There is no direct train or coach between Bristol Airport and Burnham-on-Sea, so the realistic choices are a taxi or rideshare, or the A1 Flyer bus into Bristol connected to a Great Western Railway train. Uber's own route estimator puts a direct ride at about £52 and 37 minutes for the 32km (20-mile) trip. The bus-and-train combination costs roughly £24.50 in total and takes about 90 minutes door to door once you allow for the change. Checked 2026.
How far is Burnham-on-Sea from Bristol Airport?
Burnham-on-Sea is a Somerset seaside town on the Bristol Channel, south of Weston-super-Mare and close to the M5 at Junction 22. According to Uber's own route page for this journey, it's about 32km (20 miles) from Bristol Airport, with an average driving time of 37 minutes.
Options compared
| Option | Price | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taxi / Uber | ~£52 (Uber's own estimate) | ~37 min | Direct, door to door, no changes |
| A1 Flyer bus + train | ~£24.50 combined (£9.50 + ~£15) | ~90 min total, including the change | Change at Bristol Temple Meads for a Great Western Railway service |
| Coach (indirect) | From ~£14-£17 | Longer, requires a change | No direct coach; connections run via Weston-super-Mare or Bridgwater |
Taxi and rideshare
A taxi or an app like Uber is the only way to travel door to door without a change. Uber's own route estimator for Bristol Airport to Burnham-on-Sea gives an average travel time of 37 minutes, an average distance of 32km, and an average price of about £52, though on-the-day prices vary with demand and time of day. A licensed local minicab firm may quote differently, so it's worth comparing a live quote or a fixed-price pre-booking against the app price before you travel. See our taxis guide for how airport taxi pricing works and how to book ahead.
Train: A1 Flyer plus Great Western Railway
The nearest station to Burnham-on-Sea is Highbridge & Burnham-on-Sea, about a mile from the seafront. To reach it by train from the airport, take the A1 Airport Flyer bus to Bristol Temple Meads, which runs 24 hours a day and takes roughly 26 to 30 minutes to Temple Meads for an adult single fare of £9.50 (see our Flyer bus guide for tickets and timetable). From Temple Meads, Great Western Railway runs direct trains to Highbridge & Burnham-on-Sea taking around 39 minutes, with a typical one-way fare of about £15 depending on how far ahead you book. Combined, that's roughly £24.50 and 65 to 75 minutes of travel time, plus whatever wait you have for your connection at Temple Meads, which usually brings the realistic door-to-door time closer to 90 minutes.
Is there a direct coach or bus?
No. Coach comparison sites show no direct service between Bristol Airport and Burnham-on-Sea. The connections that do exist require a change, for example via Weston-super-Mare (fares from around £14) or via Bridgwater (from around £9, with a combined fare from about £17). Given the need to change buses and the modest saving over the train, most travellers find the Flyer-plus-train route or a taxi more straightforward for a one-off airport trip. If Weston-super-Mare itself is your destination rather than Burnham-on-Sea, see our dedicated Weston-super-Mare guide, which is a more direct trip.
Which should you choose?
- Travelling with luggage, a family, or landing late at night - a taxi or pre-booked transfer is the simplest option, since it skips the change at Temple Meads and doesn't depend on train times matching your flight.
- Travelling solo or as a pair and happy to change trains - the Flyer plus a GWR train saves roughly half the taxi fare, provided your flight lands with enough buffer to make a reasonable connection.
- On a tight budget with time to spare - compare the indirect coach options too, but expect a longer overall journey with at least one change.
Booking tips
Buy your GWR ticket in advance online or via the National Rail app where possible, since walk-up fares on the day are usually the most expensive option. If you're catching an early or late flight, check the first and last Flyer departures and the first and last trains from Temple Meads to Highbridge & Burnham-on-Sea before you rely on this route, since the connection needs both services to be running. For everything else on getting into Bristol first, see our public transport page.
Driving yourself
If you're being collected by car rather than using public transport or a taxi, Burnham-on-Sea is reached from Bristol Airport via the A38 and M5, leaving the motorway at Junction 22. Allow extra time in summer, when the M5 corridor towards the Somerset coast is busiest with holiday traffic heading to and from the seafront and nearby Brean. If you need to arrange a pickup at the terminal rather than driving there yourself, see our drop-off page for the current charges and the free waiting zone.
What's the connection worth knowing about at Temple Meads?
Because this route depends on a change at Bristol Temple Meads, it's worth building in a buffer rather than cutting the connection close, especially with luggage. The Flyer stops directly at the station, so you don't need to walk between stops, but train platforms can be a short walk from the bus stand. If your flight is delayed, check the next available GWR departure to Highbridge & Burnham-on-Sea before you leave the airport, since services on this branch aren't as frequent as on Bristol's main lines.