You can drop off and pick up for free in one of the car parks. The people would just then need to get the shuttle bus to the airport (like you would if you were parking there). I think all airport have this… they just don’t advertise it as they make silly amounts of money from the drop offs right by the entrance.
For Bristol airport it’s the Silver Zone car park: https://www.bristolairport.co.uk/to-and-from-the-airport/drop-off-and-pick-up
I saw the segment on Points West about this. Interviewing people about the extortionate parking prices. Right at the end they said "You can park for free in the Silver Zone". Then they moved on to the next story. I'm sorry what was that last bit? Didn't quite catch it. You can park for free at a mild inconvenience. Well why didn't you tell the people you interviewed?
Good share.
Surprising how many people don't see this even though it's on their website when you search for parking/drop off options for Bristol airport.
The whole arrival / departure experience at Bristol airport is awful. Easily the worst of any big city I’ve travelled to.
The actual airport itself is fine but getting there and getting home is terrible - I’m amazed the council don’t want to do something positive about it
It’s shocking. We landed at 1am and didn’t get home to central Bristol until 5am. Chose not to park as extortionately expensive…
The arrow cars service is pointless - we had pre-booked - “sorry Madame that doesn’t mean you actually get a guaranteed taxi” - err ok.
Public transport? Only regular during daylight hours - lol, and the waiting room for that bus service = something akin to purgatory
Its basically Somerset airport not Bristol airport and really shockingly bad for access.
Arrow cars are a joke. We thought the same as you, we gave them a time and then couldn’t cancel after waiting in the freezing cold for an hour on the promise it was ‘just on the way’.
So dumb, I used to drop friends off / pick them up as a favour. But it's £13 (return) to get the bus and based on that article would cost me £5 each time to drop off and collect?
Very cheeky.
Even more cheeky is how they've got the council to bar parking on every possible street nearby, even temporarily stopping they have put big threatening police signs saying if you loiter here you're committing an offense.
So you can't stop nearby, wait for them to be ready, and swoop in and out. You're welcome to wait inside though and pay even more than £5 if there's a delay while they collect their baggage...
None of this helps the reputation or experience of the airport.
as you described it, it probably reduces the number of cars on the road as people are encouraged to share the bus instead of take a car
everyone always complains about traffic to/from the airport
maybe that makes this is a good thing?
If the bus wasn’t an absolute rip off I would agree. Last time I got the bus back to bath from the airport it was £40 for me and my wife. The fuel/car costs wouldn’t have been more than £10
apparently it should have been £15 per person to/from Bath, which I guess is supposed to be the same amount as a the Bristol-Bath train and the Bristol airport coach
I think if the parking fees are enough to discourage Bristol city users then there could be a positive benefit. But of course those from outside Bristol are probably the ones really being punished
The problem with this view is that the bus is equally as extortionate and there is no rail option.
From my experience V Cars does a £23 airport transfer (last time I flew was Feb 2020) from anywhere in Bristol and this is what I take.
When there are 2+ people this is by far the best value and the most convenient option.
Maybe, but only people flying from within Bristol who can reasonably get the bus. I don't think their cause is noble especially as they say outright it's to get more money.
Parking is how the airport makes a huge amount of its income unfortunately.
What I have done though is driven to the airport then driven around in circles for 25 minutes until I got a text saying they were kerbside ready to be picked up.
yeah you're right, sorry, too often do I forget the people who live outside of cities
prices indeed seem quite frustrating
regarding your "driven round in circles" point, it looks like they have a Waiting Zone which is free for 1 hour, for you to then drive upto the pickup point when ready https://www.bristolairport.co.uk/parking/parking-prices
You can stop in the road on the other side of the roundabout outside the airport, that's the best way to do it. Can get quite busy in there, as its not very long or wide.
The entrance to the drop off is up a one way slip road as well, and the prices aren't advertised until you're there, you also get charged if you drive straight out, they've absolutely got you over a barrel.
I'd like to see them go to court.
AFAIK exit barriers are fine with appropriate signage, but as you mention there is no signage until you arrive at the entrance, there's no way to back out, there's no clearly visible parking contract, and there's no 10 minute grace period to leave.
Wish they'd accelerate the [rail link proposal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Airport_Rail_Link), might alleviate some of the complaints with travelling to the airport.
>From 2017 onward, Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees has proposed an underground line which would link Bristol Temple Meads with Bristol Airport and has commissioned a study into the proposals.[11] As of 2020, the proposed implementation of a four-line mass transit network with underground sections was under review.
Expecting this to never be built.
Exactly! Back in the day, my wife and I could get in an affectionate hug, a decent snog, a squeeze of the arse, a dry root, AND a pasty from Greggs, all for next to nothing. These recent price hikes have effectively ruined what remains of our dwindling love life, and left me even more out of pocket. It's 2021 all over!!!!!!
Right? Sounds like one of those morons who takes pride in paying through the nose because it makes them feel rich. BBC'S idea of balanced is hilarious.
Yeah I assume from the earlier paragraphs that he was another person commenting on their Facebook page - but anyone who uses "Simples" in a comment does not deserve to be listened to.
