Famous road · 11 mi off the route
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Road trip route · United Kingdom
Birmingham to Bristol drive time, distance, costs & the best stops
- Drive time
- 1 hr 47 min
- Distance
- 88 mi
- Fuel (est.)
- £15
- Tolls (est.)
- None
The Birmingham to Bristol drive
The drive from Birmingham to Bristol covers 88 miles (142 km) and takes about 1 hr 47 min without stops. That makes it a comfortable one-day drive. Leave in the morning and you'll arrive with the day ahead of you.
Most of it is one road: the M5 carries 82% of the distance. You pass Worcester and Gloucester on the way.
Expect gentle hills rather than climbs. The high point is around 249 m near Birmingham. The A466 Wye Valley (Chepstow to Monmouth) is 11 mi off the route if you have time for a detour.
Expect fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) to cost around £15 one-way with no significant motorway tolls on the way. Prices shift monthly, so treat these as ballpark figures.
At 88 miles this is longer than 13% of the 144 routes covered here, short enough to fold into a bigger itinerary without losing a day.
The road, mile by mile
Towns within a few miles of the fastest route, with the time it takes to reach them without stopping.
- StartBirmingham
- 28 miWorcester34 min in
- 54 miGloucester1 h 5 min in
- 88 miBristol
How high it goes
Roads you'll be on
- M572 mi · 82%
- M324 mi · 5%
Famous roads on or near the drive
From the 500-plus passes and driving roads drivers collect in the Plan Your Road Trips app. None are on the fastest route, but these are close enough for a detour.
Famous road · 14 mi off the route
Cheddar Gorge Road (B3135)
Best stops between Birmingham and Bristol
Within ~30 km of the driving route, worth the detour.
Landmarks
Bourton-on-the-Water
Picturesque Cotswolds village known as the 'Venice of the Cotswolds' for its elegant low bridges spanning the River Windrush.
Landmarks
Bibury
Charming Cotswolds village famously described by William Morris as the most beautiful village in England, home to the iconic Arlington Row.
Landmarks
Morgan Motor Company
The last family-owned British car maker in Malvern, offering factory tours where hand-crafted sports cars are built.
Racetracks
Castle Combe Circuit
A charming Wiltshire circuit in a picturesque Cotswolds village, one of England's oldest operational racing venues.
Scenic Viewpoints
Symonds Yat Rock
A famous viewpoint 504 feet above the River Wye, where peregrine falcons nest and the river performs a dramatic horseshoe bend.
Scenic Viewpoints
Devil's Pulpit
A narrow limestone pinnacle perched above the Wye Valley near Tintern Abbey, offering a dizzying view down through the forest canopy.
Landmarks
Castle Combe
A film-set medieval village of honey cottages with no visible modern intrusions, often called England's prettiest village.
Castles & Palaces
Sudeley Castle
A Tudor castle near Winchcombe, the only private home where a queen of England, Katherine Parr, lies buried.
Landmarks
Chipping Campden
A wool-trade gem with a curving High Street of golden terraces and the arched 17th-century Market Hall.
What you need for this drive
Rules for each country on the route, in the order you meet them.
United Kingdom
- Motorway
- 112 km/h · 48 in town
- Tolls
- Individual tolled crossings (Dart Charge, M6 Toll)
- Drives on
- the left
Low-emission zones: London ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone).
Checked against national road authorities and the ECB reference rates. Rules change — confirm before you travel.
Famous drives in United Kingdom
Legendary routes you could bolt onto this trip, with real distances and stop counts.
Snake Pass + Peak District
Cobblestone villages, Bronte-novel moors, and the moodiest 14 miles of road in England
104 km · 2h driving · 7 stops · 3 days
Atlantic Highway A39: North Cornwall
Cornish surf beaches, smuggler's coves, and the Westcountry pasty trail
139 km · 2.5h driving · 7 stops · 4 days
Causeway Coastal Route
Belfast to Derry along Northern Ireland's cliff-edge coast, via Game of Thrones country
200 km · 3.3h driving · 7 stops · 3 days
NC500: North Coast 500
Scotland's answer to Route 66: 516 miles of mountains, single-track roads, and empty beaches
755 km · 11.4h driving · 9 stops · 7 days
Birmingham to Bristol FAQs
How long is the drive from Birmingham to Bristol?
Driving from Birmingham to Bristol takes about 1 hr 47 min nonstop, covering 88 miles (142 km). Add time for breaks: most drivers stop every 2 hours.
How much does it cost to drive from Birmingham to Bristol?
Fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) costs roughly £15 one-way. There are no significant motorway tolls on this route. Estimates are indicative: prices change monthly.
Can I drive from Birmingham to Bristol in one day?
Yes, at about 1 hr 47 min of driving, Birmingham to Bristol is a comfortable one-day drive with a couple of breaks.
Which roads do you take from Birmingham to Bristol?
The fastest route uses the M5 (about 72 mi), the M32 (about 4 mi). It passes Worcester, Gloucester.
What other drives can I plan on Plan Your Road Trips?
We publish drive times, distances and fuel estimates for 144 routes across Europe and beyond, including 57 other drives in the same country. Browse them all on the routes index.
What are the best stops between Birmingham and Bristol?
Top-rated stops in the drive corridor include Bourton-on-the-Water, Bibury, Morgan Motor Company: see the full list of 9 stops on this page.
More drives from Birmingham & Bristol
Birmingham → CardiffBirmingham → EdinburghBirmingham → GlasgowBirmingham → YorkBristol → CardiffBristol → PlymouthBristol → St IvesLondon → BirminghamLondon → BristolManchester → Birmingham
Planning a bigger trip? Try the free United Kingdom road trip planner, browse every destination we cover, take it with you on the road, or read the driving in United Kingdom guide.