’ pages. If you’d like to get more information, please contact the Local Authority in charge of the Park & Ride site you’re interested in.
-
Parking is free at Bristol Park & Ride locations, but parking is only available to people catching the bus.
At Bath Park & Ride locations, parking is free for bus users. From 1st November 2022, anyone not using the bus will have to pay to park at the sites.
-
Parking is free at all Bristol Park & Ride locations, but you must park and catch one of the bus services at the site.
At Bath Park & Ride locations, parking is free for bus users. From 1st November 2022, anyone not using the bus will have to pay to park at the sites.
-
There are different opening times for different locations. Please visit the Park & Ride pages for more info.
-
Bath Park & Ride locations
Newbridge 6’6″, Lansdown no height restrictions, Odd Down 7’2″
Bristol Park & Ride locations
Portway, Long Ashton and Bath Road have a height restriction of 2.1m.
General queries
-
Please follow the information displayed at the bus stop. We regularly provide information about major changes, you can find these on the bus service changes page.
-
Bath
- Service 21 (Newbridge to City Centre) can only be used by passengers who start or end their journey at the Park & Ride site. On the way into the city centre passengers can get OFF at Chelsea Road, Park Lane or James St West but cannot get ON at those stops (they can also stay on until the final stop at Westgate Buildings). On the way back to the site as well as Westgate Buildings passengers can get ON at Monmouth Place, Park Lane or The Weston, however passengers cannot get OFF at those stops, or any other stops before the Park & Ride site.
- Service 31 (Lansdown to City Centre) operates as a regular bus service and getting on or off the bus is allowed at any stop on Lansdown Road (in the city centre the stop to use is Milsom Street (Sg)). Different fares are charged for trips that do not start/end at the Park & Ride site.
- Service 41 (Odd Down to City Centre) can only be used by passengers who start or end their journey at the Park & Ride site. On the way into the city centre passengers can get OFF at Bear Flat, Oldfield Road or St Mary’s Buildings, but cannot get ON at those stops (they can also stay on until the final stop at SouthGate). On the way back to the site as well as SouthGate passengers can get ON at St Mary’s Buildings, Oldfield Road or Bear Flat, however passengers cannot get OFF at those stops, or any other stops before the Park & Ride site.
- Service 4 (Odd Down to Royal United Hospital) operates as a regular bus service and getting on or off the bus is allowed at any stop along the route.
Bristol
- On Park & Ride Service 9 (Portway Park & Ride and Brislington Park & Ride), passengers must start or end their journey at the Park & Ride site. On trips towards the city centre you can only get on the bus at the Park & Ride site, on trips towards the Park & Ride site you cannot get off the bus at intermediate stops (with the exception of the Portway Park & Ride service which is allowed to pick up and drop off along the Portway due to the lack of alternative bus services).
- All other bus services at Park & Ride sites operate as a regular bus service and getting on or off the bus is allowed at any stop along their route.
For more information visit individual Park & Ride pages.
-
For information about how to report any issues, please visit our help centre.
-
Please contact the bus operator.
-
Bath Park & Ride locations
Please contact First Bus on 0345 646 0707 or visit their website.
Bristol Park & Ride locations
Please contact Stagecoach on 0345 241 8000 or fill in the contact form.
Accessibility
-
Yes you can, provided you follow the mobility scooters on low floor buses Code of Practice.
On 14 September 2011, and following discussions with the Department for Transport, Confederation of Passenger Transport UK (CPT) launched a Code of Practice for the use and acceptance of Mobility Scooters on low floor buses.
This code introduced a permit system for the mobility scooter user that will make it easier for the bus driver to recognise that the mobility scooter has been approved by the Operator and the user has been trained on boarding and alighting from the bus. The permit will be accepted by all Operators who adopt the Code.
More information can be found on the CPT website: http://www.cpt-uk.org
-
Yes. By law, all buses have to be accessible and allow space for at least one wheelchair on board. Do plan your journey in advance to make sure that your bus stop allows for wheelchair access. Many bus stops have raised kerbs, and many buses allow the driver to lower the bus to kerb height for even easier access.
Our journey planner provides information about accessible bus stops. Just look for the wheelchair icon next to the bus stop name, either in the Live Arrivals tab, or the Routes and Timetables.
-
Many bus stops already offer shelter, and more and more shelters are being installed at bus stops each year. If you’d like to talk to your Local Authority about a bus stop shelter, please visit our help centre.
-
Many bus stops now have Real Time Information displays on them, meaning you can see when the next bus will arrive without having to read the timetable.
If you have difficulty reading smaller text, our Journey Planner also offers an easier way of accessing timetables or check when your next bus is arriving at the bus stop in real time. You can use your computer or mobile phone browser to zoom in when using the journey planner and the text size will increase to make it more easy to read.
-
Our How To Catch the Bus page may just be what you’re looking for. There is also an Easy Read version if you need it.
Service feedback, report an issue or lost property
Find the right contacts to provide feedback, report an issue and find lost property.