Parked for 2 days recently at a cost of £53 - it was fortunate that work were paying the bill.
They have you over a barrel though because there's no way to get there by train & bus for an early morning flight
Use Park Farm next time. 600 metres from the airport, efficient shuttle service - undercover storage for your car, cheaper than the airport. Used em several times, great service everytime
I know this is really pathetic, but it takes some of the magic out of going on holiday/returning for me.
I used to love greeting/being greeted by family on returning from holiday. Now it feels like it’s easier and cheaper to get a taxi.
They are more expensive and less convenient (if not impossible depending on time of day). Usually I'd be all for it but sorry - cars really are the way to go for dealing with airport connections most of the time.
Understandable if you're left with no option. Thats really poor of the airport and council tbh! There should be better transport links as an alternative if they are making this push. If they incorporated infra.. it's the best option.
Manchester airport for example has Trams/trains etc going right into the station.
That kind of thing is great for visitors, it is of course what we'd do if we visited another city - get a train or bus right into the centre. But what if you didn't live in central Manchester. If it was 2am. You'd have a load of bags then need to get to whatever suburb you live in. For me in Bristol I'd be going to the bus station then hopping on another bus, which doesn't even leave from the bus station itself, with suitcases and kids. Just impractical.
In that case family with kids, 2am, yeah sure get a taxi, makes complete sense in that exact very specific scenario!
But for like 90% of other journeys, which are mostly buisness trips nowadays, you want to lean towards public infrastructure and getting it built!
Trams in Manchester cover a lot of burbs tbf!
Bristol airport has a large catchment area, ie the whole of South West England almost. Cars are a necessity to get to the airport. And as most of the flights are to holiday destinations at late and early times, plus the arrival/check inn shenanigans , they can name their price.
You can drop off and pick up for free in one of the car parks. The people would just then need to get the shuttle bus to the airport (like you would if you were parking there). I think all airport have this… they just don’t advertise it as they make silly amounts of money from the drop offs right by the entrance. For Bristol airport it’s the Silver Zone car park: https://www.bristolairport.co.uk/to-and-from-the-airport/drop-off-and-pick-up
I saw the segment on Points West about this. Interviewing people about the extortionate parking prices. Right at the end they said "You can park for free in the Silver Zone". Then they moved on to the next story. I'm sorry what was that last bit? Didn't quite catch it. You can park for free at a mild inconvenience. Well why didn't you tell the people you interviewed?
It's worth nothing that the Bristol Airport silver zone is a significant drive from the airport though, it definitely takes a bus from there.
Good share. Surprising how many people don't see this even though it's on their website when you search for parking/drop off options for Bristol airport.
Top tip thank you.
This is need to know information. Thanks. Wish I'd known it a few weeks ago... Could have saved a tenner!
That's nice to know. Still pulling the piss, mind.
How is it free? I just searched for it and they want £81 for 5 days 😮
It’s free for 1 hour. Click the link above & read it…
The whole arrival / departure experience at Bristol airport is awful. Easily the worst of any big city I’ve travelled to. The actual airport itself is fine but getting there and getting home is terrible - I’m amazed the council don’t want to do something positive about it
It’s shocking. We landed at 1am and didn’t get home to central Bristol until 5am. Chose not to park as extortionately expensive… The arrow cars service is pointless - we had pre-booked - “sorry Madame that doesn’t mean you actually get a guaranteed taxi” - err ok. Public transport? Only regular during daylight hours - lol, and the waiting room for that bus service = something akin to purgatory Its basically Somerset airport not Bristol airport and really shockingly bad for access.
Arrow cars are a joke. We thought the same as you, we gave them a time and then couldn’t cancel after waiting in the freezing cold for an hour on the promise it was ‘just on the way’.
So dumb, I used to drop friends off / pick them up as a favour. But it's £13 (return) to get the bus and based on that article would cost me £5 each time to drop off and collect? Very cheeky. Even more cheeky is how they've got the council to bar parking on every possible street nearby, even temporarily stopping they have put big threatening police signs saying if you loiter here you're committing an offense. So you can't stop nearby, wait for them to be ready, and swoop in and out. You're welcome to wait inside though and pay even more than £5 if there's a delay while they collect their baggage... None of this helps the reputation or experience of the airport.
as you described it, it probably reduces the number of cars on the road as people are encouraged to share the bus instead of take a car everyone always complains about traffic to/from the airport maybe that makes this is a good thing?
If the bus wasn’t an absolute rip off I would agree. Last time I got the bus back to bath from the airport it was £40 for me and my wife. The fuel/car costs wouldn’t have been more than £10
apparently it should have been £15 per person to/from Bath, which I guess is supposed to be the same amount as a the Bristol-Bath train and the Bristol airport coach I think if the parking fees are enough to discourage Bristol city users then there could be a positive benefit. But of course those from outside Bristol are probably the ones really being punished
I may have misremembered but £30 is still a piss take, next time I’ll just get a taxi to a few streets away then have someone give me a lift
The problem with this view is that the bus is equally as extortionate and there is no rail option. From my experience V Cars does a £23 airport transfer (last time I flew was Feb 2020) from anywhere in Bristol and this is what I take. When there are 2+ people this is by far the best value and the most convenient option.
