Famous road · 6 mi off the route
← All routes
Road trip route · United Kingdom
Bristol to Plymouth drive time, distance, costs & the best stops
- Drive time
- 2 hr 24 min
- Distance
- 121 mi
- Fuel (est.)
- £20
- Tolls (est.)
- None
The Bristol to Plymouth drive
The drive from Bristol to Plymouth covers 121 miles (195 km) and takes about 2 hr 24 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 60% of the distance. You pass Weston-super-Mare, Taunton and Exeter on the way.
Expect gentle hills rather than climbs. The high point is around 235 m near Exeter. The Cheddar Gorge Road (B3135) is 6 mi off the route if you have time for a detour.
Expect fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) to cost around £20 one-way with no significant motorway tolls on the way. Prices shift monthly, so treat these as ballpark figures.
At 121 miles this is longer than 21% 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.
- StartBristol
- 21 miWeston-super-Mare25 min in
- 47 miTaunton56 min in
- 80 miExeter1 h 35 min in
- 121 miPlymouth
How high it goes
Roads you'll be on
- M573 mi · 60%
- A3838 mi · 31%
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 · 9 mi off the route
B3212 across Dartmoor
Famous road · 16 mi off the route
A466 Wye Valley (Chepstow to Monmouth)
Best stops between Bristol and Plymouth
Within ~30 km of the driving route, worth the detour.
Landmarks
Glastonbury Tor
Mystical terraced hill crowned by St Michael's Tower, steeped in Arthurian and early Christian legends with panoramic Somerset views.
National Parks
Dartmoor National Park
Wild and ancient moorland dotted with granite tors, Bronze Age settlements and roaming Dartmoor ponies across 368 square miles of Devon.
Cathedrals & Temples
Exeter Cathedral
Magnificent Gothic cathedral boasting the longest uninterrupted vaulted ceiling in England, dating back to the 12th century.
Cathedrals & Temples
Wells Cathedral
Exquisite Early English Gothic cathedral with a magnificent sculpted west front displaying nearly 300 medieval figures.
Natural Wonders
Wistman's Wood
Stunted, moss-drowned oaks growing between granite boulders form one of Britain's last high-altitude temperate rainforests, long linked with Druid legend. A 20-minute walk from the Two Bridges car park on Dartmoor.
Natural Wonders
Haytor
The most visited granite tor on Dartmoor, a pair of rounded outcrops rising above open moor with easy roadside access.
Natural Wonders
Hound Tor
A shattered granite tor said to have inspired The Hound of the Baskervilles, beside the ruins of a deserted medieval village.
Famous Bridges
Postbridge Clapper Bridge
A 13th-century granite slab bridge over the East Dart, the best-preserved clapper bridge on Dartmoor.
Famous Bridges
Tarr Steps
A 17-span prehistoric-style clapper bridge across the River Barle on Exmoor, repeatedly rebuilt after floods.
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
Bristol to Plymouth FAQs
How long is the drive from Bristol to Plymouth?
Driving from Bristol to Plymouth takes about 2 hr 24 min nonstop, covering 121 miles (195 km). Add time for breaks: most drivers stop every 2 hours.
How much does it cost to drive from Bristol to Plymouth?
Fuel for a typical petrol car (~40 mpg) costs roughly £20 one-way. There are no significant motorway tolls on this route. Estimates are indicative: prices change monthly.
Can I drive from Bristol to Plymouth in one day?
Yes, at about 2 hr 24 min of driving, Bristol to Plymouth is a comfortable one-day drive with a couple of breaks.
Which roads do you take from Bristol to Plymouth?
The fastest route uses the M5 (about 73 mi), the A38 (about 38 mi). It passes Weston-super-Mare, Taunton, Exeter.
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 Bristol and Plymouth?
Top-rated stops in the drive corridor include Glastonbury Tor, Dartmoor National Park, Exeter Cathedral: see the full list of 9 stops on this page.
More drives from Bristol & Plymouth
Birmingham → BristolBristol → CardiffBristol → St IvesLondon → BristolLondon → PlymouthManchester → Bristol
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.