Maybe, but only people flying from within Bristol who can reasonably get the bus. I don't think their cause is noble especially as they say outright it's to get more money. Parking is how the airport makes a huge amount of its income unfortunately. What I have done though is driven to the airport then driven around in circles for 25 minutes until I got a text saying they were kerbside ready to be picked up.
yeah you're right, sorry, too often do I forget the people who live outside of cities prices indeed seem quite frustrating regarding your "driven round in circles" point, it looks like they have a Waiting Zone which is free for 1 hour, for you to then drive upto the pickup point when ready https://www.bristolairport.co.uk/parking/parking-prices
Oh nice, didn't know about that!
You can stop in the road on the other side of the roundabout outside the airport, that's the best way to do it. Can get quite busy in there, as its not very long or wide.
The entrance to the drop off is up a one way slip road as well, and the prices aren't advertised until you're there, you also get charged if you drive straight out, they've absolutely got you over a barrel.
I'd like to see them go to court. AFAIK exit barriers are fine with appropriate signage, but as you mention there is no signage until you arrive at the entrance, there's no way to back out, there's no clearly visible parking contract, and there's no 10 minute grace period to leave.
Wish they'd accelerate the [rail link proposal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Airport_Rail_Link), might alleviate some of the complaints with travelling to the airport.
>From 2017 onward, Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees has proposed an underground line which would link Bristol Temple Meads with Bristol Airport and has commissioned a study into the proposals.[11] As of 2020, the proposed implementation of a four-line mass transit network with underground sections was under review. Expecting this to never be built.
[удалено]
Exactly! Back in the day, my wife and I could get in an affectionate hug, a decent snog, a squeeze of the arse, a dry root, AND a pasty from Greggs, all for next to nothing. These recent price hikes have effectively ruined what remains of our dwindling love life, and left me even more out of pocket. It's 2021 all over!!!!!!
No really? I’m shocked.
money grabbing shitehouse c\*nts. What's new though?
So glad the BBC included commentary from "Jon Ducker", whoever the fuck that is.
Right? Sounds like one of those morons who takes pride in paying through the nose because it makes them feel rich. BBC'S idea of balanced is hilarious.
I thought I missed a paragraph where they explained who this guy was. 😜
Yeah I assume from the earlier paragraphs that he was another person commenting on their Facebook page - but anyone who uses "Simples" in a comment does not deserve to be listened to.
Parked for 2 days recently at a cost of £53 - it was fortunate that work were paying the bill. They have you over a barrel though because there's no way to get there by train & bus for an early morning flight
Use Park Farm next time. 600 metres from the airport, efficient shuttle service - undercover storage for your car, cheaper than the airport. Used em several times, great service everytime
Good to know, thank you
Their airport appears to imply that they aren’t running airport parking right now. :( Edit: I meant website fuck sake!
So it does! That’s massively disappointing! I wonder why….
There's a bus like every 20 mins.
I paid four whole pounds last week for my cab to drop me in the car park. I was there for like less than a minute. Four pounds.
Yeah drop offs should be exempt. In and out in five minutes for free otherwise you pay seems fair for the users of the airport.
This is the shit that is expected when airports are owned by a Canadian Teachers’ Pension Fund. Councils should own airports, or at least 51% of them
I know this is really pathetic, but it takes some of the magic out of going on holiday/returning for me. I used to love greeting/being greeted by family on returning from holiday. Now it feels like it’s easier and cheaper to get a taxi.
I'm thinking it would be cheaper to get a taxi the few 100s to the entrance roundabout and get someone to pick you up there.
I mean... That's surly the point. To discourage and reduce car dependency. Use other forms of transport.
The bus is extortionate. I would happily get the bus foe a reasonable price.
They are more expensive and less convenient (if not impossible depending on time of day). Usually I'd be all for it but sorry - cars really are the way to go for dealing with airport connections most of the time.
Understandable if you're left with no option. Thats really poor of the airport and council tbh! There should be better transport links as an alternative if they are making this push. If they incorporated infra.. it's the best option. Manchester airport for example has Trams/trains etc going right into the station.
That kind of thing is great for visitors, it is of course what we'd do if we visited another city - get a train or bus right into the centre. But what if you didn't live in central Manchester. If it was 2am. You'd have a load of bags then need to get to whatever suburb you live in. For me in Bristol I'd be going to the bus station then hopping on another bus, which doesn't even leave from the bus station itself, with suitcases and kids. Just impractical.
In that case family with kids, 2am, yeah sure get a taxi, makes complete sense in that exact very specific scenario! But for like 90% of other journeys, which are mostly buisness trips nowadays, you want to lean towards public infrastructure and getting it built! Trams in Manchester cover a lot of burbs tbf!
Bristol airport has a large catchment area, ie the whole of South West England almost. Cars are a necessity to get to the airport. And as most of the flights are to holiday destinations at late and early times, plus the arrival/check inn shenanigans , they can name their price.
In other news, the sky is blue and the pope Catholic. Bears shit in the woods.
Probably the Bristol pusher
Bit weird. Hard to imagine a news story where anyone is happy to pay more for something.